Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
  • E02B—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING
  • E02B15/00—Cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water; Apparatus therefor
  • E02B15/04—Devices for cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water from oil or like floating materials by separating or removing these materials
  • E02B15/046—Collection of oil using vessels, i.e. boats, barges
  • E02B15/047—Collection of oil using vessels, i.e. boats, barges provided with an oil collecting boom arranged on at least one side of the hull
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
  • E02B—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING
  • E02B15/00—Cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water; Apparatus therefor
  • E02B15/04—Devices for cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water from oil or like floating materials by separating or removing these materials
  • E02B15/10—Devices for removing the material from the surface
  • E02B15/106—Overflow skimmers with suction heads; suction heads
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02A—TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02A20/00—Water conservation; Efficient water supply; Efficient water use
  • Y02A20/20—Controlling water pollution; Waste water treatment
  • Y02A20/204—Keeping clear the surface of open water from oil spills

Definitions

• the invention relates to a method for directing oil floating on top of a water bed to the vicinity of collection means and for collecting the oil from atop the water in which method are used water damming equipment at which the relative movement of the water bed in relation to said equipment creates a damming action m such a way that the top surface of the oil layer at a certain point is higher than the corresponding non-dammed surface.
• the invention also relates to an oil collecting ar ⁇ rangement suitably comprising means for accumulating oil to an accumulation or damming point by a wall structure such as the broadside of a vessel, a collecting boom or the like, as well as means for collecting oil from the surface of the water bed directly at the point of accumulation or m a collecting pool connected by a channel with the point of accumulation.
• the invention also includes the use of an embodiment according to the invention in an oil collecting vessel which has at least a boom structure at the level of the interface between the water bed and the oil layer to increase the thickness of the oil layer and/or to create an damming action.
• vessel is used to generally describe also other floating or stationary installations in relation to which there is a relative move ⁇ ment of water.
• Oil collecting devices located e. g. on board a vessel are previously known .
• the object of such arrangements is general ⁇ ly to provide an easy way of fastening the collecting means, the good navigability of the vessel and a more efficient utilization of the collecting properties of oil collecting booms. It is advantageous to locate especially mechanical power operated equipment on board a vessel since the power required is readily available from the engine of the vessel or from a separate power supply unit located on shipboard and easily fed with fuel.
• the collected oil can also conveniently be transferred to a container or some corresponding vat.
• a system of channels for transferring large amounts of water is, however, none too easily arranged on board a vessel.
• Such channels take up a lot of space, and often the design of the vessel is such that the optimal location of the channel leads to difficult structural problems.
• the dimensioning of the channels will thus be a conflicting task since on the one hand a large channel allows the transfer of large amounts of water for treatment and on the other creates relatively bigger structural problems.
• the dimensioning of the channels is usually a compromise between efficiency and locating difficulties.
• the invention is characterized in that oil collecting means are arranged in such a manner that mainly only the oil layer floating on top of the water bed passes essentially at the level of the water at the accumulation point to the active collecting surface of said oil collecting means, the movement of the water bed itself being at the same time essentially arrested.
• the water bed extending between an optional damming point of water and said collecting means is only used as a transport medium for the oil layer the water bed being kept in an essentially non-flowing state under the oil layer, and at the same time mainly only the oil layer floating on top of the water bed and possibly the interfacing layer of oil and water are made to move to said collecting means at an essentially horizontal level.
• the arrangement mentioned in connection with the invention is adapted to the vessel in such a way that one or more channels lead from the outer wall of the vessel to within the hull where one or several collecting means are arranged so chat each channel or section of channel is equipped with an operational obstacle limiting the movement of the water bed along the channel.
• Figure 1 represents a section of a channel implementation according to one embodiment of the invention
• Figure 2 represents part of a vessel where the construction of figure 1 has been installed
• Figure 3a represents another alternative embodiment where the operational obstacle on both sides is formed es ⁇ sentially by damming arrangements on opposite sides of the vessel,
• Figure 3b represents a simpler implementation of the solution depicted in figure 3a
• Figure 4 represents an alternative embodiment where the operational obstacle on both sides is formed by oil collecting means working in opposite directions.
• the vessel 1 is provided with a channel structure 2 where oil collecting means 3 operates which means in the embodiment described comprises a rotating and suitably cooled roller according to Finnish Patent applications 861719 and 871739.
