Oil recovery apparatus and method

A method of collecting oil from a body of water where there is an oil polluted surface layer, said method comprising:

• a. directing a floating vessel, comprising a hull with a bow and sidewalls, toward said oil polluted surface layer to cause said oil polluted layer to flow by the bow of the hull toward the sidewalls,
• b. providing the sidewalls of the hull with a pair of oppositely positioned intake openings, and directing said oil polluted layer through said intake openings and into two passageways located within the hull,
• c. directing said layer as a liquid flow into each oil removal passageway by passing said layer at a first velocity through a forwardly located related passageway inlet of a first predetermined cross sectional flow area and having an inlet defining lower edge at approximately the depth of said polluted surface layer to separate said layer from the body of water,
• d. passing said surface layer as a liquid as a first upper surface layer portion of a relatively high oil content and a second lower surface layer portion of a relatively lower oil content rearwardly through an enlarged passageway section having a cross sectional flow area and depth substantially greater than that of said inlet to effect a substantial reduction in flow velocity and a substantial increase in depth of at least said upper layer portion, and also to create a third lowermost layer of relatively oil free water by upward flotation of oil in said second layer portion to said upper layer portion,
• e. passing said first and second layers from said enlarged passageway section into a first stage oil removal area and collecting at least a substantial portion of said upper layer portion by engaging said upper layer portion with a downwardly and rearwardly traveling oil absorptive belt that travels continuously from an upper forward location at a downward slant to a rearward location below the surface level of said first layer, whereby oil from the upper layer portion is absorbed into said belt,
• f. removing collected oil from said belt at a location separate from the flow of the oil polluted layer,
• g. directing the remaining liquid flow through a second oil recovery zone to cause oil to separate by flotation from the remaining liquid flow and confining the oil so collected in the second oil recovery area, and
• h. discharging the remaining liquid flow from the second oil recovery area back to the body of water.

An oil recovery vessel adapted to operate in an oil recovery mode for effective recovery of oil from an oil polluted surface layer on a body of water, and also adapted to operate in a non-oil recovery mode by traveling efficiently at cruising speed through said body of water, said vessel comprising:

• a. a hull adapted for travel at cruising speed through a body of water, and having a bow portion and two side walls extending from the bow rearwardly,
• b. said side walls having oppositely positioned lateral intake openings to receive the oil polluted surface layer passing by said bow,
• c. vertically adjustable ramp means at the forward end of each oil recovery passageway to define an oil recovery passageway inlet of a predetermined depth and cross sectional area at each intake opening, and adapted to receive said polluted surface layer at a first velocity,
• d. means defining two enlarged oil recovery passageway sections rearwardly of said inlets, said enlarged passageway sections each having a depth and cross sectional area substantially greater than said inlets to cause said polluted surface layer to travel therethrough at a substantially lower velocity,
• e. first oil recovery means at a first oil recovery area rearwardly of said enlarged passageway sections, said first oil recovery means comprising;
• 1. a continuously rotating oil absorbing belt having a downwardly and rearwardly traveling lower run that extends into said surface layer at a downward and rearward slant at a location in said passageway rearward of the enlarged passageway section to absorb at least a substantial portion of oil in said surface layer upper portion,
• 2. means to remove and collect oil from said oil absorbing belt at a location removed from said downwardly and rearwardly traveling lower run,
• f. second oil recovery means located at said oil recovery passageway rearwardly of said oil recovery belt, said second oil recovery means comprising enclosure means defining an oil collecting enclosure with a bottom opening to receive oil that floats upwardly from liquid flowing through the oil recovery passageway from the location of the oil recovery belt, and
• g. means defining a rear outlet opening to discharge water flowing from said oil recovery passageway means.

An apparatus to collect oil from a body of water on which there is an oil polluted surface layer comprising an upper surface layer portion of relatively higher oil content and a second lower surface layer portion of an oil/water mixture of relatively lower oil content, said apparatus comprising:

