Floating oil spill ignition device
AssigneeFike Corporation
InventorChris Seyfarth
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An igniter device (10) operable to remediate a floating oil spill in a body of water is provided. The device (10) comprises a pyrotechnic device (28) that is actuated through an actuator assembly (20) comprising time delay circuitry (24). Upon actuation, the time delay circuitry (24) begins a countdown permitting the device (10) to be safely deployed from an aerial vehicle. The pyrotechnic device (28) ignites a fuel source (38), which in turn ignites the floating oil spill.
Claims31
An oil spill ignition device comprising:
- a buoyant housing defining, at least in part, an inner chamber;
- and
- an actuator assembly operable to ignite a pyrotechnic device installed within the inner chamber by an end user prior to deployment of the ignition device, the actuator assembly comprising an electrical igniter, time delay circuitry, and a switch that upon actuation thereof causes the time delay circuitry to begin a countdown of a predetermined length, the time delay circuitry operable to actuate the electrical igniter at the end of the countdown and ignite the pyrotechnic device.
The oil spill ignition device according to 1, wherein the time delay circuitry is operably connected to a power source.
An oil spill ignition device comprising:
- a buoyant housing defining, at least in part, an inner chamber;
- a non-explosive pyrotechnic device received within the inner chamber;
- an actuator assembly operable to ignite the pyrotechnic device;
- and
- a fuel source received within the inner chamber adjacent to the pyrotechnic device, the pyrotechnic device being operable to ignite the fuel source.
The oil spill ignition device according to 11, wherein the actuator assembly further comprises a power source.
A method of remediating a release of a liquid petroleum product into a body of water comprising:
- deploying an ignition device onto the liquid petroleum product in the body of water, the ignition device comprising—
- a buoyant housing defining, at least in part, an inner chamber;
- a non-explosive pyrotechnic device received within the inner chamber;
- an actuator assembly operable to ignite the pyrotechnic device;
- and
- a fuel source received within the inner chamber adjacent to the pyrotechnic device, the pyrotechnic device operable to ignite the fuel source,
- wherein the step of deploying the ignition device comprises actuating the actuator assembly and causing the ignition device to come into contact with the liquid petroleum product,
- after contacting the liquid petroleum product, the actuator assembly ignites the non-explosive pyrotechnic device, which in turn ignites the fuel source,
- upon ignition of the fuel source, the ignition device ignites the liquid petroleum product.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.