• the roller 3 works in a channel 5 formed by a collecting pool 4, said channel being connected with a point of entry 6 in the outer surface of the vessel 1. Behind the entry 6 the broken line represents a collecting boom 7 which by the moving action of the vessel raises the water surface 8 of the area to be purified and the oil layer on top of it to the backwater level 10 and 10a correspondingly thus at the same time forming the point of oil accumulation.
• the entry 6 of the channel 5 is preferably arranged at the base of the boom 7 or some other damming wing.
• the liquid surfaces 11 and 11a, respective ⁇ ly, of water and oil in the entry 6 and in the channel 5 will adopt the same level 10, 10a as the corresponding liquid surfaces immediately outside the vessel.
• said oil collecting means 3 will cause the oil to exit to a scraper gutter 12 of the roller 3.
• the surface 11a of the oil layer 13 in channel 5 will drop at said collecting means 3 and allow new oil from near the entry opening to replace it.
• the water bed 14 under the oil layer 13 stays essentially evenly balanced and motionless.
• this situation is reached when the water pillar 17 raised by the roller 3 behind itself reaches a height where its pressure height corresponds with the frictional forces generated in the interface zone 18 between the oil and water layers.
• the movement of the oil layer 13 is generated solely by said collecting means 3 as its operation causes an internal difference in height at various points of the layers and/or suitably with the aid of the move ⁇ ment of the oil layer 13 which remains coherent due to its viscous properties.
• the move ⁇ ment of the water bed 14 underlying the oil layer 13 is limited by leading the oil layer 13 on top of the water bed 14 into the collecting chamber 4 which is operationally es ⁇ sentially closed at one end 15.
• oil is continuously removed from atop the water bed 14 while the water bed 14 under the oil layer 13 is kept in an essentially immobile state of balance.
• the movement of the water bed 14 is limited and/or retarded using particular obstacles which in figure 1 are generally designated by the reference number 22.
• these obstacles may by height adjustable vertical walls which are preferably connected so as to move with the level of the liquid surface 10, 10a.
• the obstacle comprises the height adjustable bottom level of the channel 5 which is preferably arranged as a floating level or which is m some other way connected so as to move with the liquid level 10, 10a.
• One method of limiting the movement of the water bed 14 is to keep the thickness of the immobile water bed 14 as small as possible which in practice is realized m such a way that the bottom 16 of the channel 5 at least at certain points is located at a fairly high level in relation to the surface 11 of the water bed 14.
• the embodiment shown in figure 3a is a smoothly realized channel with curved guiding walls 20, 21, and correspondingly the embodiment shown in figure 3a is a more simply realizable channel implementation.
• the collecting means 3 is located in said essentially horizontal section suitably centrally in relation to the vessel 1 and preferably in such a way that the channel 5, 5a will continue straight past the operating collecting surface of the collecting means 3.
• the collecting chamber 4a is then enlarged in depth and/or width to form a pool to ensure the efficient operation of said collecting means 3.
• said collecting means 3 comprises a device operating transversely to the longitudinal direction of the vessel 1 and located about midships at the midpoint of a bifurcated entry channel
• the entry channel preferably being provided with walls 21 guiding the flow of oil towards said collecting means 3.
• This location is preferred in that the collecting means 3 is located at a point where' the list of the vessel 1 in various directions due to a high sea will have a minimum effect on the level of the liquid layer at the collecting means 3.
• the collecting chamber may further be provided with separate units limiting the movement of the water.
• the preferred collecting device 3, 3a, 3b comprises a rotating roller according to Finnish Patent applications FI-861719 and FI-871739 where the roller is suitably cooled to enhance the collecting action.
• the operating obstacle is formed, in addition to the mutually opposing damming mentioned above, by two collecting devices 3a, 3b operating in opposite directions from each other.
• the channel 5 has an enlargement section 5b to facilitate the movement of the oil layer.
• the collecting channel 5 will be adapted to the type of vessel in question.
• the collecting means 3 is thus located immediately by the accumu ⁇ lation point 6 suitably directly by the adjacent wall struc ⁇ ture 1 or in a recess in said wall.
• the use of the invention incorporates one or several channels 5, 5a leading from the outer hull 1 into the vessel and provided with one or more collecting devices 3, 3a, 3b. Each channel 5 or channel section 5a is then provided with an operational obstacle limiting the movement of the water bed 14 along the channel 5.
• a preferred embodiment thus comprises a channel 5 extending through the vessel essentially transversely to the direction of movement.
• One or more collecting devices 3, 3a, 3b are essentially centrally positioned in said channel, the operational obstacle of each channel 5, 5a being formed by collecting channels 5a, 5 working in opposite directions with their, respective damming equipment and/or collecting means 3, 3b, 3a.
• several cross channels 5, one after the other, run through the vessel trans ⁇ versely to the direction of movement, each entry opening suitably being provided with a boom structure 7, 7a to create a damming action.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Removal Of Floating Material (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=8526325

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Citations (6)

• 1988
  • 1988-04-20 FI FI881851A patent/FI881851L/fi not_active Application Discontinuation
• 1989
  • 1989-04-19 WO PCT/FI1989/000072 patent/WO1989010297A1/en unknown
  • 1989-04-19 AU AU34174/89A patent/AU3417489A/en not_active Abandoned

Patent Citations (6)

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