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.

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).

A mobile microalgae harvesting apparatus is disclosed. In one embodiment the mobile microalgae harvesting apparatus includes a harvesting boom coupled to a harvesting vessel, where the harvesting boom skims a microalgae mixture of microalgae and water from a surface of a body of water down to a predetermined depth below the surface. In the embodiment, the mobile microalgae harvesting apparatus also includes a separator aboard the harvesting vessel that separates water from the microalgae mixture and a microalgae collector that collects microalgae from the separator, wherein the microalgae collector deposits the collected microalgae on a transfer vessel coupled to the harvesting vessel. A mobile microalgae harvester and a system for harvesting microalgae are also disclosed.

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 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.

A containment boom system for remediating an oil spill in a body of water includes a base support structure and a containment boom. An elongated rod has a proximal end and a spaced apart distal end. The proximal end is hingedly attached to the base support structure and extends laterally therefrom. A buoy is coupled to the distal end of the elongated rod. The buoy has sufficient buoyancy so as to remain floating on the liquid body while supporting the elongated rod. A reclamation loop is disposed in the water, a first portion of which is disposed in the oil spill and a second portion is disposed the water on the opposite side of the containment boom from the oil spill. The reclamation loop is continuously driven through a reclamation station, which removes oil therefrom.

An oil-collecting apparatus includes: a body including an inlet through which a liquid is introduced, a first outlet through which purified water generated from the liquid introduced through the inlet is discharged, and a second outlet through which materials collected from the liquid are discharged; and a filter arranged at the first outlet of the body and generating the purified water by collecting the materials included in the liquid by allowing the liquid introduced through the inlet to pass therethrough.

An oil fence including an oil filtration membrane includes: a floating member floating on a surface of water; and an oil filtration membrane connected to the floating member, allowing the water to pass therethrough, and rapidly collecting materials such as oil or a hazardous and noxious substance included in the water.

A method for skimming a target liquid floating on water involves a first step of providing a body having a first compartment and a second compartment. The body has floats, such that the body floats on the water. The body has an opening through which liquids enter the first compartment. The body has a target liquid transfer apparatus to transfer the target liquid from the first compartment to the second compartment. A second step involves setting the target liquid transfer apparatus a predetermined distance above a water level in the first compartment to selectively transfer only the target liquid floating on the water from the first compartment to the second compartment.

A floating weir skimmer comprises a collecting box (10), a weir plate (11) and an inner buoy (5). Said collecting box (10) comprises a baffle plate (3) and a trough (1). A guide rail (6) is arranged inside said trough (1). An inner buoy (5) is arranged inside collecting box (10), and a guide pulley (14) is arranged on said inner buoy (5), enabling said inner buoy (5) to slide on said guide rail (6). A supporting member is further arranged on said inner buoy (5). One end of said weir plate (11) is carried by said supporting member, and the other end is in rotation connection with said trough (1).