Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1l2~
This invention is concerned with reducing the surface
activity of a body of water. It is concerned especially
:;1
with reducing wave activity although it also contemplates
the reduction of current activity either per se or as com-
,i 5 bined with wave activity.
' There are a number of circumstances under which the
ability to reduce the surface activity of water can be of
' major importance. For example, it may be important during
the installation or during the repair of an offshore oil
` 10 recovery installation. It also may be important in facilitatin~
a salvage operation. ~xcessive wave and current activity
~ also can greatly hamper the recovery of petroleum consti-
''! tutin~ an oil spill or other floating contamination.
It is an object of this invention to provide a practical
method whereby it may be possible, wherever it mav become
desirable to do so, to provide in a particular area a body
of water wherein the surface activity is substantially re-
duced in relation to adjoining water surface.
Accordiny to this invention the surface activity of a
body of water is reduced by providing a succession of booms at
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least partially surrounding it so that the surface of the
body of water is substantially isolated by the presence of
the booms in relation to the surface of water peripherally
external with respect to the booms and surface activity of
the so surrounded body of water is substantially reduced
by subjecting the surface of the body of water to a cold or
super cold substance or substances that chills the water
at and adjacent the surface so as to increase the internal ;
friction therein with possible formation of ice. The
; 10 chilling may be accomplished by distributing on the surface
of the body of water a material at a cryothermal temperature,
namely, a temperature corresponding to the freezing point of
the water at sea level or lower, the freezing point of sea
water being substantially 29F.
The material at cryothermal t:emperature may be a
cryogenic material such as particles of solid carbon dioxide
(dry ice) or droplets of liquid nitrogen that are distributed
preferably so as to cascade down on the surface of the body
of water. Alternatively, one may employ particles of solid
carbon dioxide, or water ice particles chilled down by liquid
nitrogen. Preferably the material at cryothermal tempera-
ture is produced from a stream of water by converting it into
ice particles by some appropriate expedient such as contacting
the stream of water with a cryogenic material such as liquid
nitrogen or particles of solid carbon dioxide. The preferred
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method which likewise is the least costly is to project a
stream of water through a nozzle so as to fall as a cascade
on the surface of the body of water and either before or
after it leaves the nozzle convert the stream of water into
ice particles at a temperature considerably below the freezing
point of the water. Means for projecting a stream of ice
particles are well known as, for example, equipment of the
type commonly used at ski areas to apply artifically pro-
duced snow to ski slopes. The material at cryogenic temperature
ordinarily is distributed from a source such as a boat that
is external with respect to the periphery of the succession ~;
of booms but is sufficiently adjacent to the succession of
, booms so that the material at cryothermal temperature may
be projected for effective distribution on the surface of
the body of water. To better accomplish such distribution
the material may be projected from a plurality of projection
ources and the source or sources may be movable relative
; to the booms. The material at cryothermal temperature
preferably is projected so as to fall as a cascade onto
the surface of the body of water. While it may be caused
to all as a cascade onto the surface of the water by pro-
jecting it horizontally or downwardly, it is ordinarily
~ preferable to project it upwardly so as to get a better
; trajectory for wider distribution and so that it will fall
more effectively as a rain or spray onto the surface of the
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water. When the material at a cryothermal temperature is
distributed on the surface of the body of water as a cascade
or rain comprising ice particles that fall on the body of
water at substantial velocity, the resulting impact effect
as well as the cold state of the particles acts to quell
surface activity in much the same way that hail is effective
to flatten the surface of the sea even in a high wind.
It may be of some advantage to also chill down or even
form ice spicules and crystals in water that is in adjacent
peripherally external relation with respect to the booms,
because any tendency of wave or current to agitate the sur-
face of the body of water protected by the booms must first
attack the external perimeter of the succession of booms.
The succession of booms may be provided in different
configurations depending on a given need. When there is
wave action imparted by wind the direction of the wave action
advance depends on the predominant direction of the wind.
