WATER VAPOR SUPPRESSION MATERIAL AND PRODUCTION METHOD THEREFOR

Abstract

A water vapor suppression material may include grains obtained by (1) granulating a natural glue of plant origin, for being distributed over a water surface to suppress the evaporation of water vapor, or (2) forming a mixture of a natural glue of plant origin and a plant-based powder into a granular shape, for being distributed over a water surface to suppress the evaporation of water vapor.

Claims

1. A water vapor suppression material comprising grains obtained by granulating a natural glue of plant origin, for being distributed over a water surface to suppress the evaporation of water vapor.

2. A water vapor suppression material comprising grains obtained by forming a mixture of a natural glue of plant origin and a plant-based powder into a granular shape, for being distributed over a water surface to suppress the evaporation of water vapor.

3. The water vapor suppression material according to claim 2, wherein the plant is seaweed or algae.

4. The water vapor suppression material according to claim 1, wherein the grains have enclosed therein air bubbles.

5. The water vapor suppression material according to claim 1, wherein the grains are surface-coated with a natural glue of plant origin that serves as a coating agent.

6. The water vapor suppression material according to claim 1, wherein the water surface over which the material is distributed is an ocean water surface, and excessive evaporation of water vapor from the ocean water surface is suppressed.

7. A method for producing a water vapor suppression material, wherein seaweed or algae is dried, formed into a powder shape, then re-dried, mixed with a natural glue of plant origin that serves as a binder, kneaded to such a viscosity that air bubbles can be contained, and formed into a belt shape; several layers of the belt-shaped mixture are stacked while enclosing air bubbles, granulated into a granular shape, and then dried; and the granules are surface-coated with a natural glue of plant origin that serves as a coating agent and then dried.

8. The water vapor suppression material according to claim 2, wherein the grains have enclosed therein air bubbles.

9. The water vapor suppression material according to claim 3, wherein the grains have enclosed therein air bubbles.

10. The water vapor suppression material according to claim 2, wherein the grains are surface-coated with a natural glue of plant origin that serves as a coating agent.

11. The water vapor suppression material according to claim 3, wherein the grains are surface-coated with a natural glue of plant origin that serves as a coating agent.

12. The water vapor suppression material according to claim 4, wherein the grains are surface-coated with a natural glue of plant origin that serves as a coating agent.

13. The water vapor suppression material according to claim 2, wherein the water surface over which the material is distributed is an ocean water surface, and excessive evaporation of water vapor from the ocean water surface is suppressed.

14. The water vapor suppression material according to claim 3, wherein the water surface over which the material is distributed is an ocean water surface, and excessive evaporation of water vapor from the ocean water surface is suppressed.

15. The water vapor suppression material according to claim 4, wherein the water surface over which the material is distributed is an ocean water surface, and excessive evaporation of water vapor from the ocean water surface is suppressed.

16. The water vapor suppression material according to claim 5, wherein the water surface over which the material is distributed is an ocean water surface, and excessive evaporation of water vapor from the ocean water surface is suppressed.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] FIG. 1 is a schematic enlarged cross-sectional view showing preferred embodiments of the present invention; (a) is a cross-sectional view of a water vapor suppression material in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of a water vapor suppression material in the form of an ellipsoid.

[0028] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the distribution of the water vapor suppression material of the present invention over a water surface.

[0029] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram showing how the distributed water vapor suppression material dissolves while covering the water surface; (a) is a cross-sectional view at the time when a water vapor suppression material in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped or an ellipsoid starts covering the water surface, (b) is a cross-sectional view at the time when the water vapor suppression material starts dissolving, (c) is a cross-sectional view at the time when most of the natural glue of plant origin that coats the surface of the water vapor suppression material has dissolved, and (d) shows the water vapor suppression material that has dissolved to such a degree that its shape is hardly retained.

[0030] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a preferred embodiment of the method for producing a water vapor suppression material of the present invention; (a) is a schematic diagram showing seaweed or algae, which is a raw material for a powder, living in the ocean, (b) is a schematic diagram showing the seaweed or algae that has been dried, (c) is a schematic diagram showing the dried seaweed or algae that has processed into a powder shape, (d) is a schematic diagram showing the dry seaweed or algae powder that has been mixed with a natural glue of plant origin, (e) is a cross-sectional view showing the mixture that has been formed into a belt shape and stacked in layers, (f) is a cross-sectional view of granules at the time when the mixture stacked in layers has been granulated and formed into a granular shape, (g) is a cross-sectional view at the time when the granules have been dried, and (h) is a cross-sectional view of a water vapor suppression material obtained by surface-coating the dried granules with a natural glue of plant origin, followed by drying.

[0031] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing specific ocean areas where the present invention is to be distributed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0033] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional enlarged schematic diagram showing preferred embodiments of the water vapor suppression material 1 of the present invention. The water vapor suppression material 1 is obtained as follows. For example, a mixture 11 of a plant-based powder, such as seaweed or algae, with a starch-based natural glue of plant origin, such as rice, is caused to enclose air bubbles 12 and formed into a granular shape, followed by drying, and the periphery of the surface 13 is coated with a coating agent 14 composed a natural glue of plant origin.

[0034] According to this embodiment, seaweed or algae is used as a plant powder to achieve its effective use, and such a material is suitable for use in the ocean or the like, but other plants may also be used. In addition, as a natural glue of plant origin, in terms of viscosity, one using a starch, such as rice, as a raw material, where air bubbles can be easily enclosed, is suitable, but other natural glues of plant origin are also possible. The amount of coating agent is adjusted according to the desired floating/dissolution time.

