Back to results
US 5,816,181 AGranted
Ballast water treatment system
OwnerThomas W. Sherman, Jr.inventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A ballast water treatment system has a source of hot water from the cooling water overboard discharge associated with the propulsion plant of a cargo or ship vessel. The heat exchangers are placed to receive ballast water from ballast tanks or in ballast tanks. A hot fluid system takes the heat from the overboard discharge and uses it to heat the ballast water as it is pumped through the heat exchangers.
Claims17
A ballast water treatment system comprising:
- a source of hot fluid;
- a ballast tank with ballast water configured to be a source of ballast water;
- a heat exchanger connected to said source of hot fluid to receive said hot fluid and to pass said hot fluid there through to a discharge connected to return said hot fluid to the source of hot fluid, said heat exchanger also being connected to said source of ballast water to receive ballast water and extract heat from the hot fluid to heat the ballast water and supply it to a discharge connected to said source of ballast water, said heat exchanger being positioned within said ballast tank and configured to transfer heat substantially entirely to said ballast water.
A ballast water treatment system comprising:
- a source of ballast water;
- a source of heating fluid that is elevated in temperature relative to said ballast water;
- a heating fluid supply connected to said source of heating fluid and configured to be closed and transport said heating fluid;
- pressure means connected to said heating fluid supply to pressurize said heating fluid in said heating fluid supply to a selected pressure;
- a heat exchanger having a heating fluid inlet connected to said heating fluid supply to receive said heating fluid therefrom and a heating fluid outlet connected to discharge said heating fluid, said heat exchanger having structure connected between said heating fluid inlet and said heating fluid outlet to be in contact with the ballast water from said source of ballast water, said heat exchanger being configured to pass said heating fluid relative to said ballast water to transfer heat from the heating fluid to said ballast water;
- and
- a heating fluid return connected to said heating fluid outlet to receive said heating fluid and to said source of heating fluid for returning said heating fluid thereto, said heating fluid return being configured for transporting said heating fluid from said heating fluid outlet to said source of heating fluid.
4 more elements
The system of claim wherein said ballast water return includes means to maintain said ballast water under pressure.
A method of treating ballast water to remove living organisms therefrom, said method comprising:
- providing a source of ballast water;
- providing a ballast water supply configured to transport said ballast water;
- connecting said ballast water supply to said source of ballast water;
- providing a source of heating fluid that is elevated in temperature relative to said ballast water;
- providing a heating fluid supply configured to transport said heating fluid;
- providing a pressure means for communicating a static pressure to said heating fluid;
- connecting said heating fluid supply to said source of heating fluid;
- providing a heat exchanger having a heating fluid inlet to receive said heating fluid under pressure, a heating fluid outlet to discharge said heating fluid, a ballast water inlet to receive said ballast water, a ballast water outlet to discharge said ballast water, said heat exchanger being configured to pass said heating fluid and said ballast water there through oriented relative to each other to transfer heat from one to the other;
- connecting said heating fluid inlet to said heating fluid supply to receive said heating fluid therefrom;
- connecting said pressure means to said heating fluid supply to supply said static pressure to said heating fluid;
- connecting said ballast water inlet to said ballast water supply to receive ballast water therefrom;
- providing a heating fluid return to transport said heating fluid from said heat exchanger to said source of heating fluid;
- providing a ballast water return to transport said ballast water from said heat exchanger to said source of ballast water;
- connecting said heating fluid return to said heating fluid outlet to receive said heating fluid and to said source of heating fluid for returning said heating fluid thereto;
- connecting said ballast water return to said ballast water outlet to receive said ballast water and to said source of ballast water for returning said ballast water thereto;
- causing heating fluid under said static pressure to pass from said source of heating fluid, through said heating fluid supply, through said heat exchanger and through said heating fluid return to said source of heating fluid, and causing ballast water to pass from said source of ballast water, through said ballast water supply, through said heat exchanger, through said ballast water return to said ballast water supply to transfer heat from said heating fluid to said ballast water.
13 more elements
A ballast water treatment system comprising:
- a source of ballast water;
- a source of heating fluid that is elevated in temperature relative to said ballast water;
- auxiliary energy means for supplying heat energy to said heating fluid, said auxiliary energy means connected to said heating fluid supply and operable to heat said heating fluid to a temperature above the elevated temperature of the heating fluid of said source of heating fluid;
- a heating fluid supply connected to said source of heating fluid and configured to transport said heating fluid;
- pressure means connected to said heating fluid supply to pressurize said heating fluid in said heating fluid supply to a selected pressure, said pressure means including a head tank connected to said fluid supply to communicated a desired static pressure to said heating fluid;
- a heat exchanger having a heating fluid inlet connected to said heating fluid supply to receive said heating fluid therefrom and a heating fluid outlet connected to discharge said heating fluid, said heat exchanger having structure connected between said heating fluid inlet and said heating fluid outlet to be in contact with the ballast water from said source of ballast water, said heat exchanger being configured to pass said heating fluid relative to said ballast water to transfer heat from the heating fluid to said ballast water;
- and
- a heating fluid return connected to said heating fluid outlet to receive said heating fluid and to said source of heating fluid for returning said heating fluid thereto, said heating fluid return being configured for transporting said heating fluid from said heating fluid outlet to said source of heating fluid.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.