Flexible vessel
AssigneeInbar-Water Distribution Company Ltd
InventorAaharon Yaffe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus and a method for sea transport of liquids including a first enclosure, an at least partially flexible second enclosure disposed within the first enclosure and being adapted when filled, to generally fill the first enclosure, one of the first and second enclosures being a light liquid enclosure and the other of the first and second enclosures being a sea water enclosure, a light liquid port coupled to the light liquid enclosure for selectably filling it with a liquid lighter than sea water and a sea water port coupled to the sea water enclosure for selectably allowing sea water to fill it, thereby causing light liquid to be expelled against the force of gravity from the light liquid enclosure.
Claims46
Apparatus for sea transport of liquids comprising:
- a first flexible enclosure including:
- a plurality of mutually spaced enclosure cross-section defining elements which are joined by a tube of flexible material;
- an at least partially flexible second enclosure element disposed within said first enclosure, said first enclosure and said second enclosure element together defining an uppermost enclosure, being a light liquid enclosure, and a lowermost enclosure, being a sea water enclosure;
- and
- a light liquid port coupled to said light liquid enclosure for selectably filling it with a liquid lighter than sea water,
- said sea water enclosure being arranged for selectably allowing sea water to fill it, thereby causing light liquid to be expelled against the force of gravity from said light liquid enclosure.
Apparatus for transport of liquids comprising:
- a flexible enclosure including a plurality of spaced, relatively rigid enclosure cross-section defining elements, each pair of which are joined by a tube of flexible material and wherein said flexible enclosure is formed to define therewithin first and second fluid enclosures, an uppermost one of the first and second fluid enclosures being a light liquid enclosure and a lowermost one of the first and second fluid enclosures being a sea water enclosure, each of which may be filled to generally fill the flexible enclosure and thus empty the other of said first and second fluid enclosures.
A method for transport of liquids over seas comprising:
- providing a vessel including:
- a first flexible enclosure including:
- a plurality of mutually spaced enclosure cross-section defining elements which are joined by a tube of flexible material;
- and
- an at least partially flexible second enclosure element disposed within said first enclosure, said first enclosure and said second enclosure element together defining an uppermost enclosure, being a light liquid enclosure, and a lowermost enclosure, being a sea water enclosure;
- loading said vessel by selectably filling said light liquid enclosure with a liquid lighter than sea water;
- and
- unloading said vessel by selectably allowing sea water to fill said sea water enclosure, thereby causing light liquid to be expelled against the force of gravity from said light liquid enclosure.
A method for water transport of fluids comprising:
- providing a vessel including a flexible enclosure including a plurality of spaced, relatively rigid enclosure cross-section defining elements which are joined by a tube of flexible material, said flexible enclosure being formed to define therewithin first and second fluid enclosures, an uppermost one of the first and second fluid enclosures being a light liquid enclosure and a lowermost one of the first and second fluid enclosures being a sea water enclosure, each of which may be filled to generally fill the flexible enclosure and thus empty the other of said first and second fluid enclosures;
- loading said vessel by selectably filling said first fluid enclosure of a first fluid;
- and
- unloading said vessel by selectably allowing a second fluid to fill said second enclosure, thereby causing said first fluid to be expelled against the force of gravity from said first enclosure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.