Device for collecting oil

Abstract

Provided is a device for collecting oil contained in ice. The device includes a lifting device fixed for example to a vessel, a cage of separation adapted to be lowered into the water between the ice blocks by means of the lifting device and formed by a box which lets water and oil but substantially no ice, and an oil collector for collecting the oil on the water surface in the space defined by the separation of cage.

Claims

1. A device for collecting oil among ice comprising: a lifting device configured to be supported by a means of transportation; a separating cage configured to be lowered into water among the ice by means of the lifting device and formed by a casing that lets water and oil but substantially no ice through; and an oil collector configured to collect oil on the surface of water in the space defined by the separating cage, wherein the lifting device is a gantry crane comprising uprights, and the gantry crane extends in a rear part of a vessel substantially over an entire width thereof to be turned over a stern, wherein the separating cage extends over an entire width of the gantry crane, and the separating cage is pivotally supported to upper ends of the uprights, wherein the casing of the separating cage is formed by a trough surface consisting of parallel ribs that are transverse relative to the longitudinal direction of the trough and disposed at a distance from one another, and wherein the separating cage includes a swinging suspension configured to support the separating cage to the lifting device to turn the separating cage in the longitudinal direction of the ribs.

2. The device for collecting oil according to claim 1, wherein the oil collector is a skimmer based on the rotating brush technique.

3. The device for collecting oil according to claim 1, wherein the ribs are rigid and angular and/or sharp-edged in cross-section.

4. The device for collecting oil according to claim 1, wherein the separating cage includes a moving feature configured to release oil from ice blocks that contact the ribs outside the separating cage.

5. The device for collecting oil according to claim 4, wherein the moving feature is vibration or swinging.

6. The device for collecting oil according to claim 1, further comprising a telescopic boom crane supported on a deck of the vessel.

7. The device for collecting oil according to claim 1, wherein the ribs of the separating cage are substantially parallel to the movement of the separating cage in the ice, so that the ice glides along the outer surface of the separating cage in the direction of the ribs.

8. The device for collecting oil according to claim 1, wherein the lifting device is supported by the vessel.

9. A device for collecting oil among ice comprising: a lifting device configured to be supported by a means of transportation; a separating cage configured to be lowered into water among the ice by means of the lifting device and formed by a casing that lets water and oil but substantially no ice through; and an oil collector configured to collect oil on the surface of water in the space defined by the separating cage, wherein the casing of the separating cage is formed by a conical or cap surface that tapers down from a closed cylindrical frame of an upper part, wherein the conical or cap surface and the closed cylindrical frame each comprise a plurality of adjacent and straight ribs; and wherein the lifting device is a telescopic boom crane supported on a deck of a vessel.

10. The device for collecting oil according to claim 9, wherein the conical or cap surface is formed by rigid ribs that extend down from the frame and join each other in the lower part of the surface.

11. The device for collecting oil according to claim 9, wherein a water flow arrangement is provided in connection with the oil collector configured to circulate the water to be cleared down from among the ice on the water surface through the separating cage.

12. The device for collecting oil according to claim 11, wherein the water flow arrangement is a propeller.

13. The device for collecting oil according to claim 9, wherein the oil collector is a skimmer based on the rotating brush technique.

14. The device for collecting oil according to claim 9, wherein the separating cage includes a moving feature configured to release oil from ice blocks that contact the ribs outside the separating cage.

15. The device for collecting oil according to claim 14, wherein the moving feature is vibration or swinging.

16. The device for collecting oil according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of ribs of the closed cylindrical frame are parallel to each other and an axis of the closed cylindrical frame.

17. The device for collecting oil according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of ribs of the conical or cap surface extend evenly and at even intervals from an edge of the of the closed cylindrical frame to a tip of the conical or cap surface.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Below, the device for collecting oil according to the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of one device for collecting oil according to the invention,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a side view of the operating position of the device for collecting oil of FIG. 1,

(4) FIG. 3 shows a side view of another position of the device for collecting oil of FIG. 1 and

(5) FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of another device for collecting oil according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(6) FIG. 1-3 illustrate one device for collecting oil according to the invention. It includes a gantry crane 10 that operates as a lifting device 2 and that is positioned in the rearmost part of the stern deck of a vessel 1. The gantry crane includes uprights 12 pivoted on the back corners of the deck and a beam 13 that connects them at the upper end. The uprights may be raised and lowered by hydraulic cylinders 14 coupled to the lower ends thereof between an operating position of FIG. 2 and a stock position of FIG. 3. By means of a suitable lever structure and working length of the hydraulic cylinders, it is also possible to arrange the gantry crane to be turned fully vertically or even in the other direction on the deck.

(7) A separating cage 3 with an oil collector 4 is pivotally supported to the upper end of the uprights 12. The separating cage is formed by an elongated trough surface 5, the length of which in this embodiment approximately equals to the width of the vessel 1. The trough surface consists of a large number of curved and parallel ribs 6 disposed side by side and at a small distance from one another and attached at the ends to a common support framework 15. The distance of the ribs from one another is preferably of the order of a few centimeters so that this ribbed grill would not let any ice blocks but only water and oil through.

(8) The ends of the support framework 15 are supported to pivots 17 at the ends of the uprights 12 by diagonal supports 16 so that the entire separating cage 3 is able to swing about a horizontal axis in parallel to the pivots 17. In addition, hydraulic cylinders 18 attached to the uprights are coupled to the diagonal supports 16 to turn the separating cage 3 at a required angle about said horizontal axis in a controlled manner.

