Remote monitoring device for ballast water treatment system and remote monitoring method

• US 10,145,832 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2013
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kurita Water Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: Kurita Water Industries Limited
• Inventors: Fukuzawa, Kotaro, Koga, Tetsuo, Hayashi, Kazuki, Fukase, Tetsuro
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): ISLAM, MOHAMMAD K
• Application Number:
  US14/388,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20150081227A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,106 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B63J 4/002 for treating ballast water
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/008 Control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/76 with halogens or compounds of halogens C02F1/4674 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/008 Originating from marine vessels, ships and boats, e.g. bilge water or ballast water
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/008 comprising telecommunication features, e.g. modems or antennas
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/04 Oxidation reduction potential [ORP]
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/22 O2
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/04 Disinfection
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 11/00 Investigating flow properties of materials, e.g. viscosity, plasticity; Analysing materials by determining flow properties
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/00 Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light G01N3/00 - G01N19/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/06 of a liquid involving electrolysis G01N27/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/26 by investigating electrochemical variables; by using electrolysis or electrophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/1826 Organic contamination in water
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/1886 using probes, e.g. submersible probes, buoys

Abstract

A state of a ballast water treatment system of a ship detected by a variety of sensors is monitored by transmitting it to a control means provided with a data storage/transmission means. The control means transmits from a satellite communication means to a satellite communication means on the receiving side via a communication satellite, and a host computer receives it. The host computer analyzes and monitors information from the various sensors S1 to S6 and sends back an optimal operation state, which is received by the satellite communication means on the ship side via the communication satellite, and the control means maintains an operation of the ballast water treatment system based on instructions from the host computer. According to the remote monitoring device for a ballast water treatment system as above, the ballast water treatment system can be monitored and controlled from remote.

Claims

1. A remote monitoring device for a ballast water treatment system provided to a ship, comprising:

the ballast water treatment system comprises a treatment effect confirmation means, an environment safety monitoring means, a control means, and a data storage/transmission means for treatment effect data and environment safety data connected to the treatment effect confirmation means and the environment safety monitoring means, wherein

the data storage/transmission means are connected by wireless with a host computer provided away from the ship,

the host computer monitors a state of the ballast water treatment system in advance before the ship reaches a port by using the control means based on treatment effect data and environment safety data received from the data storage/transmission means, maintains and manages operations of the ballast water treatment system to be proper, determines an amount of hypochlorite supplies to maintain the ballast water treatment system, and sends instructions for the amount of the supplies to the port for preparation work of the supplies to begin before the ship reaches the port,

the treatment effect confirmation means detects a state of a hypochlorite as an active substance of a bactericidal agent in ballast water when loading the ballast water, and

the environment safety monitoring means detects a state of the hypochlorite of the bactericidal agent remaining in ballast water when discharging the ballast water.

2. The remote monitoring device for the ballast water treatment system according to claim 1, wherein the treatment effect confirmation means is one or more kinds selected from a residual oxidant sensor, an ultraviolet sensor, an oxidizing-reducing potentiometer, a dissolved oxygen meter, a level meter of a bactericidal agent tank, a flowmeter of a bactericidal agent, and a flowmeter of an electrolytic device.

3. The remote monitoring device for the ballast water treatment system according to claim 2, wherein the environment safety monitoring means is one or more kinds selected from a residual oxidant sensor, an oxidizing-reducing potentiometer, a level meter of a bactericidal-agent neutralizer tank, and a flowmeter of a neutralizer.

4. The remote monitoring device for the ballast water treatment system according to claim 1, wherein the environment safety monitoring means is one or more kinds selected from a residual oxidant sensor, an oxidizing-reducing potentiometer, a level meter of a bactericidal-agent neutralizer tank, and a flowmeter of a neutralizer.

5. The remote monitoring device for the ballast water treatment system according to claim 1, wherein the hypochlorite of the bactericidal agent is an active chemical ingredient of the bactericidal agent.

6. The remote monitoring device for the ballast water treatment system according to claim 1, further comprising

a ballast tank that holds the ballast water and that is fluidly connected to a water intake port via a main line of the ship and a water discharge port via a discharge line of the ship,

a bactericidal agent storage tank that stores the bactericidal agent and that is fluidly connected to the main line at a first position located upstream of the ballast tank towards the water intake port of the ship, and

a neutralization storage tank that stores a neutralization agent that neutralizes the hypochlorite of the bactericidal agent and that is fluidly connected to the discharge line of the ship at a second position located downstream of the ballast tank towards the water discharge port of the ship.

