Ship for removal of plastic for ocean clean up

Abstract

A specially-equipped ship is configured for environmental cleanup to collect plastic waste floating in the ocean. A method of using the ship is described. The specially-equipped ship can retrieve floating plastic waste in the ocean, shred it, melt it, and cool it to form a solidified block that is usefully employed to form an artificial reef on the ocean floor to house aquatic biota. The ship is outfitted with a conveyor belt fixed to the ship; a furnace to make molten plastic; a davit to drop the solidified block into the ocean to form a reef on the ocean floor. Optionally the ship includes a mold to contain molten plastic; a shredder; a storage compartment to receive plastic particles from the shredder; a fish escape; a vertical wall; a boring machine; photovoltaic cells and/or windmills to produce electric energy.

Claims

1. A ship configured for environmental cleanup to collect a plastic waste floating in an ocean, the ship further configured for melting the plastic waste and cooling into a solidified block to build an artificial reef for aquatic biota, the ship comprising: a conveyor belt fixed to the ship, the conveyor belt configured to be extended downwardly from a point on the ship above a surface of the ocean to a subsurface point, the conveyor belt further configured to engage with and draw up the plastic waste onto the ship; a furnace attached to the ship at a location configured to make a molten plastic, the furnace further configured so that the plastic waste can be loaded into the furnace, the furnace further configured to heat the plastic waste to a melting temperature of at least 149 degrees Celsius (300 degrees Fahrenheit); a vertical wall attached to the ship and extending upwardly from sea level to a vertical height above a deck of the ship at a side of the conveyor belt, the vertical wall configured so that at least one wall within another wall can be telescoped outwardly from the ship to an adjustable position, the adjustable position capable of being set a distance from the ship beyond the conveyor belt so as to guide the plastic waste floating in the ocean towards the conveyor belt; the vertical wall defines holes along its vertical length so as to allow ocean water to pass through it; and a davit configured to access the solidified block after hardening of the molten plastic and the davit further configured to then drop the solidified block onto a seabed.

2. The ship of claim 1, further comprising a mold to contain molten plastic.

3. The ship of claim 2, wherein the mold is located at a position selected from the group consisting of within the furnace, and below the furnace in a configuration to receive molten plastic by gravity feed from the furnace.

4. The ship of claim 1, further comprising: a removable shaft extending through the molten plastic so as to create a vacant hole in the solidified block once the removable shaft is removed.

5. The ship of claim 4, further comprising a hydraulic jack configured to remove the removable shaft from the solidified block.

6. The ship of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of pipes extending through the molten plastic in a plurality of molds, the plurality of pipes having a melting temperature above the melting temperature reached by the furnace, the plurality of pipes configured to remain within the plurality of molds.

7. The ship of claim 1, further comprising a shredder configured to receive the plastic waste from the conveyor belt and further configured to mulch the plastic waste prior to the plastic waste being loaded into the furnace.

8. The ship of claim 7, further comprising a storage compartment to receive plastic particles from the shredder.

9. The ship of claim 1, further comprising a fish escape along a side of the conveyor belt configured to enable a fish on the conveyor belt to slide off the side of the conveyor belt.

10. The ship of claim 1, further comprising a boring machine configured to bore a hole into the solidified block, the boring machine further configured so that particles created by boring the hole are collected for addition to the furnace.

11. The ship of claim 1, further comprising a lid configured to sit atop the furnace, the lid configured to prevent melted plastic from sloshing out of the furnace.

12. The ship of claim 1, further comprising a fire pit configured to burn plastic waste as a source of heat for the furnace.

13. The ship of claim 1, wherein the conveyor belt comprises an open-mesh screen allowing water on the plastic waste to return to the ocean.

14. The ship of claim 1, further comprising an array of photovoltaic cells to produce electric energy for operation of electrical equipment on the ship.

15. The ship of claim 1, further comprising a windmill configured to produce electric energy for operation of electrical equipment on the ship.

16. A method of using the ship of claim 1, the method comprising the steps of: navigating the ship on the ocean to a place where plastic waste is floating near the surface of the ocean; extending the conveyor belt downwardly to the subsurface point; drawing up plastic waste onto the ship using the conveyor belt; loading the plastic waste drawn up onto the ship into the furnace; powering the furnace to produce the molten plastic; cooling the molten plastic into the solidified block; and employing the davit to drop the solidified block onto the seabed.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) The drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the specially-equipped ship according to the disclosure. The reference numbers in the drawings are used consistently throughout. New reference numbers in FIG. 2 are given the 200 series numbers. Similarly, new reference numbers in each succeeding drawing are given a corresponding series number beginning with the figure number.

(2) FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of one embodiment of the specially-equipped ship.

