Method and apparatus of submersible intake equipment

• US 20110174703A1
• Filed: 03/26/2011
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Donnie Wayne Alexander, Jeremy Scott Smith, John Baxter Jr. Horton, Kenneth Charles Phelps, Mark Hayes Bolan, Michael Larry Culbreath
• Original Assignee: Donnie Wayne Alexander, Jeremy Scott Smith, John Baxter Jr. Horton, Kenneth Charles Phelps, Mark Hayes Bolan, Michael Larry Culbreath
• Inventors: Horton, John Baxter JR., Smith, Jeremy Scott, Culbreath, Michael Larry, Phelps, Kenneth Charles, Bolan, Mark Hayes, Alexander, Donnie Wayne
• Granted Patent: US 8,123,957 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/136
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 35/05 Floating filters
• CPC Class Codes: E03B 3/04 from surface water barrages E02B7/00
• CPC Class Codes: E03B 7/00 Water main or service pipe systems pipes or tubes in general F16L
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7976 Plural separating elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8593 Systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49817 with other than ancillary treating or assembling

Abstract

An apparatus having flotation ballasts, a flotation platform and on the flotation platform, an intake equipment, such as a screen, check valve and/or pump intake and a coupling for a discharge pipe. In an embodiment of the present invention comprises, there are a plurality of substantially symmetrical flotation ballasts, each having a ballast chamber. The composition of the flotation ballast may be made of a material having a density appropriate for the fluid in which it is to be submerged. The method includes the steps of using an apparatus as herein described to ascend and descend intake equipment.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use in a body of fluid, comprising:

A plurality of flotation ballasts, arranged parallel with respect to each other and in a same horizontal plane, at least one of which has a ballast chamber;

a flotation platform coupled to the flotation ballasts;

intake equipment coupled to the flotation platform;

at least one primary air line, the distal end being directly or indirectly coupled to at least one inlet of at least one of flotation ballasts, the at least one primary air line operable as a conduit for the injection of a compressed gas into each ballast chamber of the flotation ballasts so as to displace a fluid ballast there-from and further operable as a release to allow the egress of the compressed gas from the flotation ballasts;

at least one of the flotation ballasts having an aperture on the bottom thereof, the aperture operable to allow the ingress and egress of a fluid ballast into and out of the ballast chamber, the arrangement of the flotation ballasts with respect to each other being such that, when placed on the surface of a body of fluid and prior to having fluid introduced into the respective ballast chambers, the center axis of each of the flotation ballasts being parallel to each other, and the plane in which the center axes lie is substantially parallel to the surface of the body of fluid with the aperture respective apertures submerged;

wherein each of the flotation ballasts is fabricated from a material from the group consisting of PVC, CPVC, aluminum, stainless steel, fiberglass, HDPE, and painted steel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a compressed air source coupled to a proximate end of the at least one air line.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the intake equipment comprises at least one from the group consisting of a screen, check valve and submersible pump.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the intake equipment includes a vertically positioned screen.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the intake equipment includes a horizontally positioned screen.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the flotation ballasts have two air inlets each coupled to a subsidiary air line which is coupled to the primary air line.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the intake equipment comprises:

a screen;

a check valve having a first end and a second end opposite the first open end,

the first end coupled to the screen; and

a discharge pipe having a distal end and proximate end, the distal end of the discharge pipe being coupled to the second end of the check valve.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, in combination with a pump coupled to the proximate end of the discharge pipe.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, in combination with a source of compressed gas coupled to the proximate end of each respective the primary air line.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the intake equipment comprises:

a screen;

a submersible pump having a first open end and second open end opposite to the first open end, the first open end coupled to the screen so as to filter material having a predetermined size from entering the submersible pump;

a check valve having a first open end and second open end opposite thereto, the first open end of the check valve being coupled to the second open end of the submersible pump; and

a discharge pipe having a proximate end and distal end, the proximate end being coupled to the second open end of the check valve.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, in combination with a source of compressed gas coupled to the proximate end of the primary air line.

12. An apparatus, comprising a plurality of flotation ballasts each comprising a cylinder having an end cap on each end of each cylinder, thus forming a respective ballast chamber, the end caps coupled to the cylinders forming a substantially water proof and air tight seal between the outside thereof and each ballast chamber, the plurality of flotation ballasts arranged in a substantially parallel manner in a same horizontal plane, each flotation ballast having a respective air line inlet coupled to an air line at a distal end thereof;

a flotation platform coupled to the plurality of flotation ballasts, the flotation ballasts being arranged such that, when placed on a surface of a body of liquid and prior to having liquid introduced into the respective ballast chambers, the center axis of each of the flotation ballasts is substantially parallel to the surface of the body of liquid;

intake equipment coupled to the flotation platform between the flotation ballasts;

a source of compressed gas to be injected into the ballast chamber of each respective flotation ballast via a respective at least one air line having a proximate end coupled by a valve to said compressed gas source and a distal end coupled to at least one air line inlet at each flotation ballast, the air line inlets on each flotation ballasts further operable to allow the egress of the compressed gas from the ballast chambers;

at least one of the flotation ballasts having an aperture on the bottom thereof, the aperture operable to allow the ingress and egress of a liquid ballast into and out of the ballast chamber;

a discharge pipe coupled to a port of the intake equipment.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the intake equipment comprises:

a screen; and

a check valve having a first end and a second end opposite the first open end,

the first end coupled to the screen, the discharge pipe coupled to the second end of the check valve.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, in combination with a pump coupled to the proximate end of the discharge pipe.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the intake equipment comprises:

a screen;

a submersible pump having a first open end and second open end opposite to the first open end, the first open end coupled to the screen so as to filter material

having a predetermined size from entering the submersible pump; and

a check valve having a first open end and second open end opposite thereto, the first open end of the check valve being coupled to the second open end of the submersible pump and the proximate end of the discharge pipe being coupled to the second open end of the check valve.

16. A method of installing, servicing and replacing intake equipment, comprising the steps of:

providing a flotation platform and at least one flotation ballast;

coupling the at least one flotation ballast to the flotation platform;

positioning the intake equipment on the flotation platform having flotation ballast;

injecting or releasing compressed gas from the flotation ballast on which intake equipment is positioned so as to eject or fill, respectively, a ballast chamber with a ballast and thus increase or decrease, respectively, the buoyancy of the flotation ballast.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one flotation ballast comprises a plurality of flotation ballasts, arranged parallel with respect to each other and in a same horizontal plane, each having a ballast chamber, each of the flotation ballasts further comprising a cylinder having an end cap on each end of the cylinder, thus forming the ballast chamber, the end caps coupled to the cylinder forming a substantially water proof and air tight seal between the outside thereof and the ballast chamber.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of manufacturing the flotation ballasts from material from the group consisting of PVC, CPVC, aluminum, stainless steel, fiberglass, HDPE, and painted steel.