EP1392934A1 - Device for delivering chilled fresh-water - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for delivering cold fresh water through a pipe (5) from a container (2) resting on the bottom of the sea to a receiving structure on land provided with water taps. The invention is characterized by the inner of the container (2) being divided into two compartments by a flexible membrane (3). One compartment (4) is connected by a pipe (5) to the structure (1) on land and contains fresh water. The other compartment (6) contains sea water and is by a further pipe (7) connected to a source (8) of water on land, which on the fresh water in the first compartment exerts a pressure that is decided by the elevation of the water tap that is positioned highest up in the structure.

Description

DEVICE FOR DELIVERING CHILLED FRESH-WATER.

The present invention relates to a device for delivering cold fresh-water through a pipe from a container on the bottom of the sea to a structure on land provided with water taps.

Devices of this type are known, which consist of a container made of plastic sheeting in the shape of an elongated bag, that filled with fresh-water is sunk down onto the bottom of the sea by weights. The freshwater in the container is pumped by a water pump positioned on land with a pressure required for the water to reach the highest up in the structure located water tap. One is here restricted to the use of a container of a bag type formed of plastic sheeting that collapses concurrently with the emptying of the water from the container, because a stiff container makes it necessary to let in air during the emptying, which would result in a continuously increasing buoyancy until the anchoring should become impaired or completely eliminated. Hence, the flexible container cannot be used on a sea bottom full of stones.

Another inconvenience is that due to the suction action on the suction side of the pump there is a risk of suction into the container through minor leakages into the pipes or container of unsuitable sea water that will be mixed with the fresh-water. Leakage of this type is difficult to locate and the amount of remaining fresh-water is difficult to establish.

A further inconvenience is the dependence on an electrically driven water pump for making it possible to supply the structure with fresh-water. In many areas power failure is very frequent, and in that case it is necessary to have a stand-by electric generator or a water pump driven by a combustion engine in order to avoid failure of some length of the water delivery.

The object of the invention is to produce a device of the type mentioned by way of introduction, which device is operable completely independent of electric power or stand-by units, and which is protected from inflow of sea water to the fresh-water. Itshould also be possible to provide the device with means for indication the amount of remaining fresh-water.

This is achieved, according to the invention, by the fact that the device is characterized as set forth in the accompanying claim 1. Due to the fact that the container is divided into two compartments, one of which being filled with fresh-water and the other one with another kind of water, preferably sea water, which is easily accessible, the container will always be filled with the two kinds of water. This means that a stiff container can be used if the bottom of the sea is stony. In the compartment filled with fresh-water a pressure is created that is required for providing the highest up located water tap with fresh water and for preventing inflow of unsuitable sea water. This. pressure is created by the fact that the other compartment is pressurized to the required pressure by a connection to a compressed air tank or to a water column created by a connection to a high level body of water or by pumping sea water to a high level cistern, suitably by means of an available water pump unit carried by a water tank truck or a water tank vessel, which is utilized for the initial filling up of the container and the following refilling of fresh-water.

The invention is explained in more detail in the following description with reference to the attached drawings,- which show, by way of example, two embodiments of the device according to the invention, and in which Figure 1 is a side view of the device, Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a stiff container in Fig.l, Figures 3 and 4 are longitudinal sectional views of a flexible container in empty condition and in filled up condition, and Figure 5 is a side view of the device in Fig.l during initial filling up carried out by a water tank vessel.

Figure 1 discloses a structure 1 on land which is arranged to be supplied with fresh-water from a container 2 made of steel plate and anchored to the sea bottom. The container is divided into two compartments by a flexible, bag-shaped partition wall 3. A first compartment 4 is connected by a pipe 5 to the structure 1 on land, and a second compartment 6 is connected by a pipe 7 to a cistern 8 located on land. The pipe 5 has a branch pipe 9 extended up to a buoy 10 (not shown) flowing on the surface of the sea and anchored to the bottom of the sea. The branch pipe 9 is provided with a stop valve 11 and a hose connection 12 close to the buoy.

The pipe 7 is, in a similar way, provided with a branch pipe 13 extended up to a buoy 14 (not shown) flowing on the surface of the sea and anchored to the bottom of the sea. The branch pipe 13 is provided with a stop valve 15 and a hose connection 16 close to the buoy.

