Hydraulic and earth engineering – Fluid control – treatment – or containment – Floatable matter containment
Patent
1991-04-26
1993-01-26
Taylor, Dennis L.
Hydraulic and earth engineering
Fluid control, treatment, or containment
Floatable matter containment
405 63, 210924, E02B 1504
Patent
active
051818027
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a absorbent oil collector for use as an oil spill combating apparatus and which is based on the use of an oil-absorbent material, e.g. a specially prepared wood fiber mass.
Oil spill combating equipment is known in the form of e.g. mechanically acting oil booms and skimmers. These are very space-consuming and, generally, heavy and rather awkward, so that special equipment and/or vessels are required in order to make use of them. Also, they have reduced effect e.g. in extreme weather conditions and, moreover, in shallow waters and in the shore regions.
Likewise, there exist a number of chemical preparations for the disintegration of oil floating on the surface, but such a chemical disintegration of the oil may give rise to the formation of poisonous chemical compounds that poison and pollute the sea water.
Oil absorbing materials derived from naturally occuring materials, e.g. pearlite, sand, straw, sawdust or peat (moss) have previously been used, in order to remove oil spillage in habours, rivers or other waters through the dispersion of the absorbent material over the surface of the polluted area. Granulated natural rubber latex having good oil-absorbing properties has also been used in order to remove surface spillage of oil from water. A more specific preparation for the removal of oil spillage on water and comprising hydrophobated, or water-proofed, wood mass, is described in Norwegian laid open application No. 137,688.
In GB patent specification No. 2,053,883, a method for the removal of oil from the surface of a water mass through the absorption of the oil in dispersed granulated mineral wool which is to be picked up later, is described.
GB patent specification No. 1,430,446 relates to a method for the absorption of viscous substances, wherein the absorbent material consists of a mechanically finely divided cellulose material.
Swedish laid open application No. 418,863 relates to an absorbent material based on sulfide reject for combating an oil spill, sulfite reject being a waste product of paper production using the sulfite process. The sulfite reject, or spent sulfite liquor, contains short wood fibers with fringes, much water, and additional superfluous materials.
European patent application No. 0 039 522 relates to a liquid-absorbent material wherein a fibre suspension substantially consists of cellulose.
From GB patent specification, No. 1,289,490 , an absorbent material is known, consisting of a mass of an artificial or synthetic polymeric material which is removed from the surface of the water when it has become impregnated with floating hydrocarbons.
Also these known oil-absorbent materials are intended to be dispersed over the water surface, and to be removed therefrom through collection after having absorbed oil. The collection of the materials/preparations dispersed over the water surface requires comprehensive working operations, especially during poor weather conditions. an object of the present invention is to eliminate disadvantages associated with the prior art and to provide a absorbent oil collector in the form of a mat/boom which is flexible in that sense that its shape/size easily may be adapted to the actual oil spill situation.
In accordance with the invention, this object is achieved by an absorbent oil collector to be used as an oil collection apparatus, wherein an oil-absorbent material, e.g. a specially prepared wood fiber mass, is encased within a preferably cylindrical stocking of liquid-permeable material, e.g. mesh material, characterized in that along diametrically opposite sides of the stocking and at both end portions of the stocking, plastic wires are inserted, and that along one longitudinal plastic wire and to the plastic wire at one end portion of the stocking, catches, hooks or other coupling means are attached, in order to allow the joining of a plurality of stockings-wherein each stocking, thus, constitutes a module which may be used for forming a mat of any desired size, and which through rolling may be transformed into a section of
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Olsen John D.
Thengs Norvald
Ricci John A.
Taylor Dennis L.
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