Apparatus and Method for Removing Hydrocarbons from a Body of Water

• US 20190330084A1
• Filed: 12/22/2017
• Published: 10/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eni SPA (Eni Petroleum Company Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Eni SPA (Eni Petroleum Company Incorporated)
• Inventors: Chiodini, Andrea, Loda, Stefano
• Granted Patent: US 11,891,314 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/10 with stationary filtering elements
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/12 Auxiliary equipment particularly adapted for use with liquid-separating apparatus, e.g. control circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B09C 1/002 involving in-situ ground water treatment
• CPC Class Codes: B09C 1/007 by removing contaminants floating on the water table
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/001 Processes for the treatment of water whereby the filtration technique is of importance C02F1/44 takes precedence; construction of filters in general B01D24/00 - B01D41/00
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/40 Devices for separating or removing fatty or oily substances or similar floating material cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water from oil or like materials E02B15/04; devices in sewers for separating liquid or solid substances from sewage E03F5/14, e.g. for use in drains leading to the sewer E03F5/16
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2101/32 Hydrocarbons, e.g. oil
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/06 Contaminated groundwater or leachate
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/002 Construction details of the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/009 Apparatus with independent power supply, e.g. solar cells, windpower, fuel cells for electrolysis apparatus C02F2201/46165
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/008 comprising telecommunication features, e.g. modems or antennas
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/40 Liquid flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/42 Liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/212 Solar-powered wastewater sewage treatment, e.g. spray evaporation

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device and an apparatus and relative method for removing hydrocarbons from a water body, in particular for the remediation of hydrophobic contaminated hydrocarbons present as a demixed phase. The device of the invention is equipped with at least one sensor which determines its position with respect to the demixed phase in the body of water, allowing automated modification of the position of the device with respect to the demixed phase in optimising its separation and recovery.

Claims

1. Apparatus (10) for the removal of a demixed organic phase (40), which extends from a lower interface surface (WO) with a heavier phase to an upper interface surface (GO), with a lighter phase in a contaminated body of water, comprising a mobile device (20) immersible in the contaminated body of water, comprising a selectively petmeable filter element (130) constituting a separation cavity (100), a collection tank (210) constituting a collecting cavity (200) suitable for containing hydrocarbons filtered by the filter element (130), the said separation cavity (100) and collecting cavity (200) being fluidically connected to each other, suspension and handling means (140) of the mobile device (20) for the automatic control of its positioning with respect to the demixed organic phase (40) to be removed, the apparatus (10) being characterised in that it comprises at least one means of determination of the relative position of the mobile device (20) with respect to the upper interphase surface (GO) of the demixed organic phase (40) to be removed, a surface device (30) comprising a remote control and handling unit (700) of the mobile device (20), a motor (600) controlled by the unit (700) and connected to the means of suspension and handling (140), the means of determination of the relative position being connected to the unit (700) and exchanging the detected information with it.

2. Apparatus (10) according to claim 1, wherein the means of determination of the mobile device (20) of the relative position with respect to the upper interface surface (GO) of the demixed organic phase (40) is a level sensor (400), installed in a predetermined position relative to the mobile device (20), configured to measure its distance from the upper interface surface (GO) of at least one demixed organic phase (40) to be removed.

3. Apparatus (10) according to claim 1, wherein the means of determination of the relative position of the mobile device (20) with respect to the upper interface surface (GO) of the demixed organic phase (40) is a phase sensor (500), installed in a predetermined position relative to the mobile device (20), configured to detect the phase of the fluid in which it is immersed.

4. Apparatus (10) according to claim 1, comprising as a means of determination of the relative position of the mobile device (20) with respect to the demixed organic phase (40) to be removed a level sensor (400), installed in a predetermined position of the mobile device (20), configured to measure its distance from the upper interface surface (GO) of at least one demixed organic phase (40) to be removed and one phase sensor (500), installed in a predetermined position with respect to the mobile device (20), configured to detect the phase of the fluid in which it is immersed and to determine the thickness of the residual demixed organic phase (40).

5. Apparatus (10) according to claim 1 comprising at least one first phase sensor (500) and one second phase sensor (501) as means of determining the position of a mobile device (20) with respect to the upper interface surface (GO), the first phase sensor (500) being installed in a predetermined position relative to the mobile device (20) and configured to obtain its distance from the upper interface surface (GO) of at least one demixed organic phase (40) to be removed, and the second phase sensor (501) being installed in a lower position on the first phase sensor (500) in a predetermined position relative to the mobile device (20) and configured to identify the presence of the demixed organic phase (40).

6. Apparatus (10) according to claim 1 comprising at least one level sensor (400), installed in a predetermined position from the mobile device (20), configured to measure its distance from the upper interface surface (GO) of at least one demixed organic phase (40) to be removed, at least one first phase sensor (500) and at least one second phase sensor (501), the first phase sensor (500) being installed in a predetermined position relative to the mobile device (20) and configured to detect the presence of at least one demixed organic phase (40) to be removed, and the second phase sensor (501) being installed in a lower position on the first phase sensor (500) in a predetermined position relative to the mobile device (20) and configured to detect the presence of the demixed organic phase (40).

7. Apparatus (10) according to claim 1 in which the selectively permeable filter element (130) is a hydrophobic filter.

8. Apparatus (10) according to claim 1 characterised in that it comprises a pump (300), fluidically connected to the collecting cavity (200), configured for emptying the collection tank (210) by means of an evacuation duct (320) upon command of a level sensor (310) installed inside the collection tank (210).

