EP0991818A1

EP0991818A1 - Extension unit with equipment for collecting oil and similar substance

Info

Publication number: EP0991818A1
Application number: EP98950127A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Sune Lundin
Original assignee: Orrebo Business Oy AB
Current assignee: Orrebo Business Oy AB
Priority date: 1997-10-27
Filing date: 1998-10-22
Publication date: 2000-04-12
Also published as: WO1999022077A1; AU9630998A; WO1999022077A8; WO1999022077A9; FI105221B; FI974058A0; FI974058A

Abstract

The purpose of the invention is to construct a discharge hose (2) extension, with accessories, attached to a tank truck's (4) negative pressure system or equivalent, which extension includes a collecting tool (7), a propeller (10) with a sheathing pipe (9), to facilitate the rotary movement of the collecting tool (7), and a cleaner (8). To provide for the use of feed water, there is an opening between the air outlet and the water outlet to permit intake of feed water by a suction hose (5). If necessary, a carrying handle may be fitted to the extension.

Description

EXTENSION UNIT WITH EQUIPMENT FOR COLLECTING OIL AND SIMILAR SUBSTANCE

The invention consists of an extension with accessories for collecting oil or equivalent, to clean shores or other such places. It operates by means of an air or water current generated by a negative pressure. Generally, oil is cleaned up by a shovel-and-bucket system or by expensive, complicated mechanical cleaning methods. The known methods are, however, not really accepted by professionals, partly because working with a shovel and a bucket is slow, and partly because of the high price of the existing mechanical cleaning methods. Municipalities and towns usually have one or several sewage trucks which are used in the event of oil spillage on land, in water or along the coast, provided that these trucks have access to the immediate neighbourhood or scene of the accident, The use of sewage trucks could be increased and intensified by an appropriate tool, designed to handle oil spillage and other similar clean-up jobs. An efficient vacuum pump, fitted with simple equipment, allows to carry off oil and water, through a hose, over long distances. The equipment usually consists of a discharge hose and a steel tube, i.e. an extension, attached to the suction end of the discharge hose. The purpose of the extension is to prevent the hose end from being flattened, and to maintain a good suction effect. Generally, the negative pressure system works flawlessly if the oil is fluid. On the other hand, it is practically impossible to remove oil that has become glutinous and clings to the rocky ground or cliffs, or has otherwise spread over the terrain or the coast. In such conditions - because of the lacking tool - it has not been possible to put the known hose and extension system, operating under a negative pressure, to maximum use in the cleaning work. The invention, i.e. the extension with accessories, can be used to collect difficult-to-remove oil, while also extending and increasing the traditional use of sewage trucks.

The purpose of this invention is to construct an extension which, with accessories, facilitates collection of oil or equivalent. The extension includes a collecting tool which generates a rotary movement by means of an air current or by feed water. The collecting tool may be a brush, which has proved effective in the collection of oil, or equivalent. There may be collecting tools, different in construction, for different purposes. A propeller or equivalent may be fitted to the extension to increase brush rotation. The propeller functions by an air current or by a water current generated by the negative pressure system. The propeller fitted inside the extension may be enclosed in a tube, thus to prevent penetration of sand and other trash between the propeller and the extension wall. If necessary, a cleaner can be fitted to the extension. The cleaner may be shaped like a fish spear. After the brush has separated the oil or equivalent from the site, the oil is recovered by means of an air current in the discharge hose, or by an air current and a water current. Collection takes place by the extension so that the hose, attached to a vacuum pump or equivalent, is connected to the extension. The vacuum pump is started and air begins to flow through the hose and the movement of the air current alone, or by means of the propeller, turns the collecting tool. The purpose of the rotating collecting tool is to break up, loosen and pick up glutinous oil which is then carried by a vacuum- generated air current, or by an air current and a water current into a collecting container.