In such case the desired isolating effect provided by the
booms does not necessarily require that the body of water be
protected by completely surrounding it with the booms. For
many purposes it is sufficient to provide a succession of
booms along the windward margin of the body of water to be
protected coupled with such additional booms as may be
desirable to protect the sides of the body of water that extend
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229
rearwardly from the windward margin. Preferably, at least
the major portion of the surface of the body of water is
isolated by the presence of the booms in relation to water
surface peripherally external with respect to the booms.
In some instances it may actually be desirable to provide
an opening in the succession of booms along a lee margin of
the body of water so as to facilitate entry and exit of
vessels carrying equipment of one kind or other for the
task at hand. For example, in the case of an oil spill
the area of the oil spill that is to be cleaned up may be
isolated by a succession of booms that has an opening therein
along or adjacent the lee mar~in for the introduction of
~; equipment for use in cleaning up and recovering the spilled
oil while the surface activity of the body of water is
quieted down in the manner that has been described hereinabove.
On the other hand, for certain purposes such as installation
repair of offshore oil recovery equipment it may be desirable
to completely surround the body of water by the succession
of booms while work is actually in progress.
Usually when there is surface activity occasioned by wind
or current any succession of booms that may be put in place
tends to drift and for this reason the practice of this
invention normally contemplates that the succession of booms
will be moored by morring means which maintains the booms in a
substantially stationary location. Of course, if there is little
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or no tendency to drift or if the desired protection is of -
such short duration that a certain amount of drift may be
tolerated, it would not be necessary to secure the booms
to mooring means.
The booms may be provided in any way that is the most
convenient for the purposes. They may be made of wood, or
in the form of elongated hollow metal bodies or in the
form of elongated porous plastic bodies. The booms are
ordinarily made so that they may be secured together in
end-to-end pivotal relation by some securing means which
permits ready attachment and detachment. While not essential
to the practice of this invention, the booms preferably
are provided so as to present a material at a cryothermal
temperature on the surfaces thereof facing said body in
position to be in contact with the water adjacent the
surface thereof. A preferred practice in this regard is
to attach rectangular blocks of solid carbon dio~ide to
the booms so as to face the body of water to be protected.
Alternatively the booms may present a surface chilled by
refrigerati~n. The chilling action provided by the material
at cryothermal temperature that is presented by the booms in
contact with the water serves to quiet the surface activity
immediately adjacent the booms and thereby serves to
substantially increase the ef~ectiveness of the booms in
àccomplishing a reduction in surface ac~ivity in relation to
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surface activity of the water peripherally external with
respect to the booms.
; One of the applications of the present invention where-in it is of grèat advantage to be able to reduce the
~ 5 surface activity of a body of water as herein described is
-~ in connection with attempts to clean up and recover petroleum
oil that has been spilled on water. Any such attempt
obviously is hampered by excessive wave or current activity
and any technique for oil spill clean-up and recovery that
may be employed is greatly benefited by reducing the surface
acitivity to a minimum utilizing the method of this invention.
In my Patent No. 4,031,707 I have disclosed improved
method and apparatus for cleaning up and recovering oil
spills wherein the floating oil :Ls herded utilizing booms
that carry, so as to be in contact with the water at and
adjacent the water surface, a cryothermal material o~ the
character hereinabove described which preferably is in the
form of elongated blocks of solid carbon dioxide. As afore-
said the oil floating on the water tends to be repelled by
and moved away from the material at cryothermal temperature
and as disclosed in said patent by disposing the booms with -
the material at cryothermal temperature facing the oil spill
and by then advancing the booms toward the oil spill, the oil
constituting the oil spill may be herded into any area where
the oil constituting the oil spill becomes of greater concen-
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tration and more readily removed and recovered. While the
oil constituting the oil spill can be successfully recovered
when utilizing the method and apparatus described in my said
patent notwithstanding substantial surface activity, the
herding and recovery of the oil may be accomplished much more
effectively and expeditiously when the method of the present inven-
tion also is availed of to quiet the surface of the water on
which the oil is floàting. To this end, for example, the
succession of booms which provide protection for the body of
water to be cleaned up may comprise an opening in the lee
margin thereof for permitting boom means to be moved there-
through so as to face the oil spill with the oil spill between
said boom means and the succession of booms which ordinarily
would be moored so as to be substantially stationary unless
there is little tendency for the succession of booms to drift.
