U.S. patent application number 13/033707 was filed with the patent office on 2012-03-01 for reservoir covering system.
Invention is credited to David Yekutiely.
Application Number | 20120048855 13/033707 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44072328 |
Filed Date | 2012-03-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120048855 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Yekutiely; David |
March 1, 2012 |
RESERVOIR COVERING SYSTEM
Abstract
A covering system for a body of water including a cover for
covering a portion of the body of water, the cover having formed
therein at least one hole, and a load bearing post that passes
vertically through the at least one hole, an end of the load
bearing post being anchored in a bottom surface of the body of
water, wherein the cover moves up and down along the load bearing
post as a level of the body of water rises and falls.
Inventors: |
Yekutiely; David; (Ramat
HaSharon, IL) |
Family ID: |
44072328 |
Appl. No.: |
13/033707 |
Filed: |
February 24, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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61307457 |
Feb 24, 2010 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
220/216 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04H 7/065 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/216 |
International
Class: |
B65D 88/34 20060101
B65D088/34 |
Claims
1. A covering system for a body of water comprising: a cover for
covering a portion of said body of water, said cover having formed
therein at least one hole; and a load bearing post that passes
vertically through said at least one hole, an end of said load
bearing post being anchored in a bottom surface of said body of
water, wherein said cover moves up and down along said load bearing
post as a level of said body of water rises and falls.
2. The covering system according to claim 1, wherein said load
bearing post has a circular cross-section.
3. The covering system according to claim 1, wherein said load
bearing post has a non-circular cross-section.
4. The covering system according to claim 1, further comprising a
sliding seal disposed on said cover at said hole that generally
prevents water from flowing through said hole.
5. The covering system according to claim 1, further comprising an
auxiliary cover over top ends of said load bearing post.
6. The covering system according to claim 5, further comprising a
tensioning device that tensions said auxiliary cover over said load
bearing post.
7. The covering system according to claim 1, further comprising a
modular matrix of a plurality of the covers and the load bearing
posts.
8. The covering system according to claim 1, wherein said cover
comprises an energy generating device on a top surface thereof.
9. The covering system according to claim 1, further comprising a
bottom liner installed near the bottom surface of said body of
water.
10. A covering system for a body of water comprising: a cover for
covering a portion of said body of water; and a vertical load
bearing post that has an end anchored in a bottom surface of said
body of water, wherein said cover moves up and down along said load
bearing post as a level of said body of water rises and falls.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates generally to coverings for
bodies of water, such as reservoirs.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The design and construction of reservoir covers involves
many aspects and is application dependent. However, there are a
number of crucial and common issues that must be addressed when
covering a reservoir. For example, the cover must fully or
partially protect water evaporation, contamination and/or leakage.
The cover must be able to sustain its position relative to the
reservoir while taking into consideration wind and other
environmental factors. The cover should be able to follow changing
reservoir levels.
[0003] When "floating covers" are involved, common methods of
dealing with these issues include the use of troughs and/or sumps
to compensate for the changing reservoir surface area due to
changing water levels and to allow drainage of rain water of the
cover. Draining rain water is achieved either by gravitational
means or via pumps.
[0004] These methods include the use of floats and ballasts at
times in conjunction with a tensioning and/or cabling system in
order to sustain the covers position relative to the reservoir. In
other instances the ballasts are used as anchors for sectioning
parts of the reservoir.
[0005] The use of geomembrane materials, floating covers, floating
baffle curtains, liners and alike, for use in potable water
reservoirs, waste water reservoirs, fish rearing reservoirs, ponds,
industrial or process water facilities etc is well known. When
potable water is involved, the cover material extends to the
perimeter of the reservoir and usually is secured to the perimeter
of the reservoir in conjunction with a bottom liner membrane.
[0006] One major concern in the design of floating covers is wind
(see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,991,900 to Burke et al. and U.S.
Pat. No. 6,893,005 to Yekutiely et al.). Most often reservoir
covers are secured to reservoir via cabling or tensioning means
located at reservoir perimeter. When wind or other loads are
present upon the cover, loads will transfer from the cover region
to the perimeter. When very large covers are involved, wind or
other load factors can become substantial and difficult to
manage.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention seeks to provide an improved covering
system for bodies of water, as is described more in detail
hereinbelow.
