US 2009/0162145 A1 · System And Method For Hydraulic Displacement

Abstract

A system and method for hydraulic displacement is described which can provide an improved method for raising or lowering a fluid level. The system and method has direct application to inland waterway transport and in particular to canal locks where canal boats traverse inclines through a series of locks. In addition, the invention can provide the access to a marina, which may be raised up above sea level or behind a sea wall defence. The method enables the formation of an improved hydraulic displacement lock capable of a greater vertical displacement with greatly reduced flow of fluid through the lock. The hydraulic displacement lock comprises an enclosed central channel, having sequential fluid storage tanks connected to the central channel. When the central channel is closed at its lower end, opening and closing connecting channels to the sequential storage tanks allows fluid to flow under the force of gravity into or out of the central channel, thereby raising or lowering the level of fluid.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A hydraulic displacement system for raising or lowering floating objects or boats or barges between different elevations characterised by:

a central transit tube (101) further comprising;
one or more alignment means (111), and a lower entry structure (104) comprising a sealing gate (105) to a lower entrance or waterway (107) and an upper entry structure (103) comprising a sealing gate (109) to an upper entrance or waterway (106), and a floating platform structure (501) wherein said floating platform structure (501) moving within said central transit tube (101), and a sequence of one or more side storage tanks (102) connected to said central transit tube (101) by tubes containing a fluid control valve (108) for exchanging fluid between said side storage tanks (102) and said central transit tube (101), and a powered control means (110) comprising a command and control centre for monitoring fluid level and water flow and securely managing the entire operation of said hydraulic displacement system wherein said fluid control valve (108) being controlled by said powered control means (110) or manually opened and closed.

A hydraulic displacement system for raising or lowering floating objects or boats or barges between different elevations characterised by:

two transit tubes (101) wherein each of said transit tubes (101) further comprising;
one or more alignment means (111), and a lower entry structure (104) comprising a sealing gate (105) to a lower waterway (107) and an upper entry structure (103) comprising a sealing gate (109) to an upper waterway (106), and a floating platform structure (501) wherein said floating platform structure (501) moves within said transit tube (101) and a sequence of one or more side storage tanks (102) connected to said transit tube (101) by tubes containing a fluid control valve (108) for exchanging fluid from said side storage tanks (102) and said transit tube (101), and a powered control means (110) comprising a command and control centre for monitoring fluid level and water flow and securely managing the entire operation of said hydraulic displacement system wherein said fluid control valve (108) being controlled by said powered control means (110) or manually opened and closed, and/or a walkway between said two transit tubes (101), and/or means for connecting said two transit tubes (101) by tubes containing a fluid control valve for exchanging water between said two transit tubes (101).

A method for raising floating objects or boats or barges by means of a hydraulic displacement system being characterised by the steps of:

entering one or two of said floating objects or boats or barges into the lower end of a transit tube (101) being connected to one or more side storage tanks (102) by way of a lower waterway (107), passing through the gate (105), and entering the lower entry structure (104), mooring one or two of said floating objects or boats or barges to a floating platform structure (501) by means of two or more mooring bollards (509)wherein said floating platform structure (501) further comprising one or more alignment arms (504) comprising one or more wheels (507) in order to be guided by the alignment means (111) of said transit tube (101), and a lower linking structure (503) further comprising a lower guide structure (506) comprising one or more wheels (508) to make contact with the inner surface of a lower alignment profile (111) of said transit tube (101) in order to align said floating platform structure (501) with said lower alignment profile (111) in the inner surface of said transit tube (101), and moving said gate (105) within a watertight groove and tightly closing said gate (105) into a recessed groove within the floor of said lower entry structure (104).

A method for lowering floating objects or boats or barges by means of a hydraulic displacement system being characterised by the steps of:

entering one or two of said floating objects or boats or barges into the upper end of a transit tube (101) by way of an upper waterway (107), wherein said upper entry point (301) being surrounded by terrain areas (305) comprising a safety rail (302) and said upper entry structure (103) and, passing through the gate (109), entering the upper entry structure (104), wherein said upper entry point (301) being surrounded by terrain areas (305) comprising a safety rail (302) and further comprising an upper entry structure (103) and, mooring one or two of said floating objects or boats or barges to a floating platform structure (501) comprising one or more alignment arms (504) in order to be guided by the alignment means (111) of said transit tube (101) by means of two or more mooring bollards (509) wherein said floating platform structure (501) further comprising one or more alignment arms (504) comprising one or more wheels (508) in order to be guided by the alignment means (111) of said transit tube (101) by means of two or more mooring bollards (509), and a lower linking structure (503) further comprising a lower guide structure (506) comprising one or more wheels (507) to make contact with the inner surface of a lower alignment profile (111) of said transit tube (101) in order to align said floating platform structure (501) with said lower alignment profile (111) in the inner surface of said transit tube (101), and closing said gate (109) in order to prevent the water of said upper waterway (107) to enter said upper entry structure (103).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System And Method For Hydraulic Displacement

Life of this patent

System And Method For Hydraulic Displacement

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19