CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a completion of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/640,396, filed on Apr. 30, 2012, entitled: â€œOil Spill Containment and Clean-Up Apparatus and Method,â€ which is incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention is generally related to containment and reclamation of chemical spills and is specifically directed to a system for efficient deployment of containment and reclamation system for oil spills occurring in the water.

2. Background of the Invention

There are two major components involved in controlling oil spills: containment and recovery. When an oil spill occurs on water it is critical to contain the spill quickly to minimize danger and damage to the environment. It has long been known to use containment equipment to restrict the spread of the oil and maximize the recovery of the oil released in the spill.

The most common equipment used to control the spread of oil is a floating barrier or boom. Containment booms reduce the possibility of polluting shorelines and other resources, and concentrate oil in thicker surface layers, making recovery easier. In addition, booms may be used to divert and channel oil slicks along desired paths, making the oil easier to remove from the surface of the water. Booms can be divided into several basic types. Fence booms have a high freeboard and a flat flotation device, making them least effective in rough water where wave and wind action can cause the boom to twist. Round or â€œcurtainâ€ booms have a more circular flotation device and a continuous skirt, and perform well in rough water, but are more difficult to clean and store than fence booms. Non-rigid inflatable booms are easy to clean and store, and perform well in rough seas. However, these intend to be expensive, more complicated to use, and puncture and deflate easily.

Once an oil spill has been contained, the oil must be reclaimed from the water. Typically three types of equipment have been used in the reclamation or recovery process: booms, skimmers and sorbents.

When used in recovering oil, booms are often supported by a horizontal arm extending directly from one or both sides of a vessel. The vessel booms scoop the oil off the surface and trap the captured oil between the between the angle of the boom and the vessel's hull. In another variation, a boom is moored at the end points of a rigid arm and extended from the vessel, forming a â€œUâ€ or â€œJâ€ shaped pocket in which oil can collect. In either case, the trapped oil can then be pumped into holding tanks for disposal or recycling.

A skimmer is a device for recovery of spilled oil from the water's surface. Skimmers may be self-propelled and may be used from shore or operated from vessels. The main problem with many skimmer designs is that they tend to collect more water than oil. Three types of skimmersâ€”weir, oleophilic, and suctionâ€”are commonly used.

Weir skimmers use a dam or enclosure positioned at the oil/water interface. Oil floating on top of the water will spill over the dam and be trapped in a well inside. The trapped oil and water mixture can then be pumped out through a pipe or hose to a storage tank for recycling or disposal. These weir skimmers are prone to becoming jammed and clogged by floating debris.

Oleophilic skimmers use belts, disks, or continuous mop chains of oleophilic materials to blot the oil from the water surface. The oil is then squeezed out or scraped into a recovery tank. Oleophilic skimmers have the advantage of flexibility, allowing them to be used effectively on spills of any thickness. Some types, such as chain or â€œrope-mopâ€ skimmers, work well on water that is choked with debris or rough ice.

A suction skimmer is a vacuum system for drawing oil through floating heads and pumping the oil into storage tanks. Although suction skimmers are generally efficient, they are vulnerable to becoming clogged by debris and require constant skilled observation.

Sorbents are materials that soak up liquids. They can be used to recover oil through the mechanisms of absorption, adsorption, or both. Absorbents allow oil to penetrate into pore spaces sorbent material, while adsorbents attract oil to their surfaces but do not allow it to penetrate into the material. To be useful in combating oil spills, sorbents need to be both oleophilic and hydrophobic.

Deployment of these tools is critical to minimizing spread and impact of oil spills. At present there is not any comprehensive system for quickly and efficiently containing and reclaiming oil to minimize it spread and the impact it has on the environment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The subject invention is directed to a comprehensive system for deploying containment and recovery equipment for expediting the reclamation of oil from and in water oil spill. In the broadest sense of the invention a containment boom, a boom supply boat and an oil recovery vessel may be simultaneously deployed to expedite the process. The boom may, by way of example, comprise a sponge boom with an outer sponge jacket surrounding steel cable core for strength. Multiple boom lengths may be connected end-to-end by hook and eye connection. In the event of an oil spill, the boom supply boat and deployment boat are dispatched for surrounding and containing the spill. The recovery vessel then enters the spill area and conducts the clean-up operation.

