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US 12,071,205 B2Granted
Emissions control watercraft
OwnerRobert John Sharpinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A novel emissions control watercraft (STAXcraft) solving a long-felt but unsolved need regarding disadvantages associated with prior-art emissions servicing watercraft, the disadvantages selected from the group, but not limited to, the use of tugboats, securing or mooring servicing watercraft to a serviced vessel, additional expenses and time-delays and inefficiencies of land-based approaches, increased toxic emissions, increased greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions, danger from falling cargo, tanker safety, alongside mooring in narrow channels preventing other OGV's to pass safely, and cargo tank emissions.
Claims27
An emissions control watercraft for servicing a serviced watercraft, said serviced watercraft stationed at berth or at anchorage, said emissions control watercraft comprising:
- a. a floating platform;
- b. an anchoring system for fixing said floating platform at any predetermined orientation relative to said serviced watercraft without securing to said serviced watercraft, wherein said anchoring system comprises at least one spud attached to said floating platform for anchoring said floating platform, each spud comprising a spud drive, a spudwell and a spud column configured to be raised or lowered within the spudwell by said spud drive, wherein said floating platform is configured for movement along the water with each spud column in a raised position and fixed in a desired position relative to said serviced watercraft with each spud column lowered to and ends thereof embedded in the seabed with the floating platform remaining in a floating condition;
- c. an exhaust capture system for receiving emissions from said serviced watercraft;
- d. a purification system mounted to said floating platform, connected to said exhaust capture system for accepting and purifying said emissions from said exhaust capture system;
- e. said exhaust capture system comprising an exhaust capture arm and an exhaust pipe connector configured to connect to an emissions source of said serviced watercraft, said emissions source selected from the group consisting of an engine exhaust pipe, a boiler exhaust pipe and a cargo tank vent;
- whereby said anchoring system is configured to fix the floating platform at a position and location any distance away from said serviced watercraft which allows interconnection of said exhaust capture system to an emissions source of said serviced watercraft for operation of said purification system to accept and purify said emissions.
3 more elements
An emissions capture system for temporarily connecting to a serviced watercraft, said serviced watercraft stationed at berth or at anchor, said emissions capture system comprising:
- a. a plurality of emissions capture circuits;
- b. each emissions capture circuit comprising an emissions duct for receiving emissions from an emissions connector configured to connect to a single exhaust pipe or vent of an emissions source mounted on said serviced watercraft;
- c. said emissions connector configured to connect to said single exhaust pipe or vent of said emissions source selected from the group consisting of an engine exhaust pipe, a boiler exhaust pipe, and a cargo tank vent;
- d. an exhaust capture arm configured to support each emissions duct of said plurality of emissions capture circuits;
- e. said arm mounted on a platform, said platform selected from the group consisting of a floating platform, a barge, a watercraft, a vessel, a wharf, a pier, a dock, a jetty, a slab, and a foundation;
- and
- f. wherein each emissions connector is configured to be separately maneuverable from the exhaust capture arm for connection to a selected one of an exhaust pipe or vent of a selected emission source on the serviced watercraft.
4 more elements
A method for purification of exhaust from a serviced watercraft, said watercraft stationed at-berth or at anchorage, the method comprising:
- a. positioning a floating platform at any predetermined orientation near the serviced watercraft, the predetermined orientation including, but not limited to, orientations parallel to and perpendicular to the serviced watercraft;
- b. anchoring said floating platform at a predetermined distance and location away from said serviced watercraft, said anchoring comprising lowering one or more spuds from the floating platform to the seabed, each spud including a spud drive and a spud column which is configured to be raised or lowered by the spud drive, wherein the floating platform is movable along the water with the spud columns in a raised position and fixed in a desired position and orientation relative to the serviced watercraft with the spud columns lowered to and having ends embedded in the seabed such that the floating platform remains in a floating condition;
- c. manipulating an exhaust capture system carried by said floating platform to connect to an emissions source for receiving emissions from an at-berth serviced watercraft, said emissions source selected from the group consisting of an engine exhaust pipe, a boiler exhaust pipe, and a cargo tank vent;
- d. receiving said emissions from said exhaust capture system into a purification system mounted on the floating platform;
- e. purifying said emissions by with said purification system;
- whereby said floating platform may be placed any distance and location away from said serviced watercraft which allows interconnection of said exhaust capture system to said emissions source of said serviced watercraft, said position and location including one or more of (i) a position and location creating a space between said floating platform and a portion of said serviced watercraft such that cargo falling from the serviced watercraft would miss the floating platform and (ii) a position and location selected to position the floating platform aft of the serviced watercraft and to avoid any mooring lines between the serviced watercraft and a wharf.
3 more elements
An emissions control system comprising:
- an ocean-going vessel (OGV) stationed at berth or at anchorage;
- and
- an emission control watercraft comprising:
- a. a floating platform;
- b. an anchoring system for fixing said floating platform at any predetermined orientation relative to said OGV without securing to said OGV;
- c. an exhaust capture system for receiving emissions from said OGV;
- d. a purification system mounted to said floating platform, connected to said exhaust capture system for accepting and purifying said emissions from said exhaust capture system;
- e. said exhaust capture system comprising an exhaust capture arm and an exhaust pipe connector configured to connect to an emissions source of said OGV, said emissions source selected from the group consisting of an engine exhaust pipe, a boiler exhaust pipe and a cargo tank vent;
- whereby said emissions control watercraft is configured for anchoring by said anchoring system any distance away from said OGV which allows interconnection of said exhaust capture system to an emissions source of said OGV for operation of said purification system to accept and purify said emissions;
- and
- wherein said anchoring system comprises a plurality of spuds attached to said floating platform for anchoring said floating platform at any predetermined orientation relative to said serviced OGV, each spud including a spud drive and a spud column which is configured to be raised or lowered by said spud drive, wherein said floating platform is is configured for movement along the water with the spud columns in a raised position and fixed in a desired position fixed relative to said serviced OGV with the spud columns lowered to and spud column ends embedded in the seabed, with the floating platform remaining in a floating condition.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.