Water intake structure
AssigneeC-Water Technologies, Inc.
InventorPeter Feher
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Water intake structures for power plants and other industrial facilities may include an inflow channel, a deep well, an outflow channel, and an intake channel These structures may include a fish screen, such as a wedge-wire screen or the like, positioned between the deep well and the intake channel to separate fish, fish larvae and fish eggs from water supplied to the intake channel from the deep well. These structures may further include one or more circulating or sweep flow pumps positioned proximate an outlet of the outflow channel. The sweep flow pumps may be used to maintain a sweep flow through the deep well of the intake structure to help sweep fish, fish larvae and fish eggs away from the fish screen and into the outflow channel.
Claims30
A water intake structure, comprising:
- an inflow channel including an inlet in fluid communication with a water source and an outlet;
- an outflow channel including an inlet and an outlet in fluid communication with the water source;
- an intake channel including an inlet and an outlet;
- a deep well in fluid communication with the outlet of the inflow channel, the inlet of the outflow channel, and the inlet of the intake channel;
- a screen positioned between the deep well and the inlet of the intake channel;
- and
- at least one first pump positioned within the outflow channel and configured to provide a sweeping flow through the deep well.
A method of operating a water intake structure, comprising:
- supplying a deep well with a fluid from a fluid source via an inflow channel;
- creating a sweep flow through the deep well from the inflow channel to an outflow channel;
- supplying from the deep well an intake flow to an intake channel, the intake flow supplied from the deep well to the intake channel through a screen positioned between the deep well and the intake channel;
- supplying the sweep flow from the deep well to the outflow channel;
- and
- supplying the intake flow to a served process via the intake channel.
A water intake structure comprising:
- an inflow channel in fluid communication with a water source;
- a deep well in fluid communication with the inflow channel;
- an outflow channel in fluid communication with the deep well;
- a screen positioned adjacent the deep well, the screen comprising at least one of a wedge-wire screen or a wedge-bar screen;
- a pump positioned within the intake structure and configured to provide a sweep flow of fluid through the deep well;
- and
- wherein the screen includes a plurality of bars and gaps located between the bars, and further wherein the ratio of at least one gap to a width of at least one bar adjacent the gap is between approximately 1:5 and 1:8.
A method of operating a water intake structure comprising:
- supplying a water intake structure having inflow channel, an outflow channel, and a deep well positioned between the inflow and outflow channels;
- supplying fluid to flow through the inflow channel into the deep well, and out through the outflow channel;
- providing a screen positioned adjacent the deep well and oriented substantially perpendicular to flow of fluid through the intake structure as defined by a sweep flow flowing through the deep well;
- supplying the sweep flow to contact the screen;
- and
- generating an intake flow through the intake structure wherein a ratio of a velocity of the sweep flow to an approach velocity of the intake flow is no less than approximately 3:1.
A method of separating fish, fish larvae, and eggs from a fluid flow passing through a screen, said method comprising:
- providing a screen positioned along a sweep flow of fluid;
- providing the fish, fish larvae and eggs in the sweep flow;
- providing the screen with a plurality of bars and gaps between the bars wherein a ratio of at least one gap to a width of one of the plurality of bars is approximately 1:5 to 1:8 and;
- generating an intake flow through the screen, wherein a ratio of a velocity of the sweep flow to an approach velocity of the intake flow is no less than approximately 3:1.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.