GB2422580A

GB2422580A - Oil containment boom formed from a plurality of hingedly connected moulded plastic panels

Info

Publication number: GB2422580A
Application number: GB0601745A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Clive Stephen Montague Fisk
Original assignee: OIL Ltd
Current assignee: OIL Ltd
Priority date: 2005-01-28
Filing date: 2006-01-30
Publication date: 2006-08-02
Also published as: GB0601745D0; GB0501769D0

Abstract

A boom for use in the collection of oil slicks comprises a plurality of hingedly connected panels (10). Each of the panels (10) is formed as a plastic moulding having a groove (15, Fig 3) in its lower edge to receive a bar that acts as a counterbalance weight or ballast bar. Each of the panels (10) may also have grooves (14, Fig 4) in two opposed edges to receive rods (19, fig 7) that form parts of the hinge connections between the panels (10). Each of the panels (10) may also have a pair of spaced formations (16,Fig 2) in one of its edges to facilitate handling of the panels (10).

Description

I

BOOMS

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to booms and, in particular, to booms for use in the harvesting of oil slicks.

In British Patent Specification No. 2 310 381 there is described an oil slick harvesting vessel which has a mid-mounted endless belt conveyor for conveying spilled oil from one side of the other and deployable hinged end panels which can be connected to the end panels of other like vessels to encompass an area into which the spilled oil can be directed in operation of the endless belt conveyors of the interconnected harvesting vessels.

In British Patent Specification No. 2 374 838 there is described a method of harvesting an oil slick, which method includes:- a) providing an oil slick harvesting vessel which has an endless belt conveyor for conveying spilled oil from one side of the vessel to the other and deployable hinged panels which extend along both ends and said other side of the vessel, b) deploying the hinged panels so that they encompass an area on said other side of the vessel and within which the spilled oil can be collected, and c) operating the endless belt conveyor to transfer the spilled oil into the encompassed area.

The oil slick harvesting vessel described in British Patent Specification No. 2 374 838 has an endless belt conveyor for conveying spilled oil from one side of the vessel to the other, and deployable hinged panels which extend along both ends and said other side of the vessel and which are deployable so that they encompass an area on said other side of the vessel and within which the spilled oil can be collected.

The hinged panels form a boom and are provided with sealing means in the form of gaskets to stop any egress of oil from the encompassed area.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved form of boom, particularly a boom for use in harvesting oil slicks.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a boom comprising a plurality of hinged panels that may form part of the oil slick harvesting vessel of British Patent Specification No. 2 310 381 or of British Patent Specification No. 2 374 838.

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a boom comprising a plurality of hingedly connected panels, each of the panels being formed as a plastic moulding having a groove in its lower edge to receive a bar that acts as a counterbalance weight or ballast bar.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a boom comprising a plurality of hingedly connected panels, each of the panels being formed as a plastic moulding having grooves in two opposed edges to receive rods that form parts of the hinge connections between the panels.

The rods are preferably contained within pockets formed at the ends of flexible sheets extending between adjacent panels.

Stainless steel sleeves are preferably fitted in the grooves in the two opposed edges of each panel, and the sleeves are preferably formed at their upper ends with eyes. Adjacent panels are preferably interconnected by wire ropes the ends of which are attached by clips to the eyes in the sleeves.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a boom comprising a plurality of hingedly connected panels, each of the panels being formed as a plastic moulding having a pair of spaced formations in one of its edges to facilitate handling of the panels.

The boom may incorporate the features of each of the above three aspects of the present invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a boom comprising four hingedly connected panels, Figure 2 is a front view of a panel, Figure 3 is an end view of a panel, Figure 4 is a plan view of a panel, Figure 5 is a perspective view of a hinge connector, Figure 6 is a front view of a hinge connector, and also shows the provision of a stainless steel wire rope for use in interconnecting adjacent panels.

Figure 7 is a plan view of a hinge connector.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment

The boom shown in Figure 1 comprises a plurality of panels 10, each having a configuration as shown in detail in Figures 2 to 4, and hinge connectors 11, each having a construction as shown in detail in Figures 5 to 7.

Each panel 10 is made from polyethylene in a rotational mould, polyethylene being the preferred material because it has a low friction surface such that cleaning of the panels 10 after use is facilitated. Each panel 10 is of rectangular form in front view and comprises an upper portion 12 that is approximately half the height of the lower portion 13 of the panel 10. The upper portion 12 has a thickness, i.e. a horizontal dimension, which is approximately two and a half times the thickness of the lower portion 13 of the panel 10. Typical panel dimensions are:height: 600 mm., width: 1,400 mm., thickness of upper portion 12: 150 mm, and thickness of lower portion 13: 60 mm.

