GB2414967A

GB2414967A - A v-shaped oil containment boom

Info

Publication number: GB2414967A
Application number: GB0409435A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mark Samsom
Original assignee: TRISKEL MARINE
Current assignee: TRISKEL MARINE
Priority date: 2004-04-28
Filing date: 2004-04-28
Publication date: 2005-12-14
Also published as: GB0409435D0

Abstract

A method of removing oil from flowing water consists of positioning a V-shaped boom 100 positioned with its open end facing the direction of flow of the water and collecting oil from the apex 104 of the V-shaped boom. A boom assembly for achieving this also is disclosed. The boom comprises two longitudinally extending chambers 103, including a plurality of attachment points 105 for mooring lines 106, disposed along the chambers. The mooring lines are attached to at least two anchor means 107. A secondary boom 108 may be provided behind the apex of the V-shaped boom to provide a collection chamber 109.

Description

241 4967

MARINE OIL AND SURFACE CONTAMINANTS CONTAINMENT BOOM

The present invention relates to booms for use in the containment and removal of oil spillages from the surface of estuarine or in-shore waters.

The use of floating booms to contain or deflect oil spillages is wellknown. Off-shore, current practice is to surround relatively small oil slicks with fully floating booms and then to remove the oil from the enclosed area. Inshore, an additional way of dealing with lo oil spillages is to anchor a boom, nominally in a straight line, at an angle to a region of shore line which is accessible from the landward side and deliberately use tidal or other currents to deflect the oil onto the shore from which the deposited oil is removed mechanically, or even manually. This procedure is not satisfactory for a number of reasons. Firstly? the removal of the oil from the shore can never be achieved completely so that one deliberately causes pollution of the chosen region of shore line, secondly the removal and subsequent disposal of contaminated sand, shingle, rocks etc is expensive, thirdly, the booms distort, causing local areas where the oil spills over, or under, the booms and escapes and fourthly, the oil is lost to further use.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method of disposing of oil spillages, and a boom assembly therefor.

According to the present invention, there is provided a method of disposing of oils contamination from bodies of water where there is a directed flow of water comprising.

the operations of deploying a moored buoyant boom in a V-shaped configuration with the open end of the V facing the direction of flow of the water and removing collected oil from the region of the apex of the V. Preferably, there is included a secondary boom deployed behind the apex of the V-shaped boom so as to act as a collection chamber for any oil which passes beyond the apex of the V-shaped boom.

Also according to the present invention, there is provided a boom assembly for use in the disposal of oil from a body of water which has a directed direction of flow, comprising a lo buoyant boom having two longitudinally extending chambers including a plurality of attachment points for mooring lines disposed regularly along the chambers, at least two mooring assemblies consisting of an anchor means to which is attached a plurality of mooring lines the relative lengths of which are such that when the mooring lines are attached to appropriate attachment points on the boom and the anchor means are disposed transversely of the direction of flow of the water, the boom deploys itself in a V-shaped configuration with the open end of the deployed boom facing the direction of flow of the water.

The boom may be a single entity or two separate booms adapted to be joined at the position which will form the apex of the boom when it is deployed.

Preferably, there is included a secondary boom which, in use is adapted to be deployed behind the apex of the deployed V-shaped boom to provide a collection chamber for oil which passes beyond the apex of the deployed boom.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure I is a plan view of a deployed oil containment boom embodying the invention, s and Figure 2 a side view of the deployed oil containment boom of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, an oil containment boom 100 embodying the invention consists of a buoyant elongated chamber 101, which may be segmented internally, from lo which depends a weighted skirt 102, of conventional construction. The chamber 101 has two legs 103 which are joined at an apex point 104. Connected to the legs 103 of the chamber 101 at regular intervals are floats 105 which provide attachment points for mooring chains 106 which are connected to anchor sinkers 107, although conventional anchors can be used if so desired. The floats 105 also bear the weight of the mooring claims 106 so that the boom 100 is free floating. The mooring chains 106 and sinkers 107 constitute mooring assemblies. A secondary boom 108 is deployed behind the main boom 100 so as to collect any oil which escapes from the apex 104 of the main boom 100. If so desired, the main boom 100 may be in two sections which may have a gap between them leading to the collection pool 109 formed by the secondary boom 108.

It is important that the legs 103 of the boom 100 are deployed in straight lines so that there are no positions along their lengths at which oil will collect preferentially, eventually to spill over, or under, the boom legs 103. This is ensured by careful calculation of the relative lengths of the mooring chains 106 and by deploying two :5 further moorings I lo, I I 1 behind the apex 104 of the boom 100 to provide a degree of longitudinal tension in the legs 103 of the boom 100. Also anchor points, not shown in the drawings, are provided at the shoreward ends of the legs 103 of the boom 100. Also anchor points, not shown in the drawings are provided at the shoreward ends of the legs 103 of the boom 100.

As shown, the boom 100 is shown deployed so as to close off a relatively narrow estuary or river and only two mooring assemblies are used. For use in other circumstances where longer boom legs 103 are required, it may be necessary to employ more than one mooring assembly per leg of the boom. Also booms according to the invention can be lo deployed along shore lines where there is a current drift along or towards the shore.

Claims

1. A method of disposing of oil contamination from bodies of water where there is a directed flow of water comprising the operations of deploying a moored buoyant boom in a V-shaped configuration with the open end of the V facing the direction of flow of the water and removing collected oil from the region of the apex of the V.

2. A method according to claim I wherein there is included the operation of deploying a secondary boom behind the apex of the V-shaped main boom to provide a collection chamber form any oil which passes the main boom and removing any oil collected in the collection chamber.

3. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein there is included the operation of laying moorings and connecting the moorings to the apex of the V of the main boom so as to induce a longitudinal tension in the main boom.

4. A boom assembly for use in the disposal of oil from a body of water which has a directed direction of flow, comprising a buoyant boom having two longitudinally extending chambers including a plurality of attachment points for mooring lines disposed regularly along the chambers, at least two mooring assemblies consisting of an anchor means to which is attached a plurality of mooring lines the relative lengths of which are such that when the mooring lines are attached to appropriate attachment points on the boom and the anchor means are disposed transversely of the direction of flow of the water, the boom deploys itself in a V-shaped configuration with the open end of the deployed boom facing the direction of flow of the water.

5. A boom assembly according to claim 4 wherein there is provided a secondary boom adapted in use to be deployed to enclose the downstream side of the apex of the V-shaped main boom.

6. A boom assembly according to claim 4 or claim 5 wherein the main boom is comprised of two chambers joined at the position which in use forms the apex of the V-configuration.

7. A boom assembly according to claim 5 wherein the main boom consists of two separate chambers which in use can be positioned to provide an entry for collected oil into the collection chamber formed by the secondary boom.

8. A boom assembly according to any of claims 4 to 7 wherein the chambers are segmented internally to provide protection against loss of buoyancy.

9. A method of disposing of oil contamination from bodies of water where there is a directed flow of water substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. A boom assembly for use in the disposal of oil from bodies of water where there is a directed flow of water substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying drawings.