Open sea skimmer barge - Patent Review 4477348

Claims

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. A towed open sea oil skimming vessel for skimming oil and the like from the surface of a body of water, said vessel comprising:

a hull having a bow, a bottom, side walls, a stern having a substantially horizontal elongate slot extending across a portion thereof and a deck, said hull including:

spill suction tunnel means communicating with the elongate slot extending across a portion of the stern of said hull and exiting said hull at an exit intermediate the bow and stern thereof, the spill suction tunnel means having an upper wall having a curvilinear shape along an initial portion thereof extending from the elongate slot of said hull to a point intermediate the distance between the elongate slot and the exit of the spill suction tunnel means, the curvilinear shape of the upper wall causing said oil and the like from the surface of said body of water to buoyantly flow therealong in a substantially uninterrupted layer when said vessel is positioned to have the upper wall extending from above the surface of said body of water to below the surface of said body of water;

spill suction pump means located in the spill suction tunnel means for the pumping of the oil and a portion of the water from said body of water thereinto and the pumping of the water therethrough;

collection tank means communicating with the spill suction tunnel means, the collection tank means having movable flap means located in the bottom thereof movable into the spill suction tunnel means to selectively allow communication between the spill suction tunnel means and the collection tank means;

induction space header means communicating with the collection tank means;

induction pump means having the inlet thereof communicating with the induction space header means and the outlet thereof communicating with said body of water, the induction pump means pumping water from the collection tank means to said body of water when said vessel is skimming the oil and the like from said body of water; and

secondary oil separation means contained within the collection tank means

whereby said vessel is moved bow first to said oil and the like on said surface of said body of water and subsequently moved stern first through said oil and the like and a portion of the water from said body of water to flow into the spill suction tunnel means through the slot in the stern of said hull, said oil and the like and the portion of the water from said body of water having the velocity thereof increased after flowing into the spill suction tunnel means by the pumping action of the spill suction pump means, said oil and the like buoyantly flowing along the upper wall of the spill suction tunnel means in a substantially uninterrupted layer, said oil and the like and a portion of the water in the spill suction tunnel means subsequently flowing into the collection tank means by moving the movable flap means in the bottom of the collection tank means into the spill suction tunnel means wherein said oil and the like is subsequently separated in the collection tank means from the portion of the portion of water flowing into the collection tank means, the portion of the portion of water being removed from the collection tank means by being pumped through said induction header means by the induction pump means to said body of water.

2. The vessel of claim 1 further comprising:

tertiary oil separation means communicating with the secondary oil separation means contained within the collection tank means.

3. The vessel of claim 1 further comprising:

oil boom means releasably secured to said hull at the stern on either side thereof for directing said oil and the like on said surface of the body of water to the horizontal elongate slot extending across a portion of the stern of said hull.

4. The vessel of claim 1 further comprising:

aft ramp means located on either side of said hull extending downwardly from the deck and terminating at the stern at a position adjacent the bottom of said hull.

5. The vessel of claim 3 further comprising:

boom storage means located on both sides of said hull to store the oil boom means thereon.

6. The vessel of claim 1 wherein the movable flap means located in the bottom of the collection tank means are movable into the spill suction tunnel means and extensible thereacross to thereby allow communication only with the collection tank means.

7. The vessel of claim 1 wherein the spill suction tunnel means exits said hull downwardly with respect thereto in a substantially vertical position.

8. The vessel of claim 2 further comprising:

ballast tank means located in said hull.

9. The vessel of claim 2 further comprising:

oil storage tank means located in said hull.

10. The vessel of claim 2 further comprising:

skimmer control tower means located on the deck.

11. The vessel of claim 2 further comprising:

recovered oil sump means having the secondary oil separation means communicating therewith.

12. The vessel of claim 11 further comprising:

junk collector means located in the recovered oil sump means.

13. The vessel of claim 2 further comprising:

stern thruster means located in the stern of said hull.

14. The vessel of claim 13 wherein the stern thruster is mounted transversely in the stern of said hull.

15. The vessel of claim 2 further comprising:

bow thruster means on said hull.

16. The vessel of claim 15 wherein the bow thruster means comprise retractable bow thruster means mounted on the bow of said hull on both sides thereof and are retractable therein.

17. The vessel of claim 2 further comprising:

crane means located on the deck thereof.

18. The vessel of claim 2 further comprising:

crew quarter means located on a portion of the deck of said hull, the crew quarter means having an upper surface.

19. The vessel of claim 18 further comprising:

control tower means located on a portion of the upper surface of the crew quarter means.

20. The vessel of claim 18 further comprising:

helideck means overlying a portion of the upper surface of the crew quarter means.

21. The vessel of claim 20 further comprising:

trolley hoist means located beneath the helideck means and above a portion of the upper surface of the crew quarter means.

22. The vessel of claim 3 further comprising:

guide roller means positioned on each side of said hull adjacent the stern thereof having a portion of each oil boom means engaging therewith to control the position of the portion of each oil boom means with respect to said hull.