(3) FIG. 2 is a top view of a second embodiment of the specially-equipped ship.

(4) FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of molds and pipes configured to be extracted from the molds after the molten plastic hardens.

(5) FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of molds and pipes within molten plastic and the hydraulic system to remove the pipes after it hardens.

(6) FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of a mold with a rotatable door in the closed position prior to release of the solidified block of plastic.

(7) FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of a mold with a rotatable door in the open position enabling release of the solidified block of plastic.

(8) FIG. 7 is a front elevation view of a boring machine.

(9) FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a solidified block with a hole through its center.

(10) FIG. 9 is a side elevation view of five molds, each with a center through pipe that is intended to remain in the solidified block.

(11) FIG. 10 is a chart of the steps in a method of using the specially-equipped ship.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(12) In the following description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof and which illustrate several embodiments of the present invention. The drawings and the preferred embodiments of the invention are presented with the understanding that the present invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms and, therefore, other embodiments may be utilized and structural, and operational changes may be made, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

(13) FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a ship (100) that is configured for environmental cleanup to collect a plastic waste (105) floating in an ocean (110), the ship (100) further configured for melting the plastic waste (105) and cooling into a solidified block (115) to build an artificial reef (120) for aquatic biota (140). The ship (100) includes a conveyor belt (125); a furnace (130); a davit (135). The ship optionally includes: a shredder (205); a storage compartment (210); a fish escape (145); a vertical wall (215); a boring machine (705); a lid (150) for the furnace (130); an array of photovoltaic cells (155); and a windmill (160).

(14) The conveyor belt (125) is fixed to the ship (100), the conveyor belt (125) configured to be extended downwardly from a point on the ship (100) above a surface of the ocean (111) to a subsurface point (112), the conveyor belt (125) further configured to engage with and draw up the plastic waste (105) onto the ship (100). The conveyor belt (125) is preferably made of stainless steel in the form of an open-mesh screen (225) that permits water to return to the ocean (110). The conveyor belt (125) may also be rubber coated so as to further prevent rusting. The conveyor belt (125) preferably has an electric motor that rotates the belt. Alternatively, a gasoline powered engine rotates the belt. The conveyor belt (125) may also include protrusions to help grab the plastic waste.

(15) The furnace (130) is attached to the ship (100) at a location (131) configured to make a molten plastic (106). The furnace (130) is further configured so that the plastic waste (105) can be loaded into the furnace (130). The furnace (130) further configured to heat the plastic waste (105) to a melting temperature of at least 149 degrees Celsius (300 degrees Fahrenheit).

(16) The furnace (130) may be heated by any energy source. The furnace (130) is preferably heated by gas or electric. The furnace (130) is preferably configured to heat the plastic waste until the plastic waste (105) transitions to a liquid. The furnace (130) may melt plastic waste directly after receiving the plastic waste (105) from the conveyor belt (125) or, optionally, directly from the shredder (205).

(17) Preferably, the plastic waste (105), whether shredded or whole, is fed into the furnace by gravity. Use of shredded plastic particles enables the plastic waste (105) to be fed by a pneumatic system. The furnace (130) preferably includes a lid (150) or top so that molten plastic cannot splash out of the furnace (130) in rough seas. The lid (150) may be added or removed by the davit (135) or preferably it is rotatably attached to the furnace (130) and may be lowered or raised by a motor. The lid (150) preferably includes a pressure relief valve ((151) to provide an outlet for steam.

(18) The furnace (130) is preferably configured with a mold (116) that contains the molten plastic (106). The mold (116) allows the molten plastic (106) to form into solidified block (115).

(19) Alternatively, the molten plastic (106) may be pumped into a mold that is separate and apart from the furnace (130). Alternatively, the mold (116) is located below the furnace (130) in a configuration to receive molten plastic (106) by gravity feed from the furnace (130). The mold (116) may include a removable shaft (305) extending through the molten plastic (106) so as to create a vacant hole in the solidified block (115) once the removable shaft (305) is removed. The removable shaft (305) optionally has a sheath around it to facilitate removal of the removable shaft (305) from the solidified block (115).

(20) Preferably, as shown in FIG. 4, a hydraulic jack (410) is configured to remove the removable shaft (305) from each solidified block (115) when a plurality of molds is utilized. Optionally, one or more of a restraining arm (415) may be used to hold the plurality molds against the upward force created by the hydraulic jack (410). When a plurality of molds is used, preferably, an upper beam (420) interconnects each removable shaft (305) so that the hydraulic jack (410) operates on the plurality of molds together. Thus, the removable shaft (305) is optionally configured to be hydraulically extracted from the plurality of molds as shown in FIG. 4. Once extracted, each solidified block (115) has a hole (805) through it.