The compartment 4 in the container 2 is almost completely filled up with fresh-water through the branch pipe 9. In the compartment 6 there is only a minor amount of sea water, but in the cistern 8 there is an amount of sea water pumped in through the branch pipe 13 and corresponding approximately to the entire volume of the container 2. The water level 17 is positioned at a sufficient level above a water tap positioned highest up in the structure 1. When the fresh-water in the compartment 4 is consumed in the structure 1, the partition wall 3 will be positioned close to the opposite end wall of the container, as shown by a dashed line in Fig.2. The water level in the cistern 8 then has sunk to a bottom level, which may be indicated at the window 18 showing that the structure has run out of fresh-water. Also the bottom level is positioned at a sufficient level above said water tap in the structure 1.

Figure 3 discloses a container 20 made of flexible plastic material and attached to a concrete plate 22. A compartment 23 on one side of the partition wall communicates with the pipe 5 in Fig.l, and a compartment 24 on the other side of the partition wall communicates with the pipe 7 in Fig.l. Fig.4 discloses the container 20 in a condition in which it is filled to about 50% with fresh-water.

Figure 5 discloses the device shown in Fig.l during refilling with fresh-water from a water tank vessel 30, which by a hose 31 is connected to the hose connection 12. Concurrently with the filling of the compartment 4, the sea water in the compartment 6 is displaced over to the cistern 8, where the level has to be raised to a maximum level 32 marked at the window 8. If this does not occur when the compartment 4 is completely filled up. it may depend on evaporation from the cistern or an existing or earlier existing leakage at the sea water side. In that case a .sea water pump onboard the vessel can be connected by a hose 33 to the hose connection 16 for filling up with the required amount of sea water to the cistern for restoration of the maximum level.

The cistern 8 may be replaced by the use of a rather large source of water that is situated at a corresponding level. It may be particularly suitable to use a lake situated at a suitable level instead of a cistern 8. In that case the branch pipe 13 and the buoy 14 can be avoided. Then a different type of indication of the fresh-water supply is required, for instance sensing of the position of the partition wall 3 or 21.

The invention is of course not restricted to the embodiments here shown and described but can be modified in various ways within the scope of the invention defined by the claims. The buoys, may be replaced by flowing platforms or similar means. It is also possible to deliver the fresh-water with tank trucks, in which case the buoys, of course, become superfluous.

Claims

C L I M S

1. A device for delivering cold fresh-water through a pipe (5) from a container on the bottom of the sea to a structure (1) on land provided with water taps, characterized in that the inner of the container is divided into two compartments by a flexible partition wall (3; 21), and one of the compartments (4;23) is connected by a first pipe (5) to the structure (1) on land and contains fresh-water of a varying volume that maximally is equal to the volume of the container ( 2;20) , and the other compartment (6,-24) contains water, preferably sea water, of a varying volume that maximally - when the first compartment (4;23) is emptied - is equal to the volume of the container (2;20) and is connected by a second pipe (7) to a source (8) of water on land, that on the fresh-water in the first compartment (4;23) exerts a pressure that is decided by the elevation of the water tap that is positioned highest up in the structure (1) .

2. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that a branch pipe (9) communicating with said first compartment (4,-23) is extended to a buoy (10) flowing on the surface of the sea, at which buoy the branch pipe is provided with a stop valve (11) and a hose connection (12) for making it possible to fill up with fresh-water from a vessel (30) provided with a water pump.

3. A device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the source of pressure on land comprises a source of water, preferably a cistern (8) containing water with a water surface level (17) always positioned higher than the highest positioned tapping point of the structure (1) .

4. A device according to claim 3, characterized in that a second branch pipe (13) communicating with said second compartment (6;24) is extended to a buoy (14) flowing on the surface of the sea, at which buoy the said second branch pipe (13) is provided with a stop valve (15) and a hose connection (16) for making it possible to fill up with water to a required level of the source (8) of water on land from a vessel (30) provided with a water pump.

5. A device according to any of claims 1-4, characterized in that the container (20) consists of flexible plastic material and is anchored to a concrete plate (22).