Lightweight, rapid deployment oil spill containment boom
AssigneeSpill Management, Inc.
InventorsRichard E. Cain, Nathan B. Jones
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An emergency, lightweight marine containment system is comprised of a containment crate in which is flatly accordion folded an uninflated boom curtain. The boom curtain is comprised of a self-inflating flotation chamber on one longitudinal edge with an integral depending curtain terminating in a self-inflating ballast chamber on the opposing longitudinal edge. The flotation chamber is inflated by gas and the ballast chamber is inflated by the water or sea water into which the boom curtain is disposed. The boom curtain is made of lightweight single-ply or multiple-ply sheet material.
Claims10
A marine containment system comprising:
- a boom curtain of a predetermined length formed from a single continuous flexible sheet comprising a lightweight flotation chamber extending to form a depending curtain and terminating in a sea-filled ballast chamber wherein said flotation chamber, depending curtain and ballast chamber are formed from a single ply of lightweight oil resistant sheet material, said predetermined length being defined as a length at least as long as that needed in a practical deployment of said boom curtain;
- and
- containment means for storing and deploying said boom curtain, said boom curtain being folded flatly within said containment means,
- whereby said marine containment system is lightweight, compact and readily deployed with a minimum of equipment and personnel.
A marine containment system comprising:
- a boom curtain formed from a single continuous flexible sheet in lengths of 3000 feet or more comprising a lightweight flotation chamber extending to form a depending curtain and terminating in a sea-filled ballast chamber wherein said flotation chamber, depending curtain and ballast chamber are formed from a single ply of lightweight sheet material, said flotation chamber being segmented into a plurality of separate airtight chambers, each separate airtight chamber being separately inflated, said ballast chamber being self-inflating with water, said self-inflating ballast chamber having an interior and a plurality of holes defined in said ballast chamber for communicating said interior of said ballast chamber with exterior water environment, and comprising means for displacing opposing side walls of said ballast chamber apart when said boom curtain is deployed in water;
- containment means for storing and deploying said boom curtain, said boom curtain being folded flatly within said containment means, said boom curtain being flatly accordion folded within said containment means;
- inflation means for self-inflating said flotation chamber upon deployment of said boom curtain comprising a compressed gas assembly communicated with said flotation chamber and triggered upon deployment of said boom curtain from said containment means and an air valve adapted for inflation and deflation by an external air pump, said gas assembly comprising a valve, a compressed gas bottle, a pull pin to open said valve, and means for drawing said pull pin from said valve upon said deployment from said containment means:
- wherein said containment means is a rigid container and wherein said means for drawing said pin is a cable connected between said pull pin and said rigid container such that removal of said boom curtain from said container draws said pull pin from valve;
- and
- means coupled to said boom curtain for deploying said boom curtain from aircraft, ships or at sea level from light small craft,
- whereby said marine containment system is lightweight, compact and readily deployed with a minimum of equipment and personnel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.