Apparatus, Systems and Methods for Collecting Debris From a Body of Water

Abstract

A system for collecting and separating floating debris and water from a body of water on a waterborne vessel includes at least one collection chamber, water discharge pump and sensor. The at least one sensor is communicably coupled to the water discharge pump(s) and configured to gather information about debris near or inside the vessel. At least one water discharge pump is automatically turned on and off based at least partially upon information gathered by the at least one sensor.

1 . An autonomous system for collecting and separating floating debris and water from a body of water on a waterborne vessel, the vessel being deployable in the body of water, the system comprising:
 the vessel being unmanned and including a single collection chamber having upper and lower ends and a sloping roof at the upper end thereof, the vessel further including a debris pump and a water discharge pump both fluidly coupled to the collection chamber, wherein debris and water from the body of water are collected in the collection chamber and debris, separated and separately discharged off the vessel;   an electronic controller;   an internal sensor disposed at least partially within the collection chamber and communicably coupled to the electronic controller, the internal sensor being configured to gather information about contents of the collection chamber and communicate such information to the electronic controller; and   an external sensor associated with the body of water and communicably coupled to the electronic controller, the external sensor being configured to gather information about debris in the body of water and communicate such information to the electronic controller,   wherein the electronic controller is configured to turn on and off the water discharge pump based at least partially upon information from the external sensor and turn on and off the debris pump based at least partially upon information from the internal sensor, both without human involvement.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the debris pump and water discharge pump are disposed in the collection chamber. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the upper end of the collection chamber is vaulted, has a generally inverted-funnel shape or a generally cathedral-ceiling shape. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the vessel has at least one top deck and the collection chamber has a flooding port fluidly coupling the collection chamber to the body of water and being selectively opened to allow the collection chamber to be free-flooded with water from the body of water without the need for any pumps to fill the collection chamber with water or purge the collection chamber of air, the collection chamber further including a ceiling at the upper end thereof, the ceiling being sufficiently spaced downwardly from at least one top deck of the vessel so that after the collection chamber is free-flooded with water without the need for any pumps to fill the collection chamber with water or purge the collection chamber of air, the vessel will sink in the body of water until the collection chamber is completely full of water. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein debris and water recovered from the body of water travel in a flow path on the vessel, further including an inflow regulator (IFR) releasably coupled to the vessel and extending at least partially across the flow path, the IFR having a carrier and at least two buoyant floats releasably engageable with the carrier, wherein the buoyancy of the IFR can be varied by changing the number of buoyant floats coupled to the carrier. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , further including an intake opening and an inflow tunnel, the intake opening fluidly coupling the collection chamber with the body of water and the inflow tunnel fluidly coupled between the intake opening and collection chamber, the inflow tunnel being at least partially formed between opposing first and second walls and having a width extending between the first and second walls, wherein all debris entering the collection chamber from the intake opening must pass through the inflow tunnel and the width of the inflow tunnel can be selectively varied. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the width of the inflow tunnel may be varied by adding or removing one or more spacers between the first and second walls. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein water from the collection chamber is removed through an inlet of the water discharge pump, whereby the velocity of water entering the water discharge pump inlet is slowed by at least one barrier disposed at least partially in the collection chamber. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the at least one barrier includes a suction diffuser. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the water discharge pump has an inlet fluidly coupled to the collection chamber and through which the water discharge pump removes water from the collection chamber, further including an intake opening through which debris and water enter the vessel from the body of water and a flow passageway fluidly coupling the intake opening and collection chamber, wherein the velocity of water entering the water discharge pump inlet is reduced by at least one barrier disposed at least partially between the intake opening or flow passageway and the water discharge pump inlet. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the at least one barrier includes a perforated suction diffuser, whereby all water entering the water discharge pump inlet must pass through the suction diffuser. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the water discharge pump inlet has a cross-sectional area, whereby the suction pressure of the water discharge pump is distributed by the suction diffuser across an area greater than the cross-sectional area of the water discharge pump inlet. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the vessel has at least one pair of opposing sides and a bottom, further including first and second water discharge outlets fluidly coupled to the water discharge pump and through which water from the collection chamber is discharged by the water discharge pump off the vessel in a discharge path at least substantially parallel to the surface of water in the body, the first and second water discharge outlets being disposed proximate to the bottom of the vessel on opposing sides thereof, respectively, whereby water can be discharged from the vessel without more than minimally altering the position of the vessel and more than minimally disturbing floating debris in the body of water. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the vessel has at least first and second opposite sides, further including first and second adjustable-position flotation tanks positioned at least partially above the roof, the first adjustable-position flotation tank being closer to the first side than the second side of the vessel the second adjustable-position flotation tank being closer to the second side than the first side of the vessel, each flotation tank being moveable up and down at least partially over and relative to the roof and collection chamber. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14  wherein the sloping roof includes first and second slanted sections sloping upwardly and inwardly from the first and second sides of the vessel, respectively, further wherein each adjustable-position flotation tank is independently moveable in an angled path up and down at least partially over and relative to the respective roof section associated therewith. 
     
     
         16 . A method of autonomously collecting and separating floating debris and water from a body of water on an unmanned, waterborne vessel, the vessel being deployable in the body of water and including a single collection-separation chamber, and a circulation pump and debris pump both fluidly coupled to the collection-separation chamber, the circulation pump configured to draw water and debris from the body of water into the collection-separation chamber and discharge water from the collection-separation chamber off the vessel, the debris pump configured to discharge debris from the collection-separation chamber off the vessel, the method comprising:
 an internal sensor, disposed at least partially within the collection-separation chamber and communicably coupled to an electronic controller, gathering information about contents of the collection-separation chamber;   the internal sensor communicating information about contents of the collection-separation chamber to the electronic controller;   an external sensor, associated with the body of water and communicably coupled to the electronic controller, gathering information about debris in the body of water;   the external sensor communicating information about debris in the body of water to the electronic controller;   the electronic controller turning on and off the circulation pump based at least partially upon information from the external sensor without human involvement; and   the electronic controller turning on and off the debris pump based at least partially upon information from the internal sensor without human involvement.   
     
     
         17 . A waterborne vessel useful for autonomously collecting floating debris and water from a body of water and discharging water into the body of water, the vessel comprising:
 a collection chamber fluidly coupled to the body of water by an intake opening;   a water discharge pump having an inlet fluidly coupled to the collection chamber, the water discharge pump being configured to draw water and debris from the body of water, through the intake opening and into the collection chamber and discharge water from the collection chamber off the vessel, whereby all water discharged off the vessel by the water discharge pump must pass through the water discharge pump inlet;   a perforated suction diffuser disposed at least partially between the intake opening and water discharge pump inlet, wherein all water entering the water discharge pump inlet must pass through the perforated suction diffuser and whereby the velocity of water entering the water discharge pump inlet is reduced by the suction diffuser; and   at least one sensor communicably coupled to the water discharge pump and configured to gather information about debris near or inside the vessel, wherein the water discharge pump is automatically turned on and off based at least partially upon information gathered by the at least one sensor.   
     
     
         18 . The waterborne vessel of  claim 17  wherein the water discharge pump inlet has a cross-sectional area, whereby the suction pressure of the water discharge pump is distributed by the suction diffuser across an area greater than the cross-sectional area of the water discharge pump inlet. 
     
     
         19 . The waterborne vessel of  claim 18  wherein the combined cross-sectional area of all perforations in the suction diffuser is at least five times greater than the cross-sectional area of the water discharge pump inlet. 
     
     
         20 . The waterborne vessel of  claim 17  wherein the collection chamber is a sunken collection chamber.