Ships – Building – Insubmergible vessels
Patent
1992-09-21
1994-08-16
Oberleitner, Robert J.
Ships
Building
Insubmergible vessels
114228, B63B 4310
Patent
active
053376935
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to flexible internal liners for reducing the amount of oil spilled by oil tankers due to groundings, collisions, and other major accidents. The liner comprises a flexible oil-resistant impermeable plastic or rubber, which preferably is reinforced by steel mesh or woven aramid fibers. In one embodiment, a independent segment is provided in each bay between two stiffeners. The horizontal edges of each liner segment are coupled to the stiffeners, near the ends of the stiffeners, to provide enough material for the liner to be pushed inward a substantial distance if a collision or grounding occurs. The edges can be secured by detachable clamps; this will provide watertight seals during normal operation, while allowing the segment to be detached and opened when the hull is inspected. In an alternate embodiment, a larger curtain segment which covers a number of stiffener bays can be secured in a manner that allows the liner to be pressed against or held near the outer edges of the stiffeners, without being pressed into the bays. In this embodiment, the bay spaces will be filled with water in a coordinated manner as oil is loaded into the tanker, to minimize stresses on the liner and to avoid the need for cleaning the bays. Periodic inspection of the outer hull is accomplished by draining both the cargo and the water layer, and unclamping a section of the liner to allow access inspection of the stiffener bays. Similar liners having a "waterbed" configuration can be provided over the bottom shell. In each of these embodiments, the liner segments can be held in the stand-by position by devices having low tensile strength, which are designed to yield and release the liner if an accident occurs.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3785321 (1974-01-01), Backstrom
patent: 3844239 (1974-10-01), McLaughlin et al.
patent: 3906880 (1975-09-01), Hebert
patent: 4117796 (1978-10-01), Strain
patent: 4230061 (1980-10-01), Roberts
patent: 4409919 (1983-10-01), Strain
patent: 4478165 (1984-10-01), Strain
patent: 5003908 (1991-04-01), Wilson
Kimon et al, Maritime Reporter/Engineering News, Apr. 1973, pp. 12-13.
Tanker Spills:Prevention by Design (National Academy Press, Wash. D.C., 1991), pp. 101-122.
Forum on Alternative Tank Vessel Design, American Petroleum Institute, Jun. 1990.
Layne Timothy H.
Ross Philip E.
Stanton Leonard T.
Bartz Clifford T.
Kelly Patrick D.
Oberleitner Robert J.
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