Modular floating water-cooling system

Claim 2

A modular floating water cooling system for reducing the temperature of water, such as heated water discharged from a plant into the upstream end of a water flow channel extending along the surface of the ground in open contact with the atmosphere, said water flowing as a continuous stream through said channel, comprising a plurality of identical water spray modules floating in said stream and anchored at sequential locations along the direction of seam flow of said channel, each of said modules including at least three separate float means, power-operated water pump means supported by one of said float means, at least two water spray means supported by others of said float means, and pipe means extending from and connecting said pump means to each of said spray means, said pump means having water intake means in communication with the flowing water of said stream and outlet means directing said water under pressure into said pipe means for supply to said spray means, said spray means of each of said modules being operative to project sprays of water upwardly into the atmosphere above said stream for sequential cooling of the flowing water.

Claim 3

The modular system of claim 1 in which at least one of said water spray means in each of said modules is positioned downstream of the said pump means therein.

Claim 4

The modular system of claim 1 in which each of said modules contain four or six of said spray means.

Claim 5

The modular system of claim 1 in which each of said modules contain four of said spray means, two of said spray means in each of said modules being located upstream and two downstream of said pump means therein.

Claim 6

The modular system of claim 1 in which said spray means provide substantially identical spray patterns with respect to spray volume, height, and diameter.

Claim 7

The modular system of claim 1 in which the spray means adjacent to said one float means supporting said pump means provide spray patterns overlapping the said one float means, and in which said pump intake means is located below the central portion of said one float means which is disk-shaped and projects outwardly beyond said intake means to provide a shielding overhang therefor, whereby said pump means tends to draw its intake water from the hotter subsurface portions of said stream without appreciable immediate recirculation of the sprayed water.

Claim 8

The modular system of claim 1 in which said pipe means are rigid and are rigidly connected to said pump means and said water spray means, said pipe means being supported by said float means and spacing said spray means and the float means associated therewith at approximately equal distances apart and being effective to maintain said spacing, said pipe means being supported beneath said float means and above the bottom of said channel means.

Claim 9

The modular system of claim 1 in which said modules are arraNged in sequences of individual modules, the pump means and the spray means for each module being aligned with the direction of stream flow.

Claim 10

The modular system of claim 1 wherein said modules are arranged in sequential clusters, each of said clusters including at least two generally side-by-side and transversely spaced-apart modules, the pump means and spray means for each module being aligned with the direction of streamflow.

Claim 11

The modular system of claim 9 in which the spray means within each of said clusters are located approximately equal distances apart, and in which said spray means provide substantially identical spray patterns with respect to spray volume, height, and diameter.

Claim 12

The modular system of claim 9 in which the pump means within each of said clusters are located on a transverse line generally perpendicular to the direction of streamflow.

Claim 13

The modular system of claim 9 in which each of said modules contains four of said spray means, and within each module two of said spray means are located upstream and two downstream with respect to said pump means therein.

Claim 14

A modular system for reducing the temperature of heated water discharged from a plant source into a water flow channel extending along the surface of the ground in open contact with the atmosphere, said water flowing as a continuous stream through said channel, comprising an extended series of identical water spray modules floating in said stream and anchored at sequential locations along the direction of streamflow, each of said modules including at least five separate disk-shaped float means arranged in a line along the direction of streamflow, power-operated water pump means supported centrally by the middle one of said float means, water spray means supported centrally by the two upstream and the two downstream of said float means with respect to said middle float means, and pipe means extending from and connecting said pump means to each of said spray means, said pump means having water intake means in communication with the flowing water of said stream and outlet means directing said water under pressure into said pipe means, said spray means of each of said modules being operative to project sprays of water upwardly into the atmosphere above said stream for sequential cooling of the sprayed water.

Claim 15

A modular system for reducing the temperature of heated water discharged from a plant source into a water flow channel extending along the surface of the ground in open contact with the atmosphere, said water flowing as a continuous stream through said channel, comprising an extended series of identical water spray modules floating in said stream and anchored at sequential locations along the direction of streamflow, each of said modules including at least five separate disk-shaped float means arranged in a line along the direction of streamflow, power-operated water pump means supported centrally by the middle one of said float means, water spray means supported centrally by the two upstream and the two downstream of said float means with respect to said middle float means, and pipe means extending from and connecting said pump means to each of said spray means, said pump means having water intake means in communication with the flowing water of said stream and outlet means directing said water under pressure into said pipe means, said spray means of each of said modules being operative to project sprays of water upwardly into the atmosphere above said stream for sequential cooling of the sprayed water.