Since the boom means that has been brought in carries the
; blocks of solid carbon dioxide or other material at a
cryothermal temperature so as to face the oil spill, movement
of the boom means toward the succession of booms causes the
oil to move away from the solid carbon dioxide as it is
advanced so as to accomplish herding of the floating oil
into a more restricted confined area or region of the water
surface protected by the succession of booms so as to enable
it to be much more readily removed and recovered. The
effectiveness of the herding and confining action between the
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movable boom means and the succession of booms that protect
- the body of water is furthered when, as is preferably, the
booms comprise in the succession of booms also carry blocks
~ of solid carbon dioxide or other material at a cryothermal
: 5 temperature, which have the effect of causing the floating
oil to be repelled therefrom. While the improvements in
oil spill clean-up and recovery obtained in this way are to
be regarded as within the purview of this invention, never-
theless in preferred practice the surface of the body of
water having the oil spLll thereon also is subjected to the
cascading thereon of ice particles or to other distribution
thereon of material at a cryothermal temperature thereby
calming the surface activity as the boom means carrying the
blocks of solid carbon dioxide is advanced thereby not
only greatly facilitating the herding action but also
causing the oil to be concentrated in a condition which by
virtue of its lowered temperature facilitates its removal
. and recovery.
More particularlyt there is provided:
A method of reducing the surface activity of a body of
water which comprises at least partially surrounding a
body of water by a succession of booms so that the sur-
face of said body of water is substantially isolated by
the presence of said booms in relation to the surface
of water peripherally exte~ . ~ithi respect to-said booms
and distributing on the surface of said body of water..so
surrounded a material at a cryothermal temperature cor-
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responding to the freezing point of the water or lower in
sufficient quantity to substantially reduce the sur~ace
activity of said so surrounded body of water.
... ...
Further objects, features, advantages and applications
of this invention will be apparent in connection with the
following description for illustrative purposes of the
practice of this invention in connection with the accompanying ~:
drawings wherein: .
Fig. 1 is a perspective schematic representation of
facilities appropriate for use in the practice of this invention,
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Fig. 2 is a detail elevation on a enlarged scale which
illustrates one means by which the booms may be secured to
each other in end-to-end pivotal relation,
Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail vertical section of a
boom of the preferred type in that it has attached thereto ;~
means for carrying a block of solid carbon dioxide,
Fig. 4 is similar to Fig. 2 but additionally shows
refrigerating coils comprised in the booms with a connecting
refrigerant line between them,
Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4,
and
Fig. 6,is similar to Fig. 1 except that the facilities
shown illustrate the adaptation of the invention to the
cleaning up and recovery of an oil spill on water.
In Fig. l the body of water 10 is s,urrounded by a
succession of booms 11 which float on the surface of the
water. As indicated in Fig. 2 some suitable means for readily
securing the booms together in end-to-end pivotal relation
i may be employed. Preferably the means attaching the booms
together is such that the attachment and detachment may be
readily accomplished, as, for example, by the use of terminal
ring pins 12 through which a pin 13 may pass, the pin 13 being
prevented from accidental removal by the use of a cotter pin
arrangement 14. Various other attachment devices may also
be used such as swivelling pipe fittings or hose connections
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229
in conjunction with cables or chains. The booms 11
ordinarily are prevented from drifting as, for example,
by the securement thereto at the appropriate locations
of lines 15 leading to mooring anchors 16 which hold the
booms so as to remain substantially stationary. While the
succession of booms has been shown disposed in the form of
a rectangle it is to be understood that the configuration
of the succession of booms may take any other shape as,
for example, a circle or an oval. When the disposition
of the booms is such that adjacent boom ends occur at a
relatively sharp angle as indicated at 17 appropriate
securing means may be employed such as a short length of
chain (not shown) the ends of which have eyes which can be
secured to the terminal ring pins 12. ~s shown in Figs.