(21) Preferably, the molds also have a lid to prevent splash out. Optionally, the mold (116) may be hydraulically opened to free up the solidified block (115). Preferably, each mold (116) has a disposable lining that separates the solidified block (115) from the walls of the mold (116) so that the walls easily release the solidified block (115).

(22) Preferably, each solidified block (115) has a hole (805) through it to enable greater access for fish once it is placed on the seabed (113). The hole (805) may be created by a pipe remaining in the mold (116) or may be created by hydraulically removing the pipe from the solidified block (115). Preferably, each mold (116) opens to free the solidified block (115) and then the solidified block (115) is dropped into the ocean (110) by a grabber arm on a davit (135). The piling up of solidified blocks creates an artificial reef (120) to support aquatic biota (140).

(23) The davit (135) is configured to access the solidified block (115) after hardening of the molten plastic (106). The davit (135) is further configured to then drop the solidified block (115) into the ocean (110) so that it ultimately rests on the seabed (113). The davit (135) in its simplest form is a crane that projects over the side of the ship (100) to enable dropping the solidified block (115) into the ocean (110).

(24) The ship (100) optionally includes a plurality of pipes (905) extending through the molten plastic (106) in a plurality of molds, as shown in FIG. 9. The plurality of pipes (905) has a melting temperature above the melting temperature reached by the furnace (130) so that they retain their shape within the molten plastic (106). The plurality of pipes (905) is configured to remain within the plurality of molds until the molten plastic (106) solidifies.

(25) The ship (100) optionally includes a shredder (205) configured to receive the plastic waste (105) from the conveyor belt (125). The shredder (205) is further configured to mulch the plastic waste (105) prior to the plastic waste (105) being loaded into the furnace (130). The shredder (205) mulches or grinds the plastic waste (105) into particles to promote transport and melting of the plastic waste (105). Preferably, the shredder (205) is configured to permit seawater to drain back into the ocean. The shredder (205) optionally feeds some of the particles to a storage compartment (210) for later burning to heat the furnace (130).

(26) The ship (100) optionally includes a fish escape (145) along a side of the conveyor belt (125). The fish escape (145) is configured to enable a fish on the conveyor belt (125) to slide off a side of the conveyor belt (125).

(27) The ship (100) optionally includes a vertical wall (215) attached to the ship (100) on one or both sides. The vertical wall (215) extends upwardly from sea level at a side of the conveyor belt (125). The vertical wall (215) is configured to be telescoped outwardly from the ship (100) to an end position beyond the conveyor belt (125) so as to guide the plastic waste (105) floating in the ocean (110) towards the conveyor belt (125). The vertical wall (215) preferably defines small holes along its vertical length so as to allow ocean water to pass through it. Each small hole is preferably made by adding a stainless steel fixture with a hole through the fixture. Since the stainless steel fixture spans the thickness of the vertical wall (215), the stainless steel fixture allows salt water to pass through it while contacting only stainless steel. Preferably, the telescoping function enables adjustment as to how far to telescope outward up to the maximum extension.

(28) The ship (100) optionally includes a boring machine (705) configured to bore a hole into the solidified block (115). The boring machine (705) is further configured so that particles created by boring the hole are collected for addition to the furnace (130).

(29) The ship (100) optionally includes a lid (150) configured to sit atop the furnace (130). The lid (150) is configured to prevent melted plastic from sloshing out of the furnace (130).

(30) The ship (100) optionally includes a fire pit (220) configured to burn plastic waste (105) as a source of heat for the furnace (130).

(31) The ship (100) optionally includes an array of photovoltaic cells (155) to produce electric energy for operation of electrical equipment on the ship (100).

(32) The ship (100) optionally includes a windmill (160) configured to produce electric energy for operation of electrical equipment on the ship (100).

(33) A method of using the ship (100) is illustrated in FIG. 10. The method includes the following steps: A Navigating step (1005) of navigating the ship (100) on the ocean (110) to a place where plastic waste (105) is floating near the surface of the ocean (111);

(34) An extending step (1010) of extending the conveyor belt (125) downwardly to the subsurface point (112); A Drawing step (1015) of drawing up plastic waste (105) onto the ship using the conveyor belt (125); A Loading step (1020) of loading the plastic waste (105) drawn up onto the ship (100) into the furnace (130); A Powering step (1025) of powering the furnace (130) to produce the molten plastic (106); A Cooling step (1030) of cooling the molten plastic (106) into the solidified block (115); and an Employing step (1035) of employing the davit (135) to drop the solidified block (115) onto the seabed (113).

(35) The above-described embodiments including the drawings are examples of the invention and merely provide illustrations of the invention. Other embodiments will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Thus, the scope of the invention is determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents rather than by the examples given.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

(36) The invention has application to the environmental restoration industry.