(9) Further, supporting arms 19 are supported to the upper end of the gantry crane 10 above the separating cage so as to support inside the trough surface of the separating cage an oil collector 4, i.e. a skimmer, consisting of a brush that is as long as the trough and of the rotating means, comb structure, oil pumping means and other necessary parts in connection with the brush which are known per se and which are not illustrated in any more detail in the figure. In addition, hydraulic cylinders 20 are connected to the skimmer disposed on the supporting arms 19 for turning and moving the skimmer along a path that corresponds to the curvature of the trough surface 5 at a suitable distance above the trough surface. It is also possible that the supporting arms have a longitudinal adjustment option so that the hydraulic cylinder 20 can be adjusted so as to adjust the distance of the brush of the skimmer from the trough surface.

(10) The device for collecting oil according to the invention as illustrated in FIG. 1-3 is used as follows. As oil is present on the surface of water among ice blocks, the device for collecting oil is lowered to the level of the surface of water by means of the gantry crane so that the separating cage substantially, but not entirely, is descended into water. This way, it pushes away ice blocks in front of it and only water and oil remain inside the separating cage, so that the oil can be removed by the skimmer 4. If the booms of the gantry crane are provided with length adjustment, the device can be moved on the surface of water while the vessel 1 stays in place. However, in general the vessel is reversed, i.e. the separating cage 3 is moved on the surface of water so as to push away the ice in front of to the underside thereof, i.e. the ice glide along the lower surface of the ribs of the separating cage and pass the separating cage from below while the oily water flows through the separating cage. This way, the oily water that flows through the cage contacts the rotating skimmer which removes oil from the flow, and only cleared water exits the separating cage to the ice blocks that have passed from the underside.

(11) Depending on the conditions, i.e. the amount of oil, characteristics of the mass of ice and driving speed, the separating cage can be tilted at different angles to prevent the access of ice into the separating cage. Furthermore, the separating cage may be raised and lowered or shaken and vibrated or the skimmer may be moved in the separating cage for optimal recovery of oil as required by the conditions.

(12) In FIG. 1, a telescopic boom crane 11 is disposed on one edge of the deck of the vessel. The device for collecting oil now disposed on the gantry crane at the stern of the vessel may as well be disposed on this boom crane 11, so that, as the vessel is moving, the separating cage 3 that extends perpendicularly outwards from its side allows a strip of icy water as wide as the vessel to be cleared also on the side of the vessel. Especially in narrow places and when the vessel is in place, the big and far-reaching boom crane allows sweeping of even large curved surfaces clear from oil.

(13) FIG. 4 illustrates another device for collecting oil according to the invention. It is specifically developed and designed for use with the telescopic boom crane 11 of FIG. 1. It includes a conical surface 8 that forms the separating cage 3 and a cylindrical frame 21 thereabove. They both consist of a number of adjacent rigid and straight ribs 6. The ribs in the cylindrical frame are parallel to one another and to the axis of the cylinder. In the conical surface, the ribs extend evenly and at even intervals from the edge of the cylinder toward the tip of the cone. The ribs 6 are suitably spaced from one another so that only water and oil are able to pass therethrough, whereas the ice blocks are always left outside the cage. It is to be noted that, for clarity purposes, the ribs in the figure are disposed at relatively long intervals.

(14) In other words, the lower end of the conical surface 8 is relatively sharp, so descending the device into icy water does not cause problems; instead, it moves easily between ice blocks. In the upper part of the device, i.e. in the area of the cylindrical frame 21, inside the cage there are oil collectors 4, i.e. in this embodiment three skimmers at regular intervals. Below the skimmers, on the central axis of the conical area, there is a propeller as a water flow arrangement 9. It allows the water to be circulated through the separating cage so as to make the water to be cleared to flow effectively through the rotating brushes of the skimmers.

(15) The device for collecting oil according to the invention as illustrated in FIG. 4 is used as follows. Although the device of FIG. 4 may also be moved in slush, it is mainly designed for use in one place. In this case, the conical separating cage is lowered by a crane to the required place surrounded by contaminated water and ice. The device is lowered to such a depth that the water surface is level with the cylindrical frame 21 at a suitable operating height for the skimmers 4. Then, by rotating the skimmers and by rotating the propeller 9 thereunder the contaminated water is made to circulate so as to make oil and surface water radially to flow from all around the device towards the separating cage and through the ribs to the brushes of the skimmer, whereas the ice stay behind the ribs. The propeller sucks and forces down the cleared water. This way, contaminated and cleared water are not mixed; instead, a strong and steady flow toward the collector is provided over a large area in the oily surface layer of water among the ice. Particularly in narrow and limited places, such as docks, the device allows very good and extensive clearing results even by operating from one point. On the other hand, the device can be very simply and quickly moved from one place to another by a boom crane.

(16) It is therefore characteristic of the devices for collecting oil according to the invention that they are not bound to the vessels being used. They are neither provided as fixed parts of the vessels nor shaped or designed in any other way exclusive to a specific vessel. This way, the device for collecting oil according to the invention is extremely versatile in use and applicable for use in any vessel as long as it has a suitable lifting device. Thus, the use of the device in oil accidents does not require an oil combatting vessel; instead, it can be quickly delivered to the accident site even by a helicopter and deployed hours or even days before the arrival of an oil combatting vessel.

(17) In addition, it is to be noted that the device is also excellently applicable for use on land, i.e. when clearing quay and shore areas, the crane for use may be a truck crane or for example a dockside ship-to-shore crane normally used for loading ships. However, for simplicity purposes, the invention has been mainly described as a device used on ships, while its structure and operation remain the same also in the land operation mentioned above.

(18) The invention has been described above by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings without limiting the invention merely to the illustrated structures in any way. Various embodiments of the invention are possible within the scope defined by the claims.