Device for receiving and removing plastic, sludge-like materials deposited on beds of bodies of water

Abstract

A device for receiving and removing plastic, sludge-like materials deposited on beds of bodies of water. The device systematically senses the bottom of the body of water, suctions it off layer by layer, and independently moves along even if coarse obstacles are present. The device has at least one pump/compressor, at least one hydraulic unit and at least one electric power generator and is connected on one side to a disposal site or a settling basin or a transportable container on land and on the other side to the suction module by pipelines. The suction module moves along on the bottom independently by a special tracked chassis unit, is connected by a cable to an echo sounding emitter arranged floatingly above the suction module and/or to a GPS receiver, and has a pivoting arm, which independently adapts to the bed of the body of water and oscillates freely.

Claims

1. Device for collecting and removing plastic, sludge materials deposited on beds of bodies of water, wherein a controllable floating body is connected to a suction module via hose lines, wherein the controllable floating body is equipped with at least one pump/compressor and at least one hydraulic unit as well as at least one power set and on land is connected at one end to a sludge pond or sedimentation tank or a transportable container via pipelines and at the other end to the suction module, which travels independently over the bed of the body of water on a caterpillar chassis, is connected to an echo-sounder and/or a GPS receiver floating on the water surface above suction module via a cable, has a freely oscillating single- or double- or multi-arm pivoting arm that adapts autonomously to the bed of the body of water, arranged between and/or in front of and/or behind the caterpillar tracks of the caterpillar chassis, and a sealing plate arranged between the pivoting arm(s) and a sweeping roller, wherein the sweeping roller is mounted inside a suction bell, in which a cutting unit is arranged, and the suction bell has at least one flange/suction port for at least one suction hose.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the suction module has at least one rake scraper arranged inside the suction bell before and/or after the sweeping roller in the direction of the bed of the body of water, mainly in the direction of the cutting unit, wherein the sweeping roller comprises bristles, and wherein the rake scraper is guided around at least part of the sweeping roller and engages with at least some of the bristles of the sweeping roller.

3. Device according to claim 1, wherein a sealing plate and/or a baffle plate is fastened between the two pivoting arms above the sweeping roller, which plate or plates form a gap with the sweeping roller, which gap controls the flow speed along the length of the sweeping roller by its shape.

4. Device according to claim 1, wherein a strainer and/or a grating is/are arranged above the sweeping roller and above the sealing plate and/or the baffle plate.

5. Device according to claim 4, wherein at least one knife is arranged below the strainer and/or the grating as the rotating cutting unit.

6. Device according to claim 5, wherein a static knife in the form of a double sickle is arranged below the rotating knife.

7. Device according to claim 5, wherein the knives are constructed in a scissors design.

8. Device according to claim 5, wherein the cutting unit is driven by a motor/drive unit arranged on an outer circumference of the suction bell.

9. Device according to claim 5, wherein the pump is arranged on or on the side of the suction bell.

10. Device according to claim 9, wherein the pump is connected to the sludge pond or the sedimentation tank or the transportable container via pipelines or via the floating body or directly.

11. Device according to claim 1, wherein one or more mowing units are arranged in front of the caterpillar chassis.

12. Device according to claim 1, wherein the sweeping roller has its own drive unit.

13. Device according to claim 1, wherein the sweeping roller is capable of rotating to the left and to the right.

14. Device according to claim 1, wherein the caterpillar chassis has a rising slope at both ends.

15. Device according to claim 1, wherein the caterpillar chassis has a toothed rack, in which a drive unit engages with its gearwheel.

16. Device according to claim 1, wherein the echo-sounder and/or the GPS system and/or the camera system is arranged on the controllable floating body and is connected to the drive unit of the caterpillar chassis and a controller therefor.

17. Device according to claim 16, wherein the controller generates a systematic cleaning profile of the bed of the body of water and ensures that the suction module cleans the required sites on the bed of the body of water at least once.

18. Device according to claim 1, wherein the floating body is a catamaran or a pontoon, which has its own drive unit.

19. Device according to claim 1, wherein the pipelines and/or pressure hoses are constructed as flat hoses, to which a further hose is bonded or vulcanized for surfacing purposes.

20. Device according to claim 1, wherein the suction module is equipped with a buoyancy body.

Description

EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT

(1) In the following, the invention will be explained in greater detail with reference to an exemplary embodiment thereof.