Then oil spill containment and recovery system of the present invention typically includes any combination of a boom deployment system, a gated recovery vessel and a crane recovery system, wherein the boom is a compressible material capable of being spooled on and off a reel system, the gated recovery vessel includes at least one movable gate having an upper edge and positioned in a side wall of the vessel, the gate selectively open from the water into the vessel, and a crane recovery system mounted on the vessel, the crane recovery system including a movable crane and a collection pan mounted on the crane and adapted to be placed in the water for collecting oil, and a conduit for transferring the oil collected in the pan from the pan to the vessel.

Typically the boom supply boat includes one or more sponge booms mounted on reels. A squeezer is associated with the reels for squeezing excess fluids out of the sponge boom(s) as such is recovered from the sea and returned to the respective reel(s). As the sponge boom is fed through the squeezer, wringer type rollers compress the sponge boom and squeeze out any fluids therein. The oil and water mixture is then dumped into a release tank in the boat. The oil floats to the top and is pumped into a holding tank by an oil-water separator. The water is released back into the sea.

In the preferred embodiment the recovery vessel includes a number of adjustable gates and deployable cranes for collecting the oil from the surface. The position of the gates along the sidewall of the vessel is such that the gate open edge is in alignment with the spilled oil in order to minimize the collection of water as the oil is skimmed off the surface. The gates may be manually or automatically adjusted to assure maximum efficiency depending on sea conditions and the depth of the spill on the surface. Each gate includes an accordion type wall mounted on the sidewall of the vessel. The accordion walls are attached to floats which are mounted on guide rods. As the sea position changes relative to the boat, the accordion walls may be raised and lowered to maximize oil recovery and minimize water collection. The collected oil is drawn by a suction pump into an oil storage tank in the vessel.

A crane and recovery pan system may also be used, either in conjunction with independently of the gate system. In this embodiment the vessel is equipped with a series of cranes. An oil recovery or collection pan is mounted on the outer end of each crane. The oil recovery pan is positioned just below the surface at the boundary between the oil spill and water. The oil spill is drawn into the pan and flows through a flexible conduit into the oil holding tank in the vessel.

A combination vessel may be used in accordance with the teachings of the invention, wherein the vessel includes the movable gate system, the crane system and the boom supply system and stows the boom deployment boats.

The crane system may be stowed on rails, permitting movement for convenience. The crane system may be moved along the rails for positioning. Grates may be employed for directing any fluids in the cranes into the oil tank of the vessel as the cranes are moved from deployment to stowage, as desired.

In the preferred embodiment the collection pans each comprise a wire mesh screen covering a closed pan with a central drain. The pan is mounted on a float mechanism. The float is adjustable through the use of an air supply and a one way pressure regulated check valve and a one way check valve. The flexible hose is connected to the central drain when the crane system is deployed, and is stowed when the crane system is in the stowed position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an overview of an oil spill containment and reclamation system showing the containment boom, the boom supply boat, the boom deployment boat and the oil recovery vessel.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are a plan view and elevation view of the boom supply boat.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show the operation of the squeezer.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the recovery vessel.

FIG. 7 shows the position of the recovery gates along the sidewall of the oil recovery vessel.

FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 show a detail of the movable gates.

FIGS. 11 and 12 show an alternative recovery scheme utilizing a series of cranes with a recovery collection pan mounted on the cranes and positioned just below the surface.

FIG. 13 shows the scheme of FIGS. 11 and 12 used in combination with the movable gates of FIGS. 7-10.

FIGS. 14 and 15 show combination or hybrid vessel including the movable gate system, the crane system, the boom supply system and stowage of the boom deployment boat.

FIGS. 16 and 17 show the crane system as stowed and deployed on rails.

FIGS. 18, 19 and 20 show detail of the collection pan.

FIG. 21 a flexible hose connected to a central drain when the crane system is deployed, and stowed, when the crane system is in the stowed position.

FIGS. 22, 23 and 24 are sectional views showing the vessel, the oil tank, the crane system and the movable gate system.

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of the crane recovery system showing the crane the oil collection pan and the flexible hose entering the side wall of the vessel and directly into the oil collection system in the vessel.

