Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Field of the Invention
The present invention is concerned with oil spillages
at sea as from ships and drilling platforms and, as a system
the invention is believed to be particularly adapted in
principle to very large oil spills with the cleaning up of
same and recovery of a large proportion of the spilled oil
in all but the worst weather conditions.
Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Patent 2,891,672 discloses an external oil intake
at one end of an oil barge which is divided into three com-
partments wherein settlement of the water to the bottom and
its discharge takes place progressively from the intake end
to the opposite end. U.S. Patent 1,591,024 shows a barge with
a deck mounted separating tank at the stern end. U.S. Patent
2,876,903 is a tank-scow in which oil is separated from water
by bulk floatation means. U.S. Patent 2,908,393 is an oil
separator raft wherein water surface oil appears to be processed
and separated within the raft such oil within the raft being
also at sea level so that it appears to operate by enclosing
volumes of oil covered sea water as might a fence having
mechanism therewithin and a suitable floor and superstructure
for supporting and operating such mechanism.
U.S. Patent 3,578,171 separates oil from water by
vacuum means and draws up the oil into a deck superstructure
for subsequent settlement in settling tanks. U.S. Patent
3,219,190 utilises a transverse rotatable blade assembly for
lifting oil into a hold where it is forced upwardly to be
ejected into an associated tank-barge or the like.
The problems involved in the above prior art which are
solved by applicant's invention may be subsumed by the general
indication that all are in one way or another concerned only
with small volume oil reclamation and would be unacceptable
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in principle for oil spills of the tanker "Torrey Canyon"
class which is believed to have been carrying approximately
90,000 tons of oil when she grounded causing a partial national
emergency in both England and France a few years ago. Since
then oil tanker have increased in size to 500,000 tons dead
weight in the immediate future with proposals for one million
tons. With such tonnages afloat ways must be found to handle
large scale spills when they occur.
Summary of the Invention
Same consists of the funnel or collecting box and
conduit conveying system in association with large pollution
control ships in which the sea level oil is flowed by gravity
or else suction-pumped from the sea with as little water as
possible in a first separating step and then further separated
in a second separating step by flow straight through a main
separation tube extending from bow to stern and amidship with
baffling means therein to direct oil off to starboard and port
into oil separation tanks. If it is not desired to fill the
tanks of the control ship or if they are already filled or if
such tanks are not provided the aforesaid baffled flow-through
system can be utilised to by-pass separated oil to waiting
tankers either alongside or astern of the control vessel.
It is an object of the invention to provide means
whereby it is expected that a ship suitably equipped may be
capable of cleaning the sea after a major oil spill of crude,
bunker "C" or diesel oil at the rate of at least 1,000 tons
per hour as against present methods which it is believed can
only deal with approximately 30 tons per hour. In effecting
such a cleaning operation means may be provided whereby the
oil spill may be contained or fenced in whereby the sea around
the oil draw-off operation may be maintained relatively calm.
Thus oil may be pushed and accumulated in the area of the
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principal oil-removing or control ship already referred to.
Such operations appear to be economically feasible having
regard for the very great expense in product and amenities
involved in major oil spills.
With the considerations and inventive objects herein
set forth in view, and such others as may become apparent
from consideration of this disclosure and specification, the
present invention consists of the inventive concept which is
comprised, embodied, embraced or included in the method, process,
construction, composition, arrangement or combination of parts,
or new use of any of the foregoing herein exemplified in one or
more speclfic embodiments of such concept, reference being had
to the accompanying Figures in which: - :
Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the
principal pollution control or reclamation vessel;
Figure 2 is a transverse cross-section on the line 2-2
of Figure l;
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional representation of the
intake mesns or first separation tube funnel and associated
parts;
Figure 4 ls a longitudinal cross-section of the
separation tube of Figure 3;
Figure 5 is a transverse cross-section on the line 5-5
of Figure 4 but ignoring the oil by-pass to the tank and
associated valves and the like;
Figure 6 appearing on the third page of drawings, is a
plan view of a wave damper as intended to be positioned about the
funnel of Figure 3;
Figure 7 is a side elevation of Figure 6;
Figure 8 appearing on the first page of drawings, is a
side elevation of a scraper-equipped tug;
Figure 9 also appearing on the first page of drawings,
is a plan view of Figure 8;
Figure 10 on the last page of drawings, is a pictorial
schematic representation of
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the scene of a s~per tanker collision with an oil-drilling
platform some twelve hours after the event showing the edge of
the oil slick and a possible buoyed sea-fence connected to
tugs whereby the slick might be contained and perhaps gathered
into a gradually diminishing area under the influence of the
shown tugs and other vessels such as of Figure 9.