If feed water is used to turn the collecting tool, the feed water hose or equivalent must be connected to the water intake between the extension intake /air feed opening and the air/water outlet, and the other end of the hose is placed into the water source, for example into the sea. The oil removed from the brush mixes with the water flowing in the hose, and moves through the water discharge hose, attached to the extension, into the oil recovery container. When oil is collected by means of feed water, the amount of oil picked up by the brush may be small, which means that a lot of water and little oil will accumulate in the container. In order to reduce the amount of collected water, the water can be circulated from the container and used as feed water in the extension and returned to the container. Oil rises on the surface of water in the container. By taking the feed water from the bottom, this water can recirculated. When feed water is used, the propeller can be fitted into the water intake. The extension is a low-cost, simple, easy-to-use mechanical tool which, with small investments, allows to increase the uses and applications of the negative pressure technology. The negative pressure system can also be utilized, for example, by means of an independently operating vacuum pump on the scene of the accident, or in a boat. A carrying handle can be attached to the extension to make work easier.

The invention is described herebelow by making reference to the figures which show an application of the invention.

Figure 1) shows the system's principle of use in terrain conditions; the system consists of an extension (1) attached to a feed water hose (5) and a discharge hose (2); the extension operates under a negative pressure generated by a vacuum pump (3) in a tank truck (4); and a carrying handle (6) and a collecting tool (7) attached to the extension ( 1) . Figure 2 shows the system's principle of use in terrain conditions; the system consists of an extension (1) and a respective collecting tool (7) which operates by a discharge hose (2), connected to a vacuum pump (3) in a tank truck (4) .

Figure 3 shows the system's principle of use in terrain conditions; a different type of an extension (1) has been attached to a feed water hose (5), and the extension is connected to a discharge hose (2) through which oil is sucked by a vacuum pump (3) into a tank truck (4).

Figure 4 a) shows a box-like extension (1), and attached to it a feed water hose (5) and a discharge hose (2) and a collecting tool (7) connected thereto.

Figure 4 b) shows a box-like extension (1) to which only a discharge hose (2) and a collecting tool (7) are attached.

Figure 4 c) shows an extension (1) made of a pipe, a collecting tool (7) is fitted to the tip of the pipe and to the pipe bend, a feed water hose (5) and a discharge hose (2) are connected to the bent extension.

Figure 5 a) shows a box-like extension (1) and attached thereto a feed water hose (5), a discharge hose (2) and a collecting tool (7), in a cross section from the side.

Figure 5 b) shows a box-like extension (1) and attached thereto a collecting tool (7), viewed from the top.

Figure 5 _c_rj shows, a box-like extension (1) and attached thereto a cleaner (8).

Figure 6 a) shows the cross section of a tubular extension (1) and attached thereto a collecting tool (7), a propeller (10), an enclosing pipe (9) and a discharge hose (2).

Figure 6 b) shows, viewed from the top, a tubular extension (1) and attached thereto a propeller (10) and a discharge hose (2).

Figure 6 c) shows the cross section of a propeller system, consisting of a propeller (10) and a pipe (9) that encloses the propeller, as well as a collecting tool (7).

Figure 7 a) shows the cross section of a bent extension (1), consisting of a propeller (10) and its enclosing pipe (9) which turn the collecting tool (7), which is cleaned of oil by a cleaner (8), and a feed water hose (5) and a discharge hose (2).

Figure 7 b) shows the cross section of a bent extension (1). Figure 7 c) shows a collecting tool (7) and a propeller (10) as well as its pipe separately.

Figure 8 a) shows the collecting tool (7) of a box-like extension, viewed from the front and from the side.

Figure 8 b) shows the collecting tool (7) of a bent extension, viewed from the front and from the side.

Figure 8 c) shows the collecting tool (7) of a tubular extension, viewed from the bottom and from the side, as well as a cleaner (8).

Claims

Patent claims

1. Attached to the end of a discharge hose (2), connected to a vacuum pump (3) or equivalent, an extension (1) that, with its accessories, facilitates recovery of oil or equivalent, k n o n for the fact that the rotary movement of the collecting tool (7), serving as an accessory, is caused by an air or water current.

2. An extension (1) according to patent claim 1, with accessories, k n o w n for the fact that the propeller (10), fitted as an accessory, which increases the rotation of the collecting tool (7), is enclosed in a sheathing pipe (9).

3. An extension (1) according to patent claim 1, with accessories, k n o w n for the fact that a cleaner (8) is fitted to the extension (1) to clean the collecting tool (7).