E02B15/04

Oil spill response unit
11473259 · 2022-10-18 · ·

Oil-collection system and oil-collecting barge. The system comprises a towing vessel and a transport barge, which has a catamaran structure, so that there are oil collectors in its pontoons. Guide booms are attached to the sides of the barge, with a structure that is tubular frame around a wall, in which the air space or volume of the lowest tube corresponds to the boom's own weight. When using a larger capacity in collection, the additional booms on the deck are filled with air and simultaneously pulled into operating condition with the aid of auxiliary boats, when towable booms are formed. With the aid of the invention, transport barge with a rapidly moveable structure, equipped with oil collectors is obtained, which can be attached to a towing vessel, and which in maritime conditions is stable and operable when towed. Thus a highly steerable unit is obtained for operative oil-spill-response tasks, in which the necessary hydraulics and other energy requirements of the equipment are connected from the towing vessel. In the case of an accident, the unit on operational stand-by departs for the accident site, where collection operation is started by rotating the barge's booms to the operating position.

Systems for offshore environmental maintenance

Systems, methods, and apparatuses for detecting and collecting fluids released into a body of water are disclosed. Particularly, detection and collection of a fluid released during a petroleum exploration or production operation are disclosed. A released fluid may be detected using sensors on a submersible vehicle (SV) or a plurality of SVs operating in concert. A detected released fluid is collected in storage tanks onboard of the one or more SVs or in an external tank coupled to the one or more SVs.

WATER-BORNE DEBRIS COLLECTION SYSTEM AND METHODS OF USING THE SAME
20230067954 · 2023-03-02 ·

A novel water-borne debris collection system integrated into a waterborne vessel for collecting surface and near surface debris in a body of water, such as a river, lake, or ocean. The apparatus may include a solid collection boom that projects laterally from a vessel and is partially submerged to act as a collection mechanism. The boom also facilitates the propulsion of the vessel by providing a barrier across which a differential water surface level may be created to drive the vessel forward. The apparatus may include a pumping system that draws water from the anterior side of the screen and for multiple purposes, including processing the collected water to remove plastics and other pollutant and debris material therefrom, and to transfer the water to the posterior side of the screen to create the differential water level for driving the vessel forward.

Water-borne debris collection system and methods of using the same
11629471 · 2023-04-18 ·

A novel water-borne debris collection system integrated into a waterborne vessel for collecting surface and near surface debris in a body of water, such as a river, lake, or ocean. The apparatus may include a solid collection boom that projects laterally from a vessel and is partially submerged to act as a collection mechanism. The boom also facilitates the propulsion of the vessel by providing a barrier across which a differential water surface level may be created to drive the vessel forward. The apparatus may include a pumping system that draws water from the anterior side of the screen and for multiple purposes, including processing the collected water to remove plastics and other pollutant and debris material therefrom, and to transfer the water to the posterior side of the screen to create the differential water level for driving the vessel forward.

Apparatus and method for collecting marine debris
11661156 · 2023-05-30 · ·

An apparatus for collecting floating marine debris comprises a frame, a debris collection container in communication with a rear opening of the frame, a pair of helicoidal screws mounted to the frame in a symmetrical V-arrangement that tapers inwardly from a front opening of the frame to the rear opening, and at least one prime mover rotationally coupled to the pair of helicoidal screws. The prime mover is operable to rotate the helicoidal screws in opposite directions at the same angular velocity in water to move the apparatus forward through the water, such that floating marine debris enters the apparatus through the front opening, passes through the rear opening and is collected in the debris collection container.