23. The vessel of claim 22 wherein the guide roller means comprises adjustable guide roller means.

24. The vessel of claim 2 further comprising:

machinery compartment means located in said hull.

25. The vessel of claim 2 further comprising:

rub rail means secured to each side of said hull;

fender means secured to said hull;

padeye means located on the deck of said hull;

dispersant tank means located on the deck of said hull;

dispersant spraying means for spraying dispersant into the spill suction tunnel means;

bitt means located on the deck of said hull;

cleat means located on the deck of said hull;

winch means located on the deck of said hull;

cleaning means located on the deck of said hull; and

retrievable anchor means located on the bow of said hull.

26. The vessel of claim 1 wherein the secondary oil separation means comprises filter belt module means.

27. The vessel of claim 26 wherein the filter belt module means comprises:

framework means;

support means secured to one end of the framework means;

porous oleophilic polyurethane mesh means having reinforcing means on the back thereof, the mesh means being rotatably mounted over the framework means; and

power means for rotating the porous oleophilic polyurethane mesh means with respect to the framework means.

28. The vessel of claim 26 wherein:

the collection tank means comprises tank means having a plurality of compartments therein separated from each other by partition means extending throughout substantially the collection tank means, each compartment of the plurality of compartments having filter belt module means located therein.

29. The vessel of claim 28 wherein each filter belt module means comprises:

framework means;

support means secured to one end of the framework means;

porous oleophilic polyurethane mesh means having reinforcing means on the back thereof, the mesh means being rotatably mounted on the framework means; and

power means for rotating the porous oleophilic polyurethane mesh means with respect to the framework means.

30. A towed open sea oil skimming vessel for skimming oil and the like from the surface of a body of water, said vessel comprising:

a hull having a bow, a bottom, side walls, a stern having a substantially horizontal elongate slot extending across a portion thereof, and a deck;

spill suction tunnel means communicating with the horizontal elongate slot extending across a portion of the stern of said hull and exiting said hull intermediate the bow and stern thereof, the spill suction tunnel means having an upper wall having a curvilinear shape along an initial portion thereof extending from the elongate slot of said hull to a point intermediate the distance between the elongate slot and the exit of the spill suction tunnel means, the curvilienear shape of the upper wall causing said oil and the like from the surface of said body of water to buoyantly flow therealong in a substantially uninterrupted layer when said vessel is positioned to have the upper wall extending from above the surface of said body of water to below the surface of said body of water;

spill suction pump means located in said spill suction tunnel means for the pumping of the oil and a Portion of the water from said body of water thereinto and the pumping of the water therethrough;

collection tank means communicating with said spill suction tunnel means, said collection tank means having movable flap means located in the bottom thereof movable into said spill suction tunnel means to selectively allow communication between said spill suction tunnel means and said collection tank means;

induction space header means communicating with said collection tank means;

induction pump means having the inlet thereof communicating with said induction space header means and the outlet thereof communicating with said body of water, said induction pump means pumping water from said collection tank means to said body of water when said vessel is skimming the oil and the like from said body of water;

secondary oil separation means contained within said collection tank means; and

tertiary oil separation means communicating with said secondary oil separation means contained within said collection tank means

whereby said vessel is moved bow first to said oil and the like on said surface of said body of water and subsequently moved stern first through said oil and the like thereby permitting said oil and the like and a portion of the water from said body of water to flow into said spill suction tunnel means through the slot in the stern of said hull, said oil and the like and the portion of the water from said body of water having the velocity thereof increased after flowing into said spill suction tunnel means by said spill suction tunnel means, pump means, said oil and the like buoyantly flowing along the upper wall of the spill suction tunnel means in a substantially uninterrupted layer, said oil and the like and a portion of the portion of the water in said spill suction tunnel means subsequently said oil and the like is subsequently separated in said collection tank means from the portion of the portion of water flowing into said collection tank means, the portion of the portion of water being removed from said collection tank means by being pumped through said induction header means by the induction pump means to said body of water, said tertiary oil separation means further separating said oil and the like from said water contained therewith after said oil and the like has been separated from said water in said collection tank means.

31. The vessel of claim 30 further comprising:

aft ramp means located on either side of said hull extending downwardly from the deck and terminating at the stern at a position adjacent the bottom of said hull.

32. The vessel of claim 31 further comprising:

boom storage means located on both sides of said hull.

33. The vessel of claim 30 wherein said collection tank means further comprises:

movable flap means located in the bottom of said collection tank means movable into and extensible across said spill suction tunnel means to selectively allow communications between said spill suction tunnel means and said collection tank means.

34. The vessel of claim 30 wherein the upper wall of said spill suction tunnel means is curvilinear along an initial portion thereof.

35. The vessel of claim 30 further comprising:

induction pump means having the inlet thereof communicating with the collection tank means and the outlet thereof communicating with said body of water.

36. The vessel of claim 30 further comprising:

induction space header means communicating with the collection tank means.

