Oil spill containment system
OwnerDonald H. Lahar, Scott B. Laharinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An oil spill containment collar system for aquatic vessels. A deployable flotation collar and apron apparatus automatically surrounds the periphery of the vessel to be contained. This continuous collar only takes a few minutes to become fully functional. The collar is stored inboard of gunnel above the deck, and is lowered into the water by a gear or spring-torsion driven pivot arms that lift the collar from the deck area and up over the gunnel. The collar is inflated after lowering over gunnel, encircling the entire vessel and giving vertical support to an attached apron. The top edge of the apron is maintained level with the surface of the oil spill, by means of the attached and inflatable collar.
Claims40
In an improved oil spill containment system, that includes an inflatable collar and depending apron having an upper and lower edge carried by a vessel for entraining an oil spill originating therefrom, wherein the inflatable collar and depending apron when deployed form a continuous circular oil containment apparatus surrounding the vessel, means for inflating the collar once deployed to maintain the upper edge of the depending apron at the surface of the oil spill in a vertical orientation extending downward from the collar, the collar and apron being constructed of a plurality of interconnected segments of uniform length, means for weighting down and anchoring the lower edge of the apron to maintain the positioning of the collar and apron once inflated and deployed in the water, means for removing the entrained oil spill from the surface of the surrounding water, and means for storing the oil retrieved wherein the improvement comprises:
- means for storing the oil containment apparatus on board the vessel, said storing means being inboard the vessel's gunnel and being able to protect its contents from physical damage and environmental degradation, and said storing means comprising a cylindrical structure formed into two longitudinally mating and sealable halves, the half closest to the deck being secured to support members that are rotatably affixed to the gunnel and the other half being attached to the apparatus;
- means for controllably rotatably raising the oil containment apparatus from said storing means and moving the apparatus into position on the outboard side of the gunnel in preparation for deployment while imparting momentum thereto;
- means for functionally lengthening and increasing the oil spill containment apparatus, said lengthening means increases the peripheral dimension of the apparatus as it is raised from the deck and moved out over the outboard side of the gunnel;
- means for predeterminally controlling the inflation of the plurality of interconnected segments, during the full deployment cycle, from the onboard stored position to floating in the oil spill;
- and
- means for anchoring the plurality of interconnected segments, said anchoring means being flexibly attached to the lower edge of the aprons of each interconnected segment and keeping each of the aprons in a vertical orientation extending from the surface of the oil spill downward throughout its length.
An improved method for controlling an oil spill from a vessel that has an oil containment system, wherein the oil containment system includes an inflatable collar and depending apron having an upper and lower edge deployed to entrain an oil spill originating from the vessel, wherein the inflatable collar and depending apron form a continuous circular oil containment apparatus surrounding the vessel, means for inflating the collar to maintain the upper edge of the depending apron at the surface of the oil spill in a vertical orientation extending downward from the collar, the oil containment apparatus having a plurality of interconnected segments of uniform length that act as a continuous barrier to dispersion of the oil spill, the lower edge of the dependent apron weighted down and anchored to maintain the positioning of the collar in the water, the entrained oil spill being removed from the surface of the surrounding water and subsequently transported to an onboard compartment or adjacent barge for storage of the oil retrieved, wherein the improvement comprises:
- storing the oil containment apparatus on board the vessel in storing means, whereby the apparatus is protected from physical damage and environmental degradation while it is stored inboard the vessel's gunnel, said storing means comprising a cylindrical structure formed into two longitudinally mating and sealable halves, the half closest to the deck being secured to support members that are rotatably affixed to the gunnel, and the other half being attached to the apparatus;
- rotatably raising the oil containment apparatus from the deck and moving the apparatus into position on the outboard side of the gunnel in preparation for deployment while imparting momentum thereto;
- lengthening and thereby increasing the peripheral dimension of the containment apparatus as it is raised from the deck and moved out over the outboard side of the gunnel;
- predeterminally controlling the inflation of the plurality of interconnected segments, during the full deployment cycle, from the onboard stored position to flotation in the oil spill;
- and
- anchoring the inflated interconnected segments once deployed, keeping each apron in a vertical orientation extending from the surface of the oil spill downward throughout its length.
