Ballast water treatment systems including related apparatus and methods
OwnerHap Nguyen, William Murray Fowler +2inventors
InventorsHap Nguyen, William Murray Fowler, Howard Roop, Ronald Yoshio Nishida
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Abstract
Ballast water treatment apparatus and methods for preventing foreign aquatic invasive species form entering marine ecological zones by translocation in ship's ballast water. The apparatus includes a housing, a filter member, and UV water treatment chambers. Methods include use of a ship's fire hydrant system for moving ballast water from the ship's ballast tanks into the apparatus for filtration and treatment. In-port service vessels and dock-side service vehicles are equipped with the treatment and filtration apparatus to provided in-port or dock-side ballast water treatment services. Related methods are also provided.
Claims11
A ship-board ballast water treatment system for use in a ship, said system comprising:
- a ballast water tank containing ballast water having particulate matter including inorganic material and biological organisms dispersed therein;
- a conduit connected to said ballast water tank, said conduit in fluid communication with said ballast water;
- at least one fire hydrant located on a deck of the ship, said at least one fire hydrant having an inlet and an outlet and said conduit in fluid communication with said fire hydrant inlet;
- a pump for pumping said ballast water from said ballast water tank into said at least one fire hydrant;
- and
- a portable deck apparatus being connectable to said outlet of said at least one fire hydrant to receive said ballast water for treatment before discharge into an open marine environment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.