• a. a hull, constructed and arranged to float on the body of water, said hull having front and rear ends, and side and bottom walls defining a through oil recovery passageway, said side and bottom walls defining:
• 1. a first enlarged passageway section,
• 2. a second oil recovery pasageway section at a first stage oil recovery area, and
• 3. a third oil recovery pasageway section at a second stage oil recovery area,
• b. a front inlet member mounted to the front end of said hull for vertical adjustment, said inlet member having a front lower edge portion defining a front passageway inlet constructed and arranged to receive a flow of said polluted surface layer at a first velocity over said lower edge portion,
• c. actuating means to move the front inlet member vertically to an operational position where the lower edge portion of the front inlet member receives the flow of the polluted surface layer thereover,
• d. said bottom and side walls having first bottom and side wall portions which define said first enlarged passageway section, said first bottom wall portion being positioned at a level below that of said front lower edge portion of the first inlet member, so that said enlarged passageway section has a depth and cross-sectional area substantially greater than said inlet, to cause said polluted surface layer to travel therethrough at a substantially lower velocity,
• e. a first oil recovery means at said first oil recovery of said enlarged passageway section, said first oil recovery means comprising:
• 1. a continuously rotating oil absorbing belt havinga downwardly and rearwardly traveling lower run that extends from a forward upper end thereof to a rear lower end thereof, said rearwardly traveling lower run extending into said water surface layer at a downward and rearward slant at a location in said passageway rearward of the enlarged passageway section to absorb at least a substantial portion of oil in said surface layer upper portion and to carry said absorbed oil to an upper location,
• 2. means at said upper location to remove and collect oil from said oil absorbing belt,
• f. said bottom and side walls having second bottom and side wall portions positioned rearwardly of the first bottom and side wall portions, with the second bottom wall portion being positioned at a level below that of the lower rear end of the oil recovery belt, to define said second oil recovery passageway section passing beneath said oil recovery belt,
• g. second oil recovery means located, rearwardly of said oil recovery belt, said second oil recovery means comprising enclosure means defining an oil collecting enclosure with a front wall having a lower edge portion defining a bottom opening to receive oil that floats upwardly from liquid flowing therebelow,
• h. said bottom and side walls having third bottom and side wall portions positioned rearwardly of said second bottom and side wall portions, with the third bottom wall portion being positioned at a level below that of the lower edge portion of the enclosure means, to define said third passageway section passing beneath the enclosure means of said oil recovery means,
• i. means defining a rear opening leading from said third passageway section to direct liquid from said third passageway section back to said body of water.

an apparatus to collect oil from a body of water on which there is an oil polluted surface layer comprising an upper surface layer portion of relatively higher oil content and a second lower surface layer portion of an oil/water mixture of relatively lower oil content, said apparatus comprising:

• a. a hull, constructed and arranged to float on the body of water, said hull having front and rear ends, and side and bottom walls defining a through oil recovery passageway, said side and bottom walls defining:
• 1. a first enlarged passageway section,
• 2. a second oil recovery passageway section at a first stage oil recovery area, and
• 3. a third oil recovery passageway section at a second stage oil recovery area,
• b. a front inlet member mounted to the front end of said hull for vertical adjustment, said inlet member having a front lower edge portion defining a front passageway inlet constructed and arranged to receive a flow of said polluted surface layer at a first velocity over said lower edge portion,
• c. actuating means to move the front inlet member vertically to an operational position where the lower edge portion of the front inlet member receives the flow of the polluted surface layer thereover,
• d. said bottom and side walls having first bottom and side wall portions which define said first enlarged passageway section, said first bottom wall portion being positioned at a level below that of said front lower edge portion of the first inlet member, so that said enlarged passageway section has a depth and cross-sectional area substantially greater than said inlet, to cause said polluted surface layer to travel therethrough at a substantially lower velocity,
• e. a first oil recovery means at said first oil recovery area rearwardly of said enlarged passageway section, said first oil recovery means comprising:
• 1. a continuously rotating oil absorbing belt having a downwardly and rearwardly traveling lower run that extends from a forward upper end thereof to a rear lower end thereof, said rearwardly traveling lower run extending into said water surface layer at a downward and rearward slant at a location in said passageway rearward of the enlarged passageway section to absorb at least a substantial portion of oil in said surface layer upper portion and to carry said absorbed oil to an upper location,
• 2. means at said upper location to remove and collect oil from said oil absorbing belt,
• f. said bottom and side walls having second bottom and side wall portions positioned rearwardly of the first bottom and side wall portions, with the second bottom wall portion being positioned at a level below that of the lower rear end of the oil recovery belt, to define said second oil recovery passageway section passing beneath said oil recovery belt,
• g. second oil recovery means located rearwardly of said oil recovery belt, said second oil recovery means comprising rear and side enclosure walls extending upwardly above the level of the lower rear end of the belt and defining an oil collecting enclosure positioned rearwardly of the lower rear end of the belt,
• h. said bottom and side walls having third bottom and side wall portions rearwardly of said second bottom and side wall portions, with the third bottom and side wall portions being positioned at a level below the rear and side enclosure walls to defin said third passageway section passing beneath the oil collecting enclosure defined by the rear and side enclosure walls,
• i. means defining a rear opening leading from said third passageway section to direct liquid from said third passageway section back to said body of water.