Aqua-robotic pollutant removing systems and devices, and methods of removing pollutants from bodies of water

• US 9,670,636 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2013
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Ratti, Carlo F., Biderman, Assaf
• Primary Examiner(s): DRODGE, JOSEPH W
• Application Number:
  US14/108,088
• Publication Number:
  US 20140158591A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,268 Days
• Field of Search: 210 85, 210 961, 210143, 210122, 210242, 210 1, 2102423, 21017011, 2107475, 210923, 210924, 210925, 977762, 700245, 700247, 700248, 700259, 700273, 901 1, 901 46, 901 50
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/0027 Floating sedimentation devices
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/008 Control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F
• 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: E02B 15/045 Separating means for recovering oil floating on a surface of open water E02B15/048 takes precedence; separation in general B01D
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 15/046 Collection of oil using vessels, i.e. boats, barges
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 15/104 Conveyors; Paddle wheels; Endless belts E02B15/101 takes precedence

Abstract

An aqua-robotic pollutant removing device includes a buoyant body, an electromechanical housing coupled to the buoyant body, and a pollutant absorbing belt coupled to the electromechanical housing and extending outward from the buoyant body. The electromechanical housing is constructed and arranged to rotate the pollutant absorbing belt.

Claims

1. An aqua-robotic pollutant removing device, comprising:

a buoyant body floating on a surface of a water body;

an electromechanical housing coupled to the buoyant body; and

a buoyant pollutant absorbing belt made of a floating material coupled to the electromechanical housing via a pollutant absorbing belt housing and extending outward from the buoyant body;

wherein the electromechanical housing includes a motor constructed and arranged to rotate a drive member of the electromechanical housing which mates with a drive member of the pollutant absorbing belt housing to rotate the pollutant absorbing belt to simultaneously sweep the surface of the water body and to propel the pollutant absorbing belt, and the buoyant body and electromechanical housing coupled thereto, forward.

2. The aqua-robotic pollutant removing device of claim 1, wherein the body includes a foam material.

3. The aqua-robotic pollutant removing device of claim 1, wherein the body includes one or more rudders that are constructed and arranged to steer the device.

4. The aqua-robotic pollutant removing device of claim 1, wherein the electromechanical housing includes one a plurality of motors constructed and arranged to rotate the pollutant absorbing belt.

5. The aqua-robotic pollutant removing device of claim 1, wherein the pollutant absorbing belt includes an oil-absorbing belt.

6. The aqua-robotic pollutant removing device of claim 1, wherein the pollutant absorbing belt includes a nanowire fabric.

7. The aqua-robotic pollutant removing device of claim 6, wherein the nanowire fabric is constructed to absorb greater than 15 times its weight in organic pollutants.

8. The aqua-robotic pollutant removing device of claim 6, wherein the nanowire fabric includes a plurality of potassium manganese oxide wires.

9. The aqua-robotic pollutant removing device of claim 1, further comprising a control system configured to control the rotational velocity of the pollutant absorbing belt.

10. The aqua-robotic pollutant removing device of claim 9, further comprising one or more photovoltaic panels.

11. The aqua-robotic pollutant removing device of claim 10, wherein the one or more photovoltaic panels are provided on an upper surface of the buoyant body.

12. The aqua-robotic pollutant removing device of claim 10, wherein the one or more photovoltaic panels are configured to supply the control system and actuators of the electromechanical housing with electrical current.

13. The aqua-robotic pollutant removing device of claim 9, wherein the control system includes one or more communication devices.

14. The aqua-robotic pollutant removing device of claim 13, wherein the one or more communication devices are selected from the group consisting of:

a Wi-Fi transceiver, a cellular data transceiver and a satellite data transceiver.

15. The aqua-robotic pollutant removing device of claim 9, wherein the control system includes one or more positioning systems.

16. The aqua-robotic pollutant removing device of claim 15, wherein the one or more positioning systems are selected from the group consisting of:

space-based global navigation satellite system receiver, a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, a Galileo positioning system receiver, a radar positioning system and an ultrasonic positioning system.