An oil spill containment system of the type having an inflatable collar and depending apron carried by a ship for entraining an oil spill originating therefrom, wherein the improvement comprises:
- means for tracking the oil spill containment system around the ship, said tracking means being circumferentially disposed along the ship;
- at least two storage means for storing the collar and apron on board the ship and for protecting its contents from physical damage and environmental degradation, whereby the collar and apron are permanently attached to said storage means;
- means for deploying said storage means into position on the outboard side of the gunnel, whereby each of said storage means are placed on said tracking means and the collar and apron therein are released into the water;
- means for moving said storage means around the circumference of the ship wherein the collar and apron traverse the ship until the collar and apron surround the ship;
- means for inflating the collar during the deployment of the oil spill containment system to the water;
- and
- means for anchoring the collar and apron, said anchoring means keeping the apron in a vertical orientation extending from the surface of the oil spill downward throughout its length and being flexibly attached to the apron.
In an improved oil spill containment system, that included an inflatable collar and depending apron having an upper and lower edge carried by a ship for entraining an oil spill originating therefrom, wherein the inflatable collar and depending apron when deployed form a continuous circular oil containment apparatus surrounding the ship, means for inflating the collar once deployed maintaining the upper edge of the depending apron at the surface of the oil spill in a vertical orientation extending downward from the collar, the collar and apron being constructed of a plurality of interconnected modular segments of uniform length, means for weighting down and anchoring the lower edge of the apron to maintain the positioning of the collar and apron once inflated and deployed in the water, means for removing the entrained oil spill from the surface of the surrounding water, and means for storing the oil retrieved, wherein the improvement comprises:
- a plurality of storage containers for protecting its contents from physical damage and environmental degradation placed inboard the ship's gunnel, said storage containers containing the oil containment apparatus;
- means for controllably raising the oil containment apparatus from said plurality of storage containers and moving the apparatus into position on the outboard side of the gunnel placing the apparatus in the water;
- means for functionally lengthening and increasing the peripheral dimension of the oil containment apparatus as it is placed in the water;
- means for predeterminally controlling the inflation of the oil containment apparatus as it is placed in the water;
- and
- means for anchoring the oil containment apparatus, said anchoring means being flexibly attached to the lower edge of the apron, keeping the apron in a vertical orientation extending from the surface of the oil spill downward throughout its length.
In an off-shore oil platform structure of the type having platform supports, a drill casting unit, and a storage unit interposed between the platform and the drill casting unit, in which an oil spill has originated from the platform, wherein the improvement comprises:
- at least one storage container for protecting its contents from physical damage and environmental degradation carried on the platform, each of said containers containing an inflatable collar and a depending apron having an upper and lower edge for surrounding the platform;
- means for raising each of said storage containers from the platform and moving the collar and apron into the water;
- flexible means for lengthening and increasing the peripheral dimension of the collar and apron as it is placed into the water forming a continuous circular containment device surrounding the platform;
- means for inflating the collar as it is placed into the water;
- and
- means for anchoring the apron, keeping it in a vertical orientation extending from the surface of the oil spill downward throughout its length and being flexibly attached to the lower edge of the apron.
In an off-shore oil platform structure of the type having platform supports, a drill casting unit, and a storage unit interposed between the platform and the drill casting unit, in which an oil spill has originated from the platform, wherein the improvement comprises:
- at least one cylindrical storage container for protecting its contents from physical damage and environmental degradation and carried on the platform, each said container being formed of two longitudinally mating and sealable halves, one of said halves being secured to support members that are pivotably affixed to said platform and the other of said halves containing an inflatable collar and a depending apron having an upper and lower edge for surrounding the platform;
- means for raising each of said storage containers from the platform and moving the collar and apron in to the water;
- means for lengthening and increasing the peripheral dimension of the collar and apron as it is placed into the water forming a continuous circular containment device surrounding the platform;
- means for inflating the collar as it is placed into the water;
- and
- means for anchoring the apron, keeping it in a vertical orientation extending from the surface of the oil spill downward throughout its length and being flexibly attached to the lower edge of the apron.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.