Underwater excavation apparatus
AssigneeRotech Holdings Limited
InventorsKenneth Roderick Stewart, Donald Stewart
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
There is disclosed an excavation apparatus (5), such as an underwater excavation apparatus, having means for producing, in use, at least one vortex, spiral or turbulent flow in a laminar flow of fluid, e.g. water. The excavation apparatus (5) comprises a rotor (10) having a rotor rotation axis (A), wherein, in use, flow of fluid past or across the rotor (10) is at a first angle (α) from the axis of rotation (A). The excavation apparatus (5) comprises the rotor (5) and means or an arrangement for dampening reactive torque on the apparatus (5) caused by rotation of the rotor (10), in use. The turbulent flow is provided within, such as within a (transverse) cross-section, of the laminar flow.
Claims20
An underwater excavation apparatus comprising:
- a housing comprising an inlet and an outlet;
- at least one rotor provided within the housing;
- at least one stator provided within the housing;
- and
- a vortex producing arrangement for producing a plurality of vortices in a flow of fluid flowing out of the excavation apparatus,
- wherein the or each of at least one vortex producing arrangement is provided in, on or adjacent to the outlet of the housing and comprises one or more pairs of vortex generating means, said one or more pairs of vortex generating means comprising:
- a first, planar, member disposed on the housing or on a body within the housing, the first, planar, member disposed at a first angle relative to an axis of the housing and thus configured to generate in said flow of fluid a vortex spiraling in a first direction;
- and
- a second, planar, member disposed on the housing or on the body within the housing, the second, planar, member disposed at a second, opposing, angle relative to the axis of the housing and thus configured to generate in said fluid flow of a vortex spiraling in a second direction counter to the first direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.