FI86999C - ANORDNING FOER UPPSAMLING AV OLJA FRAON VATTENYTAN - Google Patents

Description

1 8 6 9 9 9

Device for collecting oil on the surface of water

The present invention relates to a device for collecting oil on the surface of water, which device is self-floating and comprises a body, floats in the circumferential area of the body and pumping means in the central area of the body for drawing contaminated water around the device towards the pump, the device being provided with oil collecting means 10 storage tanks and a purified water drain pipe below the water surface.

It is already well known to use bristle collectors which are in constant motion, lifting the oil 15 up from the water and the surface of the water, and from which the oil is then separated and recovered. It is known to place such oil collecting means in various ways on ships which, when moving through oil-contaminated water, collect oil from the water.

20 Patent No. 130440 also discloses a device of the type mentioned in the introduction, which is thus intended to be immobilized in a confined water space, such as a harbor basin or the like, for purifying it from oil. The known device comprises a large plate, the edge of which is just below the surface of the water 25 and the water flows over the edge inwards towards the pump in the open, lower central part of the plate. The oil on the surface of the water is directed higher up to the oil pump in the middle of the plate. One problem with such oil peeling devices, or "skimmers", is that the oil / water interface is vague, especially under flow conditions, making it difficult to separate the oil from the water. In other words, a lot of water is also pumped out with the oil and, on the other hand, there is still a relatively large amount of oil in the water discharged downwards from the device. With this in mind, the 35 float height should also be precisely adjusted in each case, which is laborious.

2 86999

The object of the present invention is to provide such a collecting device in which the oil-mixed water can be efficiently directed to the collecting members and in which e.g. height adjustment is not necessary, i.e. the device can be easily and quickly put into operation.

In order to achieve these objects, the invention is characterized in that, in a manner known per se, collector-like spaces are connected to the collecting means consisting of bristles and their cleaning means, from inside of which water is pumped out to create a flow through the collecting means.

The pumping means are preferably arranged so as to direct the outgoing water flow substantially downwards. The suction pipes of the pumping members are connected to the housing-like spaces, e.g. immediately behind the collecting members passing through the water flow.

The invention and its other features and advantages will now be described in more detail by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a side view of a device according to the invention, Figure 2 shows the same device from above, Figure 3 shows a body of the device, Fig. 4 shows a top view of the body of the device, Fig. 5 shows an end view of the same body, and Fig. 6 shows the flow of oil and water in the device.

The body or frame of the device shown in the figures is formed by two horizontal tubes 1 and 2 bent into the shape of a rectangle rounded at their corners and the associated connecting tubes 3. Reference numeral 4 denotes a metal tank welded together from above in the middle of the frame.

An oil pump 5 is arranged in the oil tank, from which an outlet pipe 6 leads upwards, to which the outlet hose is intended to be connected. In addition, there is a bracket 7 at the top of the pump or tank, from which the entire device can be lifted, for example by means of a crane.

Below the oil pump there is an outlet pipe 8, inside which there are pumping means in the form of a propeller 9, which direct the flow of water downwards. The water flow hits the cone 14 which spreads the flow to the sides.

In a manner known per se, the oil collecting members consist of adjacent loops 11 comprising successively mounted pieces with bristles which, as the loops rotate, continuously raise the oil from the water. These collecting members are, for example, those described in EP-128729.

The oil is separated from the collecting members by scraper members 12, which may be, for example, those described in EP-122091. The oil separated by the scraper members 12 spills down by itself into the tank 4.

20

Two pipe coils 10 are connected to the water pumping members, which in turn are connected to housings, the front and rear sides of which are formed by collecting loops 11. When water is pumped through the device, a flow is thus created through the collecting members 11. 25 Thus, the contaminated water flows continuously towards the device and the oil is removed by means of collecting means.

Reference numeral 13 denotes four floats located at the corners of the frame, for example made of sheet metal. Figures 30 do not show the power supply of the oil pump and the water pump. These pumps can preferably be driven by hydraulic motors, the supply hoses of the motors being pulled out of the upper part of the tank 4 to a source of compressed oil on land or on board.

35

Finally, Figure 6 shows the flow of water and oil.

The oil is marked with black arrows, the oil-mixed water with the shaded arrows and the purified water with the unshaded tower with arrows.

It is clear that the presented structure can be modified in a mo-5 way within the scope of the idea of the invention. For example, the device may have four collection units oriented in four different directions. The collection units or bodies may be of any known type.

Claims (7)

1. A device for collecting oil from the water surface, which device is self-flowing and comprises a body (1, 2), floats (13) located at the peripheral area of the stoma and pumping means (9) located at the middle part of the body for pulling dirty water from the area around the device against the pump, wherein the device is provided with collecting means (11, 12) for yes, a collecting vessel (4) for collected oil and an outlet pipe (8) for purified water located below the water surface, characterized in in that the collecting means which in a known manner consist of brushes (11) and cleaning means (12) for these housing-like spaces are connected, from whose interior an outflow of water takes place to effect a flow through the collecting means (11). 20 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the collecting means (11) consist of adjacent movable, brush pieces having loops, the lower ends of which are in the water and which together form a collecting unit, characterized in that the device exhibits at least two points. -posed collection units between which the pumping means (9) are located. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises a substantially rectangular open body (1- 3), the floats (13) being located in its corners and the pumping means (9) in the middle. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the oil collection container (4) is located at the center of the body above the pumping means (9). 7 86999 Device according to claim 1, characterized in that it has other pumping means (5) for pumping oil from the container (4). Device according to claim 5, characterized in that the pumping means (9, 5) are driven by hydraulic motors. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that it has at least one attachment point (7) for a crane hook or the like.