KR101818446B1 - Apparatus for concentrating phytoplankton - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a phytoplankton concentration apparatus, and aims to provide a phytoplankton concentration apparatus which is simple in structure without consuming any energy, and is capable of rapidly concentrating test water containing plankton at low cost. In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a phytoplankton concentration apparatus comprising: a water tank having an accommodation space in which water containing plankton is contained; A drain pipe installed at a lower portion of the water tank and having a connection portion arranged in a vertical direction at one side and a drain portion extending outward at the other side; Opening / closing means provided in a drainage outside portion of the water tub; A movable water intake pipe connected to the connection portion of the water discharge pipe so as to be movable up and down and having a water intake hole for allowing water in the water tank to flow therein; And a floating means provided on the upper portion of the movable water intake pipe to provide buoyancy such that the water intake hole is located at an upper portion of the water.

Description

Apparatus for concentrating phytoplankton < RTI ID = 0.0 >

The present invention relates to a phytoplankton concentration apparatus, and more particularly, to a phytoplankton concentration apparatus for concentrating phytoplankton contained in a water sample to increase the number of cells per unit volume.

Among aquatic organisms, a group of living creatures that have no or limited ability to exercise is called a plankton and distinguishes phytoplankton and zooplankton. Phytoplankton has a pigment such as chlorophyll in the body and carries out independent nutrition by photosynthesis, and zooplankton carries heterotrophic nourishment of other organisms and their fragments.

Phytoplankton include diatoms, cyanobacteria, green algae, and monocotyledonous birds, which are distributed mainly on the surface layer where sunlight reaches effectively. Every year in the oceans, red tide occurs due to the mass proliferation of plankton, causing many damages. In the domestic water such as rivers and lakes, damage due to massive growth of phytoplankton is occurring.

In order to solve the problem caused by massive growth of plankton, researches are needed to understand the water quality and plankton characteristics of the waters. In addition, studies on plankton are needed for ecosystem clarification in the water, especially for the scientific management of fisheries resources. Therefore, it is desirable to concentrate the experimental water to increase the number of plankton cells per unit volume of the experiment water for this study.

Conventionally, various methods for concentrating water containing plankton have been proposed. For example, Korean Patent No. 10-1738548 discloses a microalgae supply unit; A micro algae concentrating unit connected to the microalgae supply unit and including an oxidizing electrode in an inner space; And a reducing electrode connected to the micro-algae concentration unit and disposed perpendicularly to the surface of the micro-algae concentration unit at a boundary with the micro-algae concentration unit; And a micro-algae concentrating unit connected to all or a part of the upper part of the micro-algae concentrating unit and concentrating and separating the micro-algae floating from the micro-algae concentrating unit. This enrichment apparatus suspends and harvests microalgae through an electrochemical system including coagulation of microalgae using metal ions generated by applying electrical energy to an oxidizing electrode. There is a problem that consumes a lot of energy.

Korean Patent No. 10-0888897 discloses a culture tank for culturing microalgae or microorganisms and supplying the culture medium to a first concentration tank, a first concentration tank coupled with a supply valve and a flow rate control valve, A drain pipe connected to the drain pipe, a drain pipe connected to the drain pipe, an inlet pipe connected to the inlet pipe, and a drain pipe connected to the first pipe, a pump for receiving the filtrate supplied through the pipe, A chemical cleaning tank in which a cleaning pipe having a cleaning valve coupled to a cleaning pipe at a lower portion of the filtrate tank is connected to the cleaning tank and an air compressor for connecting the air supply pipe to the transfer pipe and the auxiliary transfer pipe, And a microbial separation and concentration apparatus for separating microorganisms. However, this is mainly aimed at keeping microalgae or microorganisms in the state of activity in the biological state, and it is also difficult to utilize them as a laboratory concentration device because of the complex structure of the device and the high energy consumption.

Korean Patent No. 10-1738548, Microalgae concentration apparatus Korean Patent No. 10-0888897, a concentrating apparatus for separating microalgae and microorganisms

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a simple structure without consuming extra energy, thereby enabling to rapidly concentrate test water containing plankton at low cost.

In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a phytoplankton concentration apparatus comprising: a water tank having an accommodation space in which water containing plankton is contained; A drain pipe installed at a lower portion of the water tank and having a connection portion arranged in a vertical direction at one side and a drain portion extending outward at the other side; Opening / closing means provided in a drainage outside portion of the water tub; A movable water intake pipe connected to the connection portion of the water discharge pipe so as to be movable up and down and having a water intake hole for allowing water in the water tank to flow therein; And a floating means provided on the upper portion of the movable water intake pipe to provide buoyancy such that the water intake hole is located at an upper portion of the water.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a filter for blocking inflow of phytoplankton may be provided outside the water intake hole. In this case, the water intake hole may be formed in the upper end portion of the movable intake pipe in a radial direction, and an annular filter may be installed outside the water intake hole to block the inflow of phytoplankton.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a cylindrical filter that surrounds the movable intake pipe and blocks the inflow of phytoplankton may be provided. The cylindrical filter is preferably installed such that its upper end is located higher than the water surface.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a wide funnel-type intake member is provided on the upper portion of the movable intake pipe, and a plurality of intake holes communicating with the intake member in the up-and-down direction may be formed. In this case, a filter for blocking the inflow of plankton through the water intake hole may be provided at a lower portion of the water intake member. The float may be formed of a hollow body or a foamed resin integrally formed with the water intake member.

