Patent ID: 8635967

Claim:
A ballast water tank for reducing water-mixing during ballast water exchange procedures, the ballast water tank comprising: a lower region having an inlet for receiving incoming water, wherein the inlet is directed towards the bottom of the water tank; an upper region having an outlet for expelling water; an arrangement to reduce water-mixing, the arrangement positioned within the lower region of the ballast water tank, comprising: a horizontal flow restraining box surrounding the inlet restricting an inlet flow in a substantially horizontal direction, wherein said horizontal flow restraining box comprises: a first substantially L-shaped bracket having a vertical arm and a substantially perpendicular horizontal arm; and a second substantially L-shaped bracket having a vertical arm and a substantially perpendicular horizontal arm, wherein the horizontal arms of each of the first and second substantially L-shaped brackets extend towards each other; and two anti-mixing brackets positioned adjacent to the horizontal flow restraining box, so that the horizontal flow restraining box is between the two anti-mixing brackets, wherein each of the first and second substantially L-shaped brackets of the horizontal flow restraining box comprises a plurality of exit openings directing the substantially horizontal flow towards the two anti-mixing brackets.