FIG. 26 is a perspective view of the hybrid system of FIGS. 14 and 15 showing the deployment of the sponge boom by the deployment boat as the sponge boom is released from the reels on the vessel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is an overview of an oil spill showing the containment boom 10, the boom supply boat 12, the boom deployment boat 14 and the oil recovery vessel 16. The boom 10 comprises a sponge boom 18 with an outer sponge jacket 19 surrounding steel cable core 20 for strength. Multiple boom lengths may be connected end-to-end by the hook connection 24. In the event of an oil spill, the boom supply boat 12 and deployment boat 14 are dispatched for surrounding and containing the spill. The recovery vessel 16 then enters the spill area and conducts the clean-up operation. The functionality of the recovery vessel is discussed further herein.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are a plan view and elevation view of the boom supply boat 12. The boat includes one or more sponge booms 18 mounted on reels 24. A squeezer 26 is associated with the reels for squeezing excess fluids out of the sponge boom(s) as such is recovered from the sea and returned to the respective reel(s).

FIGS. 4 and 5 show the operation of the squeezer 26. As the sponge boom 18 is fed through the squeezer 26, two wringer type rollers 27, 28 compress the saturated sponge boom (18a) and squeeze out any fluids therein reducing the sponge boom to its extracted diameter (18b), and release the recovered oil 30 (and any retained water). The oil and water mixture is then dumped into a release tank 32 in the boat 12. The oil floats to the top and is pumped into a holding tank 34 by an oil-water separator 36. The water is released back into the sea, as indicated at 38.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the recovery vessel 16. As shown, the vessel includes a number of adjustable gates 40 and deployable cranes 42 for collecting the oil from the surface.

The position of the gates 40 along the sidewall 46 of the vessel 16 is shown in FIG. 7. Specifically, the gate open edge is in alignment with the spilled oil in order to minimize the collection of water as the oil is skimmed off the surface. In the example, the water surface is at 45 and the top surface of the floating oil is at 43. The open edge of the gates 40 is at or just below the water surface 43, permitting the oil to flow into the gates while preventing or minimizing water flow. The gates may be manually or automatically adjusted to assure maximum efficiency depending on sea conditions and the depth of the spill on the surface.

FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 show a detail of the movable gates 40. Each gate includes an accordion type wall 44 mounted on the wall 46 of the vessel. The accordion walls are attached to floats 48 which are mounted on guide rods 50, 51. As the sea position changes relative to the vessel, the accordion walls may be raised and lowered to maximize oil recovery and minimize water collection. The collected oil is drawn in by a suction pump 52 into an oil storage tank 54 in the vessel 16.

An additional or alternative collection scheme is shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. As there shown, the vessel 16 is equipped with a series of cranes 56. An oil recovery or collection pan 58 is mounted on the outer end of each crane. The oil recovery pan 58 is positioned just below the surface at the boundary 45 between the oil spill and water. The oil spill is drawn into the pan and flows through a flexible conduit 60 into the oil holding tank in the vessel 16. It should be understood that the crane and pan system of FIGS. 11 and 12 can be used independently of or in conjunction with the movable gate system of FIGS. 6-10, as shown FIG. 13.

A hybrid vessel 16 is shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, wherein the vessel includes the movable gate system 40, the crane system 56 and the boom supply system 24, 26 and stowed the boom deployment boats 14.

FIGS. 16 and 17 show the crane system 56 as stowed on rails 62 (FIG. 16), and deployed (FIG. 17). Likewise, the gates 40 are closed in FIG. 16 and open for operation in FIG. 17. The crane systems 56 may be moved along the rails 62 for positioning. Grates 64 may be employed for directing any fluids in the cranes into the oil tank of the vessel as the cranes are moved from deployment to stowage, where desired.

FIGS. 18, 19 and 20 show detail of the collection pan 58. As shown, the pan comprises a wire mesh screen 70 covering a closed pan 72 with a central drain 74. The pan is mounted on a float mechanism 76. The float is adjustable through the use of an air supply and a one way pressure regulated check valve 80 and a one way check valve 82. The flexible hose 60 is connected to the central drain 74 when the crane system is deployed, and stowed as shown in FIG. 21, when the crane system is in the stowed position.

FIGS. 22, 23 and 24 are sectional views showing the vessel 16, the oil tank 54, the crane system 56 and the movable gate system 40.

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of the crane recovery system showing the crane 56, the oil collection pan 58 and the flexible hose 60 entering the side wall of the vessel 16 and directly into the oil collection system in the vessel.

FIG. 26 is a perspective view of the hybrid system of FIGS. 14 and 15 showing the deployment of the sponge boom 10 by the deployment boat 14 as the sponge boom is released from the reels 24 on the vessel 16. The gates 40 and crane system 56 are simultaneously deployed.

While certain embodiments and features of the invention have been described in detail herein, it should be understood that the invention encompasses all modifications and enhancements within the scope and spirit of the following claims.