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US 6,637,135 B2Granted
Contaminated sediment removal vessel
OwnerWarren Howard Chesner, James Melroseinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method is described for removing sediments during dredging operations to minimize the release of contaminants at marine locations containing sediments that are deemed contaminated and require removal. The preferred method comprises the use of a specially designed marine vessel that establishes a negative differential pressure gradient between a dredge control zone and the external ambient water environment, thereby preventing the release of contaminants dispersed during the dredge process into the ambient water environment. The preferred method also includes the use of marine vessels to remove contaminants contained within said control zone and to provide for the management of solids collected in the process.
Claims43
A self-contained mobile marine system for extraction of contaminated sediments and dredge materials from the bottom of a water body comprising:
- at least one floating marine vessel,
- said at least one floating marine vessel having suspendable therefrom at least one continuous mobile/submersible vertical barrier wall defining at least one predetermined confined dredge control zone, said vertical barrier wall comprised of individual movable sheets capable of contouring to the bottom of the surface of the waterway;
- said control zone continuously containing water of the water body on respective outer and inner sides of said vertical barrier wall, said confined dredge control zone containing liquid and suspended particles dispersed in a sediment excavation process from a predetermined bottom sediment surface area below said at least one floating marine vessel, said at least one floating marine vessel continuously floating during said sediment excavation process.
A self-contained mobile marine system for extraction of contaminated sediments and dredge materials from the bottom of a water body comprising:
- at least one floating marine vessel,
- said at least one floating marine vessel having suspendable therefrom at least one continuous mobile/submersible vertical barrier wall defining at least one predetermined confined dredge control zone, said confined dredge control zone containing liquid and suspended particles dispersed in a sediment excavation process from a predetermined bottom sediment surface area below said at least one floating marine vessel,
- wherein said at least one mobile/submersible vertical barrier wall defining at least one predetermined confined dredge control zone comprises at least one predetermined collection perimeter of a plurality of adjacent aligned sheet piles attached to an inner hull of said at least one floating marine vessel, said sheet piles being lowerable and driven into the area of bottom sediments, said at least one collection of said sheet piles defining a perimeter area encompassing a predetermined volume of said at least one control zone,
- wherein at least one gantry and a plurality of gantry rails direct the movement of a vibratory driver alternately deploying and removing said sheet piles during deployment of said at least one vertical barrier wall and subsequent removal of the contaminated sediments from beneath said at least one control zone.
1 more element
A self-contained mobile marine system for extraction of contaminated sediments and dredge materials from the bottom of a water body comprising:
- at least one floating marine vessel,
- said at least one floating marine vessel having suspendable therefrom at least one continuous mobile/submersible vertical barrier wall defining at least one predetermined confined dredge control zone, said confined dredge control zone containing liquid and suspended particles dispersed in a sediment excavation process from a predetermined bottom sediment surface area below said at least one floating marine vessel,
- wherein said at least one mobile/submersible vertical barrier wall defining at least one predetermined confined dredge control zone comprises at least one predetermined collection perimeter of a plurality of adjacent aligned sheet piles attached to an inner hull of said at least one floating marine vessel, said sheet piles being lowerable and driven into the area of bottom sediments, said at least one collection of said sheet piles defining a perimeter area encompassing a predetermined volume of said at least one control zone;
- and,
- at least one vertically extending flexible impermeable shroud seal on an exterior side of said at least one collection of sheet piles.
2 more elements
A self-contained mobile marine system for extraction of contaminated sediments and dredge materials from the bottom of a water body comprising:
- at least one floating marine vessel,
- said at least one floating marine vessel having suspendable therefrom at least one continuous mobile/submersible vertical barrier wall defining at least one predetermined confined dredge control zone,
- said confined dredge control zone containing liquid and suspended particles dispersed in a sediment excavation process from a predetermined bottom sediment surface area below said at least one floating marine vessel,
- at least one pumping system located in said at least one control zone, wherein said at least one pumping system withdraws water from said at least one control zone, thereby establishing a negative pressure gradient directed toward said inside of said at least one control zone from the ambient water environment, said negative pressure gradient between the ambient water environment and said control zone water controlling flow of water through said at least one vertical barrier wall into said at least one control zone, thereby preventing release of any contaminated liquid or particulate matter contained within said predetermined confines of said at least one control zone into the ambient water environment;
- and,
- wherein said at least one vertical barrier wall, including said sheet piles and said at least one flexible impermeable shroud seal respectively, defines a predetermined surface area and volume of said at least one control zone, said at least one sealed vertical barrier wall reducing permeability through said joints between said sheet piles, said sealed vertical barrier wall and said at least one pumping system establishing a predetermined rate of flow of water controlling said negative pressurization of said at least one control zone and forming a negative pressure gradient therein.