The vertical edges of the panels 10 are chamfered, as can be seen from Figure 4, and vertical keyhole-shaped grooves 14 are formed in the edges of the panels 10. A channel-section groove 15 is formed in the base of each panel 10 and a galvanised iron bar, which acts as a counterweight or ballast bar, is inserted in each groove 15. The mass of the bar in relation to the volume and mass of the panel 10 is such that, in water, a panel 10 will float substantially vertically with approximately 400 mm. of its height below the water line and approximately 200 mm. of its height above the water line.

Two rebates 16 are formed in the upper edge of each panel and the configurations of the rebates 16 are such as to facilitate manual lifting of the panels 10.

The hinge connectors 11 each comprise a flexible reinforced canvas or plastic-coated sheet 17. The two ends of each sheet 17 are folded over to provide 50 mm. overlaps adjacent each end of the sheet 17 and the overlapping portions of the sheet 17 are then sewn together to form pockets 18 at each end of the sheet 17. A rod 19 is inserted in each of the pockets 18 and each rod 19 is wrapped in a foamed plastic material. The hinge connectors 11 are attached to the panels 10 by insertion of the foam-coated rods 19 in the vertical keyhole-shaped grooves 15 in the edges of the panels 10. The rods 19 are held resiliently and frictionally in the pockets 18 and the foam coatings for the rods 19 may be omitted to facilitate assembly of a boom in water.

Interconnection of adjacent panels 10 is also effected by means of stainless steel wire straps 20 the ends of which are clipped to stainless steel sleeves 21 inserted in the grooves 15 at the edges of the panels 10. The stainless steel sleeves 21 are formed with eyes adjacent their upper ends and the ends of the stainless steel wire straps 20 are attached by clips to the eyes in the sleeves 21.

The provision of the straps 20 interconnecting the panels 10 ensures that the panels 10 cannot part when the boom is under tension, either when being towed through the water or when being used to hold back an oil slick.

The boom formed by the panels 10 and the hinge connectors 11 can be used in conjunction with an oil slick harvesting vessel as described in British Patent Specification No. 2 310 381 or in British Patent Specification No. 2 374 838.

When connected to an appropriate vessel, the boom will remain flexible but the panels 10 will remain in their upright positions allowing oil to collect within the area enclosed by the boom and the harvesting vessel to a depth corresponding to the depth of the boom below the water line.

A boom comprising an appropriate number of panels 10, for example, between ten and twenty panels 10 interconnected by hinge connectors 11 can be used independently of a harvesting vessel. One possibility is to use the boom to encircle an area of spilt oil or a breached vessel and then draw the panels 10 together (so that they adopt a zigzag or concertina configuration) thereby reducing the area of encompassed oil at the same time as the depth of oil within the encompassed oil is increased.

A boom can also be used to restrict the flow of spilt oil or trash in a tidal flow. When conventional booms are used in a tidal situation, the flow of water below the water line can cause lifting of a skirt of the conventional boom allowing the oil or trash to pass under the boom. The panels 10 will, however, remain upright so that a boom formed from the panels 10 will not lift out of the water and the trapped oil or trash cannot flow beneath the boom.

Claims

Claims:- 1. A boom comprising a plurality of hingedly connected panels,

each of the panels being formed as a plastic moulding having a groove in its lower edge to receive a bar that acts as a counterbalance weight or ballast bar.
2. A boom as claimed in Claim 1, in which each of the panels has grooves in two opposed edges to receive rods that form parts of the hinge connections between the panels.
3. A boom as claimed in Claim 1, in which each of the panels has a pair of spaced formations in one of its edges to facilitate handling of the panels.
4. A boom comprising a plurality of hingedly connected panels, each of the panels being formed as a plastic moulding having grooves in two opposed edges to receive rods that form parts of the hinge connections between the panels.
5. A boom as claimed in Claim 4, in which the rods are contained within pockets formed at the ends of flexible sheets extending between adjacent panels.
6. A boom as claimed in Claim 4 or Claim 5, in which stainless steel sleeves are fitted in the grooves in the two opposed edges of each panel.
7. A boom as claimed in Claim 6, in which the sleeves are formed at their upper ends with eyes.
8. A boom as claimed in Claim 7, in which adjacent panels are interconnected by wire ropes the ends of which are attached by clips to the eyes in the sleeves.
9. A boom as claimed in Claim 4, in which each of the panels has a pair of spaced formations in one of its edges to facilitate handling of the panels.
10. A boom comprising a plurality of hingedly connected panels, each of the panels being formed as a plastic moulding having a pair of spaced formations in one of its edges to facilitate handling of the panels.
11. A boom substantially as herein before described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.