Ballast water treatment systems including related apparatus and methods

• US 8,211,317 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2011
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Harriet Rae Bruckman Roop, Legal Representative
• Original Assignee: Harriet Rae Bruckman Roop, Legal Representative
• Inventors: Fowler, William Murray, Roop, Howard, Nishida, Ronald Yoshio, Nguyen, Hap
• Primary Examiner(s): Lawrence, Jr., Frank
• Application Number:
  US12/931,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20110196814A1
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: 210/748.11, 210/764, 210/767, 210/198.1, 210/205, 210/242.1, 210/251, 210/259, 210/261, 210/931, 210/348, 114/121, 114/125, 114/382, 250/432.R, 250/436, 422/24, 422/186.3
• US Class Current: 210/748.11
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 35/00 Vessels or similar floating structures specially adapted for specific purposes and not otherwise provided for
• 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 for biological treatment C02F2203/008
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/3225 Lamps immersed in an open channel, containing the liquid to be treated
• 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 2209/005 Processes using a programmable logic controller [PLC]
• 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: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• 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 or ballast water discharge port for moving ballast water from the ship'"'"'s ballast tanks into the apparatus for filtration and treatment. In-port service vessels and barges as well as dock-side service vehicles are equipped with the various treatment and filtration apparatus to provided in-port or dock-side ballast water treatment services. Related methods are also provided.

Claims

1. A method of distributing portable water treatment devices around a deck of a ship to process ballast water discharged from a fire hydrant system of the ship, each of said water treatment devices having a known processing rate, said method comprising the steps of:

determining a number and location of fire hydrant outlets on the deck of a ship;

ascertaining a flow rate of each of said located fire hydrant outlets;

determining an amount of said ship'"'"'s ballast water requiring treatment;

setting a desired duration of time during which the determined amount of ballast water requiring treatment is to be processed;

determining a number of water treatment devices necessary to process the determined amount of ballast water within said desired duration of time; and

distributing said determined number of water treatment devices around said deck of said ship proximate selected fire hydrant outlets to direct ballast water from said fire hydrant outlets into respective water treatment devices for processing.

2. A marine service vessel for treating discharged ballast water from a ship, said vessel comprising:

a housing tank positioned within a water treatment processing area associated with the marine service vessel, said housing tank having at least one inlet port and one discharge port, said at least one inlet port being adapted to receive ballast water from a fire hydrant system of a respective ship by connecting a fire hose between a fire hydrant on said respective ship and said at least one inlet port of said housing tank;

a filter positioned within said housing tank, said filter employed to filter particulate matter from said ballast water received from said respective ship'"'"'s fire hydrant system; and

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

3. A method of treating discharged ballast water from a ship using a service vessel, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a ballast water treatment apparatus on board said service vessel;

positioning said service vessel adjacent a respective ship requiring ballast water treatment; and

directing ballast water from a ballast tank of said respective ship into said ballast water treatment apparatus on board said service vessel to thereby treat said respective ship'"'"'s ballast water before discharging said ship'"'"'s ballast water.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein said respective ship'"'"'s ballast water is directed from said ballast tank through a fire hydrant system of said respective ship and into said ballast water treatment apparatus on board said service vessel.

5. The method according to claim 4 including the further step of connecting at least one fire hose between a fire hydrant outlet on a deck of said respective ship and an inlet port provided on said ballast water treatment apparatus on board said service vessel.

17. The method according to claim 3 wherein said respective ship'"'"'s ballast water is directed from said ballast tank through a ballast water discharge port of said respective ship and into said ballast water treatment apparatus on board said service vessel.

18. The method according to claim 17 including the further step of connecting a supply hose between said ballast water discharge port of said respective ship and an inlet port provided on said ballast water treatment apparatus on board said service vessel.

19. The method according to claim 18 including the further step of providing a hoisting derrick system on board said service vessel for positioning and maintaining said supply hose in cooperative engagement with said respective ship.

20. The method according to claim 19 wherein said cooperative engagement of said supply hose with said respective ship is achieved by providing a connector ring assembly employed to couple said supply hose to said ballast water discharge port of said respective ship.

