Synthetic infiltration collection system

Abstract

The present invention is a filtered seawater collection system for installation at seaside locations. This system filters undesirable elements from seawater including garbage, debris, volatile organics and biologics such as toxic algaes. The resulting filtered seawater is then pumped to a desalination plant for de-salting. This system comprises a subterranean reservoir installed at a sheltered location, such as behind a set of dunes. A borehole is created by directional drilling, the borehole breaking through the surf line and into open ocean. A pipe is laid extending from the reservoir out to the open ocean. The pipe ends in an intake, which is overlapped by gravel packets which act as filtration media. The intake receives water filtered through the gravel packets, which is transported through the pipe to the reservoir.

1 . A system for treating seawater, comprising: 
 a pipe for drawing seawater through, said pipe having a first end connected to a subterranean reservoir, said pipe further having a second end comprising an intake, said intake being located in raw seawater;    a filtration media, said filtration media being contained within a porous container, said container being arranged about said intake to allow raw seawater to be filtered through said filtration media prior to said seawater entering said intake and being drawn through said pipe to said reservoir.    
     
     
         2 . A system for treating seawater, comprising: 
 a pipe extending through a nearshore region out into the open ocean, said pipe being connected to a subterranean reservoir at a first end of said pipe, said pipe further comprising a second intake end located in the raw seawater, said pipe acting as a conduit for drawing seawater from said intake end to said reservoir; and    a filtration media contained in porous containers, said containers being positioned upon said intake end of said pipe, wherein said system draws raw seawater through said porous containers and wherein the seawater is filtered through said filtration media prior to being drawn through said intake of said pipe.    
     
     
         3 . The system for treating seawater as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said filtration media filters undesirable elements from raw seawater, said undesirable elements comprising detritus, suspended soils, suspended sediment, planktonic organisms, toxic dinoflagellates and diatoms.  
     
     
         4 . The system for treating seawater as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said filtration media further comprises a geologic filtration media.  
     
     
         5 . The system for treating seawater as recited in  claim 4 , wherein said geologic filtration media further comprises gravel combinations.  
     
     
         6 . The system for treating seawater as recited in  claim 5 , further comprising a gravel combination consisting of 27% filter sand (NSF/ANSI Standard A8071), flint 10.8% (#20 NSF/ANSI Standard A8072), flint 10.8% (¼ to ⅛, NSF/ANSI Standard A8073), flint 10.8% (½ to ¼ NSF/ANSI Standard A8071), anthracite 14.8% (#1, 0.6 to 0.8 mm, NSF/ANSI Standard A8029), and garnet 24.3% (#30 to #40, NSF/ANSI Standard A8037).  
     
     
         7 . The system for treating seawater as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a bore lining for containing said pipe within.  
     
     
         8 . The system for treating seawater as recited in  claim 7 , further comprising a plurality of pipes being contained within said bore lining, said pipes terminating in a corresponding plurality of said intakes, said plurality of pipes being coupled to said reservoir at a first end of each pipe, wherein each of said intakes receives filtered seawater through a said filtration media container.  
     
     
         9 . The system for treating seawater as recited in  claim 2 , further comprising a bore lining for containing said pipe within.  
     
     
         10 . The system for treating seawater as recited in  claim 9 , further comprising a plurality of pipes being contained within said bore lining, said pipes terminating in a corresponding plurality of said intakes, said plurality of pipes being coupled to said reservoir at a first end of each pipe, wherein each of said intakes receives filtered seawater through a said filtration media container.  
     
     
         11 . A system for treating seawater, said system for being placed at shoreline locations, said system comprising an underground subterranean reservoir, said reservoir being placed at least behind a first set of dunes at a shoreline location, said reservoir further comprising a sloped top to conform with the approximate slope of a shoreline at which said reservoir is placed; 
 a pipe for drawing seawater there through, said pipe having a first end connected to said reservoir, said pipe extending outward from said reservoir past the shoreline and into open seawater, said pipe terminating in a second end having a plurality of openings for drawing seawater into said pipe; a geologic filtration media enclosed within plurality of porous containers, said filtration media being selectable for optimized filtration characteristics, said plurality of containers being arranged about said second end to allow raw seawater to be first filtered through said filtration media prior to entering said second end openings and being drawn through said pipe to said reservoir.    
     
