Water-ballasted oil spill containment boom
OwnerLawrence R. Smithinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An elongated water ballasted oil spill containment boom made of flexible, compact, and easily storable material and having an inner and an outer chambers. When inflated with water the inner chamber assumes a substantially circular cross section and is cylindrical in shape. The selection of the ratio of the size of the outer and inner chambers controls the degree to which the boom floats above the water level and is submerged below the water level. The portions of the boom above and below the water level prevent, respectively, splashover of oil and the escape of oil under the boom. The boom is statically stable in that a strong righting moment tends to automatically properly reorient the boom in the event of undesirable wave, current or wind forces.
Claims25
An inflatable barrier for confining a first liquid floating on a second liquid comprising:
- (a) an outer elongated chamber having means for inflation with an outer chamber fluid medium;
- (b) at least one inner chamber within said outer chamber having means for inflation with an inner chamber fluid medium having a density different from that of said outer chamber fluid medium;
- (c) whereby, after both said inner and said outer chambers have been inflated with fluid media, said barrier will float on said second liquid with a portion of said barrier sufficiently exposed above the surface of said second liquid as to prevent splashover of said first liquid, and with a portion of said barrier sufficiently submerged as to prevent said first liquid from escaping under said barrier.
A method for confining a first liquid floating on a second liquid, using an inflatable barrier, which comprise the steps of:
- (a) placing said barrier on said second liquid, said barrier comprising:
- (i) an outer elongated chamber having means for inflation with an outer chamber fluid medium;
- (ii) at least one inner chamber within said outer chamber having means for inflation with an inner chamber fluid medium having a density different from that of said outer chamber fluid medium;
- (iii) whereby, after both said inner and said outer chambers have been inflated with fluid media, said barrier will float on said second liquid with a portion of said barrier sufficiently exposed above the surface of said second liquid as to prevent splashover of said first liquid, and with a portion of said barrier sufficiently submerged as to prevent said first liquid from escaping under said barrier;
- and
- (b) inflating said barrier so as to allow said barrier to float partly submerged on said second liquid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.