1 and 3 each of the booms may be in the form of a hollow
cylinder 18 which preferably has attached thereto the
bracket 19 which, as shown, comprises a hollow float
chamber 20 at the bottom that is of sufficient size to
maintain the bracket 19 in position to hold the bloc~ of
solid carbon dioxide 21 upright in contact with the surface
of the water due to the buoyancy provided by the hollow
float chamber 20. The boom construction as shown in my
Patent No. 4,031,707 also is suitable.
Alternatively as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 adjacent booms
35 may comprise a refrigerant coil 36 disposed so as to be in
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12
- thermally conductive relation with the surface 37 of the
booms so that by the flow of a refrigerant fluid at a
cryothermal temperature through the coil 36 the material
of the boom surface 37 may be maintained at a cryothermal
temperature. In order to maintain the boom in the position
shown the booms desirably are provided with an effective
amount of ballast 41. As in Fig. 2 the ends of the booms
may be interconnected by terminal ring pins 12 for
cooperation with the pin 13 and the cotter pin arrangement
14. As mentioned hereinabove, other connecting means
also may be empl~yed. So that ~he refrigerant fluid may
flow from the coil 36 in one boom to the coil 36 in an
adjacent boom, a flexible hose 38 is provided having readily
attachable and detachable connections 38' with oppositely
disposed terminals of the coils 36. As illustrated in
Fig. 1 a desired succession of booms may be provided with
flow of refrigerant fluid at a cryothermal temperature
that is supplied through a hose 39 from refrigerating
apparatus aboard the vessel 31. Return flow from the
refrigerated succession of booms may be provided by a
return hose 40. Other booms by suitable hose connections
may have refrigerant supplied there from the vessel 31 or
some other vessel or vessels. For accomplishing the
desired refrigeration conventional refrigerating systems
may be employed. For example, a carbon dioxide or an ammonia
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refrigeration system could be used. Alternatively a mixture
of dry ice and alcohol or a slurry of water and ice particles
could be pumped through a desired succession of booms.
When the succession of booms ll has been moored so as
to occur in the position illustrated it serves to isolate
the surface of the body of water protected by the booms in
relation to the surface of water that is peripherally
external with respect to the booms. For example, in con-
nection with the arrangement illustrated in Fig. l the
advance of the wave action is impelled by the wind may
approach the succession of booms from the top of the
drawing so that the upper two margins of the succession of
the booms are the windward margins that provide the principal
protection for the body of water within the complete
enclosure.
In accordance with this invention when the isolating
protection provided by the booms is supplemented by the
distribution of a material at cryothermal temperature over
a very substantial portion of the surface of the protected
body of water, it is possible to greatly reduce surface activity.
To this end, and as~illustEating-~preferred practice, a
vessel 31 that is in external relation with respect to the
succession of booms is provided with means for projecting
the material at a cryothermal temperature so as to be
cascaded onto the surface of the protected body of water,
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For this purpose any suitable equipment may be employed.
For example, the vessel may be provided with powerful
pumps such as those that are employed on fire boats which
are capable of projecting a large stream of water through
a nozzle so as to play over an extensive area. Prior to
leaving the nozzle or just after having left the nozzle
the water stream is contacted with a cryogenic substance
such as solidified carbon dioxide in fine particle form
or liquid nitrogen or any other substance or means by which
the sea water or fresh water, as the case may be, may be
converted to ice. ~s hereinabove mentioned another
type of equipment which could be used is that which is
used extensively to apply artif:icial snow to ski runs.
