Abstract:
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for collecting solid microparticles floating in water, and more particularly, to a safe, ease to use, and environmental friendly collecting apparatus and method adapted for collecting radioactive solid microparticles floating and depositing in a cooling water tank of nuclear facility or a tank for storing radioactive materials.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for collecting solid microparticles floating in water, and more particularly, to a collecting apparatus and method adapted for collecting radioactive solid microparticles floating and depositing in a cooling water tank of nuclear facility or a tank for storing radioactive materials. 
         [0003]    2. Related Art 
         [0004]    Due to factors such as cleaning, cutting, and storing of various radioactive materials, radioactive solid microparticles may spread in a cooling or material-storage water tank of nuclear facility, such as suspended solid and sludge precipitated in the bottom of the water tank. 
         [0005]    Conventionally, water is purified by filtering or other methods. Most methods are fixed on the ground instead of being under water, have poor mobility, and cannot be flexibly moved to different polluted areas for treatment. In addition, direct filtering of water in the tank may result in high-activity, heavily-polluted waste filter media, and reduce the service life of the water purification system. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    In an embodiment, an apparatus for collecting solid microparticles floating in water is provided, which includes an upper bracket, an external container, a support frame, and a replaceable sludge can. 
         [0007]    The upper bracket is a rectangular structure floatable on water. 
         [0008]    The external container is fixed under the upper bracket, and a bottom of the external container is an inverted conical structure. 
         [0009]    The support frame is located inside the external container. A top of the support frame is hung on the upper bracket, so as to enable the support frame to float on water. The support frame is in a structure of a cuboidal frame, and has at least one downward-sloping precipitation plate therein, and each precipitation plate has a plurality of downward-sloping fins. 
         [0010]    The replaceable sludge can is disposed at an opening of the bottom of the external container. At a top of the replaceable sludge can is a hoisting ring tied with a hoisting sling. When being replaced, the replaceable sludge can is hoisted by using the hoisting sling, and then is replaced. 
         [0011]    The opening is located at a center of the bottom of the external container, and has a suitable size for allowing the replaceable sludge can to pass through. 
         [0012]    In another embodiment, a method for collecting solid microparticles floating in water is provided, which includes the following steps. 
         [0013]    Preparatory step: an apparatus for collecting solid microparticles floating in water is provided, and the apparatus is placed in water. 
         [0014]    Feeding step: a solution containing solid microparticles is continuously pumped into the apparatus for collecting solid microparticles floating in water until a full water level is reached. 
         [0015]    Mixing step: a settling reagent is added into the solution in the apparatus for collecting solid microparticles floating in water, and the solution is stirred to make the settling reagent fully mixed with the solution. 
         [0016]    Collecting step: the solution is set until the solid microparticles are precipitated into the replaceable sludge can, and the clean liquid obtained after precipitation is discharged, and sewage is continued to be pumped into the apparatus for collecting solid microparticles floating in water. 
         [0017]    Replacing step: the replaceable sludge can is hoisted out and replaced. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0018]    The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below for illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein: 
           [0019]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of an apparatus for collecting solid microparticles floating in water; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 2  is a flow chart of a method for collecting solid microparticles floating in water. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]    The technical means and effects adopted in the present invention to achieve the objectives are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, and the embodiments illustrated in the following drawings are only used for illustration, so that the Examiner can understand the present invention, but the technical means of the present invention is not limited to the illustrated drawings. 
         [0022]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , an apparatus  1  for collecting solid microparticles floating in water includes an upper bracket  10 , an external container  11 , a support frame  12 , twelve detachable precipitation plates  13 , and a replaceable sludge can  14 . 
         [0023]    The upper bracket  10  is a rectangular structure floatable on water which is formed by four hollow tubes. 
         [0024]    The external container  11  is fixed under the upper bracket  10 , a bottom of the external container  11  is an inverted conical structure, and an opening is formed at a center of the bottom. 
         [0025]    The support frame  12  is in a structure of a cuboidal frame, and is located inside the external container  11 . A top of the support frame  12  is hung on the upper bracket  10 , so as to enable the support frame  12  to float on water. 
         [0026]    The twelve detachable precipitation plates  13  are fixed inside the support frame  12  at a depression angle of 60 degrees. Each detachable precipitation plate  13  has a plurality of downward-sloping fins  130 . 
         [0027]    The replaceable sludge can  14  is disposed at the opening of the bottom of the external container  11 . At a top of the replaceable sludge can  14  is a hoisting ring  140  tied with a hoisting sling  141 . When replacement is required, the replaceable sludge can  14  is hoisted by using the hoisting sling  141 , and then is replaced. 
         [0028]    The opening of the bottom of the external container  11  has a suitable size for allowing the replaceable sludge can  14  to pass through. 
         [0029]      FIG. 2  is a flow chart of a method for collecting solid microparticles floating in water. Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the method includes the following steps. 
         [0030]    Step  20  is performed first: an apparatus  1  for collecting solid microparticles floating in water is provided, and the apparatus is placed in water. 
         [0031]    After Step  20 , Step  21  is performed, which is a feeding step: a solution containing solid microparticles is continuously pumped into the apparatus  1  for collecting solid microparticles floating in water until a full water level is reached. 
         [0032]    After Step  21 , Step  22  is performed, which is a mixing step: a settling reagent is added into the solution in the apparatus  1  for collecting solid microparticles floating in water, and the solution is stirred to make the settling reagent fully mixed with the solution. 
         [0033]    After Step  22 , Step  23  is performed, which is a collecting step: the solution is set until the solid microparticles are precipitated into the replaceable sludge can  14 , and the liquid obtained after precipitation is discharged, and sewage is continued to be pumped into the apparatus  1  for collecting solid microparticles floating in water. 
         [0034]    Finally, Step  24  is performed, which is a replacing step: the replaceable sludge can  14  is hoisted out and replaced. 
         [0035]    In Step  21 , the solution containing solid microparticles is continuously pumped into the apparatus  1  for collecting solid microparticles floating in water even after the full water level is reached. In Step  23 , the pumping of the solution and the discharging of the liquid are controlled to optimum rates. In Step  24 , the pumping of the solution containing solid microparticles is paused, and the replaceable sludge can  14  is hoisted out and replaced. 
         [0036]    The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.