Abstract
Water Reservoirs and wetlands are a major source of methane emissions contributing to greenhouse gases. The annual flood seasons contribute to movement and accumulation of sediments behind irrigation and hydropower dams. These sediments accumulate year after year, lead to loss of water storage capacity and ability to produce hydro-electricity. The invention being proposed to dredge deep sediments from reservoirs operates on the principle of using gaseous fuel from an external pipeline or collected methane emissions as fuel for a submersible internal combustion slurry system. The invention combines the features of an internal combustion liquid piston engine with a slurry turbine driving a dredging cutter. Slurry entering into the system forms a column that is set in oscillation through the explosion of air and fuel and is then pumped to shore.
Claims
1. A submersible internal combustion system for dredging incorporating a dredging cutting wheel, driven by a uni-directional flow turbine capable of maintaining a constant direction of rotation through the passage of an oscillating column of dredged slurry, set in motion and oscillation through the explosion of a mixture of compressed air and a gaseous fuel, such as natural gas, propane or methane emissions collected from the reservoir, and where the compressed air and fuel pressure are adjusted to the hydrostatic pressure of water at the depth of immersion of the submersible, and where the column of slurry is discharge to surface through a principal discharge pipe, and through side jets to provide motion and steering of the submersible.
2. A submersible internal combustion system for dredging operating on two strokes, where by the first stroke occurs after the explosion of the gas and fuel mixture, setting in motion a column of dredged slurry in a cylinder through a turbine, and allows a fresh quantity to enter through a slurry check valve fed by the dredging cutting wheel, while simultaneously opening exhaust valves and scavenging valves to expulse the products of combustion, and pumping a quantity of dredged slurry.
3. A submersible internal combustion system for dredging operating on two strokes, where by the second stroke occurs as the slurry column reverses motion under its own weight after delivering a quantity of dredged slurry to shore, and causes the inlet check valve of the submersible to close while rising through the turbine casing and cylinder and causing the closure of the exhaust valve through its link to the slurry check valve, and whereby at the end of the stroke, compressed air and fuel are injected to match the hydrostatic pressure in the cylinder of water due to the depth of immersion of the engine, followed by ignition and expansion of the products of combustion to initiate the reverse of dredged material column and its rise through the discharge pipe passing through the unidirectional turbine and maintaining the rotation of the cutter.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) FIG. 1 presents an exploded view of the invention with principal components
(2) FIG. 2 presents the first stroke of operation of the invention after the explosion of the air and fuel mixture
(3) FIG. 3 presents the second stroke of operation of the invention with the return column of dredged slurry
(4) FIG. 4 presents a block diagram for control of the invention
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
(5) FIG. 1 presents an exploded drawing of the invention. The cutting of sediments is achieved through a cutter (100) mounted on a shaft (101), driven by a uni-directional turbine (103) capable of maintaining a constant direction of rotation irrespective of the oscillation of slurry in the cylinder (109). On top of the cylinder, an engine head (109) is bolted, featuring a gaseous fuel connection (107), an inlet/scavenger valve piping/solenoid system (105), an exhaust valve piping/solenoid system (106), a spark igniter (108), and a pressure transducer (104). The combustion occurs in a cylinder and turbine casing (110) As the cutter (100) cuts through sediments and water, it forms a slurry that enters the invention through a slurry check valve (114), such as a swing check valve with a position indicator (115). The slurry enters the turbine casing (110) through a pipe fitting (116) during filling and compression strokes but leaves following the explosion of the air and fuel mixture during the expansion stroke into a horizontal pipe (118) towards the final discharge piping (121). The shaft for the turbine and cutter is (supported by a bearing assembly (113) and pedestal (117). The shaft drives a compressor (111) and an alternator (112), by direct drive or through a gear box. The compressor provides the necessary air pressure to enter the engine through the scavenger/air valve and overcome the hydrostatic pressure of water at the depth of immersion. The fuel pressure is also adjusted to overcome the hydrostatic pressure from the fuel pipeline. For mobile systems, two jet connections (119) and (120) are installed at the rear of the discharge pipe, to use some of the energy of the pumped slurry for thrust and control by differential flow in each connection. The scavenger air valve is operated as a solenoid or as a valve with a spring. The exhaust valve may be a solenoid or a valve with a return spring operated by a push rod from the check valve.
(6) FIG. 2 shows operation after explosion of the air and fuel mixture like a slurry canon. The slurry leaves through discharge pipe (118), The check valve (124) opens and transmits its position through the transducer (115) causing the exhaust valve (122) to depress and open for exhaust and product of combustion to leave The pressure transducer (104) records low pressure and partial vacuum. The scavenging valve (124) starts to open under partial vacuum. This causes the PLC to send a signal to the solenoid valve on the compressor (111) to open and inject fresh air through the air/scavenging valve (123). For mobile units some slurry leaves as a jet through check valve (125). For stationary units, the discharge (119) and (120) are sealed.
(7) FIG. 3 Shows the first return stroke. After discharging some the slurry, the rest of the column falls under its own weight through column (121) into pipe (118) and pushes back on the slurry check valve (124) forcing it to close, that in turns forces the exhaust valve (122) to close. In the process the slurry that rises through the turbine casing and cylinder (110) causes the Savonius turbine (103) to rotate and operate the dredging cutter (100). At the end of the stroke, as the angular transducer (115) indicates that the check valve is fully closed and the PLC confirms that the exhaust valve system (106) is fully shut, the PLC opens the air solenoid valve from the compressor and the solenoid valve on the fuel (107). The air and fuel are then ignited using the ignition system (108) resulting in an expansion of the gases and forcing the slurry column through the turbine back into the discharge pipe.
(8) FIG. 4 shows a block diagram for control of the submersible through a microprocessor (1). The microprocessor receives a signal from the inlet check valve (2) to control the opening and closure of the exhaust valve (12). The microprocessor receives data from the pressure switch (10) to send signals to air valves and ignition system Ignition is generated from the magneto (9). The turbine (7) under the cylinder, operates the dredge cutting wheel (8) Information about cutting torque can be transmitted back to the microprocessor. Compressed air is supplied from shore through a pipeline (4) but can also be boosted through a compressor (13) The microprocessor controls valves (14) on compressed air and valves (15) on fuel lines Slurry leaves through a discharge pipe (16), For mobile units a signal is sent from the microprocessor to control the directional thrust jet (17)
