Ballast water treatment systems including related apparatus and methods

• US 7,351,336 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2005
• Issued: 04/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Marenco Technology Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hap Nguyen, Howard Roop, Ronald Yoshio Nishida, William Murray Fowler
• Inventors: Nguyen, Hap, Fowler, William Murray, Nishida, Ronald Yoshio, Roop, Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): LAWRENCE JR, FRANK M
• Application Number:
  US11/046,554
• Publication Number:
  US 20050211639A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,158 Days
• Field of Search: 210/748, 210/198.1, 210/205, 210/242.1, 210/259, 210/348, 210/931, 114/121, 114/125, 114/382, 250/432.R, 250/436, 422/24, 422/186.3
• US Class Current: 210/205
• CPC Class Codes: B63J 4/002 for treating ballast water
• 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 1/325 Irradiation devices or lamp constructions
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/444 by ultrafiltration or microfiltration
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/008 Originating from marine vessels, ships and boats, e.g. bilge water or ballast water
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/008 Mobile apparatus and plants, e.g. mounted on a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/3227 Units with two or more lamps
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/324 Lamp cleaning installations, e.g. brushes
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/326 Lamp control systems
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/02 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/40 Liquid flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/40 Monitoring or fighting invasive species
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 210/931 Zebra mussel mitigation or treatment

Abstract

Ballast water treatment apparatus and methods for preventing foreign aquatic invasive species form entering marine ecological zones by translocation in ship'"'"'s ballast water. The apparatus includes a housing, a filter member, and UV water treatment chambers. Methods include use of a ship'"'"'s fire hydrant system for moving ballast water from the ship'"'"'s ballast tanks into the apparatus for filtration and treatment. In-port service vessels and dock-side service vehicles are equipped with the treatment and filtration apparatus to provided in-port or dock-side ballast water treatment services. Related methods are also provided.

Claims

1. A ship-board ballast water treatment system for use in a ship, said system comprising:

a ballast water tank containing ballast water having particulate matter including inorganic material and biological organisms dispersed therein;

a conduit connected to said ballast water tank, said conduit in fluid communication with said ballast water;

at least one fire hydrant located on a deck of the ship, said at least one fire hydrant having an inlet and an outlet and said conduit in fluid communication with said fire hydrant inlet;

a pump for pumping said ballast water from said ballast water tank into said at least one fire hydrant; and

a portable deck apparatus being connectable to said outlet of said at least one fire hydrant to receive said ballast water for treatment before discharge into an open marine environment.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein said portable deck apparatus includes:

a housing having at least one inlet port and one discharge port, said at least one inlet port being adapted to receive ballast water from said outlet of said at least one fire hydrant;

a filter positioned within said housing, said filter employed to filter said particulate matter from said ballast water received from said fire hydrant; and

a source of electromagnetic radiation maintained within said housing for irradiating said ballast water to thereby deactivate said biological organisms contained therein.

3. The system according to claim 2 wherein said inlet port of said housing includes a flow rate meter to track volume of ballast water flow into said portable deck apparatus.

4. The system according to claim 2 wherein said source of electromagnetic radiation includes at least one ultraviolet lamp and said portable deck apparatus further includes an electrical control box having an hour meter to monitor and record ultraviolet lamp usage.

5. The system according to claim 4 wherein said portable deck apparatus includes a first chamber containing said filter.

6. The system according to claim 5 wherein said first chamber of said portable deck apparatus includes a frame structure to support said filter in a multi-fold configuration to thereby increase filter area so that flow volume of ballast water across said filter is correspondingly increased.

7. The system according to claim 6 wherein said filter includes a change-filter indicator strip.

8. The system according to claim 5 wherein said portable deck apparatus includes a second chamber containing a treatment tank in fluid communication with said first chamber and said discharge port of said housing.

9. The system according to claim 8 wherein said treatment tank includes said at least one ultraviolet lamp.

10. The system according to claim 9 wherein said treatment tank includes a heat sensor to detect the temperature of said ballast water as said ballast water passes through said treatment tank.

11. The system according to claim 10 wherein said treatment tank includes a solenoid-activated valve positioned between said treatment tank and said discharge port of said housing, said solenoid-activated valve electronically linked to said electronic control box so that ballast in said treatment tank is released thereform only after said ballast water reaches a pre-determined processing temperature.