9. Apparatus (10) according to claim 1, wherein the remote control and handling unit (700) comprises at least one rechargeable battery (800), installed on the surface device (30), for the feeding of apparatus (10) without the use of additional external power supply sources.

11. Apparatus (10) according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the sensors (400, 500, 501, 310) is connected to the control and handling unit (700) by means of wireless technology.

13. Apparatus (10) according to claim 1, wherein the mobile device (20) has maximum size of transverse dimensions, measured orthogonally to a longitudinal axis (A), less than 100 mm.

14. An automatic process for the removal of a demixed organic phase (40) which extends from a lower interface surface (WO) with a heavier phase at a higher interface surface (GO), with a lighter phase in the contaminated body of water comprising the phases of:

a) providing an apparatus according to claim 1;

d) lowering the mobile device (20) into the contaminated body of water;

e) determining the position of the mobile device (20) with respect to the upper interface surface (GO) of the demixed organic phase (40) on the basis of the information from one or more sensors (400,500,501) of the mobile device (20);

f) selectively filtering the demixed organic phase (40);

g) automatically changing the position of the mobile device (20) on the basis of the information from one or more sensors (400,500,501) of the mobile device (20), by acting on the motor (600) controlled by the remote control and handling unit (700);

h) removing the mobile device (20) from the contaminated body of water.

15. Process as claimed in claim 14 comprising the phases of:

b) defining a threshold value (LS), a lower value (L2), an upper reference value (L1) and a normal operating value (Lopt), comprised within the lower value (L2) and the upper value (L1), of the distance of the level sensor (400) from the upper interface surface (GO) of the demixed organic phase (40) to be removed;

c) programming the control and handling unit (700) by inserting the predefined threshold values (LS), upper (L2), lower (L1) and of normal operation (Lopt) of the distance of the level sensor (400) from the higher interface surface (GO) of the demixed organic phase (40) to be removed;

wherein phase g) is carried out when the distance of the level sensor (400) from the upper interface surface (GO) of the demixed organic phase (40) to be removed is less than the higher value (L1) or is greater than the lower value (L2) predefined, maintaining the position of the mobile device (20) at the normal operating value (Lopt).

16. Process as claimed in claim 15 wherein phase d) is performed with a vertical rapid handling speed (Vr) of the mobile device (20), ranging from 50 mm/s to 300 mm/s, until the sensor level (400) does not measure a distance from the upper interface surface (GO) of the demixed organic phase (40) equal to or higher of the threshold value (LS);

17. Process as claimed in claim 15 wherein phase h) is carried out with a vertical rapid handling speed (Vr) of the mobile device (20), comprising between 50 mm/s and 300 mm/s, from when the level sensor (400) measures a distance from the upper interface surface (GO) of the demixed organic phase (40) equal to or less than the threshold value (LS);

18. The process as claimed in claim 15 wherein phase g) is carried out with a vertical slow moving speed (Vl) of the mobile device (20) ranging from 5 mm/s to 15 mm/s;

19. Process as claimed in claim 14 comprising the steps of:

i) defining a time interval of standing (T1) of the mobile device (20) and programming the timer accordingly (710);

j) lowering the mobile device (20) with a fast vertical handling speed Vr of handling until detecting the demixed organic phase (40) by the phase sensor (500);

k) lifting the mobile device (20) with a slow vertical handling speed (Vl) until its complete disengagement from the liquid phase on the basis of the information from the phase sensor (500);

l) lowering the mobile device (20) with a slow vertical handling speed of (Vl) until detection of the demixed organic phase (40) by the phase sensor (500);

m) starting the programmable timer (710) and counting the mobile (20) standing time interval (T1) in the demixed organic phase (40);

n) repeating for a predetermined number of times phases k) to m) previously described at the expiry time of the temporary standing interval (T1).

20. Process as claimed in claim 19 comprising the phases of:

o) lifting the mobile device (20) with a vertical slow handling speed (Vl) until its complete disengagement from the liquid phase on the basis of the phase sensor information (500), when the phase sensor (500) does not detect the demixed organic phase (40);

p) keeping the mobile device (20) stationary in the position of complete disengagement from the liquid phase for a predetermined pause time (Tp);

q) repeating for a predetermined number of times phases j) to p) described above.

21. Process as claimed in claim 19 comprising the phases of:

p) lifting the mobile device (20) with a vertical slow handling speed (Vi) until its complete disengagement from the liquid phase, when the phase sensor (500) does not detect the demixed organic phase (40);

pp) keeping the mobile device (20) stationary in a fully disengaged position from the liquid phase when the second phase sensor 501 does not detect the presence of the demixed organic phase (40);

q) repeating for a predetermined number of times phases j) to p) described above.

22. The process as claimed in claim 15 comprising the phases of:

p) lifting the mobile device (20) with a slow vertical handling speed Vi until its complete disengagement from the liquid phase on the basis of the information from the phase sensor 500, when the phase sensor 500 does not detect the demixed organic phase (40);

pp) keeping the mobile device (20) stationary in a fully disengaged position from the liquid phase when the second phase sensor 501 does not detect the presence of the demixed organic phase (40);

r) repeating for a predetermined number of times the phases from d) to g).

10. (canceled)

12. (canceled)