Vortex injection dredging apparatus and method
AssigneeConoco Inc.
InventorJeffrey L. Beck
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A dredging apparatus has a chamber with a substantially circular cross section. A first inlet and outlet is formed through the chamber with an axis of the inlet and outlet normal to a diameter of the chamber. A suction inlet is formed through the axis of the chamber along the axis of the vortex formed as the fluids leave the inlet and pass to a second outlet formed substantially coaxially with the vortex. Apparatus is provided for supporting the dredging apparatus in a position so that the suction inlet can remove material desired to be dredged.
Claims2
A dredging apparatus for removing solid material from a body of fluid comprising:
- (a) a chamber having a substantially circular cross section and an axis normal to said cross section;
- (b) first inlet means through said chamber periphery, said inlet means axis normal to a diameter of said circular cross section;
- (c) first outlet means through said chamber periphery, said outlet means axis normal to a diameter of said circular cross section;
- (d) suction inlet means through said chamber substantially coaxially aligned with said chamber axis;
- (e) fluid outlet means through said chamber substantially coaxially aligned with said chamber axis;
- (f) support means for positioning said suction inlet in said body of fluid in a manner to move said fluid and said solid material to be dredged, into said suction inlet;
- (g) means for communicating a high pressure fluid to said first inlet;
- and
- (h) means for communicating fluid mixed with dredged material from said first outlet means,
- whereby said suction inlet means will pick up solid material and fluid and communicate same through said first outlet and communicating means to a remote location.
A method of dredging solid material from a body of fluid comprising:
- (a) injecting a high pressure fluid tangentially into a zone having a circular cross section;
- (b) removing a portion of said injected fluid along the axis of said zone to form a low pressure vortex in said zone;
- (c) positioning an intake to said zone over solid material in said body of fluid to be dredged;
- (d) transporting through said intake, fluids and solids with said low pressure vortex whereby said intake fluids and solids form a slurry with said high pressure fluid in said zone;
- and
- (e) separately removing said slurry from said zone tangentially through a high pressure outlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.