Claim 16

The modular system of claim 13 in which the spray means adjacent to said one float means supporting said pump means provide spray patterns overlapping the said one float means, and in which said pump intake means is located below the central portion said middle float means which projects outwardly therebeyond, whereby said pump means tends to draw its intake water from the hotter subsurface portions of said stream without appreciable immediate recirculation of the sprayed water.

Claim 17

The modular system of claim 13 in which said spray means provide substantially identical spray patterns with respect to spray volume, height, and diameter, and in which the spray means at least within each of said modules are located approximately equal distances apart.

Claim 18

The modular system of claim 13 wherein said modules are arranged in sequential substantially identical clusters, each of said clusters including at least two generally side-by-side and transversely spaced-apart modules, the pump means and spray means for each module being aligned with the direction of streamflow.

Claim 19

The modular system of claim 16 in which the pump means within each of said clusters are located on a transverse line generally perpendicular to the direction of streamflow.

Claim 20

A modular system for reducing the temperature of heated water discharged from a plant source into a water flow channel extending along the surface of the ground in open contact with the atmosphere, said water flowing as a continuous stream through said channel, comprising a plurality of substantially identical clusters of water spray modules floating in said stream and anchored at sequential locations along the direction Of streamflow, each of said modules including at least five separate float means arranged in a line along the direction of streamflow, power-operated water pump means supported by the central one of said float means of each module, water spray means supported by the two upstream and the two downstream of said float means with respect to said central float means of each module, and pipe means extending from and connecting said pump means of each module to each of said spray means thereof, said pump means having water intake means in communication with the flowing water of said stream and outlet means directing said water under pressure into said pipe means, said spray means being operative to project sprays of water upwardly into the atmosphere above said stream, said clusters including at least two side-by-side and transversely spaced-apart ones of said modules, the pump means and spray means within each of said clusters being located approximately equal distances apart, and said spray means providing substantially identical spray patterns with respect to spray volume, height, and diameter.

Claim 21

A modular system for reducing the temperature of heated water discharged from a plant source into a water flow channel extending along the surface of the ground in open contact with the atmosphere, said water flowing as a continuous stream through said channel, comprising a plurality of substantially identical clusters of water spray modules floating in said stream and anchored at sequential locations along the direction Of streamflow, each of said modules including at least five separate float means arranged in a line along the direction of streamflow, power-operated water pump means supported by the central one of said float means of each module, water spray means supported by the two upstream and the two downstream of said float means with respect to said central float means of each module, and pipe means extending from and connecting said pump means of each module to each of said spray means thereof, said pump means having water intake means in communication with the flowing water of said stream and outlet means directing said water under pressure into said pipe means, said spray means being operative to project sprays of water upwardly into the atmosphere above said stream, said clusters including at least two side-by-side and transversely spaced-apart ones of said modules, the pump means and spray means within each of said clusters being located approximately equal distances apart, and said spray means providing substantially identical spray patterns with respect to spray volume, height, and diameter.

Claim 22

The modular system of claim 18 in which said spray patterns from adjacent spray means to spray means are contiguous but not substantially overlapping, said pipe means being rigid and being effective to maintain the spacing of said spray means.

Claim 23

An evaporative cooling apparatus for reducing the temperature of a body of heated water, pump and spray unit means adapted to float in said body of water and including at least three separate disk-shaped float means, power-operated water pump means centrally supported by one of said float means, water spray means centrally supported by others of said float means, and pipe means extending from and connecting said pump means to each of said spray means, said pump means having water intake means for communication with the water of said body and outlet means directing said water under pressure into said pipe means, said spray means being operative to project sprays of water upwardly into the atmosphere above said body of water.

