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US 5,688,075 AGranted
Boom system
OwnerThomas Gradekinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved boom for use in containing oil spills and the like on water comprises a flotation tube, an upper chain pocket, a skirt, and a lower chain pocket. The skirt may be made to sink by placing a chain in the lower chain pocket. The spill is contained, and buoyancy provided for the boom, by filling the flotation tube with a particulate liquid sorbent. The tube is fabricated of a mesh material pervious to both the oil and water. The skirt may be fabricated of a material pervious to water, and if so desired, to oil.
Claims41
In a boom system for containing a lighter liquid disposed on top of a heavier liquid, said system comprising
- flotation containment means for containing lighter liquid disposed on top of heavier liquid,
- skirt means,
- ballast means,
- and reinforcing means,
- said flotation containment means comprising buoyancy means for the flotation of the boom system,
- said flotation containment means, when the boom system is in use, being able to define an exterior surface comprising a freeboard exterior surface and a submerged exterior surface,
- said flotation containment means comprising sorption means for sorbing lighter liquid, said buoyancy means being able to buoy said sorption means,
- said sorption means comprising a porous medium for sorbing the lighter liquid and a wall component configured to contain said porous medium,
- at least part of said wall component comprising a mesh material pervious to both the lighter and the heavier liquid such that lighter liquid may pass through the mesh material of the wall component for contacting said porous medium,
- said skirt means having an upper edge and a lower edge, said upper edge being attached to the flotation containment means such that when the boom system is in use the skirt means depends from the flotation containment means,
- said ballast means beings disposed along said lower edge of said skirt means,
- the improvement
- wherein said skirt means is pervious at least to the heavier liquid and comprises an open mesh wall having mesh openings for the passage of the heavier liquid through the skirt means, said open mesh wall extending from said upper edge to said lower edge,
- wherein the reinforcing means is disposed along said upper edge of the skirt means,
- wherein 35 to 60 percent of the mesh wall of the skirt means comprises said mesh openings,
- wherein said mesh openings are from about 5 mm.sup.2 to about 15 mm.sup.2, and wherein the mesh wall of said skirt means comprises an oleophilic mesh material.
13 more elements
In a boom system for containing a lighter liquid disposed on top of a heavier liquid said system comprising
- flotation containment means for containing the lighter liquid disposed on top of the heavier liquid,
- skirt means,
- ballast means,
- and reinforcing means,
- said flotation containment means comprising buoyancy means for the flotation of the boom system,
- said buoyancy means, when the boom system is in use, having an exterior surface comprising a freeboard exterior surface and a submerged exterior surface,
- said buoyancy means comprising a buoyancy component comprising a porous medium for sorbing the lighter liquid and for providing buoyancy for the flotation of the boom system and a wall component for containing said porous medium,
- at least part of said wall component comprising a mesh material pervious to both the lighter and the heavier liquid such that lighter liquid may pass through the wall component for contacting said porous medium,
- said skirt means having an upper edge and a lower edge, said upper edge being attached to the flotation containment means such that when the boom system is in use the skirt means depends from the flotation containment means,
- said ballast means beings disposed along said lower edge of said skirt means,
- the improvement
- wherein said skirt means is pervious at least to the heavier liquid and comprises an open mesh wall having mesh openings for the passage of the heavier liquid through the skirt means, said open mesh wall extending from said upper edge to said lower edge, wherein the reinforcing means is disposed along said upper edge of the skirt means,
- wherein 35 to 60 percent of the mesh wall of the skirt means comprises said mesh openings,
- wherein said mesh openings are from about 5 mm.sup.2 to about 15 mm.sup.2,
- and
- wherein the mesh wall of said skirt means comprises an oleophilic mesh material.
13 more elements
In a boom system for containing a lighter liquid disposed on top of a heavier liquid, said system comprising
- flotation containment means for containing lighter liquid disposed on top of heavier liquid,
- skirt means,
- ballast means,
- and reinforcing means,
- said flotation containment means comprising buoyancy means for the flotation of the boom system, said flotation containment means, when the boom system is in use, being able to define an exterior surface comprising a freeboard exterior surface and a submerged exterior surface,
- said skirt means having an upper edge and a lower edge, said upper edge being attached to the flotation containment means such that when the boom system is in use the skirt means depends from the flotation containment means,
- said ballast means being disposed along said lower edge of said skirt means,
- the improvement
- wherein the flotation containment means comprises detachable cover sorption means for sorbing lighter liquid, said detachable cover sorption means covering at least a part of an exterior surface of said buoyancy means, said detachable cover sorption means being releasably attached to said buoyancy means by releasable attachment means such that when the boom system is in use the detachable cover sorption means is able to define at least part of said freeboard exterior surface and at least part of said submerged exterior surface,
- wherein said detachable cover sorption means comprises a porous medium for sorbing the lighter liquid and a wall component for containing said porous medium,
- wherein at least part of said wall component comprises a mesh material pervious to both the lighter and the heavier liquid such that lighter liquid may pass through the mesh material of the wall component for contacting said porous medium,
- wherein said skirt means is pervious at least to the heavier liquid and comprises an open mesh wall having mesh openings for the passage of the heavier liquid through the skirt means,
- and
- wherein the reinforcing means is disposed along said upper edge of the skirt means.
11 more elements
In a boom system for containing a lighter liquid disposed on top of a heavier liquid, said system comprising
- flotation containment means for containing lighter liquid disposed on top of heavier liquid,
- skirt means,
- ballast means,
- and reinforcing means,
- said flotation containment means comprising buoyancy means for the flotation of the boom system,
- said flotation containment means, when the boom system is in use, being able to define an exterior surface comprising a freeboard exterior surface and a submerged exterior surface,
- said skirt means having an upper edge and a lower edge, said upper edge being attached to the flotation containment means such that when the boom system is in use the skirt means depends from the flotation containment means,
- said ballast means being disposed along said lower edge of said skirt means,
- the improvement
- wherein the flotation containment means comprises detachable cover sorption means for sorbing lighter liquid, said detachable cover sorption means covering at least a part of an exterior surface of said buoyancy means, said detachable cover sorption means being releasably attached to said buoyancy means by releasable attachment means such that when the boom system is in use the detachable cover sorption means is able to define at least part of said freeboard exterior surface and at least part of said submerged exterior surface,
- wherein said detachable cover sorption means comprises a first porous medium for sorbing lighter liquid and a cover wall component for containing said first porous medium,
- wherein at least part of said cover wall component comprises a mesh material pervious to both the lighter and the heavier liquid such that lighter liquid may pass through the mesh material of the wall component for contacting said first porous medium,
- wherein said buoyancy means comprises a buoyancy component, said buoyancy component comprising a second porous medium for sorbing said lighter liquid and for providing buoyancy for the flotation of the boom system and a second wall component configured to contain said second porous medium,
- wherein at least part of said second wall component comprises a mesh material pervious to both the lighter and the heavier liquid such that lighter liquid may pass through the mesh material of the second wall component for contacting said second porous medium,
- wherein said skirt means is pervious at least to the heavier liquid and comprises a open mesh wall having mesh openings for the passage of the heavier liquid through the mesh wall,
- and
- wherein the reinforcing means is disposed along said upper edge of the skirt means.
14 more elements
A boom system as defined in 36 wherein said first and second porous media are the same.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.