Preferably as indicated the material at cryothermal
temperature is projected from a plurality of nozzles
or other sources and the material is projected upwardly
at an an~le which enables the material to cover as much of
the surface area as possible and fall thereon with sub-
stantial velocity. The effect of the material at cryo-
~ thermal temperature as cascaded onto the surface of the
water, as aforesaid, is similar to that of a super coldhail which not only has the ability to flatten out an
agitated sea but also to chill down the surface of the
water, and to some extent the subsurface layers of water
so as to enhance internal viscosity, the combined effect
being to greatly reduce the surface activity of the water.
22~ `
While Fig. 1 does not show the presence in the pro-
tected ~ody of water 10 of any particular type of equipment,
it is to be understood that the quieting of the surface
activity of the water within the enclosure provided by the
booms is such that it will facilitate the carrying out of
any type of operation such as the installation or repair
of equipment for oil recovery or the carrying out of a
salvage operation.
While in Fig. 1 the succession of booms is shown as
completely surrounding the protected body of water 10
the practice of this invention contemplates that the body
of water need not in all cases be completely surrounded
by the succession of booms. For example, in the case of
the arrangement shown in Fig. l the booms along a portion
or all of the lee side of the protected body of ~ater may
be dispensed with. More particularly, the booms along
the lower lefthand margin may be omitted at leas~ temporarily
as, for example, to permit the entrance and exit of equipment
while at the same time enabling the surface activity of
2Q the protected body of water to be greatly reduced by the
use of the method of this invention.
An operation of the type which may advantageously be
carried out, even though a portion of the succession of
booms that is along a lee margin of the protected body of
water has been omitted, is one for the purpose of cleaning
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up and recovering petroleum that constitutes an oil spill
on water. Such an operation is illustrated in connection
with the facilities shown in Fig. 6. For cleaning up and
recovering an oil spill the succession of booms 22 is, of
course, provided so as to be disposed for protecting as
much as possible of the region where the oil spill occurs,
there being booms along the windward margins 23 and 2a
and also along one of the lee margins 25 thereby providing
the protected body of water 26 so that the surface
activity thereof is substantially isolated by the presence
of the booms in relation to the surface of water that
approaches the booms from the windward side. The booms
are prevented from drifting by being moored to the mooring
anchor 32. The individual booms 22 are preferably of the
type hereinabove described which include means for carrying
so as to be presented in contact with the surface of the
protected water blocks of solid carbon dioxide or other
material at a cryothermal temperature which face the oil
~loating on t~e water between the booms 27 and the
confinement afforded by the succession of booms 22. The
booms 27 may thereafter be moved so as to advance them
into protected body of water 26 by some suitable means
such as push-type boats 28. As hereinabove mentioned the
floating oil is repelled by the dry ice or other material
at a cryothermal temperature presented by the forward faces
2:~
of the booms and tends to move away therefrom with the
result that the floating oil can be readily herded into a
smaller area. For example, the oil may be herded by moving
the booms 27 to the position shown in dotted lines where
it is conflned into a much more restricted area from which
it may be removed by some suitable means such as a suction
or skimming device 29 so that the oil may be taken into
a collecting vessel such as the barge 30.
If the wave activity in external relation with respect
to the succession of booms is not excessively heavy, the
cleaning up and recovery of the oil spill may be accomplished
as hereinabove described without additionally quelling
the surface activity by cascading a material at cryothermal
temperature onto the surface of the oil of the oil spill.
However, the-oil recovery is greatly facilitated when the
reduction in surface activity aEforded by the succession
of booms is supplemented by cascad~ng material at a cryo-
thermal temperature, as ~rom the ship 33, so as to fall
onto the surface of the oil where the oil spill occurs as,
for example, during the period when the booms 27 are
being moved for concentrating the spilled oil into a more
concentrated region or area and during the pick-up of
the oil for transfer to a ship~ Moreover, the chilling
of the oil itself by increasing its surface tension serves
to aEEord the oil in a condition which facilitates its
recovery by an operation such as skimming or suction.
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