37. The vessel of claim 36 further comprising:

induction pump means having the inlet thereof communicating with the induction space header means and the outlet thereof communicating with said body of water.

38. The vessel of claim 30 wherein said spill suction tunnel means exits said hull downwardly through the bottom thereof in a substantially vertical position.

39. The vessel of claim 30 further comprising:

ballast tank means located in said hull;

oil storage tank means located in said hull;

skimmer control tower means located on the deck of said hull; and

recovered oil sump means having the secondary oil separation means communicating therewith.

40. The vessel of claim 30 further comprising:

stern thruster means located on said hull; and

bow thruster means located on said hull.

41. The vessel of claim 30 further comprising:

crane means located on the deck of said hull;

crew quarter means located on a portion of the deck of said hull, the crew quarter means having an upper surface;

control tower means located on a portion of the upper surface of the crew quarter means;

helideck means overlying a portion of the upper surface of the crew quarter means; and

trolley hoist means located beneath the helideck means and above a portion of the upper surface of the crew quarter means.

42. The vessel of claim 30 further comprising:

oil boom means releasably secured to said hull at the stern on either side thereof for directing said oil and the like on said surface of the body of water to the horizontal elongate slot extending across a portion of the stern of said hull.

43. The vessel of claim 42 further comprising:

adjustable guide roller means positioned on said hull adjacent the stern thereof having a portion of each oil boom means engaging therewith to control the position of the portion of each oil boom means with respect to said hull.

44. The vessel of claim 30 further comprising:

machinery compartment means located in said hull;

rub rail means secured to each side of said hull;

fender means secured to said hull;

padeye means located on the deck of said hull;

bitt means located on the deck of said hull;

cleat means located on the deck of said hull;

winch means located on the deck of said hull;

cleaning means located on the deck of said hull; and

retrievable anchor means located on the bow of said hull.

45. The vessel of claim 30 wherein the secondary oil separation means comprises filter belt module means which includes:

framework means;

support means secured to one end of the framework means;

porous oleophilic polyurethane mesh means having reinforcing means on the back thereof, the mesh means being rotatably mounted over the framework means; and

power means for rotating the porous oleophilic polyurethane mesh means with respect to the framework means.

46. The vessel of claim 45 wherein said collection tank means comprises:

tank means having a plurality of compartments therein separated from each other by partition means extending throughout substantially said collection tank means, each compartment of the plurality of compartments having filter belt module means located therein.

47. A towed open sea oil skimming vessel for skimming oil and the like from the surface of a body of water, said vessel comprising:

a hull having a bow, a bottom, side walls, a stern having a substantially horizontal elongated slot extending across a portion thereof and a deck, said hull including:

spill suction tunnel means communicating with the elongate slot extending across a portion of the stern of said hull and exiting said hull at an exit intermediate the bow and stern thereof, the spill suction tunnel means having an upper wall having a curvilinear shape along an initial portion thereof extending from the elongate slot of said hull to a point intermediate the distance between the elongate slot and the exit of the spill suction tunnel means, the curvilinear shape of the upper wall causing said oil and the like from the surface of said body of water to buoyantly flow therealong in a substantially uninterrupted layer when said vessel is positioned to have the upper wall extending from above the surface of said body of water to below the surface of said body of water;

spill suction pump means located in the spill suction tunnel means for the pumping of the oil and a portion of the water from said body of water thereinto and the pumping of the water therethrough;

collection tank means communicating with the spill suction tunnel means, the collection tank means having movable flap means located in the bottom thereof movable into the spill suction tunnel means to selectively allow communication between the spill suction tunnel means and the collection tank means;

induction space header means communicating with the collection tank means;

induction pump means having the inlet thereof communicating with the induction space header means and the outlet thereof communicating with said body of water, the induction pump means pumping water from the collection tank means to said body of water when said vessel is skimming the oil and the like from said body of water; and

secondary oil separation means contained within the collection tank means

oil boom means releasably secured to said hull at the stern on either side thereof for directing said oil and the like on said surface of the body of water to the horizontal elongated slot extending across a portion of the stern of said hull and for towing said barge;

whereby said vessel is moved bow first to said oil and the like on said surface of said body of water and subsequently moved stern first by said oil boom means through said oil and the like and a portion of the water from said body of water to flow into the spill suction tunnel means through the slot in the stern of said hull, said oil and the like and the portion of the water from said body of water having the velocity thereof increased after flowing into the spill suction tunnel means by the pumping action of the spill suction pump means, said oil and the like buoyantly flowing along the upper wall of the spill suction tunnel means in a substantially uninterrupted layer, said oil and the like and a portion of the water in the spill suction tunnel means subsequently flowing into the collection tank means by moving the movable flap means in the bottom of the collection tank means into the spill suction tunnel means wherein said oil and the like is subsequently separated in the collection tank means from the portion of the portion of water flowing into the collection tank means, the portion of the portion of water being removed from the collection tank means by being pumped through said induction header means by the induction pump means to said body of water.