US3577879A - Floating barrier means - Google Patents

Floating barrier means Download PDF

Info

Publication number
US3577879A
US3577879A US840724A US3577879DA US3577879A US 3577879 A US3577879 A US 3577879A US 840724 A US840724 A US 840724A US 3577879D A US3577879D A US 3577879DA US 3577879 A US3577879 A US 3577879A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
skirt
barrier
elements
flexible
elementary
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US840724A
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Roger Eugene Ducrocq
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Pneumatiques Caoutchouc Manufacture et Plastiques Kleber Colombes SA
Original Assignee
Pneumatiques Caoutchouc Manufacture et Plastiques Kleber Colombes SA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Pneumatiques Caoutchouc Manufacture et Plastiques Kleber Colombes SA filed Critical Pneumatiques Caoutchouc Manufacture et Plastiques Kleber Colombes SA
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3577879A publication Critical patent/US3577879A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
    • E02B—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING
    • E02B15/00—Cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water; Apparatus therefor
    • E02B15/04—Devices for cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water from oil or like floating materials by separating or removing these materials
    • E02B15/08—Devices for reducing the polluted area with or without additional devices for removing the material
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
    • E02B—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING
    • E02B15/00—Cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water; Apparatus therefor
    • E02B15/04—Devices for cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water from oil or like floating materials by separating or removing these materials
    • E02B15/08—Devices for reducing the polluted area with or without additional devices for removing the material
    • E02B15/0814—Devices for reducing the polluted area with or without additional devices for removing the material with underwater curtains
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
    • E02B—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING
    • E02B15/00—Cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water; Apparatus therefor
    • E02B15/04—Devices for cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water from oil or like floating materials by separating or removing these materials
    • E02B15/08—Devices for reducing the polluted area with or without additional devices for removing the material
    • E02B15/0857—Buoyancy material
    • E02B15/0864—Air

