Oil spill recovery method and apparatus
OwnerLeno M. Meneghetti, Huey A. Caininventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The recovery of oil in an oil spill on water is achieved by a medium which not only absorbs the oil but causes it to become heavy and loose its buoyancy in relation to water so it can be made to sink, together with apparatus for effecting the deposit of the medium upon the oil in an oil spill and for collecting the sinking oil below the surface and before it attaches itself to the bottom surface so it can be removed to a place where the recovered oil may be extracted from the medium which sank the oil.
Claims11
Apparatus for recovery of oil in an oil spill upon water by sinking the oil and collecting the oil below the surface of the water, said apparatus comprising:
- a container for an oil sinking agent, means carried by said container and operable to release the contents of the container upon the oil spill beneath the container, thereby sinking the oil and oil sinking agent below the surface of the water;
- a collecting vessel formed with spaced sides and bow and stern ends and a bottom surface, said collecting vessel being submerged with said bow and stern below the water surface and with said bottom in position to arrest the sinking oil and oil sinking agent and accumulate it at a depth below the water surface to be substantially isolated from the motion of the water at the surface;
- and means connecting said container and collecting vessel for cooperation in depositing the agent upon the oil spill and collecting the oil and oil sinking agent sinking below the surface of the water, said submerged collecting vessel permitting the oil spill to enter over said bow and water substantially free of oil to pass said collecting vessel by at least said stern end.
In apparatus for recovery of oil from an oil spill upon water by sinking the oil below the surface of the water and collecting it under the free surface of the water, the improvement which comprises:
- a container;
- float means connected to said container for supporting said container spaced above the water, said float means being spaced apart to provide open water surface under said container;
- an oil sinking agent in said container;
- means in said container operable for releasing said sinking agent to strike the oil in the spill on the open water between said float means;
- and a recovery vessel suspended from said float means and positioned below the free surface of the water, said recovery vessel having a width to substantially span the space between said float means and having submerged bow and stern ends, whereby the oil spill is able to enter the space between said float means over said bow and water substantially free of oil is able to leave the space over said stern while the oil and sinking agent collect in said recovery vessel.
A method of treating an oil spill on water comprising the steps of supporting a recovery vessel in a position such that it is submerged beneath the water and oil in the spill, depositing an oil sinking agent on top of the oil in the spill over the recovery vessel, said agent being an initially substantially dry granular clay material having an affinity for oil, whereby the change in the specific gravity of the oil by the agent relative to the water causes the oil and agent to sink into and accumulate in the recovery vessel, and allowing the water over the recovery vessel to pass substantially free of oil.
A method of treating an oil spill on water comprising the steps of submerging a recovery vessel beneath the surface of the water and spaced beneath the oil in the spill, and depositing an agent on top of the oil over the recovery vessel, whereby the oil is caused to sink below the surface of the water into the recovery vessel while the water is free to pass above the recovery vessel and is substantially free of the oil.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.