     
         12 . A seawater intake for providing filtered seawater, comprising: 
 an intake opening positioned in raw seawater;    at least one porous and formable container, said container containing a seawater filtration media;    said container being formably positioned over said intake opening to put said opening in filtering contact with said container for allowing raw seawater to be drawn through said container and said filtration media prior to entering said intake opening.    
     
     
         13 . The seawater intake as recited in  claim 12 , wherein said intake is a component of a desalination plant.  
     
     
         14 . The seawater intake as recited in  claim 12 , wherein said intake is a component of a power plant.  
     
     
         15 . The seawater intake as recited in  claim 12 , wherein said intake is a component of any industrial plant.  
     
     
         16 . The seawater intake as recited in  claim 12 , wherein said seawater filtration media further comprises a geologic filtration media.  
     
     
         17 . The seawater intake as recited in  claim 16 , wherein said geologic filtration media further comprises gravel combinations.  
     
     
         18 . The seawater intake as recited in  claim 17 , further comprising a gravel combination consisting of 27% filter sand (NSF/ANSI Standard A8071), flint 10.8% (#20 NSF/ANSI Standard A8072), flint 10.8% (¼ to ⅛, NSF/ANSI Standard A8073), flint 10.8% (½ to ¼ NSF/ANSI Standard A8074), anthracite 14.8% (#1, 0.6 to 0.8 mm, NSF/ANSI Standard A8029), and garnet 24.3% (#30 to #40, NSF/ANSI Standard A8037).  
     
     
         19 . The seawater intake as recited in  claim 12 , wherein said container further comprises a compartmentalized interior, said filter media being distributed with said compartments.  
     
     
         20 . The containers as recited in  claim 19 , further comprising attachment points for attaching a lifting apparatus to said container.  
     
     
         21 . The seawater intake as recited in  claim 12 , wherein said filtration media filters undesirable elements from raw seawater, said undesirable elements comprising detritus, suspended soils, suspended sediment, planktonic organisms, toxic dinoflagellates and diatoms.  
     
     
         22 . A filtration media container, comprising: 
 a porous outer cover having a compartmentalized interior;    a filtration media contained inside of said compartmentalized interior; and    attachment points for attaching a lifting apparatus to said container.    
     
     
         23 . The filtration media container as recited in  claim 22 , wherein said seawater filtration media further comprises a geologic filtration media.  
     
     
         24 . The filtration media container as recited in  claim 23 , wherein said geologic filtration media further comprises gravel combinations.  
     
     
         25 . The filtration media container as recited in  claim 24 , further comprising a gravel combination consisting of 27% filter sand (NSF/ANSI Standard A8071), flint 10.8% (#20 NSF/ANSI Standard A8072), flint 10.8% (¼ to ⅛, NSF/ANSI Standard A8073), flint 10.8% (½ to ¼ NSF/ANSI Standard A8074), anthracite 14.8% (#1, 0.6 to 0.8 mm, NSF/ANSI Standard A 8029 ), and garnet 24.3% (#30 to #40, NSF/ANSI Standard A8037).  
     
     
         26 . The filtration media container as recited in  claim 22 , wherein said filtration media filters undesirable elements from raw seawater, said undesirable elements comprising detritus, suspended soils, suspended sediment, planktonic organisms, toxic dinoflagellates and diatoms.  
     
     
         27 . A seawater intake for providing filtered seawater, comprising: 
 A pipe end having an opening; and    A porous filter, said filter containing a geologic filtration media, said filter and said pipe end coupling together in a sealing manner, wherein raw seawater is drawn through said filter prior to entering said opening in said pipe end.    
     
     
         28 . The seawater intake as recited in  claim 27 , wherein said geologic filtration media further comprises gravel combinations.  
     
     
         29 . The seawater intake as recited in  claim 28 , further comprising a gravel combination consisting of 27% filter sand (NSF/ANSI Standard A8071), flint 10.8% (#20 NSF/ANSI Standard A8072), flint 10.8% (¼ to ⅛, NSF/ANSI Standard A8073), flint 10.8% (½ to ¼ NSF/ANSI Standard A8074), anthracite 14.8% (#1, 0.6 to 0.8 mm, NSF/ANSI Standard A8029), and garnet 24.3% (#30 to #40, NSF/ANSI Standard A8037).  
     
     
         30 . The seawater intake as recited in  claim 27 , wherein said filtration media filters undesirable elements from raw seawater, said undesirable elements comprising detritus, suspended soils, suspended sediment, planktonic organisms, toxic dinoflagellates and diatoms.