ES2217951A1 - Recuperator for oil from vessel sunk in deep water includes valved collector bag and riser pipe with electromagnets facilitating feed to tanker - Google Patents

Abstract

The recuperator for oil from a vessel sunk in deep water has valves (L,I) closing a bag (E) collecting hydrocarbon issuing from a hatchway (A) and an opening (K), and feeding into a tanker. The hydrocarbon rises in pipe (B) because of the density difference relative to the sea water and the closing of the valves deactivates electromagnets (S) to allow the bag (E) to rise to the sea surface.

Description

Systems for the recovery of hydrocarbon from a deep sunken tanker.

Technical sector

The present invention relates to systems to collect the hydrocarbon (in this case high fuel viscosity) coming out of the tanks of a large sunken tanker depth because of a maritime accident, and that is causing A black tide

State of the art

On the date of submission of this application, I don't know that there is a procedure to recover a product asphalt of a sunken ship at great depth, more than 3,000 meters Current systems are designed to collect fuel or Derived products on the surface or at shallow depth.

Technical problem raised

The "PRESTIGE" oil tanker is located sunk to about 4,000 meters deep, where there is a hydrostatic pressure of the order of 400 atmospheres, which prevents that divers can access the place to carry out the maneuvers leading to the extraction of asphalt or fuel product.  These types of accidents may be repeated in others in the future. ships

Technical advantage of the invention

With the present invention it is intended to perform the maneuvers leading to the extraction of the fuel at a distance, with the help of the Nautilus bathyscaphe, of a robot or similar system.

Detailed description of the invention

The sunken ship is shown in figure (1) with two systems for hydrocarbon recovery.

System 1st

This system (Fig. 2) consists in the use of pipes made of a suitable material that collect the fuel that leaves the tanks and leads it to the surface of the sea, avoiding its dispersion.

In figure (2) the scheme of a part of the sunken oil ship hull where, at "SAMPLING SHOT, TEMPERATURES, DENSITIES AND MANUAL SURVEY "(A), through which the hydrocarbon comes out, goes coupled the pipe (B) that has a system at the bottom of subjection (C) constituted by MAGNETS or ELECTROIMANES.

As the fuel has a density lower than that of sea water will ascend through the interior to the end top of it that ends in a kind of large funnel pipe diameter (D) located on the surface of the sea where it accumulates the fuel from the tanks of the ship, for the subsequent collection by tankers that will transport it to Earth.

Being a high viscosity fluid, it tends to adhere to the interior walls of the pipe, which would hinder its circulation. Therefore, it is necessary that the said pipes consist of a suitable material that does not allow the fuel to "stick" to the inner walls of the same. This leads us to the need to use for the pipes, olefin group materials, a fluoroplast like polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) of which there is (among others) a registered trademark with the name " Teflon ", which for its non-stick properties (low coefficient of friction) make it a useful material for this application, and even, if used for pipes other materials (for example metallic) would be used to make an inner coating to facilitate the circulation of fuel inside preventing it adhere to the tube walls.

At present there are many fluoroplastics with similar characteristics such as polyfluoroethylenepropylene (PFEP), polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE), etc., so it will be necessary to use the most appropriate one in addition to its important non-stick characteristics others such as its resistance to traction, density, flexibility etc. Must take into account that in this case it is a pipeline of 4,000 to 5,000 meters long subject to the action of sea currents and At the action of its own weight, tensile strength is a very determining factor.

System 2nd

Figure (3) shows another system that It is constituted by a large BAG (E) built by material suitable, which has a short pipe (B) that adapts to the HATCH (A) for "sampling, temperatures, densities and manual probing. "The short pipe (B) has a system of clamp (C) consisting of MAGNETS or ELECTROIMANS according to agree.

The fluid that leaves the tank due to its lower density with respect to seawater, will accumulate in the bag (E). The pipe (B) has a closing system (I) that will be activated to close the bag when it has been filled enough, at which time the permanent magnet that will remove it will be removed subject, (or the electromagnet current will be cut if this is the clamping system).

Because the density of seawater is greater than the average density of the set formed by the bag and its content, there will be an ascending force that will raise it to the sea level, where it will be collected by a tanker that will lighten your content, or it will be towed to a suitable place for your  emptying

To facilitate the explanation, in both cases we have assumed that the system adapts to a BRUSH SHOOTING SAMPLES existing in tankers cargo tanks, such as the one represented in figure (4). You can also use both systems attaching them to a TANK BRUSH figure (5) that by having a larger diameter allows the output of a larger flow, and also to a "BUTTER" register figure (6).

In case there are holes or cracks by the ones that leave the fluid, can be coupled equally both systems. For this, a kind of "tent" that will adapt to the hull of the ship through electromagnets or permanent magnets. In figure (7) it is represented the tent (J) that covers the crack (K). The tent is coupled in (L) with the pipe (B) of the figure (2) or with the pipe (B) of the bag (E) of figure (3).

The use of magnets and electromagnets allows adapt the system both on the deck of the ship or on the side, the same if the ship is resting at the bottom of the sea in position of adrizado as if it has a large heel. In addition, the Electromagnets allow remote anchoring.

The material used for the pipes and for the bag must be of a material that does not allow the adhesion of the fluid that will circulate through them so that it does not "stick" preventing or hindering the movement of the fluid. This is very important because the small difference in the densities between the fluid and the seawater gives rise to a very small ascending force, which would be even more reduced by the viscosity of the fluid, especially if it adheres to the material of the pipelines. Hence the need to use a material of the series of ethylene hydrocarbons or olefins, and more specifically, a fluoroplast (for example polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) better known as Teflon , or PFEP , or PCTFE ... etc .) that it is stable from very low temperatures (below zero degrees Celsius), to high temperatures (above zero degrees Celsius), that is unassailable by chemical agents, that foreign substances do not adapt to it and that has high resistance and density close to that of sea water and impervious to the hydrocarbon with which it is being treated.

Within the essentiality of the invention fit variants of detail also protected and so can be any the type, form and composition of the material used in the pipes, in bags and in tents; anyone the class and shape of the magnetic system used to hold the system to the hull of the ship, any class and additional form of fastening of the system to the vessel and the closing system of the tent and from the bag

Description of the figures

Figure 1.- In the "GRAPHIC SUMMARY" and in the page 1 "Graph (only to interpret summary)" is represents part of the tanker at the bottom of the sea, with two fuel extraction systems, one that carries the fuel from the ship to sea level through a pipe and another in which bags are used.

Figure 2.- Part of the tanker is represented resting at the bottom of the sea, which details a hatch or sampling tube (A) through which the fuel flows that passing through the inside of a pipe (B) of suitable material it is stored in a funnel-shaped container (D) located in the sea level. The pipe (B) is attached to the ship's hull by middle of the magnets or electromagnets (C).

Figure 3.- Part of the hull of the sunken tanker, in which a hatch or pipe is detailed sampling (A) through which the fuel comes out, which through the pipe (B) passes to the bag (E). The bag has a system of closing constituted by a valve (I) that stays open During the filling of the bag, When the bag is full, it Close the valve (I) of the bag and the magnetic system is canceled. As the average density of the bag full of fuel, it is lower than the of the sea water, it suffers an ascensional force that carries it Slowly to the surface of the sea.

Figure 4.- Shows a hatch of "taking samples, temperatures, densities and manual probing "with the Open lid. These hatches have a diameter of about 20 to 30 cm. All tanks have at least one.

Figure 5.- Shows a "tank hatch" used to access the inside of the tanks. Have diameters of about 50 to 90 cm. This is the ideal place to extract the fuel inside the tank since its large diameter allows the High flow output. All tanks have at least a.

Figure 6.- "BUTTER" register is a hole by which a special machine for washing tanks It could also be used to extract fuel from the tanks. All tanks have at least one.

Figure 7.- An existing crack (K) is represented in the hull of the ship, which is covered by a tent (J) attached to the ship's hull by means of a magnetic system (C). Fuel that leaves the tank is stored in the tent (J) and from there it goes to the pipe (B) through the connection (L). This pipe (B) conducts the fuel into the container (D) of figure (2) or the bag (E) of recovery of the figure (3).

Claims (4)

1. Recovery of the hydrocarbon of a sunken tanker at great depth characterized by having a kind of tent of suitable material covering the area through which the fluid exits (sampling hatch, tank hatch, butter record, or of the holes and cracks in the hull of the ship, as the case may be), prevents its dispersion and directs this towards a pipe that leads to a funnel-shaped container located on the surface of the sea or to a recovery and storage bag. 2. Recovery of the hydrocarbon of a sunken tanker at great depth, characterized by having suitable material pipes connected to the tent or to the hatch of claim (1) and which lead the fluid to a funnel-shaped container located on the surface of the sea to be sheltered from a suitable tanker. 3. Recovery of the hydrocarbon of a sunken tanker at great depth characterized by having bags connected to the tent or directly to the hatch of claim (1), into which the fluid leaving the tanks is introduced, to transfer it to the surface of the sea and be sheltered from a tanker, or be towed to land. 4. Recovery of the hydrocarbon of a sunken tanker at great depth characterized by having magnets or electromagnets as one of the fastening systems to the hull of the ship of the tents, pipes and bags of claims (1), (2) and ( 3).