(2) In the drawing:

(3) FIG. 1shows a top view of the entire device in use

(4) FIG. 2shows a side view of the entire device in use

(5) FIG. 3shows a cross sectional view of the entire device in use

(6) FIG. 4shows a top view of the suction module with caterpillar chassis, pivoting arms and sweeping roller

(7) FIG. 5shows cross section/side view of the suction module

(8) FIG. 6shows a cross section view of the caterpillar chassis

(9) FIG. 7shows the suction module with echo-sounder on the bed of the body of water

(10) FIG. 8shows a cross section of the liquefier with pivoting arm, sweeping roller, suction bell, rake-like scraper (s), strainer and cutting unit

(11) FIG. 9shows the floating pressure hose in cross section

(12) FIG. 10is a bottom view of the liquefier

(13) FIG. 11is a rear view of the liquefier

(14) Suction module 11 is connected to control unit 12 via suction hose 14 and hydraulic lines 15 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 3).

(15) Control unit 12, which is preferably designed as a catamaran, includes a floating body 18. Floating body 18 holds a pump 13, a hydraulic unit 16, a hydraulic controller 17, a compressor 19, a power set 20 and a dirty water collector 21. On land, dirty water collector 21 is connected to a sludge pond or sedimentation tank or a mobile collector station for the wash material (not shown) via a collecting pressure hose 22. Collecting pressure hose 22 is coupled in the lengthwise direction thereof with an air hose 24 that functions as a buoyancy body.

(16) Hydraulic controller 17 is connected to suction module 11 via hydraulic lines 15. Pump(s) 13, which are also arranged on control unit 12, are connected to suction ports 9 of suction module 12 via suction hoses 14. Suction ports 9 are arranged inside suction bell 4. Drive unit 8 of cutting unit 5 is positioned on suction bell 4, wherein the cutting unit is also inside suction bell 4 and is required to cut up larger elements in the wash material (FIG. 4). Cutting unit 5 has at least two counter-rotating knives, wherein at least one knife is approximately in a Z shape (FIG. 10).

(17) Suction bell 4 is supported on two pivoting arms 2 and on sealing plate 3 and rake 7 (FIG. 8). Pivoting arms 2 have two bearings 1, which are mounted on a pivot point on the chassis of suction module 11 (FIG. 5). In this way, pivoting arms 2 together with the rotating sweeping roller 6 arranged between them move vertically and are guided over obstacles on the bed of the body of water. Sweeping roller 6 is rotatable in both directions. It is possible to make the bristles of sweeping roller 6 interchangeable and from various materials and of a different length, depending on the nature of the water bed (FIG. 11).

(18) Rake 7, which partially encloses sweeping roller 6 and partially engages in sweeping roller 6 cleans the roller and prevents very large, coarse items from being conveyed into the inside of suction bell 9.

(19) The chassis of suction module 11 is arranged outside of pivoting arms 2. It has two caterpillar tracks 10, which travel over a plurality of deflection rollers 23. In this context, the deflection rollers are arranged such that a sloping guide for the caterpillar tracks 10 regardless of the direction of travel of suction module 11, which ensures reliable movementwith no danger of seizingover the bed of the body of water (FIG. 6). The inside of each caterpillar track 10 is furnished with a toothed rack, in which a gearwheel of the drive unit engages.

(20) An echo-sounder 26 is arranged floating on water surface 25 directly above suction module 11. Echo-sounder 26 is used to monitor suction module 11. In this context, echo-sounder 26 is preferably connected to suction module 11 via an extendable fishing line 30. The emission cone 27 generated by echo-sounder 26 extends over suction module 11, the sludge areas 29 from which material has already been removed, and sludge areas 28 from which material has not yet been removed. In this way, it is possible to control both suction module 11 and control unit 12, so that the surfaces of the beds of the water body that must be cleaned can be distinguished clearly from the areas that have already been cleaned.

(21) Of course, a substantially similar fastening means may also be used between echo-sounder 26 and suction module 11 instead of an extendable fishing line 30.

(22) Alternatively, a GPS system and/or a camera system may be mounted on control unit 12 instead of or in addition to echo-sounder 26, so that suction module 11 may be controlled optimally.