Onboard oil containment system

An oil containment system aboard a vessel includes a pneumatic system to provide power to a winch and reel assembly containing boom whereby the pneumatic supply is capable of simultaneously powering the winch-reel assembly for boom deployment through inflatable gas fed to a pneumatic motor while also inflating the boom. The inflation of the boom is accomplished by diverting, all or any portion thereof, the inflatable gas from a pneumatic supply through a hose that runs concurrently on the outside of the boom. The pneumatic supply originates from a single pneumatic system powering both the winch and reel assembly as well as associated brake and feeding inflatable gas pressure to the inflation hose running concurrently with the boom. The system can be utilized to confine a discharge of a floating material such as hydrocarbons floating on the surface from a vessel or structure.

Method for Cleaning Up Oil Spills Using Multi-Layered Carbon Fiber-Based Absorbents
20230115751 · 2023-04-13 ·

A method for cleaning up oil spills using multi-layered carbon fiber-based absorbents is disclosed. The method for cleaning up oil spills requires an oil-contaminated area including a quantity of oil, a first storage vessel, an oil extraction machine, a heating element, and a multi-layered carbon fiber absorbent. The multi-layered modified carbon fiber absorbent is distributed to the oil-contaminated area, where the multi-layered modified carbon fiber absorbent is configured to extract the quantity of oil from the oil-contaminated area while maintaining hydrophobic. The quantity of oil is extracted and separated from the multi-layered modified carbon fiber absorbent using the oil extraction machine. The extracted quantity of oil is collected into the first storage vessel. The extract quantity of oil is then transferred over to a second storage vessel for later refinement.

Toothed drum type oil recovery device

Provided is a toothed drum type oil recovery device, which includes: a recovery drum having a center coupled to a rotary shaft and having a plurality of tooth units formed around an outer circumference thereof, wherein one side of the recovery drum is disposed in the water to which oil is spilled so that the oil is recovered by the tooth unit at one side of the recovery drum according to the rotation; and a separation unit containing an oil separating liquid and disposed at the other side of the recovery drum, wherein when the tooth unit moves onto the oil separating liquid at the other side of the recovery drum according to the rotation of the recovery drum, the oil separating liquid is introduced into a space between the tooth units adjacent to each other by means of a capillary action to separate the oil from the tooth unit.

SOLAR BOAT FOR EASY COLLECTION OF SPILLED OIL AND GARBAGE
20230202622 · 2023-06-29 ·

A solar boat for easy collection of spilled oil and garbage of the present disclosure includes a cabin unit, a boat body consisting of a pair of ship bottoms having a structure that is symmetrical left and right and spaced apart below the cabin unit, a solar panel unit provided above the cabin unit and configured to convert solar energy into electrical energy, a collection and transfer unit provided between the pair of ship bottoms, driven by the electric energy supplied from the solar panel unit, and configured to collect spilled oil and garbage into the inside of the boat body, a garbage storage unit, and a spilled oil storage unit, wherein the collection and transfer unit comprises a rotating conveyor belt, and an oil adsorption member and a collection member that are attached to and detached from the conveyor belt, and the solar boat for easy collection of spilled oil and garbage of the present disclosure has an effect of having excellent work efficiency by simultaneously including an oil adsorption member and a collection member that are attached to and detached from a conveyor belt and simultaneously proceeding with collection of spilled oil and collection of garbage on the water, and an effect of being able to separate the spilled oil from the oil adsorption member, the collection member, and the garbage and easily move the spilled oil to the spilled oil storage unit by including a steam spray nozzle configured to spray hot steam at the end of the conveyor belt.

Surface containment system
11686060 · 2023-06-27 ·

A surface containment system to contain liquid contaminates escaping from a vessel, the containment system having in one example: a water and oil impermeable barrier liner positioned below the vessel; a perimeter wall surrounding the vessel, the perimeter wall extending vertically from the ground surface and supporting a portion of the barrier liner so as to form a containment reservoir; at least one fluid conduit through the barrier liner, the fluid conduit having a filter configured to retain contaminates and configured to allow water to pass by way of gravity from the reservoir through the impermeable barrier; the perimeter wall formed of a plurality of wall panels connected by way of struts each having a vertical component, a base component anchored to ground.