Oil spill cleanup system
AssigneeShell Oil Company
InventorRay R. Ayers
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Skimmer for removing oil from the surface of a body of water which is articulated from front to rear to be wave comformable and/or has a quiescent collection zone formed by bottom and/or forward baffles. Flexible skimming head for use with or independently of the above skimmer composed of a foraminous sheet having an integral chevron flow pattern on its upper surface; floating skimming head for use similar to the preceding head with a central, axially vertically movable cone or other configuration forming a suction mouth. Boom for use with or independently of the above skimmer which is composed of converging double booms. Storage capacity for oil collected by the above skimmer or otherwise composed of onboard and/or offboard membranes.
Claims14
Apparatus for removing oil from the surface of a body of water comprising:
- means adapted to support the apparatus in the water;
- a compartment supported by the support means having an at least partially submerged open front end permitting entry of oil and water into the compartment, sides, a rear end, and an at least partially open submerged bottom permitting exit of water from the compartment;
- baffles which divide the open front end of the compartment into separate adjacent chambers open at front and rear to permit passage of oil and water therethrough and of sufficient length to substantially arrest orbital water particle motion associated with waves without substantially impeding flow;
- baffles which divide the open bottom into separate adjacent chambers open at bottom and top and of sufficient vertical extent to diffuse and downwardly direct water exiting from the compartment, whereby the diffusion and change of current direction in combination with the wave suppression action of the front baffles create a quiescent oil capture zone within the compartment;
- and
- means for articulating at least the bottom baffles from front to rear to be wave conformable.
Apparatus for removing oil from the surface of a body of water comprising:
- float means adapted to float in the water;
- a compartment supported by the float means having an at least partially submerged open front end permitting entry of oil and water thereinto, sides, a rear end, and an at least partially open submerged bottom permitting exit of water from the compartment;
- tubular baffles which divide the open front end into separate adjacent chambers open at front and rear to permit passage of oil and water therethrough and of sufficient length to substantially arrest orbital water particle motion associated with waves without substantially impeding flow;
- baffles of rectangular cross-section which divide the open bottom into separate adjacent chambers open at bottom and top and of sufficient vertical extent to diffuse and downwardly direct water exiting from the compartment, whereby the diffusion and change of current direction in combination with the wave suppression action of the tubular baffles create a quiescent oil capture zone within the compartment;
- means for articulating at least the bottom baffles from front to rear to be wave conformable;
- and
- a floating non-absorbent sheet skimming head within the compartment which conforms with waves and allows buoyant forces to percolate oil upward through holes in the sheet and be channeled along the upper surface thereof to a collection region on the sheet adjacent the front of the apparatus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.