17. The aqua-robotic pollutant removing device of claim 9, further comprising one or more pollutant sensors.

18. The aqua-robotic pollutant removing device of claim 17, wherein to control system is configured to activate rotational movement of the pollutant absorbing belt in response to a pollutant diction signal generated by the one or more pollutant sensors.

19. The aqua-robotic pollutant removing device of claim 9 further comprising a pollutant removing unit constructed and arranged to extract pollutants from the pollutant absorbing belt.

20. The aqua-robotic pollutant removing device of claim 19, wherein the pollutant removing unit collects the extracted pollutants.

21. The aqua-robotic pollutant removing device of claim 19, wherein at least a portion of the extracted pollutants are refined by the pollutant removing unit.

22. An aqua-robotic pollutant removing system, comprising:

a plurality of aqua-robotic pollutant removing devices, each aqua-robotic pollutant removing device of the plurality of aqua-robotic pollutant removing devices including;

a buoyant body floating on a surface of a water body;

a buoyant pollutant absorbing belt made of a floating material coupled to the buoyant body through an electromechanical housing and extending outward from the buoyant body, the pollutant absorbing belt constructed and arranged to absorb pollutants from the water body and to propel the pollutant absorbing belt and the buoyant body coupled thereto; and

a controller system configured to transmit or receive location data and contaminant data to other aqua-robotic pollutant removing devices of the plurality of aqua-robotic pollutant removing devices, wherein the electromechanical housing includes a motor to rotate a drive member of the electromechanical housing which mates with a drive member of the pollutant absorbing belt to rotate the pollutant absorbing belt.

23. The aqua-robotic pollutant removing system of claim 22, wherein the plurality of aquarobotic pollutant removing devices are configured in a peer-to-peer communication mode.

24. The aqua-robotic pollutant removing system of claim 23, wherein a first aqua-robotic pollutant removing device of the plurality of aqua-robotic pollutant removing devices is configured to transmit location data and contaminate data to the other aqua-robotic pollutant removing devices of the plurality of aqua-robotic pollutant removing devices.

25. The aqua-robotic pollutant removing system of claim 24, wherein the first aqua-robotic pollutant removing device and the other aqua-robotic pollutant removing devices are configured to swarm a geographical location con-esponding to the location data transmitted by the first aquarobotic pollutant removing device.

26. The aqua-robotic pollutant removing system of claim 25, wherein the first aqua-robotic pollutant removing device and the other aqua-robotic pollutant removing devices swarm the geographical location in response to contaminant data indicating the presence of pollutants within the water body.

27. The aqua-robotic pollutant removing system of claim 22, wherein the plurality of aquarobotic pollutant removing devices are configured in a centralized communication mode.

28. The aqua-robotic pollutant removing system of claim 27, further comprising a command/control system configured to receive the location data and the contamination data from each of each aqua-robotic pollutant removing device of the plurality of aqua-robotic pollutant removing devices.

29. The aqua-robotic pollutant removing system of claim 28, wherein the command/control system is configured to generate an action response plan based on the received location data and the received contamination data.

30. The aqua-robotic pollutant removing system of claim 29, wherein the command/control system is configured to transmit a navigational route and control sequence to each aqua-robotic pollutant removing device of the plurality of aqua-robotic pollutant removing devices in response to the generated action response plan.

31. The aqua-robotic pollutant removing system of claim 22, wherein the controller system includes a pollutant sensor configured to generate the contaminate data based on a level of pollutants detected in the water body.

32. The aqua-robotic pollutant removing system of claim 31, wherein the pollutant sensor is coupled to the buoyant body, the pollutant.

33. The aqua-robotic pollutant removing system of claim 22, wherein the controller system includes a positioning system configured to generate the location data.

34. The aqua-robotic pollutant removing system of claim 23, wherein the location data corresponds to a geographical location of the aqua-robotic pollutant removing device.

35. The aqua-robotic pollutant removing system of claim 23, wherein the positioning system coupled to the buoyant body.