Figure 11 is a longitudinal cross-section of a smaller ship
than that of Figure l but depicting essentially the same basic
system as has àlready been disclosed.
Figure 12 is a plan view of the form of bow suspended first
intake means or funnel for admitting and separating oil from
sea water externally of the ship.
Figure 13 is a plan representation of the disposition of the
storage tank and oil by-passes or branches from the main
separation tube.
Figure 14 appearing on the first page of drawings, is a
longitudinal cross-sectional representation of an alternative
form of first intake means in the form of a collecting box
including an oil intake weir and elongated associated conduits
to a deep draft vessel.
Figure 15 is a detail in elevation exhibiting the relative
location of baffle to the form of by-passes or branches to the
, oil storage tanks, on the line 15-15 of Figure 13.
Figure 16 is a pictorial representation of the manner of use
of the system employing the collection boxes depicted in
Figure 14.
In the drawings, like characters of references designate
!~, similar parts in the several Figures.
Preliminary Description
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74238
In terms of a process, the invention is that of the ship-based
extraction of oil at one end of the ship 10 at sea level 12 after oil
spills, including the steps of (i) effecting a first separation of the
oil from sea water at sea level externally of the ship (and preferably
suspended in advance of the bow per Figure 1), and (ii) conveying the
separated oil and excess sea water, the sea water which has not been
separated in the first separation, from said end into and through an
elongated oil baffling conduit 16 for effecting a second separation of
the oil from the water. -
The process also includes discharging excess water from the -
opposite (and preferably the stern 18) end of the ship. It also
includes the step of storing oil in the ship preferably after the
second separation thereof in the separating conduit 16. The first
separating step also includes damplng waves in the area of the first
separation when necessary. It also includes heating the oil during
the first and second separations. The process also includes shallow
coastal waters oil extraction in which a ship 20 (Figs. 14 and 16j of
substantial draft stands off in relatively deep water a distance from
the site of the first separation in relatively shallow water,
sea level oil 22 being first-separated by separating means 24 held in
location between ship 20 and the shore 26 by mobile anchoring means
such as 28 and 30 on the land side of the separating means.
As apparatus the invention includes intake means 32 for
effecting the aforesaid first external separation and the aforesaid
storage takes place in tanks 34. Means 36 in the form of the steam
header 38, diverging tubes 40, steam jacketing 42, (Figs. 3 and 4)
constituting part of the intake means and the separating conduit 16,
and lagging 44 constitute means for heating the oil during the first
(and the second) separations.
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The intake means collectively designated 32 includes
the wave damping means generally designated 46 embodying a set
of spaced but interconnected pontoons 48 (Figs. 6 and 7, the
latter of which the inter~onnecting tie bars 50 are depicted).
Such pontoons are generally bi-arcuately sectorial as viewed
in plan and arranged in circular ring formation about intake
means 32.
In the process which has been described as for use
in shallow coastal-waters oil extraction, the collector box
24 is adapted to float in virtue of the surrounding buoyancy
promoting arrangements 52 and it is provided with an elongated
oil and water intake weir 54 along one side thereof substant-
ially at water level with the box extending below the edge of
the weir and having a discharge opening 56 on the opposite
side and substantially below the intake edge 58 of the weir,
flexible conduit 60 communicating between the box and ship 20
or a collector head 62 (Fig.16) near the ship into which an
array of conduits 60 may extend into a separator conduit 16
as already described.
The foregoing setsforth component parts of the present
invention in terms consonant with those of the appended claims.
Complete Description
The control ship 10 exhibits the basic inventive
concept. Oil and water enter intake means 32, such intake means
comprising a wide shallow funnel 64 of circular or other area
at water level 12. The funnel is provided with the steam
jacket 42 which is suitably insulated upon the outside at 44.
The funnel is extended by chains 66 to the bow crane 68. The
ducts 40 from the steam header 38 communicate with jacket 42
around the perimeter of the funnel (Fig.3). Header 38 is also
of course suitably crane or otherwise suspended. Preferably
the funnel 64 is provided with the surrounding fence 68 to
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exclude flotsam. The funnel is centrally or otherwise
apertured to provide the discharge port 70 where it communicates
with the preferably flexible conduit 72 which conduit, in
turn is suitably connected with the central elongated or
baffling separating conduit 16.
