A remote-controlled underwater vehicle may be used to extract oil from an underside of a closed ice cover. Further, a system for extracting oil from an underside of a closed ice cover may comprise such a remote-controlled underwater vehicle and a submarine that can receive the remote-controlled underwater vehicle and store oil retrieved by the remote-controlled underwater vehicle. Finally, a method can be employed to extract oil from an underside of a closed ice cover.

A floating debris remover having an operator station for directing debris into a debris inlet and a power manipulateable debris scoop for on-the-go separation of the debris from the water through elevation of the debris scoop with the debris remover having an operator station to allow an onboard operator to retrieve and deposit debris at a waste disposal site solely through operator manipulation of the debris scoop.

Apparatus and methods for collecting debris from a body of water onto a waterborne vessel include at least one wave dampener and/or gate configured to limit inflow from the body of water into at least a first cargo compartment on the vessel to water and debris disposed at or near the surface of the body of water.

A device and method for dispersing oil on water comprises a rig structure for being mounted in a vessel, the rig structure including a front transverse structure with at least one nozzle for flushing with pressurized water supplied from a pressure facility located on the vessel.

An oil spill recovery vessel (10) is provided that comprises a catamaran bow section (12) with twin hulls between which an oil skimmer unit (11) is arranged for displacement between a lowered, operating, position in oil-polluted water and a raised, non-operational, position clear of the water. Aft of the catamaran bow section (12) is a trimaran main section (13) made up of a central hull interposed between two outer hulls formed by aft continuations of the twin hulls of the catamaran bow section (12); the three hulls of the trimaran main section have conjoined upper portions. A propulsion unit (53) is operative to move the vessel (10) forward at slow speed for skimming operations, and, with the skimmer unit (11) in its raised position, at a fast speed in which the vessel planes on its trimaran main section (13).

The present disclosure relates to devices, systems, and methods for using foam fractionation to remove non-polar waste molecules, including, but not limited to, sewage bacteria, environmental contaminants, and/or sediment/turbidity caused by dredging activities, from open-water aquatic environments. Some foam fractionation systems disclosed herein generally include a plurality of floating foam fractionation devices, each floating foam fractionation device including a floating body, a submerged hood coupled to the body, and at least one submerged air conduits for releasing bubbles into the surrounding water. Other foam fractionation systems disclosed herein generally include a submerged bubble generation device and a floating intake unit positioned remotely from the submerged bubble generation device.

A remote-controlled underwater vehicle may be used to extract oil from an underside of a closed ice cover. Further, a system for extracting oil from an underside of a closed ice cover may comprise such a remote-controlled underwater vehicle and a submarine that can receive the remote-controlled underwater vehicle and store oil retrieved by the remote-controlled underwater vehicle. Finally, a method can be employed to extract oil from an underside of a closed ice cover.

An apparatus for removing oil or other pollutants from the surface of water, comprising a platform having a left side wall, a right side wall, a rear wall, a front opening, a floor, and a bottom, one or more ballasts which adjust the platform floor relative to a level of oil on the water surface, wherein the oil flows from the front opening across the floor to the rear wall, a rear location near the rear wall to collect the oil from the platform floor; and a pump connected to the rear location that removes the oil from the rear location to a storage area which does not affect the ballast of the platform. The skimmer vessel can work stationary in the water, and does not require a propeller means, as the oil will continue to flow into the skimmer as the oil is pumped out of the rear by the gravity flow to the rear of the vessel.

A floating debris pickup system that includes watercraft with a forward extending landing door located at the bow that can be selectively lowered or raised by the operator. Attached to or near the upper edge of the landing door is a rigid net frame. A net is attached to the net frame. During use, the landing door is partially lowered which positions the net frame and net into the water. The watercraft then trolls in the water to pickup floating debris in the net. The net frame includes at least two upper extending posts configured to selectively engage receivers attached or formed on the upper edge of the landing door. The receivers and posts are oriented so that when the posts are attached to the receivers, the net frame is aligned perpendicular to the landing door. The watercraft includes a davit system that allows the net fame to be attached and removed from the landing door and raises the net filled with debris over trash cans located in the hull.

A system for removing an oil from a surface of a body of water including a vessel capable of floating on the body of water, with a bow arrangement having a port and a starboard deflector plate and with a downward facing deflector plate, a flow control foil attached to the bow arrangement below the surface of water, a horizontal elongated roller capable of breaking solidified fluids mounted just above the control foil. Behind and below the bow arrangement is a flow opening on the vessel underside where the flow opening is openly submerged below the surface of water. The system includes a separation compartment with walls, a roof, an open bottom and an oil pump having an inlet located near the top of the separation compartment and connected for transfer of collected oil to an onboard or remote storage unit.