Liquid purification or separation – Processes – Separating
Patent
1993-09-08
1995-08-29
Dawson, Robert A.
Liquid purification or separation
Processes
Separating
2102423, 210923, E02B 1504
Patent
active
054457440
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and a device for the collection of oil slicks on a water surface, using a floating collection container in the form of a barge or similar vessel with a receiving bow section and a collection device, such as an oil boom, designed to collect at least some portions of an oil slick.
It seems inevitable that large quantities of oil leak from tankers, oil platforms and installations ashore, ending up in the sea and in lakes. Since oil is lighter than water, this will rent, in as a film on the water surface. Such a floating layer of oil may have an unfavourable influence on marine life and, if it should drift toward land, it may spoil the shores, in that the oil may foul up beaches, docks, fish farms, etc. Large oil spills at sea are considered catastrophies. Even minor oil spills at a dock or in a coastal region may be quite serious and may entail heavy costs.
A number of different methods and devices have been proposed for the collection of oil on water. One known method is to block or capture an oil slick by means of so-called oil booms. An oil boom consists of a long floating member, e.g. a plastic pipe, which on its underside has a skirt with weights at its lower edge so that the skirt hangs down in the water from the floating member. With sufficient lengths of such oil booms, it is possible to limit the spread of an oil slick on the water under favourable weather conditions. However, practical use of oil booms have shown that even a moderate current with a speed of one knot will force the oil down under the skirt of the oil boom. Should there be waves of one meter or higher, the use of oil booms will represent great difficulties. There have also been proposed vessels for direct collection of oil slicks on the water surface. From German patent No. 3347988 there is known a vessel which has an open well at the bow, where a conveyor belt runs from a level under the water surface to a higher level, designed to transport oil inside a tank in the vessel. From European patent application No. 0357239 is known a similar device where the transport system consists of a conveyor belt with open mesh, on which is mounted equipment for supplying intensive heat to the transported oil for liquefaction of the transported oil, so that the oil slides off the conveyor belt when it is led into the vessel.
The latter publication points out an important problem for all collection of oil from the ocean surface. A major portion of the oil that ends up in the sea is crude oil, thus a very viscous oil. Such an oil will adhere extremely well to everything it comes into contact with. The known collection devices will therefore soon be covered with oil and will have such a thick layer that the devices scarcely will be able to function. In the European patent, all attempt has been made to remedy this problem by heating the oil which has adhered to the collection devices, in order to transform this viscous oil into a more liquid kind, making it possible to remove it from the collection device.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,684,095 shows a barge-based collection system for an oil slick. The barge is used together with booms. U.S. Pat No. 3,726,406 shows a capturing system by using oil booms, as well as water nozzles which are located under the water surface in order to channel a captured oil slick across an edge for collection. Further examples of the state of the art are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,662,891, U.S. Pat. No. 3,847,815, DE-3.416.683, GB-2.064.971 A and SU-95 85 83.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method and a device for the collection of oil, also heavy, viscous oil, where the said drawbacks are avoided so that the collection device is not fouled up by heavy, viscous oil.
According to the invention this is achieved by a method of the formerly mentioned art, which is characterized in that the collection container is located downstream of, adjacent to the collection device and the oil slick on the water surface is forced to move
REFERENCES:
patent: 3630376 (1971-12-01), Price
patent: 3662891 (1972-05-01), Headrick
patent: 3684095 (1972-08-01), Ayers
patent: 3716142 (1973-02-01), Bianchi
patent: 3726406 (1973-04-01), Damberger
patent: 3847815 (1974-11-01), Chastan-Bagnis
patent: 4264444 (1981-04-01), Bronnec
patent: 5030363 (1991-07-01), Pale
patent: 5108600 (1992-04-01), Rees et al.
Dawson Robert A.
Reifsnyder David
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