3 more elements
A self-contained mobile marine system for extraction of contaminated sediments and dredge materials from the bottom of a water body comprising:
- at least one floating marine vessel,
- said at least one floating marine vessel having suspendable therefrom at least one continuous mobile/submersible vertical barrier wall defining at least one predetermined confined dredge control zone,
- said confined dredge control zone containing liquid and suspended particles dispersed in a sediment excavation process from a predetermined bottom sediment surface area below said at least one floating marine vessel, at least one pumping system located in said at least one control zone, wherein said at least one pumping system withdraws water from said at least one control zone, thereby establishing a negative pressure gradient directed toward said inside of said at least one control zone from the ambient water environment, said negative pressure gradient between the ambient water environment and said control zone water controlling flow of water through said at least one vertical barrier wall into said at least one control zone, thereby preventing release of any contaminated liquid or particulate matter contained within said predetermined confines of said at least one control zone into the ambient water environment;
- and,
- a water level monitoring system to maintain said negative pressure gradient between said control zone and the ambient water environment.
2 more elements
A self-contained mobile marine system for extraction of contaminated sediments and dredge materials from the bottom of a water body comprising:
- at least one floating marine vessel;
- said at least one floating marine vessel having suspendable therefrom at least one continuous mobile/submersible vertical barrier wall defining at least one predetermined confined dredge control zone;
- said confined dredge control zone containing liquid and suspended particles dispersed in a sediment excavation process from a predetermined bottom sediment surface area below said at least one floating marine vessel;
- at least one water treatment system collecting and treating particulate matter and soluble contaminants distributed and/or resuspended during the excavation process;
- wherein said at least one water treatment system comprises at least one membrane filtration system capable of removing particulate matter and soluble contaminants, obtained within said at least one control zone;
- and,
- wherein said at least one membrane filtration system is aboard said at least one floating marine vessel having said at least one control zone.
4 more elements
A method for removing micron-sized and sub-micron sized suspended particulates from a subsurface floor below a body of water comprising the steps of:
- positioning a treatment vessel over said zone to be dredged;
- lowering and inserting a plurality of sheet piles adjacent to a inner hull of said vessel into the bottom of the body of water and driving said piles into the subsurface formation to form a continuous loop surrounding said predetermined control zone;
- lowering an impermeable shroud seal located on an external side of said continuous loop of said sheet piles to the subsurface floor of the body of water;
- initiating fluid flow into said at least one treatment vessel to induce a negative pressure gradient into said predetermined control zone;
- initiating a mechanical dredging operation to remove contaminated sediments from said control zone.
2 more elements
A self-contained mobile marine system for extraction of contaminated sediments and dredge materials from the bottom of a water body comprising:
- at least one floating marine vessel,
- said at least one floating marine vessel having suspendable therefrom at least one continuous mobile/submersible vertical barrier wall defining at least one predetermined confined dredge control zone continuously containing water of the water body on respective outer and inner sides of said vertical barrier wall, said confined dredge control zone containing liquid and suspended particles dispersed in a sediment excavation process from a predetermined bottom sediment surface area below said at least one floating marine vessel,
- said at least one floating marine vessel continuously floating during said sediment excavation process,
- wherein said at least one mobile/submersible vertical barrier wall defining at least one predetermined confined dredge control zone comprises at least one predetermined collection perimeter of a plurality of adjacent aligned sheet piles attached to an inner hull of said at least one floating marine vessel, said sheet piles being lowerable and driven into the area of bottom sediments, said at least one collection of said sheet piles defining a perimeter area encompassing a predetermined volume of said at least one control zone, said adjacent aligned sheet piles each having respective integral sockets joining a respective socket of each adjacent sheet pile.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.