[0035] Then, because the water vapor suppression material 1 of the present invention has a granular shape, by distributing such a material over a water surface, the water surface can be covered over a large range, and a water vapor suppressing effect can be obtained over a large range. At this time, the covered range can also be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the distribution amount. Further, because the raw materials are all plant-derived and dried, and air bubbles are enclosed therein, the specific gravity is less than water, and the material can float on the water surface. During floating, the layer of the natural glue of plant origin 14 on the surface, which is a coating agent, gradually dissolves, and then the mixture 11 of a plant powder and a natural glue of plant origin, which are raw materials, gradually dissolve. During this time, the water surface 9 having distributed thereon the material is continuously covered, and the evaporation of water vapor 4 from the water surface can be suppressed.

[0036] More specifically, according to this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the water vapor suppression material 1 is a rectangular parallelepiped (a) or an ellipsoid (b), and each formed to be longer in the direction parallel to the water surface over which the material is distributed than in the perpendicular direction. Thus, as compared to a sphere or the like, for example, the covered area of the water surface and the resulting buoyancy can be increased.

[0037] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a preferred embodiment in the case of distributing the water vapor suppression material 1 of the present invention over a water surface. From the air using an airplane 2 while flying, or from the water surface form a sailing special ship 3 for the collection of raw material plants, processing into a water vapor suppression material, and distribution, the water vapor suppression material is distributed over a water surface while maintaining a moderate density, whereby the water surface 9 can be covered, and the evaporation of water vapor can be suppressed. At this time, the position and range to be covered are adjusted by changing the sailing route, the distribution amount, and the like.

[0038] FIG. 3 shows how the water vapor suppression material 1 distributed over a water surface in the above embodiment covers the water surface and dissolves while suppressing the evaporation of water vapor 4.

[0039] According to this embodiment, the water surface 9 is covered with the water vapor suppression material 1 in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped or an ellipsoid. As a result, unlike a conventional material that is sheet-shaped and completely blocks sunlight/air, while suppressing excessive evaporation of water vapor, moderate evaporation is allowed. As a result, while preventing frequent occurrence of tropical cyclones, moderate diffusion of water vapor is brought about.

[0040] Further, according to this embodiment, while covering the water surface 9, the water vapor suppression material 1 in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped or an ellipsoid dissolves as described above. Accordingly, the space between the water vapor suppression materials 1 gradually opens, and the evaporation of water vapor increases. Therefore, in some cases, it is also possible to additionally distribute the water vapor suppression material 1 to adjust the amount of water vapor suppression. Then, the water vapor suppression material 1 is entirely plant-based. Therefore, as a result of diffusion into water or incorporation into underwater living things, the material is returned to the environment. Thus, there is no adverse effect on the environment, and no special recovery operations are necessary.

[0041] Incidentally, according to this embodiment, a mixture obtained by mixing a plant-based powder with a natural glue of plant origin is used. Thus, effectively using plants such as seaweed, large-scale production is easy. However, it is also possible that a plant-based powder is not mixed, and grains are formed only from a natural glue of plant origin. In addition, depending on the intended use, coating is also unnecessary.

[0042] FIG. 4 shows a preferred embodiment of the production method of the present invention. Seaweed or algae, such as green algae, brown algae, or red algae, (hereinafter referred to as seaweed or the like) 5 is dried into dried seaweed or the like 6. The seaweed or the like 6 is cut into a powder shape and then further dried into a powder 7 of the seaweed or the like. The powder 7 is mixed with a natural glue of plant origin 8, which is a rice- or like starch-based binder, and kneaded to such a viscosity that air bubbles 12 can be sufficiently contained, thereby giving a mixture 11. The mixture 11 is formed into a belt shape. Layers of the belt-shaped mixture are stacked so as to enclose air as shown in the cross-sectional view (e), the belt-shaped mixture in layers is granulated into wet granules as shown in the cross-sectional view (f), the wet granules are dried into dry granules as shown in the cross-sectional view (g), and the surface is coated with a natural glue of plant origin 8 as shown in the cross-sectional view (h), followed by drying, thereby giving a water vapor suppression material 1 using the seaweed or the like as a raw material.

[0043] FIG. 5 shows preferred ocean areas where the water vapor suppression material 1 of the present invention is distributed. By distributing the material in the area of tropical cyclone formation in the Indian Ocean (A), the area of tropical cyclone formation in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean (B), and the area of tropical cyclone formation in the Northeast Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean (C), frequent occurrence of tropical cyclones can be suppressed.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

[0044] 1: Water vapor suppression material, [0045] 11: Mixture of a plant-based powder and a natural glue of plant origin, [0046] 12: Air bubble, [0047] 13: Dried surface of a mixture formed into a granular shape, [0048] 14: Coating agent composed of a natural glue of plant origin, [0049] 2: Airplane, [0050] 3: Special ship for raw material plant collection, processing into a water vapor suppression material, and distribution, [0051] 4: Evaporation of water vapor, [0052] 5: Seaweed or algae, [0053] 6: Dried seaweed or algae, [0054] 7: Seaweed or algae dried and formed into a powder shape, [0055] 8: Natural glue of plant origin, [0056] 9: Water surface over which a water vapor suppression material is distributed, [0057] A: Area of tropical cyclone formation in the Indian Ocean, [0058] B: Area of tropical cyclone formation in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean, [0059] C: Area of tropical cyclone formation in the Northeast Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean