EP1449763A1 - Method and installation of subsea effluent pollution recovery from a sunken tanker by using multiple shuttle tanks - Google Patents

Abstract

The shuttle reservoir has a collecting (2A) and a deploying (2B) form. It is repeatedly lowered to the seabed (7) in its collecting form, where it connects to an evacuation device (6) in the hull (6) of the damaged vessel and is filled and sealed shut. Integral floatation devices lift it to a surface vessel in its deployed form, where it is emptied or stored for transportation to shore : The evacuation device (6) contains a pipe and a first valve acting with an opening in the hull and/or the vessel to recover the effluents by lifting them into the evacuation device. The shuttle reservoir has at least one main internal orifice (5) which works with the evacuation device. These steps are repeated with the same shuttle reservoir until the required amount of effluent has been recovered. The shuttle reservoir has a rigid dome with an open circular base, preferably with a shell shape in vertical section, a rigid circular base and a flexible side wall which can be folded up into the filling position and unfolding as it fills to the deployed shape. The floatation elements are integral inside the dome and are preferably a syntactic mousse. The centre of buoyancy is above the apparent centre of gravity in the water. The reservoir can be moved by floating it into a submersible bridge vessel without having to lift it. The shuttle reservoir is held near the sunken vessel by an anchor cable to the seabed and a second anchor cable to the vessel. The reservoir is automatically decoupled from the sunken vessel before it rises to the surface when traction is applied matching the Archimedes force of the reservoir and its load, transmitted by the anchor cable to detach it from the vessel or break the cable at a threshold value. The speed with which the reservoir rises is controlled by a weighted cable or chain from the surface to the base of the reservoir.

Description

The present invention relates to a recovery method and installation effluents at sea and more particularly polluting effluents contained in a ship sunk and damaged resting on the bottom of the sea.

During the sinking of tankers, the ship generally sinks after being deeply damaged and after losing part of its cargo. When the water depth is important, for example 100 or 200 meters, the recovery of the wreck or its bailout is generally not considered, but the hull must be completely emptied and rinsed, so that corrosion of the structure in the time, creating localized or generalized holes, does not lead to the release of the contents of the ship, creating pollution that can last for years or even decades.

Many methods and devices have been studied and used in the past for try to recover highly polluting cargoes, but all are either not technically reliable, very delicate to implement and operations take a lot of time and generally cause secondary pollution, because the rate of recovery is far from satisfactory, especially since the process must be implemented works at great depth.

1) on descend un réceptacle comprenant un orifice inférieur à l'aide de moyens de positionnement à proximité et à la verticale d'au moins une ouverture dans la coque et/ou la cuve du navire mettant en communication l'intérieur de la cuve du navire avec l'extérieur, de manière à récupérer lesdits effluents polluants s'écoulant de ladite ouverture par remontée de ceux-ci dans ledit orifice inférieur dudit réceptacle, et

2) lorsque ledit réceptacle est rempli d'effluents polluants, on remonte ledit réceptacle à l'aide desdits moyens de positionnement jusqu'à ce que des moyens de vidange dudit réceptacle comprenant un orifice supérieur obturable dudit réceptacle et/ou une conduite d'évacuation reliée au dit orifice supérieur à la partie supérieure dudit réceptacle soient accessibles en surface, et

3) on vide ledit réceptacle dans une installation ou navire en surface à travers lesdits moyens de vidange accessibles en surface.

4) on répète les étapes 1) à 3) jusqu'à ce que la quantité voulue d'effluents soit récupérée.

In particular, a process has been described in FR 2 804 935 in the name of the applicant for the recovery of polluting effluents, lighter than water and little or not miscible with water, contained in a tank of a sunken and / or damaged vessel resting on the seabed, which includes the following stages in which:

1) a receptacle is lowered comprising a lower orifice by means of positioning means near and vertically at least one opening in the hull and / or the vessel of the vessel communicating the interior of the vessel of the ship with the outside, so as to recover said polluting effluents flowing from said opening by raising them in said lower orifice of said receptacle, and

2) when said receptacle is filled with polluting effluents, said receptacle is raised using said positioning means until means for emptying said receptacle comprising an upper closable orifice of said receptacle and / or a discharge pipe connected to said upper orifice at the upper part of said receptacle are accessible on the surface, and

3) said receptacle is emptied into an installation or vessel on the surface through said emptying means accessible from the surface.

4) repeating steps 1) to 3) until the desired quantity of effluent is recovered.

a) ledit réceptacle consiste en une cloche en forme d'entonnoir dont la grande base ouverte constitue ledit orifice inférieur et couvre une zone de fuite desdits effluents, ladite zone comprenant une ou plusieurs dites ouvertures dans la coque et/ou la cuve dudit navire, et la petite base supérieure dudit entonnoir donne accès au dit orifice supérieur, et

b) lesdits moyens de positionnement comprennent :

• des moyens d'ancrage dudit réceptacle sur le navire comprenant des câbles reliant des points d'attache fixés sur la circonférence de ladite grande base de l'entonnoir et des points d'attache sur le navire, et
• des moyens de tensionnement comprenant :

• des flotteurs reliés à la circonférence de ladite grande base ouverte dudit réceptacle et autour de la section tubulaire en partie supérieure de la petite base dudit entonnoir, et
• des treuils correspondants aux dits points d'attache sur le navire, et

c) lesdits moyens de vidange comprennent une dite conduite d'évacuation reliée par une extrémité au dit orifice supérieur comprenant ladite section tubulaire en partie supérieure dudit entonnoir, ladite conduite étant mise en tension sensiblement verticalement à l'aide d'un flotteur relié à l'extrémité libre de ladite conduite.

In a first alternative embodiment described in FR 2 804 935:

a) said receptacle consists of a funnel-shaped bell whose large open base constitutes said lower orifice and covers an area for the leakage of said effluents, said area comprising one or more said openings in the hull and / or the tank of said ship, and the small upper base of said funnel gives access to said upper orifice, and

b) said positioning means comprise:

• means for anchoring said receptacle to the ship comprising cables connecting attachment points fixed on the circumference of said large base of the funnel and attachment points on the ship, and
• tensioning means comprising:

• floats connected to the circumference of said large open base of said receptacle and around the tubular section in the upper part of the small base of said funnel, and
• winches corresponding to the said attachment points on the ship, and

c) said draining means comprise a said discharge pipe connected by one end to said upper orifice comprising said tubular section at the top of said funnel, said pipe being tensioned substantially vertically using a float connected to the free end of said pipe.

In this first alternative embodiment, the implementation of said means of positioning, during the successive descents and ascents of said receptacle, represents a very long and relatively difficult operation to perform at great depth. In in addition, pumping, through a said discharge pipe, is not possible at such a depth, especially when the effluent has a high viscosity and tends to freeze under form of paraffin. Even if a heating system is installed in the area of collection or in the upper part of the bell during the ascent, the viscous effluent has tendency to freeze, making pumping very difficult.

• un conteneur rigide de forme sensiblement tubulaire, qui est maintenu en position verticale à l'aide de flotteurs installés au moins à l'extrémité supérieure ou à chaque extrémité supérieure et inférieure dudit conteneur, et
• lesdits orifices supérieur et inférieur dudit conteneur étant obturables de sorte que ledit réceptacle peut être remonté en surface et installé en position horizontale flottante lorsque lesdits orifices sont obturés, ledit réceptacle pouvant alors être remorqué vers une installation ou un navire de stockage desdits effluents.

In a second alternative embodiment described in FR 2 804 935, said receptacle consists of:

• a rigid container of substantially tubular shape, which is held in vertical position by means of floats installed at least at the upper end or at each upper and lower end of said container, and
• said upper and lower orifices of said container being closable so that said receptacle can be raised to the surface and installed in a floating horizontal position when said orifices are closed, said receptacle can then be towed to an installation or a vessel for storing said effluents.

These rigid containers in the form of a cigar, due to their size important, are difficult to descend to the bottom of the sea and, to avoid operations successive, a preferred mode has been described in which said container occupies all of the slice of water between the wreck and the surface. But, it is obvious that this second variant cannot be considered for depths of 1000 meters or more, because it involves a receptacle that is far too large, impossible to install or go down frequently.

In practice, the different embodiments described in FR 2 804 935 do not not suitable for interventions at depths greater than 1000 meters.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a method and an installation allowing to recover the contents of the holds of a ship, for example an oil tanker, resting on the seabed, in significant water depths, in particular greater than 3000 meters, or even up to 4000 to 5000 meters, and which do not have the disadvantages of prior methods and devices and, in particular, which are more reliable technically, easier and simple to implement.

a) on installe un dispositif d'évacuation des effluents comprenant de préférence au moins une canalisation et une première vanne, coopérant avec une ouverture de la coque et/ou de la cuve de manière à pouvoir récupérer lesdits effluents polluants s'écoulant de ladite ouverture par remontée de ceux-ci jusqu'audit dispositif d'évacuation, et

b) on récupère lesdits effluents s'écoulant de ladite ouverture de la coque et/ou de la cuve,

To do this, the present invention provides a method for recovering pollutant effluents lighter than water, contained in a tank of a sunken and / or damaged ship resting on the bottom of the sea in which:

a) installing an effluent evacuation device preferably comprising at least one pipe and a first valve, cooperating with an opening of the shell and / or of the tank so as to be able to recover said polluting effluents flowing from said opening by raising them up to said evacuation device, and

b) recovering said effluents flowing from said opening of the hull and / or of the tank,

1- on descend ledit réservoir navette, depuis la surface jusqu'au fond de la mer, dans sa dite position ramassée et on fait coopérer ledit orifice inférieur du réservoir navette avec ledit dispositif d'évacuation, et

2- on remplit d'effluents ledit réservoir navette, puis, une fois rempli d'effluents, dans sa dite configuration déployée, on le ferme pour le rendre étanche, et

3- on laisse ledit réservoir navette remonter à la surface, une fois rempli, en configuration déployée, ledit réservoir navette, comprenant de préférence des éléments de flottabilité, et

4- de préférence, on stocke ledit réservoir navette rempli d'effluents dans un navire en surface et on vide ledit réservoir navette dans ledit navire ou on le transporte dans un site pour y être vidé, et

5- le cas échéant, on répète les étapes 1 à 4 avec ledit réservoir navette, ou un autre réservoir navette, jusqu'à ce que la quantité voulue d'effluents soit récupérée.

According to the present invention, in step b) said effluents are recovered using a shuttle tank, which can adopt a picked up configuration and a deployed configuration, said shuttle tank comprising at least one lower main orifice capable of cooperating with said evacuation device, so that the steps in which:

1- the said shuttle tank is lowered from the surface to the bottom of the sea, in its said picked-up position and said lower orifice of the shuttle tank is made to cooperate with said evacuation device, and

2- said shuttle tank is filled with effluents, then, once filled with effluents, in its said deployed configuration, it is closed to make it watertight, and

3- said shuttle tank is allowed to rise to the surface, once filled, in the deployed configuration, said shuttle tank, preferably comprising buoyancy elements, and

4- preferably, said shuttle tank filled with effluents is stored in a ship on the surface and said shuttle tank is emptied in said ship or it is transported to a site to be emptied there, and

5- if necessary, repeat steps 1 to 4 with said shuttle tank, or another shuttle tank, until the desired quantity of effluents is recovered.

The use of a tank shuttle that can adopt a picked up configuration, that is to say compact, makes it easy to descend to the bottom of the sea, and the case where appropriate, the connection with the wreck, in particular by connecting said lower orifice of the tank shuttle with said evacuation device, in particular using an ROV. Else share, this so-called shuttle tank, due to the clean buoyancy of oil and its elements possible additional buoyancy, allows the effluent to rise without the use a bottom-surface connection pipe and / or without pumping, from the surface, effluents to be recovered.

In a particular embodiment, said reservoir is filled with sea water before lowering it to the bottom of the sea in the deployed configuration filled with sea water. Thus, later, at the bottom of the sea, the sea water will be replaced by said effluents when filling said tank with effluents.

a) un dôme rigide à base circulaire ouverte, de préférence avec un profil en forme d'obus en section verticale,

b) un fond rigide, de préférence plat, dont la périphérie est de préférence circulaire, et

c) une paroi périphérique latérale constituant une enveloppe souple, assurant la liaison de ladite base du dôme avec la périphérie dudit fond de sorte que :

• ladite paroi périphérique latérale peut être repliée sur elle-même, pour permettre le rapprochement dudit dôme et dudit fond, de préférence à l'aide de sangles amovibles, ledit réservoir navette étant alors en dite position ramassée et
• lesdits effluents pouvant être confinés à l'intérieur dudit réservoir navette lorsque ladite paroi latérale est dépliée, ledit réservoir navette étant alors en dite position déployée.

In a particular embodiment, said shuttle tank comprises:

a) a rigid dome with an open circular base, preferably with a shell-shaped profile in vertical section,

b) a rigid bottom, preferably flat, the periphery of which is preferably circular, and

c) a lateral peripheral wall constituting a flexible envelope, ensuring the connection of said base of the dome with the periphery of said bottom so that:

• said lateral peripheral wall can be folded back on itself, to allow said dome and said bottom to be brought together, preferably by means of removable straps, said shuttle tank then being in said picked up position and
• said effluents being able to be confined inside said shuttle tank when said side wall is unfolded, said shuttle tank then being in said deployed position.

Said rigid bottom of the tank may consist of a solid bottom comprising preferably a second orifice equipped with a second valve, where said rigid bottom can be consisting of an open frame, preferably annular, delimiting a said lower orifice main tank.

The lower orifice can correspond to said second valve installed in the bottom full of the tank or at the openings of the peripheral envelope and if necessary said additional flexible internal pocket delimited by said open frame to which they are connected.

Said dome, with its profile in particular in the form of a shell in vertical section, associated with said buoyancy elements facilitates the ascent to the surface of the tank shuttle once full, using only clean oil buoyancy and where applicable additional buoyancy elements.

Here, we mean by shell profile: an ellipsoid or paraboloid profile well known to those skilled in the art.

Advantageously, said buoyancy elements of said shuttle tank are integrated inside said dome, said buoyancy elements preferably consisting of into syntactic foam.

Even more advantageously, said buoyancy elements are integrated into the interior of said dome in its upper part, so that the center of buoyancy of said shuttle tank filled with effluents is shifted upwards relative to its center of apparent gravity in water.

We install enough buoyancy and in a position high enough that the buoyancy center, thus offset upwards, associated with the profiled shape of the dome, allows the shuttle tank to maintain, throughout its natural ascent, a substantially straight and vertical trajectory, then, on the surface, to maintain itself easily in a horizontal position to be towed and then directed towards a storage, preferably a ship with a submersible bridge, allowing the introduction of said shuttle tank of said vessel without having to remove said shuttle tank from the water.

In a particular embodiment, said shuttle tank is kept at proximity of said effluent discharge device using anchoring means, comprising at least one anchoring cable connecting at least a first fixed attachment point in the lower part of the tank, near said bottom of the tank, preferably on the periphery of said bottom of the shuttle tank and at least one second attachment point on the sunken ship, or the bottom of the sea, making it possible to anchor said shuttle tank to said sunken ship or on the bottom of the sea.

Said buoyancy elements associated with said shuttle tank ensure the tensioning said cables, thereby maintaining said shuttle tank in suspension near and vertically of said opening of the hull and / or tank and, the if necessary, in cooperation with said evacuation device. These anchoring means can be easily implemented using an underwater vehicle controlled by distance (ROV).

Advantageously, before step 3 of raising the shuttle tank, a automatic disconnection step of said anchoring means which is carried out automatically when the shuttle tank has reached a filling rate predetermined, especially when the tank is full or almost full.

More particularly, at least one said anchoring cable cooperates with a first automatic disconnection device on which traction is exerted corresponding to the Archimedes thrust exerted on said shuttle tank and its cargo, traction transmitted by said anchor cable, said disconnection device having the effect of cause a disconnection of said anchor cable by detachment of said cable anchoring with said tank or with said vessel at the bottom of the sea or by breaking the said anchor cable, and to authorize the at least partial ascent of said shuttle tank, when this traction reaches a first determined threshold value, preferably when said shuttle tank is filled with effluents.

When the reservoir fills with effluents, the buoyancy which exerts on the shuttle / cargo tank assembly increases as the effluent, lighter than water, replaces the water inside said shuttle tank up to reach a maximum value when full. This Archimedes push which is exerted on the tank and its cargo, is transmitted to the automatic disconnection device by said anchor cable. Disconnecting the anchor cable may cause a break the continuity of the cable between said shuttle tank and the ship at the bottom of the sea, and authorize a release of the shuttle tank. Cable disconnection can be done also at its end anchored on said shell or said tank, allowing release only partial allowing a rise of a limited distance from the shuttle tank , especially of a height sufficient to warn that the filling of the tank has reached the desired filling rate corresponding to the said traction threshold value. said first determined threshold value therefore corresponds to the Archimedes push which is exerted on the tank when the tank is filled with a predetermined quantity of effluents and, especially preferably when it is completely filled with effluents.

More specifically, in a particular embodiment, said first device of automatic disconnection comprises a connection device preferably comprising a shear pin, and said connecting device provides the connection between two portions of said anchor cable, and breaks when a pull corresponding to said predetermined threshold value, is exerted on one of the two portions of said anchoring cable.

In another particular embodiment, said first device for automatic disconnection includes a link device, preferably comprising a shear pin, and said connecting device provides the connection between said cable anchor and a first point of attachment to the ship, said disconnection consisting of a break in the connection between said anchor cable and said first anchor point, then a partial release of said cable, and finally a new connection between said anchor cable and a second said point of attachment to the ship located higher than said first point fastening allowing a rise of a distance limited to the distance between the two said attachment points on the ship when a traction corresponding to said threshold value is exerted on said anchor cable at said first point of attachment to the ship.

The advantages of this embodiment are explained below. It's about mainly to notify the person in charge of surface operations that the filling of the tank is reached.

In a preferred embodiment, the rate of descent is controlled or raising of said shuttle tank with a stabilization device comprising at least a second cable or link chain, extending from the surface, preferably from a ship on the surface, to a lower part of the tank to which its end is connected, said second cable or said connecting chain comprising a portion lower weighted, preferably by blocks arranged in a chain along said second cable or by heavier large links of said chain, so that the weight of the length of said lower portion of said cable or hanging chain below said shuttle tank, can be adjusted from the surface, preferably using a winch located on board a surface vessel and on which the upper end of said cable or said chain is unwound or wound, so as to control the speed of lowering or respectively raising of said shuttle tank.

This embodiment is very advantageous because it makes it possible to control mainly the shuttle ascent rate by simply controlling the speed winding cable or chain on the surface winch. This especially allows to interrupt the recovery of the shuttle tank if the sea is too bad and, in particular, if the swell is too strong on the surface, making it impossible to transfer the tank on board the surface vessel.

More preferably, said blocks of said second cable or large heavy links of said connecting chain, in said lower portion of said second cable or chain have a shape such that when bending said cable or said chain, two blocks adjacent or two adjacent heavy links abut against each other limiting thus the local radius of curvature (Ro) of said cable or of said chain.

This embodiment is advantageous because it makes it possible to avoid that the side wall of the tank does not strike the chain or connecting cable during operations.

Preferably, said shuttle tank comprises an additional internal pocket flexible, in which said effluents are recovered, preferably consisting of a net fine mesh, capable of confining said viscous effluents, said pocket comprising a opening capable of cooperating, by reversible connection, with said main orifice at the bottom allowing the filling of the shuttle tank.

This embodiment with an internal pocket makes it easier to empty the shuttle tank when this has arrived at its destination on the emptying site and allows recover the flexible envelope constituting the peripheral wall of the envelope for a new round trip.

In an advantageous embodiment, at the start of step 3 of ascent of the tank, a first closing device allows the automatic closing of said tank first valve installed in an opening of the hull or tank when said first automatic disconnection device allows at least partial ascent of said tank.

Preferably this closing of said first valve occurs before the closing of the tank, which can be operated by an operator, especially with an ROV or trigger automatically.

Advantageously, in fact, the closure of said first valve by said first closing device automatically triggers the closing of said lower orifice of the shuttle tank, preferably by said raising of said tank by a distance if necessary corresponding to the height between the two said attachment points on the ship, allowing said partial ascent.

In another advantageous embodiment, the closing of said lower orifice said tank is made using a second closure device comprising a cable closure forming a loop surrounding the lower end of said flexible envelope and where appropriate of the said internal pocket and allowing the tightening of the loop when a traction is exerted on said closure cable, preferably through a slip knot.

More preferably, said first device for closing said first valve includes a control cable connected at one end to a said second device for closing the tank and at its other end to a control means closing said first valve, and said control cable corresponds to in preference to the said tank closing cable forming a said loop at one end, and said control cable cooperates with a second disconnection device automatic, the latter making it possible to separate said control cable from said tank, said shell or said tank or to cause the rupture of said control cable after closing of said first valve and closing of the lower main orifice of tank.

It is understood that said disconnection of said control cable occurs when the traction exerted on said control cable at said second device disconnection reaches a second determined threshold value greater than the value necessary for actuating said means for controlling the closing of said first valve added to that required to close the tank.

More particularly still, a so-called first automatic disconnection device cooperates with a said anchor cable and a said second disconnection device automatic cooperates with a said tank closing cable in a coordinated manner so that the said closing cable controls the closing of the said first valve and automatic closing of said tank by raising said full tank after said first automatic disconnection of said anchor cable, and said second disconnection of said closure cable allows complete release and ascent shuttle tank surface.

According to a first alternative embodiment, said device for evacuating effluent is installed through an opening in the hull and / or the tank.

In this preferred embodiment, the shuttle tank is manipulated by the ROV and is installed directly on the wreck making the lower orifice of said tank cooperate shuttle and the opening created in the hull, in a leaktight manner, the various elements, as well that the locking means of said elements being capable of withstanding the forces created by the overall buoyancy of the full shuttle tank of oil, as well as all stresses due to sea currents. In this preferred embodiment, said rigid bottom of the tank is advantageously made up of an open, preferably annular, block, delimiting a said lower main orifice.

More particularly, said open frame is part of a lower rigid structure frustoconical, a said cable for closing said reservoir surrounding said flexible envelope and where appropriate said internal pocket by cooperating with said structure below a level where it has a reduced diameter compared to the diameter of the current part of the cylindrical peripheral wall of a said shuttle tank.

In a particular embodiment, said shuttle tank comprises at the level from its solid bottom at least a second orifice equipped with a second valve.

This complementary orifice makes it possible to fill said shuttle tank with sea water, once it is stowed so as to cooperate with said evacuation device and thus allowing said shuttle tank to pass from its said configuration picked up to its said deployed configuration and subsequently allowing the evacuation of sea water during filling said shuttle tank with said effluents flowing from said device discharge.

According to a second alternative embodiment, said evacuation device cooperates with an upper port of a receptacle, said receptacle comprising a lower port positioned close and vertically to at least one second installed pipe in a said opening in the shell and / or tank so as to be able to recover said polluting effluents flowing from said opening by rising thereof in said orifice lower of said receptacle.

This second alternative embodiment makes it possible to recover flowing effluents, in particular of several openings in said shell.

In this second variant, advantageously, said tank shuttle includes a solid rigid bottom and includes at the level of its said bottom, a second orifice fitted with a second valve.

In this second variant embodiment, a receptacle such as described in FR 2 804 935.

• des seconds moyens d'ancrage dudit réceptacle sur ledit navire ou ladite cuve ou ledit fond de la mer comprenant des seconds câbles reliant des points d'attaches fixés sur la circonférence de ladite grande base de l'entonnoir et des points d'attaches sur le navire ou dite cuve ou dit fond de la mer, et
• des moyens de tensionnement comprenant :
  • des flotteurs (reliés à la circonférence de ladite grande base ouverte dudit réceptacle et autour de la section tubulaire en partie supérieure de ladite petite base dudit entonnoir, et
  • de préférence, des treuils correspondant aux dits points d'attaches sur ledit navire ou dite cuve ou dit fond de la mer.

More particularly, said receptacle has a funnel shape, the large open base of which constitutes said lower orifice and covers an area for the leakage of said effluents, said area comprising one or more said openings in the hull and / or the vessel of the ship, and the small upper base of said funnel giving access to said upper orifice of said receptacle and said receptacle cooperating with positioning means comprising:

• second means for anchoring said receptacle on said vessel or said tank or said sea floor comprising second cables connecting attachment points fixed on the circumference of said large base of the funnel and attachment points on the vessel or said tank or said bottom of the sea, and
• tensioning means comprising:
  • floats (connected to the circumference of said large open base of said receptacle and around the tubular section in the upper part of said small base of said funnel, and
  • preferably winches corresponding to the said attachment points on the said vessel or said tank or said bottom of the sea.

The evacuation device can be installed on an existing opening or a pre-drilled opening specially to introduce the evacuation device.

Advantageously, the evacuation device is placed in the upper part of the tank. to facilitate installation of the receptacle above the end of the pipe. However, the use of a pipe allows in case of need to install the device evacuation on the side walls of the tank insofar as said pipe can be released from the side wall according to the shape that it is made to adopt. The skirt peripheral around the lower orifice makes it possible to cover, that is to say to cover completely said end of the pipe from above and on the sides, from so that the effluents rise well towards the open interior orifice and do not can escape.

Said receptacle is kept in suspension close to the vertical of the opening through which the effluents flow so as to overcome the geometry of the ship and not be dependent on possible ship instability.

All the devices described in the present invention allow the recovery of fluids immiscible or little miscible with seawater and whose density is less than 1 with respect to said seawater.

The technology is particularly applicable to hydrocarbons whose density varies from 0.75 for the lightest, to values close to 1 for the heaviest.

The present invention also relates to the installation useful in a method of recovery of polluting effluents contained in the tanks of a sunken ship and / or damaged lying at the bottom of the sea according to the invention, characterized in that it comprises a said shuttle tank as defined above and, preferably, said anchoring means, as defined above.

Preferably, said installation comprises Installation, a said device for stabilization comprising at least one said second cable or link chain.

More preferably, said installation comprises a said first device for closing and a said first disconnection device, and where appropriate a said second tank closing device.

In one embodiment, said installation comprises a said receptacle and where appropriate, said anchoring means and said means of positioning and so-called tensioning means.

la figure 1 est une coupe en vue de côté de la cuve ou d'une épave 6 sur laquelle est installé un réservoir navette selon l'invention, en cours de remplissage,

la figure 2 est une coupe en vue de côté d'un réservoir navette 2 en position déployée (2B),

la figure 3 est une coupe en vue de côté d'un réservoir navette 2 en position complètement ramassée (2A),

la figure 4 est une coupe en vue de côté d'un réservoir navette 2 en position intermédiaire (2C) entre les positions déployée (2B) et ramassée (2A),

la figure 5 est une vue de côté d'un réservoir navette 2 en cours de remontée vers la surface, à proximité d'un navire de transport à pont submersible 10,

la figure 6 est une vue en plan d'un navire submersible 10 et de son chargement inachevé de 10 réservoirs navettes,

la figure 7 est une coupe en vue de côté d'une épave ou cuve 6 sur laquelle a été installé un réceptacle 20 de captage de fuites, prêt à recevoir un réservoir navette 2,

la figure 10 est une vue de côté d'un réservoir navette stabilisé dans sa remontée par un câble de liaison alourdi par des blocs solidaires de ce dernier et jouant aussi le rôle de limiteur de courbure,

les figures 10a représente le détail de deux blocs en contact, lorsque ledit câble est courbé,

les figures 11 et 12 représentent des états similaires à celui de la figure 10, le réservoir navette étant en phase de remontée sur la figure 11 et en descente sur la figure 12,

la figure 13 représente en coupe en vue de côté un réservoir navette maintenu à la verticale d'une dite première vanne pré-installée sur la coque de l'épave, au moyen d'un câble d'ancrage et d'un premier dispositif de déconnexion automatique,

la figure 13a illustre un exemple de déconnecteur automatique à goupille de cisaillement représenté sur la figure 13,

la figure 14 représente le réservoir navette remontant vers la surface après cisaillement de la goupille, la dite première vanne sur l'épave se fermant alors en premier après déconnexion du câble d'ancrage et avant fermeture de l'orifice inférieur du réservoir,

la figure 15 représente la séquence suivant celle de la figure 14, un câble de fermeture ,à savoir une simple corde, entourant l'extrémité inférieur de l'enveloppe souple du réservoir en passant dans un noeud coulant comme un lasso, ferme de manière quasi-étanche le réservoir navette dans sa partie basse,

la figure 15a est une coupe en vue en plan de dessous selon AA de la figure 15, illustrant le noeud coulant de fermeture de l'ouverture l'enveloppe du réservoir navette,

la figure 16 est une coupe en vue de côté d'un réservoir navette, en cours de remplissage, relié à l'épave par un dit câble d'ancrage coopérant avec un premier déconnecteur automatique à levier et à goupille de cisaillement, et un dit câble de commande de la dite première vanne faisant office de câble de fermeture du dit réservoir à son autre extrémité.

les figures 17a et 17b illustrent respectivement en vue de côté (figure 17a) et en coupe AA de la figure 17a en vue de face (figure 17b), l'accrochage d'une boucle d'extrémité du câble d'ancrage sur le levier du dit premier dispositif de déconnexion, la goupille de cisaillement étant intacte,

les figures 18a et 18b illustrent respectivement en vue de côté (figure 18a) et en coupe AA de la figure 18a en vue de face (figure 18b), lors de la remontée du réservoir navette après cisaillement de la goupille, le déplacement du câble d'ancrage vers un deuxième crochet fixe du bâti du dit premier dispositif de déconnexion automatique.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge more clearly on reading the description which follows, given in an illustrative and nonlimiting manner, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional side view of the tank or of a wreck 6 on which a shuttle tank according to the invention is installed, during filling,

FIG. 2 is a sectional side view of a shuttle tank 2 in the deployed position (2B),

FIG. 3 is a sectional side view of a shuttle tank 2 in the fully picked up position (2A),

FIG. 4 is a sectional side view of a shuttle tank 2 in the intermediate position (2C) between the deployed (2B) and picked up (2A) positions,

FIG. 5 is a side view of a shuttle tank 2 being raised to the surface, near a transport ship with a submersible bridge 10,

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a submersible ship 10 and of its unfinished load of 10 shuttle tanks,

FIG. 7 is a sectional side view of a wreck or tank 6 on which a receptacle 20 for capturing leaks has been installed, ready to receive a shuttle tank 2,

FIG. 10 is a side view of a shuttle tank stabilized in its ascent by a connecting cable weighed down by blocks integral with the latter and also playing the role of curvature limiter,

FIGS. 10a represent the detail of two blocks in contact, when said cable is bent,

FIGS. 11 and 12 represent states similar to that of FIG. 10, the shuttle tank being in the ascent phase in FIG. 11 and in the descent in FIG. 12,

Figure 13 shows in sectional side view a shuttle tank held vertically of a said first valve pre-installed on the hull of the wreck, by means of an anchoring cable and a first device automatic disconnection,

FIG. 13a illustrates an example of an automatic disconnector with a shear pin shown in FIG. 13,

FIG. 14 represents the shuttle tank rising towards the surface after shearing of the pin, the said first valve on the wreck then closing first after disconnection of the anchoring cable and before closing the lower orifice of the tank,

FIG. 15 represents the sequence following that of FIG. 14, a closure cable, namely a simple cord, surrounding the lower end of the flexible envelope of the tank passing through a slip knot like a lasso, almost closed - waterproof the shuttle tank in its lower part,

FIG. 15a is a section in plan view from below along AA of FIG. 15, illustrating the sliding node for closing the opening of the envelope of the shuttle tank,

FIG. 16 is a sectional side view of a shuttle tank, during filling, connected to the wreck by a said anchoring cable cooperating with a first automatic disconnector with lever and shear pin, and a said control cable of said first valve acting as a cable for closing said tank at its other end.

Figures 17a and 17b illustrate respectively in side view (Figure 17a) and in section AA of Figure 17a in front view (Figure 17b), the attachment of an end loop of the anchoring cable on the lever of said first disconnection device, the shear pin being intact,

Figures 18a and 18b illustrate respectively in side view (Figure 18a) and in section AA of Figure 18a in front view (Figure 18b), during the ascent of the shuttle tank after shearing of the pin, the movement of the cable d anchoring to a second fixed hook of the frame of said first automatic disconnection device.

In FIG. 1, the hull of a wreck or a wall of tank 6 resting on the bottom of the sea 7 filled with hydrocarbon 1 whose density is lower than sea water. Said hydrocarbon is confined in the part upper part of the tank or wreck 6, the lower part being filled with water sea. The ship generally having multiple closed openings tightly at the deck, leaks may occur as soon as this seal would be degraded by deformation or rupture of the hull during the sinking.

There is installed, through the shell and / or the wall of the tank 6, an evacuation device 6 ₁ -6 ₄ of the effluents comprising a pipe 6 ₄ fitted with a first valve 6 ₁ and a pipe 6 ₂ fitted at its end of a connection flange 6 ₃ to which is connected a corresponding flange 5 ₃ secured to a shuttle tank 2, at its lower part.

The installation of an evacuation device 6 ₁ -6 ₄ of the effluents is done for example according to the so-called "hot tap" technique, that is to say hot or charged tapping. This technique consists in fixing directly on the outside of the tank, for example by welding, a short length of pipe 6 ₂ equipped with a full-flow valve 6 ₁ . A special machine, not shown, is then installed in the axis of said pipe is y and connected in a sealed manner. The machine is equipped with a drilling machine which, using a tool, will reach the wall of the tank and drill a hole in it, generally with a diameter corresponding to that of the pipe. At the end of the drilling operation, the drill bit is released, the valve closed and the machine can then be dismantled to be replaced by a pipe 6 ₂ , rigid or flexible which will allow the product to be evacuated, without any leakage. has been generated.

Advantageously, the evacuation device described above can be lowered onto the wreck and temporarily stabilized by a dead body, a suction bell device, or a magnetic device, then when the hole has been drilled, said evacuation device. 6 ₁ -6 ₄ is locked permanently by fingers actuated by the ROV, in particular by resting, from inside the duct, on the internal face of the hole in the shell and firmly and sealingly pressing said device on the wall of the wreck.

We will greatly simplify the piercing task by using, within said device, in place of the drill, a high explosive configured in a circle and whose the firing line is directed towards the wall of the wreck, the firing plane being in direct contact with said wall. The explosive fired by the ROV creates in the hull a substantially circular hole of precise size, allowing the transfer of crude oil towards the shuttle tank.

Said shuttle tank 2 is shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 and is made up of a flexible and watertight side wall 4, for example made of high strength reinforced plasticized fabric, secured in the upper part of a dome 3 with circular horizontal section and with profile in vertical section in the form of a shell made of a resistant and rigid material, preferably of composite material, and integral in the lower part of a bottom 5, flat, solid, resistant and rigid, preferably circular, too preferably in composite material, so as to represent a minimum apparent weight in water, while guaranteeing extreme rigidity and resistance. Said bottom 5 is pierced in its center with a main orifice 5 ₁ and is equipped with a valve 5 ₂ , preferably with full passage, for example of the ball valve type, the latter being equipped with a flange 5 ₃ . A complementary lateral orifice of smaller diameter is provided with a valve 5 ₄ , thus allowing the exchange of sea water between the interior of the shuttle tank and the marine environment, and in particular when filling the tank with oil, to the sea water to escape.

The dome 3 and the bottom 5 can have a diameter of 5 to 10 m, the dome 3 a height of 2 to 5 m and the side wall 4, when unfolded, a height of 10 at 50 m.

Depending on the viscosity of the oil to be recovered, it may be necessary to envisage large diameters for the main orifice 5 ₁ and its associated valve 5 ₂ , for example 10 to 24 ", or even more, and one or more complementary orifices of 1 to 4 "fitted with 5 ₄ valves of corresponding diameter.

The shuttle tank 2 is shown in the deployed position (2B) in Figure 2, the main valve 5 ₂ with full passage being in the open position.

In Figure 3, there is shown in sectional side view the shuttle tank 2 in the final phase of preparation before use, that is to say before it is put in the water and its descent to the wreck or tank 6. In due to the flexibility of the side wall 4, a multiplicity of folds 4 _{1 is created} distributed over the periphery, which makes it possible to reduce the length of the shuttle tank by bringing the bottom 5 closer to the dome 3. Once the folds 4 _{1 have been} initiated, as detailed in FIG. 4, the bottom 5 and the dome 3 are brought as close as possible to obtain a shuttle tank 2 in the picked up position (2A), therefore occupying a minimum of volume, which presents a considerable advantage for its handling, for its descent to the wreck or tank 6 and for its installation on the evacuation devices 6 ₁ -6 ₄ which have been prepared on the hull of said wreck or wall of said tank 6. In the picked up position (2A) such that detailed in FIG. 3, the shuttle tank 2 is firmly held by straps 7 connecting the bottom 5 and the dome 3 each equipped with hooks 7 ₁ at their periphery.

The apparent weight in the water of the shuttle tank 2 is advantageously adjusted by incorporating buoyancy, for example syntactic foam 3 ₁ , made up of glass microspheres coated in epoxy resins, into the highest part of the dome 3, polyurethane or others.

Thus, the shuttle tank 2 is lowered towards the wreck or tank 6 in the picked up position (2A), and has a very low apparent weight in the water and which can be adjusted in positive as in negative, which facilitates its installation directly. by a ROV 30 (automatic submarine piloted from the surface and equipped with manipulator arms). Thus, the ROV manipulates the shuttle tank so as to make the flange 5 ₃ integral with the lower orifice 5 ₁ of the bottom 5 of said shuttle tank 2 coincide, and the corresponding flange 6 _{3 of} said evacuation device installed on the hull of the 'wreck or tank wall 6, then the two flanges 5 ₃ and 6 ₃ are locked together to seal the connection.

In a first embodiment of the method of the invention, the shuttle tank 2 is positioned by the ROV near the wreck and above the evacuation device 6 ₁ -6 ₄ using cables 12 ₁ coming from winches 14 ₁ installed on the shell or wall of the tank 6 or close to it, and connected to attachment ears 13 ₁ secured to the bottom 5 of said shuttle tank 2. By acting on the winches 14 ₁ , the shuttle tank 2 of its connection point constituted by the fixed flange 6 ₃ installed on the hull of the wreck or tank wall 6, then the two flanges 5 ₃ , 6 _{3 are} locked using the ROV.

When the connection is complete, the ROV releases the straps 7 which hold the shuttle tank 2 in the picked up position (2A), then the additional lateral orifice provided with a valve 5 ₄ is open, thus allowing the water to enter, this which leads to the deployed position (2B) described in Figures 1 and 2.

The main valve 5 ₁ with integral passage integral with the bottom 5 of the shuttle tank 2 is then open, likewise the valve 6 ₁ of the evacuation device located on the hull of the wreck or tank wall 6, which, by simple density difference effect between petroleum 1 and sea water, transfers said petroleum 1 upwards, that is to say completes the filling of said shuttle tank. During filling, the corresponding volume of seawater escapes through the additional lateral opening 5 ₄ .

At the end of filling, the two valves 5 ₂ and 5 ₄ of the bottom 5 are closed, the two flanges 5 ₃ and 6 ₃ are released and the shuttle tank 2 full then has positive buoyancy, which allows its transfer to the surface. Advantageously, the shuttle tank 2 is allowed to rise naturally towards the surface because, the shell shape of the dome 3, associated with the buoyancy created by the syntactic foam 3 ₁ integrated into the dome 3 and the weight of the bottom 5, including in particular the flange 5 ₃ connection and the main valve 5 ₂ with ball valve, shifts up the center of buoyancy and downwards the apparent center of gravity in the water, which allows the shuttle tank 2 to keep during all the ascent substantially straight and vertical trajectory, as shown in FIG. 5. The shuttle tank 2 arriving at the surface 11 then floats naturally and can be taken in tow, then directed towards a storage ship 10, preferably a ship with a submersible bridge. Such a ship with a submersible bridge, allows ballasting to maintain the main deck under several meters of water, thus allowing the packages to be transported by flotation, then by deballasting remove the bridge from the water and carry out the transport. "dry" packages. Such ships are available from many owners; for example Mamoeth (Holland).

Because the shuttle tank 2 is completely free and uncontrollable, it can surface anywhere in the area of operations, and, to avoid any incident, the dome of the shuttle tank is advantageously fitted with a acoustic transponder, so as to be able to locate, during the entire phase of lift, said shuttle tank and thus avoid any collision, by moving the if necessary, the various vessels operating on the surface.

By loading the vessels, as detailed on the Figures 5 and 6, you never have to directly lift the load that represents the filled shuttle tank 2, a load which can be considerable and can reach 200 to 300 tonnes for a shuttle 2 tank with a diameter of 5 m and 15 m length.

As detailed in FIG. 6, the shuttle tanks 2 are advantageously stored side by side on simple supports and thus secured with the deck of the carrier ship 10. Ship 10, once loaded, is deballasted, then directed to a port where it is reballasted to effect the transfer shuttle tanks to recovery units. Once released, the ship returns to site for a new load.

In the port area equipped for final recovery, the shuttle tanks 2 are maintained in buoyancy and preferably led into an isolated retention basin, with a view to being emptied of their contents, to avoid any pollution of the environment. The emptying is advantageously carried out horizontally, the shuttle tank 2 still being in flotation, by connecting, on the flange 5 ₃ secured to the bottom 5 of the shuttle tank 2, a pipe, preferably flexible, connected to the pumping system. Since the recovered oil is generally extremely viscous, emptying is facilitated by creating a heating of the area close to the outlet orifice 5 ₁ of the shuttle tank 2, for example by injecting a hot fluid through the complementary lateral orifice 5 ₄ , said hot fluid preferably being crude oil brought to high temperature, that is to say 80 to 100 ° C., which makes it possible to fluidize the viscous oil located near the outlet orifice. When the shuttle tank 2 has been almost emptied, it can then be placed in a vertical position, still within the retention basin, to complete its emptying and rinsing with heated crude oil. Once the emptying is completely finished, the shuttle tank 2 is in the intermediate position (2C) as shown in Figure 3, then it is picked up (2A) as shown in Figure 4 and the assembly is firmly held by straps 7 connecting the bottom 5 and the dome 3. The shuttle tank 2 is again ready to be sent back to the site for a new filling cycle.

a) un réceptacle 20 consistant en une cloche en forme d'entonnoir dont la grande base ouverte constitue un orifice inférieur 19 et couvre une zone de fuite desdits effluents, ladite zone comprenant une ou plusieurs ouvertures 6₄ dans la coque et/ou la cuve 6 dudit navire, et la petite base supérieure dudit entonnoir donne accès à un orifice supérieur 18, équipé d'un dispositif d'évacuation 6₁-6₃, et

b) desdits moyens de positionnement comprenant :

• des moyens d'ancrage dudit réceptacle 20 sur le navire comprenant des câbles 12₂ reliant des points d'attache 13₂ fixés sur la circonférence de ladite grande base de l'entonnoir et des points d'attache 14₂ ou des corps morts existants ou installés sur le navire, ou à proximité dudit navire sur le fond de la mer et
• des moyens de tensionnement comprenant :
  • des flotteurs 15, 16 reliés à la circonférence de ladite grande base ouverte dudit réceptacle et autour de la section tubulaire 17 en partie supérieure de la petite base dudit entonnoir, et
  • des treuils 14₂ correspondants aux dits points d'attache sur le navire,
  de manière à maintenir ledit réceptacle 20 en tension et en suspension à proximité et à la verticale desdites ouvertures 6₄.de la coque ou cuve 6.

In Figure 7, there is shown an alternative embodiment of an installation according to the present invention in which the shuttle tank 2 cooperates with a discharge device 6 ₁ -6 ₃ installed at the top of a receptacle 20 as described in FR 2 804 935. More particularly, the installation includes:

a) a receptacle 20 consisting of a funnel-shaped bell whose large open base constitutes a lower orifice 19 and covers an area for the leakage of said effluents, said area comprising one or more openings 6 ₄ in the hull and / or the tank 6 of said vessel, and the small upper base of said funnel gives access to an upper orifice 18, equipped with an evacuation device 6 ₁ -6 ₃ , and

b) said positioning means comprising:

• means for anchoring said receptacle 20 on the ship comprising cables 12 ₂ connecting attachment points 13 ₂ fixed on the circumference of said large base of the funnel and attachment points 14 ₂ or existing dead bodies or installed on or near the ship on the seabed and
• tensioning means comprising:
  • floats 15, 16 connected to the circumference of said large open base of said receptacle and around the tubular section 17 in the upper part of the small base of said funnel, and
  • winches 14 ₂ corresponding to the said attachment points on the ship,
  so as to keep said receptacle 20 in tension and in suspension near and vertically to said openings 6 _{4. of} the shell or tank 6.

Said receptacle 20 is in the form of an inverted umbrella or a funnel of circular or trapezoidal section which covers an entire area comprising several openings emitting polluting effluents.

The size of the funnel of the receptacle 20 can correspond to a diameter of about 25 to 50 m, or even more, and a height of about 25 to 50 m also. It consists of a rigid frame associated with a flexible membrane or a rigid funnel-shaped structure, the upper part 17 of which is equipped with an evacuation device 6 ₁ -6 ₃ comprising a valve 6 ₁ with a pipe 6 ₂ fitted at its upper part with a flange 6 ₃ cooperating with a corresponding flange 5 ₃ at the bottom 5 of the shuttle tank 2.

The bell 20 is held in position by a set of cables 12 ₂ connected, on the one hand, to a fastener 13 ₂ secured to the bell and, on the other hand, to a winch 14 ₂ on the tank or the wreck 6 These cables, preferably 3 cables, are installed to form a pyramid, preferably with an equilateral triangular base. Thus, the position of said bell can be adjusted and kept as close as possible to the wreck, for example at 50 cm or 1 m, so that the lower end of the large open base of the funnel which constitutes the peripheral skirt defining the lower opening 19 of said receptacle 20 can cover an additional evacuation device comprising a pipe 6 ₄ with valve 6 ₅ installed in the wall of the tank or wreck 6 as shown in FIG. 7, and so to avoid pollution being carried away by the current and then escaping from the collector that constitutes the bell. In the event that the wreck rests horizontally on the bottom, the entire system of ship's pipes will interfere with the bell which cannot be installed as close as possible, but by adjusting, by means of the winches 14 ₂ , the lengths of the cables 12 ₂ . Said bell 20 will be held in a position allowing the recovery effect to be optimized. The winches 14 ₂ can be installed either on the wreck or on the bell or on moorings placed on said wreck or located in the immediate vicinity of the wreck.

Said receptacle 20 is made floating by means such as buoys 15, 16 in syntactic material resistant to bottom pressure or by buoys hollow in various materials, such as plastics, steel or materials composites.

The receptacle is held in position using a peripheral float 16 surrounding the tubular upper part of the funnel and a series of floats 15 connected to the circumference of the large base of the funnel in its lower part.

Said receptacle 20 comprises heating means 21 for said effluents pollutants 1 to make them less viscous and thermal insulation means of its outer wall 22.

Indeed, in the case of light products, therefore with low viscosity, the difference in density of the product with respect to seawater is sufficient for the product to be transferred upwards naturally. On the other hand, as soon as the product has a density close to 1 as well as a high viscosity, or tends to freeze in the form of paraffin, an additional heating system 6 ₆ is advantageously installed in the collection zone 6 ₄ , thus than in the upper part of the bell 20, the outside of said bell preferably being protected by thermal insulation 22.

An assistance vessel 31 provides the power necessary for reheating and the operation of ROV 30 via an umbilical 32, as explained in Figure 7.

Preferably, as shown in patent application FR 2 804 935, the attachment points on the wreck or tank 6 and in particular the winches 14 ₁ and 14 ₂ are advantageously fixed to the wreck using a suction box comprising an open face at the interface with the wreck and which cooperates therewith by a peripheral seal and a suction pipe making it possible to create a vacuum in the interior of the box. Indeed, if out of water, such a device allows with a high vacuum, or about -1 bar, to obtain a holding force of 10 t / m ² of surface at the joint plane, by depths of 100 m, the pressure difference between vacuum and ambient pressure will be 11 bars and the same surface will then allow a holding force of 110 tonnes for the surface of 1 m ² .

The pipe can either be in communication with a pump installed on ROV, either replaced by a pump secured to the suction box and supplied by said ROV or directly from the service vessel installed on the surface.

In a preferred version shown in Figures 8 and 9, the shuttle tank 2 has a removable bottom 5 connected, for example by means of bolts not shown, to a peripheral flange 5 ₅ secured to the lower end of the flexible side wall 4 Inside the shuttle tank 2, an internal pocket 2 ₁ is advantageously installed constituting, by itself, a second flexible envelope, of dimensions similar or even slightly smaller than those of the external envelope constituted by the whole of the dome 3 of the flexible side wall 4 and of the bottom 5 of the shuttle tank 2. Said pocket 2 ₁ consists of a fine mesh net, having a single opening downwards, the latter coming to cooperate with a portion of pipe 5 ₆ in continuity from the main port 5 ₁ from the bottom 5 of the shuttle tank 2 inwards. Said second inner envelope or pocket 2 ₁ is made integral with said pipe portion 5 ₆ by a strap 5 ₇ . Thus, during the filling of the shuttle tank 2 with crude oil 1 with very high viscosity, the entire product is stored inside the pocket 2 ₁ and remains confined therein because of the small size of the meshes and the viscosity considerable intrinsic to crude oil. When the shuttle tanks 2 have been unloaded in the recovery port site, each of the shuttle tanks is towed horizontally into the retention basin, then, still in a horizontal position, a ring 3 ₂ secured to the dome 3 is connected to a mooring point 9 secured to the edge of the basin; the fixing bolts, or the latches of the flange 5 ₅ , connecting the flexible side wall 4 and the bottom 5 of the shuttle tank 2, are then released, then the whole of the bottom 5, secured to the internal pocket 2 ₁ , and the dome 3, integral with the side wall 4, constituting an external envelope, are separated over a few meters.

A link made with a simple cord is tightened around the lower orifice of the pocket 2 ₁ at the level of the plane AA, passing through eyelets 5 ₈ , then tightened firmly so as to close, tightly, the pocket. The pocket 2 ₁ is then separated from the bottom 5 of the shuttle tank 2 by loosening the strap 5 ₇ , and said bottom 5 is removed. The pocket 2 ₁ is then completely removed from the shuttle tank 2.

The shuttle tank is then released and, after reinstallation of a new internal pocket 2 ₁ , strapped 5 ₇ on the bottom 5 of said shuttle tank 2, the latter is re-assembled using bolts on an external envelope, consisting in the dome 3 secured to the flexible side wall 4, and the assembly is then ready to be placed in the picked up position (2A) as explained in FIGS. 3 and 4.

The pocket 2 ₁ once extracted, floats within the retention basin. It is then directed, still in flotation, towards a cradle, which will then be extracted from the basin using a high capacity crane, to be transferred, after draining the residual water, to a second retention basin where the bag will be unloaded in order to be prepared, either to be eliminated, or to be treated for the reuse of some of its constituents.

FIG. 10 illustrates a preferred version of the invention, in which the ascent of the shuttle tank is controlled by a connecting cable 30, a portion of its part lower is weighed down, for example, by metal blocks 31 secured to said cable 30 by a crimp at 31, in a chain like beads on a cable.

These pearls 31 have a cylindrical prismatic or revolutionary central body and, frustoconical ends such that when the cable is bent, said frustoconical ends of the two adjacent pearls then come into abutment against one another at 31 ₂ , limiting thus the local radius of curvature to a value greater than R ₀ . Thus, the connecting cable 30 being hooked to the shuttle tank 2 on said first attachment point 32 in the lower part of the tank, descends downwards then deviates in an arc of a circle of radius R ₀ , to finally ascend vertically or in chain configuration at a distance of at least about 2R ₀ from the side wall 4 of said shuttle tank, thus avoiding any mechanical contact during the ascent, which avoids damaging it by friction.

In FIG. 10, the buoyancy of the shuttle tank filled with hydrocarbons F _v , which corresponds to the buoyancy exerted on the tank and its cargo, is compensated by the weight of the cable up to the corresponding horizontal point of tangency to the pearl 31 _i , added to the weight of the pearls 31 g between the reservoir and the lowest pearl 31 i, that is to say 8.5 pearls in FIG. 10, the weight of the assembly P _e then corresponding to a balance of the system.

As an example to illustrate Figures 10, 13 and 16, the shuttle tank with a volume of 250 m3 of oil with a density of 1011 kg / m ³ , in sea water at 3 ° C with a density 1045 kg / m ³ , has a buoyancy of around 8.5 tonnes.

Each of the beads of the balancing device 30-31 then has a weight in water about 1 ton.

In FIG. 11, the upper end of the connecting cable 30, connected to a winch installed on board a surface vessel (not shown) is raised, which has the effect of bringing the pearl 31 _g of the figure 10 in the low horizontal position, thereby reducing the number of beads weighing under the tank to 6.5 beads, the overall weight opposing the thrust Fv then being reduced to P _inf . The resultant F _v + P _inf is then positive upwards and the shuttle reservoir can rise until the balance of forces in FIG. 10 is reached.

Likewise, in FIG. 12, the upper end of the connecting cable 30 is deflected, which has the effect of bringing the pearl 31 _k into the low horizontal position, thereby increasing the number of pearls weighing under the reservoir at 10.5 pearls, the overall weight then being equal to P _sup . The resultant F _v + P _sup is then positive downwards and the shuttle tank can descend again until the balance of forces in FIG. 10 is reached.

Thus, the stabilization device according to the invention has a stabilizing effect for raising the shuttle tank. When the surface vessel moves excessively under the effect of the swell or deviates from the vertical of the position of the shuttle tank, the movements have an instantaneous effect only on the zone of the pearls surrounding the pearls 31 ₉ at 31 _k , the pearl 31 _i corresponding to the average value of the oscillations.

Thus, to control the ascent of the shuttle tank 2, it is sufficient to wind the cable link on the winch located on board the surface ship 31 at a speed compatible with the natural ascent of said shuttle, said shuttle always seeking naturally to return to its equilibrium position illustrated in Figure 10. In case of difficulties, it suffices to slow down or stop the winding on the winch, the shuttle tank then finding almost immediately its position of equilibrium, pending a new movement of the winch.

FIG. 13 represents the section in side view of a shuttle tank 2 installed vertically of a said pipe 6 ₄ equipped with a first valve 6 ₁ secured to the wreck, said first valve being in the open position and passing the crude oil which is collected in the shuttle tank.

In FIGS. 13 to 18, the bottom of the tank comprises an open annular frame delimiting a said lower main orifice 5 ₁ .

The lower part of the envelope of the shuttle tank is held in shape by a rigid lower structure 51d forming a double cone 50a - 50b kept in shape arranged under the bottom of the tank, constituted by circular stiffeners 51 _a - 51 _b -51 _c connected by a lattice structure 51d, not shown in Figure 13, but shown in Figure 15. The shuttle tank is held above the wreck by means of an anchor cable 52-52 ₁ secured to the wreckage at a said second anchor point 54 and at its upper part, of a said first automatic load limiter disconnection device 53 itself connected to the shuttle tank via a crow's feet 52-52 ₂

The load limiting device 53 is illustrated in 13a and comprises a lower yoke 53 ₁ connected to an upper bar 53 ₂ to which is connected, by means of a shear pin 53 ₃ of known limiting load. Thus, during the loading of the shuttle tank, the buoyancy of the assembly will increase until reaching the maximum value F _v , value corresponding to the resistance limit of the pin 53 ₃ , which breaking, will release the shuttle tank which then will begin its ascent.

During installation, a control cable 56, 56.1 was advantageously connected to a lever arm 57 controlling the closing operation of said first valve 6 ₁ , the upper part of the cable is integral with the structure of the shuttle tank. Thus, when the shuttle tank begins to rise, the cable 56.56 ₁ actuates the lever 57 and thus closes the valve 6 ₁ , as illustrated in FIG. 14.

The upper portion 56 ₂ of the cable 56 is advantageously connected to the external envelope by a loop 58 surrounding the said envelope and passing through a loose slip knot situated in the plane AA of FIG. 15, thus acting as a cable for closing the lower main port of the tank.

In figure 15 the shuttle tank during the ascent pulls on the cable closure 56,56.2 which has the effect of tightening the loop 58 thanks to the slip knot, this which allows to simply close the lower port 5.1 of the shuttle tank due to the flexibility of the fabric, as illustrated in FIG. 15a which is a section for below according to plan AA. A roulette 59 fitted with a non-return device, not shown, prevents the noose, once tightened firmly, from slackening.

• en fin de remplissage, la goupille à cisaillement 53₃ se rompt, libérant le réservoir navette qui remonte alors naturellement,
• le câble de commande 56,56.1 actionne le levier 57, lequel ferme la dite première vanne 6₁,
• la boucle 58 à travers le noeud coulant se resserre, obstruant ainsi l'orifice inférieur du réservoir navette, et
• en fin de cycle, un deuxième dispositif de déconnexion automatique 60₉, par exemple à goupille de cisaillement similaire au dispositif 53 décrit précédemment, libère de manière définitive le réservoir navette qui commence alors son ascension vers la surface.

Thus the completely automated closing sequence includes the following steps:

• at the end of filling, the shear pin 53 ₃ breaks, releasing the shuttle tank which then rises naturally,
• the control cable 56, 56.1 actuates the lever 57, which closes said first valve 6 ₁ ,
• the loop 58 through the slip knot tightens, thereby obstructing the lower orifice of the shuttle tank, and
• at the end of the cycle, a second automatic disconnection device 60 ₉ , for example with a shear pin similar to the device 53 described above, definitively releases the shuttle tank which then begins its ascent to the surface.

The shearing of the pin of said first automatic disconnection device 53 will then be adjusted for a value of approximately 8.5 tonnes.

Assuming a required force of 100 kg to actuate the closing of the valve, and a force of 1 ton to close the slip knot, the second device disconnection 60 will advantageously be adjusted to a so-called second traction threshold value 1.5 tonnes, i.e. more than 1 ton but less than 8.5 tonnes, so that that the previously described sequences take place automatically in order indicated.

In FIGS. 13 to 15, said rigid lower structure 51 d forms a double truncated cone 50a, 50b formed by two upper cone 50b and lower 50a cones, with flaring up and down respectively, joined by their small base common at an intermediate circular frame 51b of said rigid lower structure, so that said closure loop 58 which surrounds the lower end of the flexible envelope 4 or so-called pocket 2 ₁ , must travel a reduced stroke to close the main lower port of the tank.

In a simplified version represented in FIGS. 16, 17 and 18, the lower end of the reservoir comprises an open annular frame 51.b delimiting the lower main orifice 5 ₁ of the reservoir and to which the lower end of the envelope is connected flexible constituting the lateral peripheral wall of the reservoir as well as the lower end of the internal pocket 2 ₁ . In this simplified version, the installation comprises a said first automatic disconnection device consisting of a frame 54 secured to the wreck 6 acting as said second attachment point, comprising at its lower part a first hook constituting a first point of attachment 54 ₁ and in its upper part a second hook constituting a second attachment point 54 ₂ located at a height of 0.5 to 1 m above the first hook. Said first hook 54 ₁ is located at the end of a second lever 53 ₅ , articulated at 53 ₆ , said lever 53 ₅ being held in a substantially horizontal position by a shear pin 53 ₄ making it integral with the frame 54. L the lower end of the anchoring cable 52 forms a loop engaged in the said first hook 54 ₁ located on the underside, at the end of the lever 53 ₅ , and envelops the upper part of the frame 54 in the area of the second hook 54 ₂ , as explained in Figures 17a and 17b. Thus, when the shuttle tank is almost full, the vertical thrust due to the crude oil reaches said first resistance limit value of the pin 54 ₃ , which shears and releases the retaining cable 52, by simple rotation of the lever 53 ₅ on its axis 53 ₆ . The shuttle tank then rises from a height of 0.5 to 1 m, and the cable 52 is found retained in the second hook 54 ₂ , as shown in Figures 18a and 18b.

In FIG. 16, the valve 6 ₁ is in the open position, but as soon as the shuttle tank is released by breaking the shear pin 53 ₄ , the upward movement of the shuttle closes said first valve by means of the control and closing cable 56 integral with the lever 57 for controlling said first valve. The shuttle tank is then on standby in the safety position of FIG. 18 retained by the first hook 54 ₁ . The pocket 2 ₁ is closed by tightening the loop 58 in the slip knot as explained previously in FIG. 15, by means of a small winch 62 secured to the shuttle tank 2, said winch being actuated by the ROV 30. Finally the ROV manipulator arm, fitted with a shear, cuts the control and closing cable 56, as well as the anchoring cable 52, which has the effect of completely freeing the shuttle tank which can then be raised to the surface thanks to the weighted chain 30-31.

In some cases, it is preferable to limit the automation to the disconnection system as previously described. Indeed, once the shuttle tank is almost full, the pin 53 ₄ shears and the shuttle tank finds itself on standby, still open, in the position indicated in FIGS. 18a and 18b. The surface operator is thus warned (via a camera on board the ROV) of the end of filling and under the control of said video camera of the remotely controlled underwater vehicle (ROV), it is then simple to let it fill as much as possible before the valve is closed by said ROV. The automatic disconnection system then only plays a role of control system for filling the shuttle tank, most of the final control, closing and release operations of the shuttle tank being carried out directly by said ROV 30.

Automatic disconnection devices 53 have been described comprising a shear pin, but we remain in the spirit of the invention by considering systems, load sensor systems, either based on the compression of a spring, either on an electronic or hydraulic component giving a proportional response to the load applied and causing the release of the retaining cable 52 by triggering.

Similarly, it remains in the spirit of the invention if only part of the sequence described above is performed automatically, the other sequences being carried out in a conventional manner using the ROV, for example, the tightening of the slip knot as well as the final release of the shuttle tank.

In all the descriptions of the figures of the invention, the valve 6 ₁ installed on the orifice integral with the hull of the wreck is a ball valve, but we remain in the spirit of the invention by considering any other type of valve, such as knife gate valves, diaphragm valves or any other device to prevent crude oil from leaving the hull in an uncontrolled manner.

The operating means of said valve have been described as being a lever arm 57, but it remains in the spirit of the invention by using cable, pulley or screw systems, or also rack systems, for close said valve 6 ₁ .

Claims (28)

Method for recovering pollutant effluents (1) lighter than water, contained in a tank (6) of a sunken and / or damaged ship lying on the sea bottom (7) in which: a) installing an evacuation device (6 ₁ -6 ₄ ) for the effluents preferably comprising at least one pipe (6 ₂ -6 ₄ ) and a first valve (6 ₁ ), cooperating with an opening of the hull and / or from the tank (6) so as to be able to recover said polluting effluents (1) flowing from said opening by raising them up to said discharge device (6 ₁ ), and b) recovering said effluents (1) flowing from said opening (6 ₄ ) of the shell and / or of the tank (6), characterized in that in step b) said effluents are recovered using a shuttle tank (2), which can adopt a picked up configuration (2A) and a deployed configuration (2B), said shuttle tank ( 2) comprising at least one lower main orifice (5 ₁ ) capable of cooperating with said discharge device (6 ₁ -6 ₄ ), so that the steps are carried out in which: 1- the said shuttle tank (2) is lowered from the surface (11) to the bottom of the sea (7), preferably in its said picked up position (2A) and the said lower orifice (5 ₁ ) of the shuttle tank (2) with said drainage device (6 ₁ -6 ₄ ), and 2- said shuttle tank (2) is filled with effluents, then, once filled with effluents (1) in its said deployed configuration (2B), it is closed to make it watertight, and 3- the shuttle tank (2) is left to rise to the surface, once filled, in the deployed configuration (2B), the shuttle tank (2) preferably comprising buoyancy elements (3 ₁ ), and 4- preferably, store said tank filled with effluents (1) in a ship (10) on the surface and empty said shuttle tank (2) in said ship (10) or transport it to a site to be emptied there , and 5- if necessary, repeat steps 1 to 4 with the same shuttle tank (2), or another shuttle tank (2), until the desired quantity of effluent (1) is recovered. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that said shuttle tank (2) comprises: a) a rigid dome (3) with an open circular base, preferably with a shell-shaped profile in vertical section, b) a rigid bottom (5) whose periphery is preferably circular, and c) a lateral peripheral wall (4) constituting a flexible envelope, ensuring the connection of said base of the dome (3) with the periphery of said bottom (5) so that: said lateral peripheral wall (4) can be folded back on itself, to allow bringing together said dome (3) and said bottom (5), preferably using removable straps (7), said shuttle tank (2) then being in said picked up position (2A) and said effluents (1) being able to be confined inside said shuttle tank (2) when said side wall (4) is unfolded, said shuttle tank (2) then being in said deployed position (2B). Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said buoyancy elements (3 ₁ ) of said shuttle tank (2) are integrated inside said dome (3), said buoyancy elements (3 ₁ ) preferably consisting , into syntactic foam. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that said buoyancy elements (3 ₁ ) are integrated inside said dome (3) in its upper part, so that the center of buoyancy of said shuttle tank (2) filled with effluent (1) is offset upwards from its apparent center of gravity in water. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said shuttle tank (2) filled with effluents (1), once raised to the surface, is transferred by buoyancy in a submersible deck vessel (10) without having to lift it. Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said shuttle tank (2) is kept close to said effluent discharge device (6 ₁ -6 ₄ ) by means of anchoring means (12 ₁ -13 ₁ -14 ₁ , 52-54), comprising at least one anchoring cable (52, 52 ₁ -52 ₂ ) connecting at least one first attachment point (13 ₁ , 55) fixed in the lower part of the tank, near said bottom (5), preferably on the periphery of said bottom (5) of the shuttle tank and at least one second attachment point (14 ₁ , 54.54 ₁ -54 ₂ ) on the sunken ship (6 ), or the bottom of the sea (7), for anchoring said shuttle tank on said sunken ship (6) or on the bottom of the sea (7). Method according to claim 6, characterized in that before step 3 of raising the shuttle tank, an automatic disconnection step of said anchoring means is carried out which is carried out automatically when the shuttle tank has reached a predetermined filling rate, especially when the tank is full or almost full. Method according to Claim 7, characterized in that at least one said anchoring cable (52) cooperates with a first automatic disconnection device (53.53 ₁ -53 ₃ , 53 ₄ -53 ₆ ) on which traction is exerted. corresponding to the Archimedes thrust exerted on said shuttle tank and its cargo, traction transmitted by said anchor cable (52), said disconnection device (53.53 ₁ -53 ₃ , 53 ₄ -53 ₆ ) having the effect of causing a disconnection of said anchor cable by separation of said anchor cable from said tank or from said vessel at the bottom of the sea or by rupture of said anchor cable, and authorizing the at least partial ascent of said shuttle tank when this traction reaches a first determined threshold value, preferably when said shuttle tank is filled with effluents (1). Method according to claim 8, characterized in that said first automatic disconnection device comprises a connection device (53 ₁ -53 ₃ ), preferably comprising a shear pin (53 ₁ ), and said connection device ensures the connection between two portions of said anchor cable, and breaks when a traction corresponding to said predetermined threshold value is exerted on one of the two portions of said anchor cable (52). Method according to Claim 8, characterized in that the said first automatic disconnection device (53) comprises a connection device (53 ₄ -53 ₆ ), preferably comprising a shear pin (53 ₄ ), and the said device link provides the link between said anchor cable and a first point of attachment to the ship (54 ₁ ), said disconnection consisting of a break in the link between said anchor cable and said first point of attached. Then a partial release of said cable and finally a new connection between said attachment cable and a second said anchor point on the shell or the tank (54 ₂ ) located higher than said first attachment point (54 ₂ ) thus allowing an ascent of a distance limited to the distance between the two attachment points (54 ₁ -54 ₂ ) on the ship when a traction corresponding to the said threshold value is exerted on the said anchoring cable at said first attachment point (54 ₁ ) on the ship. Method according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the speed of descent or ascent of said shuttle tank is controlled with a stabilization device comprising at least a second cable or link chain (30) extending from the surface (11), preferably from a ship (10) on the surface, to a lower part of the tank (51a, 51b) to which its end is connected, said second cable or said connecting chain comprising a lower weighted portion , preferably by blocks (31) arranged in a chain along said second cable or by large heavier links of said chain, so that the weight of the length of said lower portion of said cable or pendant chain below said shuttle tank, can be adjusted from the surface, preferably using a winch located on board a surface vessel and on which the upper end of said cable or said chain e is unwound or wound up, so as to control the rate of descent or respectively ascent of said shuttle tank (2). A method according to claim 11, characterized in that said blocks (31) of said second cable or large heavy links of said connecting chain, in said lower portion of said second cable or chain have a shape such that when the said cable or said chain is curved, two adjacent blocks or two adjacent heavy links abut one against the other (31 ₂ ) thus limiting the local radius of curvature (Ro) of said cable or said chain. Method according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that said shuttle tank (2) comprises an additional internal flexible pocket (2 ₁ ), in which said effluents are recovered, preferably consisting of a fine mesh net, capable of confining said viscous effluents, said pocket comprising an opening capable of cooperating, by reversible connection, with said main orifice (5 ₁ ) at the bottom (5) allowing the filling of the shuttle tank (2). Method according to one of claims 7 to 13, characterized in that at the start of step 3 of raising the tank, a first closing device (56-57) allows the automatic closing of said first valve (6 ₁ ) installed in an opening of the hull or tank when said first automatic disconnection device authorizes the at least partial raising of said tank. Method according to claim 14 characterized in that the closing of said first valve by said first closing device automatically triggers the closing of said lower orifice (5 ₁ ) of the shuttle tank, preferably by said raising of said tank by a corresponding distance where appropriate at the height between the two said points of attachment to the ship, allowing said partial ascent. Method according to one of claims 1 to 15 characterized in that the closing of said main lower orifice of said tank is done by a second closing device (56-58-59) comprising a closing cable (56 ₂ ) forming a loop ( 58) surrounding the lower end of said flexible envelope (4) and where appropriate of said internal pocket (2 ₁ ) and allowing the tightening (59) of the loop when a traction is exerted on said closure cable, preferably through a noose. A method according to claims 15 and 16 characterized in that said first device for closing said first valve comprises a control cable (56, 56 ₁ ) connected by one end to a said second device for closing the tank and by its other end to a control means (57) for closing said first valve (6 ₁ ), and said control cable preferably corresponds to said tank closing cable (56, 56 ₂ ) forming a said loop at one end, and said control cable (56, 56 ₁ ) cooperates with a second automatic disconnection device (60), the latter making it possible to separate said control cable from said tank, said shell or said tank or to cause said cable to break control after closing of said first valve and closing of the main lower orifice of the tank. Method according to one of claims 7 to 10 and claim 17
characterized in that a said first automatic disconnection device (54) cooperates with a said anchoring cable (52) and a said second automatic disconnection device (60) cooperates with a said tank closure cable (56, 56 ₂ ) in a coordinated manner so that said closing cable controls the closing of said first valve and the automatic closing of said tank by raising said full tank after said first automatic disconnection (53) of said anchoring cable (52) , and said second disconnection (60) of said closure cable (56) allows the complete release and the ascent to the surface of the shuttle tank. Method according to one of claims 1 to 18, characterized in that said effluent discharge device (6 ₁ -6 ₄ ) (1) is installed through an opening in the shell and / or the tank (6) . Method according to one of claims 1 to 19 characterized in that said rigid bottom (5) of the tank consists of an open frame (51a, 51c), preferably annular, delimiting a said lower orifice (5 ₁ ). Method according to one of claims 16 to 20, characterized in that said open frame (51a) is part of a lower rigid frustoconical structure (51a-51d), a said cable for closing said tank surrounding said flexible envelope and, if necessary where appropriate said internal pocket by cooperating with said structure below at a level where it has a reduced diameter compared to the diameter of the current part of the cylindrical peripheral wall of a said shuttle tank. Method according to one of claims 1 to 19, characterized in that said shuttle tank (2) comprises a solid rigid bottom (5) and comprises at its said bottom (5), a second orifice equipped with a second valve (5 ₄ ). Method according to one of claims 1 to 22, characterized in that said discharge device (6 ₁ -6 ₄ ) cooperates with an upper orifice (18) of a receptacle (20), said receptacle (20) comprising a lower orifice (19) positioned close and vertically to at least one second pipe (6 ₄ ) installed in a said opening in the shell and / or tank (6) so as to be able to recover said polluting effluents (1) flowing from said opening by rising thereof in said lower orifice (19) of said receptacle (20). Method according to claim 23, characterized in that : a) said receptacle (20) has a funnel shape the large open base of which constitutes said lower orifice (19) and covers an area for the leakage of said effluents, said area comprising one or more said openings in the hull and / or the vessel (6) of the ship, and the small upper base of said funnel giving access to said upper orifice (18) of said receptacle (20) and said receptacle (20) cooperating with positioning means comprising: second means for anchoring said receptacle (20) on said vessel or said tank (6) or said seabed (7) comprising second cables (12 ₂ ) connecting attachment points (13 ₂ ) fixed on the circumference of said large base of the funnel and of the attachment points (14 ₂ ) on the ship or said tank (6) or said sea bottom (7), and tensioning means (15-16-14 ₂ ) comprising: floats (15-16) connected to the circumference of said large open base of said receptacle (20) and around the tubular section (17) in the upper part of said small base of said funnel, and preferably winches (14 ₂ ) corresponding to said points of attachment to said vessel or said tank (6) or said bottom of the sea (7). Useful installation in a process for recovering polluting effluents contained in the tanks of a sunken and / or damaged ship lying on the seabed according to one of claims 1 to 24, characterized in that it comprises a said tank shuttle (2) as defined in one of claims 1 to 5, 13 and 20 to 22 and preferably, said anchoring means (12 ₁ -13 ₁ -14 ₁ ), and where appropriate, a said first disconnection device as defined in one of claims 6 to 10. Installation according to claim 25, characterized in that it comprises a said stabilization device comprising at least one said second cable or connecting chain (30) as defined in one of claims 9 to 12. Installation according to one of claims 25 or 26, characterized in that it comprises a said first closing device and a said first disconnection device, and where appropriate a said second tank closing device as defined in one of claims 13 to 17. Installation according to one of claims 25 to 27, characterized in that it comprises a said receptacle (20) and, where appropriate, said anchoring means (12 ₁ -13 ₁ -14 ₁ ) and said positioning means ( 12 ₂ -13 ₂ -14 ₂ ) and said tensioning means (14 ₂ -15-16) as defined in one of claims 23 and 24.

Images