7. The remote monitoring device for the ballast water treatment system according to claim 6, wherein

the host computer is configured to operate the control means to operate one or more valves in the ballast water treatment system to control the bactericidal agent storage tank and the neutralization storage tank in response to instructions received from the host computer via the data storage/transmission means.

8. A remote monitoring method for a ballast water treatment system provided to a ship, comprising:

transmitting treatment effect data and environment safety data obtained by a treatment effect confirmation means and an environment safety monitoring means provided to the ballast water treatment system to a data storage/transmission means;

wirelessly transmitting the data, via the data storage/transmission means, to a host computer provided away from the ship;

maintaining and managing operations of the ballast water treatment system to be proper, via the host computer, by monitoring from remote a state of the ballast water treatment system in advance before the ship reaches a port by using the control means based on treatment effect data and environment safety data received from the data storage/transmission means;

determining, via the host computer, an amount of hypochlorite supplies to maintain the ballast water treatment system; and

sending instructions for the amount of supplies to the port for preparation work of the supplies to begin before the ship reaches the port, wherein

the treatment effect confirmation means detects a state of a hypochlorite as an active substance of a bactericidal agent in ballast water when loading the ballast water; and

the environment safety monitoring means detects a state of the hypochlorite of a bactericidal agent remaining in ballast water when discharging the ballast water.

9. The remote monitoring method for a ballast water treatment system according to claim 8, wherein the hypochlorite of the bactericidal agent is an active chemical ingredient of the bactericidal agent.

10. The remote monitoring method for the ballast water treatment system according to claim 8, further comprising

operating, via the host computer, the control means to operate at least one or more valves in the ballast water treatment system to control the bactericidal agent storage tank and a neutralization storage tank in response to instructions received from the host computer via the data storage/transmission means.

11. A ballast water-treatment remote monitoring system comprising:

a treatment effect confirmation sensor installed on a ship that includes a ballast tank that detects a state of a hypochlorite as an active chemical ingredient of a bactericidal agent in ballast water during loading of the ballast water;

an environment safety monitoring sensor installed on the ship that includes the ballast tank that detects the state of the hypochlorite of the bactericidal agent in the ballast water during discharging of the ballast water;

a controller that is installed on the ship, that includes, or is communicatively connected to, a memory storage unit that electronically stores the state of the hypochlorite of the bactericidal agent detected by the treatment effect confirmation sensor and the environment safety monitoring sensor;

a transmitter and a receiver communicatively installed on the ship that includes the ballast tank that is communicatively connected to the controller and the memory storage and that transmits the state of the hypochlorite of the bactericidal agent detected by at least one of the treatment effect confirmation sensor and the environment safety monitoring sensor that is stored in the memory storage;

a host computer that is structurally detached from the ship, that is communicatively connected with the controller of the ship via the transmitter and the receiver of the ship, that remotely monitors and remotely manages the hypochlorite of the bactericidal agent within the ballast water in advance before the ship reaches a port, that receives treatment effect confirmation data and environmental safety data stored in the memory storage unit and detected by the treatment effect confirmation sensor and the safety monitoring sensor, respectively, from the transmitter of the ship, that determines an amount of supplies to maintain the ballast water treatment system, that transmits instructions for the amount of hypochlorite supplies to the port for preparation work of the supplies to begin before the ship reaches port, and that transmits to the ship preparation work instructions to the receiver of the ship prior to arriving at port in accordance with the state of the ballast water treatment system, wherein

the controller receives the preparation work instructions from the host computer and maintains or changes the state of the hypochlorite in the ballast storage tank of the ship prior to arriving at port to shorten a time period at port required to perform management of the ballast water.

12. The ballast water-treatment remote monitoring system according to claim 11, further comprising

a ballast tank that holds the ballast water and that is fluidly connected to a water intake port via a main line of the ship and a water discharge port via a discharge line of the ship,

a bactericidal agent storage tank that stores the bactericidal agent and that is fluidly connected to the main line at a first position located upstream of the ballast tank towards the water intake port of the ship, and

a neutralization storage tank that stores a neutralization agent that neutralizes the hypochlorite of the bactericidal agent and that is fluidly connected to the discharge line of the ship at a second position located downstream of the ballast tank towards the water discharge port of the ship.

13. The ballast water-treatment remote monitoring system according to claim 12, wherein

the host computer is configured to operate the controller to operate one or more valves in the ballast water treatment system to control the bactericidal agent storage tank and the neutralization storage tank in response to instructions received from the host computer via the receiver of the ship.