The conduit 16 extends clear through the ship 10 and
is valved at the stern where it may be connected to one or
two long hoses which can discharge water or oil either inside
of the boom or direct to a waiting tanker. Arrangements are
such that according to circumstances, the volume of the oil
spill, the availability of tankers in ballast in the area of
the spill for example that several alternatives are available
in the utilization of the separation conduit 16. Thus for
example assuming the control ship of Figure 1 has an oil capacity
of 15,000 tons, if that is the amount of the spill substantially
all the oil may be picked up, separated in conduit 16 and fed
out to the storage tanks 34. Then, when transference of such
oil is desired, for example, when the ship reaches port, the
oil can be pumped out of the tanks (which will be suitably
inter-connected) through the discharge conduit 74 connected to
the pump room 76 to exit at 78. Under another set of conditions,
involving a bigger oil spill, it may be desired first to fill
the tanks 34 and then, when they are filled to continue the
separating process in the main conduit 16 but with the object
of filling a waiting tanker with re-claimed oil, such tanker
being conduit connected to the stern valve 80 from which, as
already indicated, waste or excess water picked up at 32 may
also be discharged.
In a third situation, one in which speed of pick-up
transcendsthe importance of effecting the second separation
at the time in the conduit 16, the oil and water mixture from
the first separation is pumped clear through from 32, through
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the flexible coupling 82 and the whole length of the sep-
arating conduit 16 to be discharged through the stern valve
80. However, in order not to impede the movement of the oil
and water mixture, the separating baffles 84 will be slid out
of obstructing position as for example in the ways 86. If
desired, after the spill has been cleaned up, the oil mixture
in the waiting tankers can be reintroduced at the bow end of
the control vessel 10, separated in conduit 16 and passed from
the tanks 34 through conduit 74 back into the tankers as
re-claimed oil.
The conduit 16 extends longitudinally amidship if
there is only one. If there are two they will be disposed
centrally and symmetrically in parallel. If there are three,
the additional two will be disposed on either side of the
central conduit. On either side of the oil tanks 34 are sea
ballast tanks 88 and within the ships bottom will be additional
sea ballast tanks 90. The aforesaid tanks being to achieve
the re~uired trim of the vessel having regard for the height
of the horizontal plane of the conduit 16 and flexible coupling
82 in relation to sea level 12 (Fig.l). Although the funnel
36 may rise and fall to a certain limited extent under the
influence of the crane 68 (it may also if desired be suitably
rendered buoyant as is the collector box 24 of Fig.14) the
extent of vertical feeedom of intake means 32 must be related
to the dimensions of the vessel. Bow and stern fresh water
tanks 90 are so designated, likewise boilers 92, main engine
room 94, oil boom stage 96, crew accommodation 98, reconnaissance
helicopter 100, main and between decks 102 and 104 and oil
pollution equipment stage 106. The crane 68 may if desired
be provided with an electronic wave compensator fitted to the
starting system to control vertical movement of 32. This
material is conventional.
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The pontoons 48 of the wave compensator 46 are
arranged in the concentric spaced annular formation shown
around the f`irst intake means 32, the pontoons being of some
six feet in depth. They are inter-connected by way of the tie
bars 50 which are welded thereto and by the H-beams 108. The
H-beams will also assist in the attachment to the pontoons of
the funnel 36 of intake means 32. The wave damper is connected
by the pair of linkages 110 to the ship's bow 14 for freedom
of vertical movement but restraint against lateral movement.
Figs.2, 4 and 5 indicate best a section of separation
conduits
conduit 16, (together with optional duplicate or triplicate ~12 and
114if desired~, and the by-pass means to the separation tanks 34
(only called separation tanks inasmuch as it may be expected
that a certain small residuum of water will be by-passed thereto
from the separation tube 16 to settle at the bottom of such
tanks from which it can readily be drawn off by conventional
means).
Where necessary the funnel 64 will be steam heated
usually with re-claimed oil. The boilers 92 are for the purpose
of generating the re~uired steam. Such steam is fed through
the main 112 to the funnel jacketting 42 as well as through the
ducts 116 to the jacketting 42 of the conduit 16 sections to be
returned to the conventional hotwell and boilers by way of the
,
steam traps 118. The several sections of 16 are conventionally
bolted together by the face-plates 120. Ducts 116 are suitably
valved as at 122. The by-passes to the separation tanks com-
, prise horizontal portions 124 and vertical leg portions 126.
,; Manual valves 128 control the opening and closure of the by-passes.
. The amount of oil being drawn off can be controlled by the
oil/water probe and motorized valve assembly 130. After that
; the oil passes directly to the tanks.
The baffle plates 84 are preferably set at 45 to the
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conduit axis. The baffles can be set to project into the conduit to a
varying extent according to circumstances and by any conventional
means such as tightening upon the ways 86 in which they move in their
plane per arrow 134. However, normally, the baffles wilL project into
an 18 internal diameter conduit 16 from a minimum of about 2
(perpendicular to the conduit axis) at the bow end of the conduit to
some 8" at the stern end and the reason for this disposit-lon is that
oil tends to rise as it heats up which it will do as it moves towards
the stern.