Claim 24

An evaporative cooling apparatus for reducing the temperature of a body of heated water, pump and spray unit means adapted to float in said body of water and including at least three separate disk-shaped float means, power-operated water pump means centrally supported by one of said float means, water spray means centrally supported by others of said float means, and pipe means extending from and connecting said pump means to each of said spray means, said pump means having water intake means for communication with the water of said body and outlet means directing said water under pressure into said pipe means, said spray means being operative to project sprays of water upwardly into the atmosphere above said body of water.

Claim 25

The pump and spray unit means of claim 20 in which the spray means adjacent said one float means supporting said pump means provides spray patterns overlapping said float means, and in which said pump intake means is located below the central portion of said one float means which projects outwardly therebeyond, whereby said float means tends to draw its intake water from the hotter subsurface portions of said body of water without appreciable immediate recirculation of the sprayed water.

Claim 26

The pump and spray unit means of claim 20 in which said pipe means are rigid and are rigidly connected to said pump means and said water spray means, said pipe means being supported by said float means and spacing said spray means and the float means associated therewith at approximately equal distances apart and being effective to maintain said spacing.

Claim 27

The pump and spray unit means of claim 22 in which said spray means provides substantially identical spray patterns with respect to spray volume, height, and diameter.

Claim 28

A water-cooling system in a stream of water and including a pump-motor float assembly having a water inlet and a driven propeller within a pump housing, multiple spray floats having upwardly directed nozzles, conduit means connecting said pump housing with said nozzles, and means anchoring said floats within the stream.

Claim 29

A water-cooling system in a stream of water and including a pump-motor float assembly having a water inlet and a driven propeller within a pump housing, multiple spray floats having upwardly directed nozzles, conduit means connecting said pump housing with said nozzles, and means anchoring said floats within the stream.

Claim 30

A modular floating water cooling system for reducing the temperature of water, such as heated water discharged from a plant into the upstream end of a water flow channel in open contact with the atmosphere, said water flowing as a continuous stream through said channel, comprising a plurality of water spray modules floating in said stream and anchored at sequential locations along the direction of streamflow thereof, each of said modules including float means, power-operated water pump means supported by said float means, at least two water spray means supported by saId float means, and pipe means extending from and connecting said pump means to each of said spray means, said pump means having water intake means in communication with the flowing water of said stream and outlet means directing said water under pressure into said pipe means for supply to said spray means, said spray means of each of said modules being operative to project sprays of water upwardly into the atmosphere above said stream for sequential cooling of the flowing water.

Claim 31

A modular floating water cooling system for reducing the temperature of water, such as heated water discharged from a plant into the upstream end of a water flow channel in open contact with the atmosphere, said water flowing as a continuous stream through said channel, comprising a plurality of water spray modules floating in said stream and anchored at sequential locations along the direction of streamflow thereof, each of said modules including float means, power-operated water pump means supported by said float means, at least two water spray means supported by saId float means, and pipe means extending from and connecting said pump means to each of said spray means, said pump means having water intake means in communication with the flowing water of said stream and outlet means directing said water under pressure into said pipe means for supply to said spray means, said spray means of each of said modules being operative to project sprays of water upwardly into the atmosphere above said stream for sequential cooling of the flowing water.

Claim 34

The method of claim 26 in which said longitudinal sequence includes at least 10 of said combination pump and spray units, and in which the water supplied to the pumps of said units is withdrawn from the upper portion of said stream.

Claim 35

The method of claim 26 in which said units are arranged in both flow-direction sequences and cross-stream clusters.

Claim 36

The method of claim 26 wherein portions of the sprayed water fall onto surface areas of said stream immediately above the points at which water is withdrawn into said pumps, and wherein said points of water withdrawal are shielded from said surface areas to block direct recirculation of said sprayed portions.

Claim 37

The method of claim 26 in which the pumps of said units are supported on disk-shaped floats having diameters of about 8 to 20 feet and thicknesses of about 1 to 3 feet, sand said water for spraying by said units is withdrawn from said stream at points immediately beneath said pump floats and with respect to which said pump floats extend laterally outward.

Claim 38

The method of claim 26 wherein the number of said units having the pumps and sprays thereof in operation at a given time is selectively varied in relation to changes in ambient temperature and humidity conditions to obtain said desired minimum temperature reduction.