6. A method of deriving financial revenue for services provided for treating discharged ballast water from a ship using a service vessel, said method comprising the steps of:

positioning said service vessel adjacent a respective ship requiring ballast water treatment;

directing ballast water from a ballast tank of a respective ship into a ballast water treatment apparatus maintained on board said service vessel to thereby treat said respective ship'"'"'s ballast water before discharging said ship'"'"'s ballast water into the environment;

determining an amount of time required to treat said respective ship'"'"'s ballast water; and

calculating a water treatment service fee based at least in part on said amount of time required to treat said respective ship'"'"'s ballast water.

7. A method of deriving financial revenue for services provided for treating discharged ballast water from a ship using a service vessel, said method comprising the steps of:

positioning said service vessel adjacent a respective ship requiring ballast water treatment;

directing ballast water from a ballast tank of a respective ship into a ballast water treatment apparatus maintained on board said service vessel to thereby treat said respective ship'"'"'s ballast water before discharging said ship'"'"'s ballast water into the environment;

determining a total volume of treated ballast water processed from said respective ship'"'"'s ballast water tanks; and

calculating a water treatment service fee based at least in part on said total volume of treated ballast water.

8. A method of treating discharged ballast water from a ship using a dock-side service vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a ballast water treatment apparatus in association with said dock-side service vehicle;

positioning said ballast water treatment apparatus adjacent a respective ship requiring ballast water treatment; and

directing ballast water from a ballast tank of said respective ship into said ballast water treatment apparatus associated with said dock-side service vehicle to thereby treat said respective ship'"'"'s ballast water before discharging said ship'"'"'s ballast water into an open water environment.

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein said ship'"'"'s ballast water is directed from said ballast tank through a fire hydrant system of said respective ship and into said ballast water treatment apparatus associated with said dock-side service vehicle.

10. The method according to claim 9 including the further step of connecting at least one fire hose between a fire hydrant outlet on a deck of said respective ship and an inlet port provided on said ballast water treatment apparatus associated with said dock-side service vehicle.

11. A method of deriving financial revenue for services provided for treating discharged ballast water from a ship using a dock-side service vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:

positioning said dock-side service vehicle adjacent a respective ship requiring ballast water treatment;

directing ballast water from a ballast tank of a respective ship into a ballast water treatment apparatus maintained in association with said dock-side service vehicle to thereby treat said respective ship'"'"'s ballast water before discharging said ship'"'"'s ballast water into an open environment;

determining an amount of time required to treat said respective ship'"'"'s ballast water; and

calculating a water treatment service fee based at least in part on said amount of time required to treat said respective ship'"'"'s ballast water.

12. A method of deriving financial revenue for services provided for treating discharged ballast water from a ship using a dock-side service vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:

positioning said dock-side service vehicle adjacent a respective ship requiring ballast water treatment;

directing ballast water from a ballast tank of a respective ship into a ballast water treatment apparatus maintained in association with said dock-side service vehicle to thereby treat said respective ship'"'"'s ballast water before discharging said ship'"'"'s ballast water into an open environment;

determining a total volume of treated ballast water processed from said respective ship'"'"'s ballast water tanks; and

calculating a water treatment service fee based at least in part on said total volume of treated ballast water.

13. A method of processing ballast water discharged from a ship, said method comprising:

accessing ballast water requiring treatment from a ship'"'"'s ballast tank through a fire hydrant system of said ship;

directing said ballast water from said fire hydrant system through a filter to thereby remove undesired particulate matter from said ballast water and thereby generate filtered ballast water; and

allowing discharge of the filtered ballast water into a pre-selected open water environment.

14. The method according to claim 13 including the further step of directing electromagnetic radiation at said ballast water before allowing discharge of the filtered ballast water into said pre-selected open water environment to thereby deactivate biological organisms contained within ballast water.

15. A method of using the fire hydrant system of a ship to treat ballast water, said method comprising the steps of:

accessing ballast water requiring treatment from a ship'"'"'s ballast tank through at least one fire hydrant located on a deck of said ship;

directing said ballast water from said at least one fire hydrant through a filter to remove undesired particulate matter from said ballast water and thereby generate filtered ballast water; and

allowing discharge of the filter ballast water into a pre-selected open water environment.

16. The method according to claim 15 including the further step of directing electromagnetic radiation at said ballast water before allowing discharge of the filtered ballast water into said pre-selected open water environment to thereby deactivate biological organisms contained within ballast water.