With a control ship capability of about 15,000 tons of oil
storage capacity it is estimated that under reasonably favourable
circumstances the necessary cleanup operation could be effected at a
rate of 1,000 tons per hour. Accordingly there is illustrated in
Figure 10 a typical scene of a major oil spill some twelve hours after
the event wherein an oil drilling platform 136 is shown after having
been struck by the supertanker 138. The outer edge 140 of the oil
slick 142 is being gradually corralled by the boom 144. Scraper tugs
146 are shown on stand-by under orders from the control vessel 10
while other similar vessels 148 to one of which is connected the empty
tanker 150 work at spaced intervals into the slick which, under the
influence of the boom drawn by the tugs 152 is gradually densified and
reduced in area. Such an undertaking would most probably be
international with other pollution handling vessels en route to the
scene. It will be noted that the tugs 146 (Figs. 8-10) are provided
with a skimmer or pusher 154 at the bow which may be adjustably
elevated or lowered by the hydraulic motor 156 pivoted at 158 or swung
upwardly about said pivot. This is to enable the tug to make speed to
the scene of the spill.
Figures 11 and 16 show a modification of the foregoing system
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generally for use in association with smaller spills and also
for use in shallow coastal waters. The vessel 162 is of the
"Centiton" class. It is smaller than the vessel 10 and the
spills with which it is intended to deal will generally be in
- the hundreds of tons. Additionally the oily mixture picked up
by the intake means 32 is not intended to be heated. However
it would be relatively easy to fit steam jacketting to 32 and
to the conduit 16, and likewise heating coils in the separation
tanks 164 if desired.
Whereas in the first system oil from the intake means
32 is caused to travel in the conduit 16 under the influence of
the pump 166, in the present embodiment the oil/water mixture
; is intended to flow by gravity to the separation baffles 84
(Fig.15) and is deflected through the perpendicularly disposed
by-pass or branch pipes 168 by way of a conventional sight glass
and the manual control valves 170 to said tanks. If the oil
spill is greater than the separation tanks of the one vessel
162 can handle the polluted oil/water can be pumped directly
from the intake means 32 through conduit 16 to the centrifugal
~; 20 pump 172 and through the associated control valve to an empty
tanker by way of the stern valve 174.
The level of the intake means 32 can be controlled by
the electric crane 176 and by varying the amount of sea water
, in the fore and aft trim tanks 178 and 180. The actual shallow
funnel 182 in this embodiment is preferably of the configuration
,~ shown, covered by wire mesh 184 to keep out flotsam and provided
with an eye-bolt 186 for hoisting purposes by way of the crane
176, a flexible coupling 188 being provided to permit adjustment.
What has been said to here in connection with the system
of Figs. 11-16 differs very slightly from that of Figs.l-10.
The main difference is accordingly depicted in Figs. 14 and 16
from which it will be seen that there is connected ahead of the
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bow 14 the aforesaid header 62 to which is flexibly coupled
separation conduit 16 and in advance of which there radiates
the plurality of conduits 60. The vessel 20 may be of the
same size as vessel 162 but, on the other hand may be a large
vessel such as 10 or larger and it stands off in deep water
as has already been explained while the conduits 60 extend
into shallow water and terminate in the already described
collecting boxes 24.
The collecting boxes are provided with the superposed
towing rings 190 and likewise at the ends thereof for anchoring
of the power-boats 30. The conduit 60 is held stabilized
below water level 192 by the weights 194 at intervals upon the
length of the conduit according to circumstances, it being
understood that oil is intended to flow by gravity from the
boxes to the craft 20 since a gradually shelving sea-floor and
a horizontal sea-level will be the case. ~evertheless of course
pumping means can if necessary be employed.
As the collecting boxes 24 advance toward the shore 26
against the edge 196 of the oil slick, the oil is reduced in
area and the boxes will so advance under the influence of the
power-boats 30 and the shore tractors 28. Of course the control
ship 20 will likewise move towards shore with them.
To increase the efficiency of separation conduits 16 in
small ships, said tubes could be lengthened, if necessary, by laying
the same in a generally transverse zig-zag path along the deck
so that they would snake from bow to stern across the deck in a
single horizontal layer extending from port to starboard and vice
versa. This would allow for more baffles to be placed in the
separation tubes, and would also allow more time for the oil/water
mixture to separate.
Various modifications may be constructed or performed
within the scope of the inventive concept disclosed. Therefore
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what has been set forth is intended to describe and/or
illustrate such concept and is not for the purpose of limiting :~ protection to any herein particularly described embodiment
thereof.
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