According to the present invention configured as described above, the water in the surface layer portion having a very small content of plankton is discharged to the outside by forming a water intake hole on the upper portion of the movable water intake pipe moved up and down by buoyancy, There is an effect that the test water can be concentrated at low cost and quickly without consuming it.

1 is a cross-sectional view showing a first embodiment of a phytoplankton concentration apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing another operating state of the phytoplankton concentration apparatus of the present invention shown in FIG. 1; FIG.
3 is a sectional view showing a second embodiment of the phytoplankton concentration apparatus according to the present invention.
4 is a sectional view showing a third embodiment of the phytoplankton concentration apparatus according to the present invention.
5 is a sectional view showing a fourth embodiment of the phytoplankton concentration apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a withdrawal port in the phytoplankton concentration apparatus of the present invention shown in FIG. 5; FIG.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

It is to be understood that the following specific structure or functional description is illustrative only for the purpose of describing an embodiment in accordance with the inventive concept, and that the embodiments according to the concept of the present invention may be embodied in various forms, It should not be construed as being limited to examples.

Since the embodiments according to the concept of the present invention can make various changes and have various forms, specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the embodiments according to the concept of the present invention are not intended to limit the present invention to specific modes of operation, but include all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 and 2 are sectional views showing a first embodiment of a phytoplankton concentration apparatus according to the present invention.

As shown in the figure, the phytoplankton concentration apparatus of the present invention comprises a water tank 100 having an accommodation space for containing water containing plankton therein, a drain pipe 110 installed at a lower portion of the water tank 100, A movable intake pipe 120 movably coupled to the inlet side of the movable intake pipe 110 in a vertical direction and a float 130 coupled to an upper portion of the movable intake pipe 120 to provide buoyancy, .

The water tank 100 is a storage tank that allows water containing phytoplankton to be experimented, and may be formed in various forms such as a cylindrical structure, a cubic structure, and the like to accommodate water therein. The water tank 100 may be made of various materials and is preferably made of a synthetic resin material which is advantageous in terms of weight reduction. For example, acrylic resin. Further, it is preferable that a scale is formed on the inner or outer wall surface of the water tub 100 so that the water depth can be easily observed.

If necessary, the water tank 100 may have an integral tank structure in which the upper part is not opened. In this case, a water inlet for water supply is provided at one side of the water tub 100. In addition, an outlet that can be opened and closed may be separately provided to drain the water in which the plankton is concentrated in the lower side of the water tank.

The drain pipe 110 is fixedly installed in the water tub 100 and includes a connection part 112 arranged in a vertical direction and a drain part 111 arranged in a horizontal direction. The connection part 112 is located in the central part of the water tank 100 as much as possible so that water can be taken evenly throughout the water tank 100. The water drain part 111 is preferably arranged in the water tank 100 As shown in Fig.

A valve 140 is provided as an opening / closing means at a portion of the drain pipe 110 located outside the water tub 100. The valve 140 may be a simple opening / closing valve, or may be a valve capable of controlling the amount of displacement if necessary.

The movable intake pipe 120 is inserted into the connection portion 112 of the drain pipe 110 and is moved up and down along the connection portion 112. Although not shown, a protrusion or a groove-shaped guide means may be provided at the coupling portion between the movable intake pipe 120 and the coupling portion 112 for smooth movement, and a roller-shaped movable support means for reducing frictional force may be provided have. In addition, a seal member for water tightness may be provided between the movable intake pipe 120 and the connection portion 112.

A water intake hole 121 through which the water contained in the water tank 100 is introduced into the upper portion of the movable intake pipe 120 is formed. It is preferable that the water intake hole 121 is located on the upper side so that the surface water having the least amount of phytoplankton can be introduced.

The float 130 provides buoyancy so that the movable water intake pipe 120 can be moved up and down according to a change in the water level. The float 130 can be formed in a usual hollow solid shape, or may be made of a low- have.

1, the phytoplankton concentration apparatus of the present invention having the above-described structure closes the valve 140, and when the water level of the water tank 100 is high as shown in FIG. 1, Is maintained in the upwardly positioned state. At this time, water intake and discharge are not performed.

In this state, when the valve 140 of the water pipe 110 is opened, water contained in the water tank 100 flows into the inside of the movable water intake pipe 120 through the water intake hole 121, flows along the water pipe 110, . 2, the water level of the water tank 100 is lowered, and the float 130 moves downward according to the lowered water level, so that the movable water intake pipe 120 is connected to the water discharge pipe 110 And is moved downward along the connection portion 112.

