MICROFLOTATION SYSTEM FOR TREATING A BODY OF WATER

Abstract

A microflotation system for treating a body of water includes a pressure apparatus configured to produce pressurized water, an expansion valve positioned at a predefined water depth in the body of water and a pressurized water line configured to connect the pressure apparatus to the expansion valve. The system further includes a floating body and a supporting structure connected to the floating body and is structured to maintain the expansion valve at the predefined water depth. A base wall is coupled to the supporting structure and positioned below a surface of the body of water. A circumferential side wall is connected to the base wall and a microbubble stabilization zone is positioned downstream of the expansion valve and is at least partially delimited from the body of water by the base wall and the circumferential side wall.

Claims

1-12. (canceled)

13. A microflotation system, comprising: an pressure apparatus configured to produce pressurized water; an expansion valve positioned at a predefined water depth in a body of water; a pressurized water line configured to connect the pressure apparatus to the expansion valve; a floating body; a supporting structure connected to the floating body and structured to maintain the expansion valve at the predefined water depth; a base wall coupled to the supporting structure and positioned below a surface of the body of water; and a circumferential side wall connected to the base wall, wherein the microflotation system is configured to treat the body of water, and wherein a microbubble stabilization zone is positioned downstream of the expansion valve and at least partially delimited from the body of water by the base wall and the circumferential side wall.

14. The microflotation system according to claim 13, wherein the microbubble stabilization zone comprises a diameter at least ten times greater than an inner diameter of the pressurized water line.

15. The microflotation system according to claim 13, wherein the side wall comprises has an upper edge positioned at a predefined water depth above the expansion valve.

16. The microflotation system according to claim 13, wherein the expansion valve comprises an outlet opening positioned on an upper side of the base wall.

17. The microflotation system according to of claim 13, further comprising at least one supply opening defined in one of: (i) the base wall; and (ii) the side wall, wherein the at least one supply opening is dimensioned to enable water to flow into the microbubble stabilization zone.

18. The microflotation system according to claim 17, wherein the at least one supply opening comprises a diameter.

19. The microflotation system according to claim 13, further comprising a baffle plate positioned in the microbubble stabilization zone and above the base wall.

20. The microflotation system according to claim 19, wherein a distance between the baffle plate and the base wall is 50% or less of a height of the side wall.

21. The microflotation system according to claim 13, wherein the body of water comprises a natural body of water.

22. The microflotation system according to claim 21, wherein the body of water is one of: (i) a lake; (ii) a river; and (iii) a sea.

23. The microflotation system according to claim 13, wherein the body of water comprises an artificial body of water.

24. The microflotation system according to claim 23, wherein the body of water is one of: (i) a pond; (ii) a canal; and (iii) a retention basin for rain or flood waters.

25. The microflotation system according to claim 13, further comprising: a position monitoring system; a travel drive; and a controller in communication with the positioning monitoring system and the travel drive, wherein the controller is configured to maintain the microflotation system in a first position for a first predefined period of time, and wherein the controller is further configured to subsequently move the microflotation system to a second position and maintain the second position for a second predefined period of time.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] The invention is explained in greater detail below on the basis of an exemplary embodiment depicted in a FIGURE.

[0032] FIG. 1 schematically shows an embodiment of a microflotation system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0033] The microflotation system from FIG. 1 is arranged, in a floating manner, on a natural body of water. The body of water has a water body 10, a water bed 12 and a water surface 14.

[0034] The microflotation system has two floating bodies 16 and a supporting structure 18 which connects the floating bodies 16 to one another, such that the entire microflotation system can float on the water surface 14. A pressure apparatus for producing pressurized water comprises a pressure vessel 20, to which water can be supplied continuously from the water body 10 via a supply line 22, the free end of which is arranged beneath the water surface 14. To this end, a pump (not depicted) can be arranged in the supply line 22. In addition, a gas line 24, which is only suggestively depicted, opens into the pressure vessel 20. A compressor (not depicted) can be arranged in this gas line 24. Air can be supplied continuously to the pressure vessel 20 via the gas line 24. An elevated pressure prevails in the pressure vessel 20, for example in the range from 2 bar to 10 bar, which leads to the gases contained in the air being dissolved in the water. The resulting pressurized water 26 is ideally enriched with the gases contained in the air up to a saturation concentration.

[0035] An expansion valve 28 is arranged beneath the water surface 14. The expansion valve 28 is maintained at a predefined water depth via a downwardly pointing section 44 of the supporting structure 18 which is connected to the side wall 38 and via the latter to the base wall 36. The expansion valve 28 is connected to the pressure vessel 20 via a pressurized water line 30. Inside the expansion valve 28, there is located a valve gap 32 at which the explained pressure release process takes place. Due to the configuration, in the case of the expansion valve 28 depicted by way of example, the valve gap 32 is located approximately in the middle of a valve housing. At an upper end, the valve housing of the expansion valve 28 has several outlet openings 34, at which the gas/water mixture flows out of the housing of the expansion valve 28 shortly after the expansion.

[0036] The outlet openings 34 of the expansion valve 28 are located immediately above a base plate 36 which is arranged horizontally and the expansion valve 28 is arranged in the middle thereof. The edge of the base plate 36 is connected to a circumferential side wall 38 which is aligned vertically. The base plate 36 with the side wall 38 delimits a microbubble stabilization zone 42 arranged in its interior from the surrounding water body 10. A baffle plate 40, which is located at a relatively small distance from the base wall 36, is arranged above the base plate 36 and parallel thereto. The diameter of the baffle plate 40 is approximately half a diameter of the base wall 36 such that a relatively wide, circular disk-shaped passage is formed on the side of the baffle plate 40.

[0037] Microscopically small gas bubbles are configured or formed in the pressurized water 26 immediately after passing through the valve gap 32. The gas/water mixture flows quickly through the outlet openings 34 into the microbubble stabilization zone 42, where stable microbubbles are configured, beginning in the region between the base wall 36 and the baffle plate 40. This process continues during the slow rise through the microbubble stabilization zone 42 such that a plurality of stable microbubbles is available at the height of the upper edge of the side wall 38, which continue to rise towards the water surface 14 and thereby attach themselves to impurities present in the water body 10 and carry these with them to the water surface 14. The flotate configured there can be easily removed, for example with the aid of a conveying apparatus and/or by being sucked off at the water surface 14.

[0038] Presumably, the microbubble stabilization zone achieves its beneficial effect on the configuration of stable microbubbles by reducing the concentration gradient of the dissolved gases in the vicinity of the expansion valve. For example, the concentration of the dissolved oxygen in the water body can lie in the range of approximately 7 mg/l. A higher concentration of, by way of example, approximately 25 mg/l quickly ensues in the microbubble stabilization zone.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0039] 10 Water body [0040] 12 Water bed [0041] 14 Water surface [0042] 16 Floating body [0043] 18 Supporting structure [0044] 20 Pressure vessel [0045] 22 Supply line [0046] 24 Gas line [0047] 26 Pressurized water [0048] 28 Expansion valve [0049] 30 Pressurized water line [0050] 32 Valve gap [0051] 34 Outlet opening [0052] 36 Base wall [0053] 38 Side wall [0054] 40 Baffle plate [0055] 42 Microbubble stabilization zone [0056] 44 Section of the supporting structure [0057] 46 Supply opening