[0008] The invention is not limited to reservoirs and may be
adapted to many different types of water bodies such as but not
limited to, rivers, lakes, canals, open sea, etc., as well as to
other liquids and semi-liquids (the term "water" encompassing
liquids and semi-liquids).
[0009] While the use of the word "cover" generally relates to a
membrane material capable of preventing or reducing evaporation of
the water body, it is not limited or restricted to such a material
and may include floating covers, buoys, panels, platforms and the
like, also capable of preventing or reducing evaporation of the
water body.
[0010] The cover may be part of a system for renewable energy
(e.g., electricity), including, but not limited to, photovoltaic
cells, solar cells, gas collection and/or creation, wind and wave
power generation, etc.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] The present invention will be understood and appreciated
more fully from the following detailed description taken in
conjunction with the appended drawings in which:
[0012] FIGS. 1 and 2 are simplified top-view and sectional
illustrations, respectively, of a covering system, constructed and
operative in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention, FIG. 2 being taken along lines B-B in FIG. 1;
[0013] FIGS. 3 and 4 are simplified illustrations of a covering
system, constructed and operative in accordance with another
embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 being taken along lines
B-B in FIG. 3; and
[0014] FIG. 5 is a simplified illustration of another cover with
load bearing posts, in accordance with another embodiment of the
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
[0015] Reference is now made to FIGS. 1 and 2, which illustrate a
covering system 10 for a body of water 12, constructed and
operative in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the
present invention. The body of water 12 is bounded by walls 13.
[0016] The covering system 10 includes a cover 14 for covering a
portion of the body of water 12. One or more through-holes 16 are
formed in cover 14. One or more load bearing posts 18 pass
vertically through holes 16. The term "post" encompasses posts,
columns, rails, studs, structural foundations and the like. The
load bearing posts 18 are capable of distributing load factors
associated with the cover 14, e.g., wind, rain, waves, gases, etc.
The posts 18 may have circular cross-section or a non-circular
cross-section, such as but not limited to, square, rectangular,
triangular, hexagonal and irregular shapes. An end of the load
bearing post 18 is anchored (moored, tensioned, fastened and/or
secured in any other way or in combination) in a bottom surface 20
of the body of water 12. The cover 14 moves up and down along the
load bearing post 18 as a level of the body of water 12 rises and
falls.
[0017] Although the hole 16 can be unsealed, more preferably a
sliding seal 22 (e.g., elastomeric O-ring, rollers, rings or other
types of sliding bearings) is disposed on cover 14 at hole 16,
which generally prevents water from flowing through hole 16.
[0018] Reference is now made to FIGS. 3 and 4. In this non-limiting
embodiment, an auxiliary cover 24 is placed over top ends of the
load bearing post 18. A tensioning device 26 (such as but not
limited to, a coil spring, or devices described in U.S. Pat. No.
6,893,005, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by
reference) tensions the auxiliary cover 24 over the load bearing
post 18. A ballast 28 may be attached to ends of auxiliary cover 24
as further tensioning means. A bottom liner 30 may be installed
near the bottom surface of the body of water 12. An energy
generating device 32 (such as but not limited to, photovoltaic
cells, solar cells, gas collection and/or creation, wind and wave
power generation, and others) may be disposed on a top surface of
cover 14.
[0019] The covering system of the invention may include a modular
matrix of a plurality of these covers and load bearing posts. This
greatly facilitates adding or replacing covers and/or energy
generating device. FIG. 5 illustrates another variation where the
posts are provided with stabilizing elements 37, such as prongs,
lugs, etc.
[0020] The load bearing posts can also be connected or attached to
the cover in other ways, such as but not limited to, cabling,
mechanical levers, pistons, and other means that allow the cover to
follow changing water levels as well as adapt to margins, slope or
bottom of the reservoir as it becomes gradually exposed. The posts
do not necessarily directly penetrate the cover.
[0021] The present invention thus provides an improved reservoir
covering system having means of enhancing, securing and assuring
reservoir performance, quality, output, maintainability and
longevity. The system adapts to differing loads exerted upon the
cover, and to changing water levels. The covering system may
include modular means and methods for creating the reservoir
covers.
[0022] The scope of the present invention includes both
combinations and subcombinations of the features described
hereinabove as well as modifications and variations thereof which
would occur to a person of skill in the art upon reading the
foregoing description and which are not in the prior art.
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