The water in the water tub 100 flows through the water intake hole 121 located at the upper end of the movable intake pipe 120 so that the water near the surface layer in the water of the water bath 100 flows into the water intake hole 121 And then discharged through the drain pipe 110. The drain pipe 110 is connected to the drain pipe 110 through a pipe (not shown). Since the phytoplankton sits on the lower part of the water tank 100, the water introduced through the water intake hole 121 contains a very small amount of phytoplankton, and most of the phytoplankton is contained in the lower part of the water tank 100 And consequently the plankton is concentrated. Thus, a simple device enables the concentration of the test water to be inexpensively and quickly, without consuming energy.

FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the phytoplankton concentration apparatus according to the present invention. This is the same as the first embodiment except that the water tank 100, the drain pipe 110, the moving water intake pipe 120, And an annular filter 150 for blocking the phytoplankton is installed around the water intake hole 121 of the movable intake pipe 120.

Such a structure can prevent a small amount of phytoplankton contained in water in the surface layer from flowing into the movable intake pipe 120 through the intake hole 121, thereby further enhancing the concentration efficiency of the test water.

FIG. 4 shows a third embodiment of the phytoplankton concentration apparatus according to the present invention. The concentrating apparatus of this embodiment is provided with the water tank 100, the water drainage pipe 110, the movable water intake pipe 120 and the float 130 which are the same as the first embodiment described above, The filter 250 is installed. The filter 150 is preferably installed so that the upper end of the filter 150 is positioned above the water surface so as to block the inflow of plankton. The lower end of the movable intake pipe 220 may be lowered so as to be close to the drain pipe 110 so that the plankton can be prevented from flowing into the periphery even when the movable intake pipe 220 moves downward.

This structure blocks the introduction of phytoplankton into the vicinity of the movable intake pipe 120 with respect to most of the water depth of the water contained in the water tank, so that the efficiency of concentrating the plankton can be further improved.

5 and 6 show a fourth embodiment of the phytoplankton concentration apparatus according to the present invention. The concentrating apparatus of this embodiment is provided with the water tank 100 and the drain pipe 110 which are the same as those of the first embodiment described above and the water take-out member 320 in the form of a wide funnel is provided on the upper portion of the movable water take- And a plurality of water intake holes 321 communicating with each other in the up-and-down direction are formed on the water intake member 320. Further, a filter 350 for blocking the inflow of plankton through the water intake hole 321 is provided on the bottom surface of the water intake member 320.

In this case, the float 330 may be installed below the water intake member 320 as shown. The float 330 may be provided on the bottom surface or the outer circumferential portion of the water intake member 320. The water intake member 320 itself may be a hollow body or a floating means for providing buoyancy by the foam resin.

The plankton thickening apparatus of the fourth embodiment described above maintains the state where the water intake member 320 is positioned at the surface layer portion of the water by buoyancy. At this time, it is preferable that the buoyant force of the float 330 is adjusted so that as much water as possible of the water intake member 320 is in contact with water and water can be introduced through the water intake hole 321 provided in a wider area. When the valve 140 is opened, water in the water tank 100 flows into the upper portion of the water intake member 320 through the water intake hole 321, flows toward the center along the upper surface of the inclined water intake member 320, (120), and then discharged to the outside through the drain pipe (110). At this time, it is preferable that at least two water intake holes 321 are not arranged on the same straight line in the radial direction so that the water flowing along the surface of the water intake member 320 does not pass through the other water intake holes 321. The plankton concentration of the test water is performed in the above-described manner, and the plankton is filtered by the filter 350, so that the concentration efficiency can be improved.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventions. It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art.

100: water tank
110: Water pipe
111:
112:
120: Operation intake pipe
121, 321:
130, 330: float
140: Valve
150, 250, 350: filter
320:

Claims (8)

A water tank having an accommodation space for storing water containing plankton therein;
A drain pipe installed at a lower portion of the water tank and having a connection portion arranged in a vertical direction at one side and a drain portion extending outward at the other side;
Opening / closing means provided in a drainage outside portion of the water tub;
A movable water intake pipe connected to the connection portion of the water discharge pipe so as to be movable up and down and having a water intake hole for allowing water in the water tank to flow therein; And
And a floating means provided on the upper portion of the movable intake pipe to provide buoyancy such that the water intake hole is located at an upper portion of the water,
Wherein the water intake hole is provided at a lower portion of the floating means so as to be in contact with the water in the upper part of the water tank, and a filter for blocking inflow of phytoplankton is provided outside the water intake hole.
delete The method according to claim 1,
Characterized in that the water intake hole is formed communicating with an upper end portion of the movable intake water pipe in a radial direction, and an annular filter is installed outside of the water intake hole to block inflow of phytoplankton.
The method according to claim 1,
And a cylindrical filter for enclosing the periphery of the movable intake pipe and for blocking inflow of phytoplankton is installed.
The method of claim 4,
Wherein the cylindrical filter is installed such that its upper end is located higher than the water surface.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein a large funnel-shaped intake member is provided on the upper portion of the movable intake pipe, and a plurality of intake holes communicating with the intake member in the up-and-down direction are formed.
The method of claim 6,
And a filter for blocking inflow of plankton through the water intake hole is provided at a lower portion of the water intake member.
The method of claim 6,
Wherein the floating means comprises a hollow body or a foamed resin integrally formed with the water intake member.

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