Definitions

  • the invention provides that the skirt consists of two flexible members each of which constitutes an elementary skirt: means are provided to connect together these elementary skirts by their upper portions and the lower portions of the skirts are split vertically, the splits being unifonnly spaced apart and the splits in one elementary skirt being offset relatively to those in the other: at least one flexible mechanical reinforcing element is located in the upper portion of the skirt and this flexible reinforcing element may be located in a channel.
  • the present invention relates to floating barriers formed by an inflatable enclosure extended by a flexible element generally referred to as a skirt, which extends below the inflatable enclosure. Barriers of this kind may, for example, be used at the sea in order to restrict the spread of areas of pollution which are the result of accidental discharges of hydrocarbons such as oil and thus to allow the said hydrocarbons to be recovered.
  • Such barriers i.e., the floating barriers which enclose layers of hydrocarbons, should not be continuous solution in spite of the deformations and mechanical stresses to which they are subjected, due to the movement of the sea and of any beaehing operations. It should be possible for their ends to be drawn together so as to reduce the surface of the layer and to limit its thickness. Moreover, they should be easy to store and transport and to locate in position.
  • a barrier according to the invention is composed of a series of floating elements, each of which is characterized by the fact that it comprises both an inflatable tube and a flexible skirt connected to the inflatable tube and formed of two elements each of which constitutes an elementary skirt, the two elements beingjuxtaposed and connected together at the top and only at the top, and having vertical splits spaced at regular distances apart, the splits in one element being offset relatively to those of the other element, a flexible member having considerable mechanical. strength, such as a cable or assembly of cables being located in the upper portion of the skirt.
  • the flexible reinforcing member is located in a passage provided in the upper portion of the skirt. 1
  • FIG. 1 shows a sectional view through a barrier element in position
  • FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of the element shown in FIG. I before it is brought into position
  • FIG. 3 shows an elevational view of the assembly of the two elements of the barrier
  • FIG. 4 shows an elevational view of a portion of the barrier in position
  • FIG. 5 shows a cross section through another fonn of barrier element having an inflatable tube, but before the tube is inflated
  • FIG. 6 shows a cross section through the barrier element shown in FIG. 5 when the tube has been inflated
  • FIG. 7 shows a cross section through the center portion (corresponding to part A in FIGS. 5 and 6) of a barrier element before the flexible longitudinal reinforcing element has been placed in position
  • FIGS. 8 and 9 show cross sections through the center portion of the barrier elements after a flexible longitudinal reinforcement element has been placed in position.
  • the barrier elements are made of a plastics material or an elastomer such as rubber which is resistant to sea water, hydrocarbons and bad weather of all types.
  • the barrier shown comprises an inflatable enclosure 1 having a tubular form when inflated which acts as a float and constitutes the upper portion of the barrier proper, a flexible skirt 2 and a flexible element 3, having a substantial resistance to traction and made of the material of which the top portion of the flexible skirt 2 is made.
  • the flexible skirt 2 is formed of two portions 2a and 2b which are connected together at the top. Each portion 2a and 2b of the skirt in fact constitutes an elementary skirt, and this is how they will be referred to in the remainder of the description.
  • Each of the elementary skirts 2a and 2b is provided with splits 4a and 4b which are perpendicular to the axis of the inflatable enclosure and are spaced regularly apart.
  • the splits 4a in the elementary skirt 2a do not coincide with the splits 4b in the elementary skirt 2b and may, for example, be arranged arbitrarily.
  • At least one ballast member 6 is secured to the lower portion of each part of the elementary skirt 2a or 2b contained between two successive grooves 4a or 4b. These ballast members 6 are attached directly to' each elementary skirt as shown in FIG. 3,0r are suspended by means of a cable as shown in FIG. 4. Generally, this latter arrangement is preferred when the stresses to which the barrier is subjected are considerable. Particularly on the open sea, the length of the cables then varies in the same direction as the stresses. This is why the ballast member in FIG. 3 is particularly well adapted to operation near the coast.
  • the flexible element 3 having a high tensile strength takes the form of a cable. It might also take the form of a number of metal or textile ropes.
  • the inflatable enclosure 1 which comprises one or more valves 5 used for purposes of inflation, acts as a float and constitutes the upper portion of the barrier as described above.
  • a floating barrier of this type is possessed of a high degree of longitudinal flexibility.
  • the division of the skirt into two elementary skirts which are not connected at the bottom, and the provision of vertical splits 4a and 4b cause the skirt not to stiffen the barrier which is also not stiffened by the flexible reinforcing element located in the upper portion of the skirt.
  • the inflatable tube . is deformed, the skirt is also deformed in the same way without thereby causing particular stresses to be set up and without the skirt tending to lie flat as is the case in the majority of existing floating barriers.
  • grooves 40 and 4b are offset relatively to one another, means that in spite of the interruption between the elementary skirts, the barrier remains sealed relatively to the layer of floating hydrocarbons, such as oil. It has, moreover, been found that surprisingly enough the presence of the grooves 4a and 4b improves the stability of the skirts when the ends of the barrier are brought together in order to enclose the layer of oil.
  • the elements of the barrier include a frame constructed of one or more layers of flexible elements In order to form each layer, it is possible either to use a biassed fabric or a corded fabric, that is to say, an assembly of elements such as wires or cables located parallel to one another and embedded in an elastic material which makes possible the cohesion of these various elements.
  • biassed fabric such as a plain weave for example
  • this is generally arranged in such a manner that the elements form an angle of 45 to the longitudinal direction of the barrier.
  • corded fabric is used, this is generally arranged so that the elements form with the longitudinal direction of the barrier an angle of between 40 and 70 and preferably of the order of55.
  • This particular arrangement of biassed or corded fabrics has a number of advantages, particularly the fact that since the inflatable tube is not provided with reinforcing elements parallel to its axis, it has a high degree of longitudinal flexibility.
  • the elements of the barrier are formed from a sheet of elastomer having a reinforcement 7 constituted by two layers of corded fabric which are superimposed and crossed so that their elements form, with the longitudinal direction of the barrier, equal but opposite angles, of approximately 55.
  • This sheet is subsequently bent back on itself on either side of a strip of elastomer which constitutes the flexible reinforcing element 3.
  • the reinforcement 8 is also placed in position, the said reinforcement also being formed of two layers of corded fabric which are crossed and arranged at 55 relatively to the longitudinal direction of the barrier so that the inflatable enclosure is reinforced over its full periphery.
  • each barrier element On either side of each barrier element, the elements 3 of high mechanical strength exceed a certain length. This makes it possible to attach them to one another by means of a flexible connection 9. At these connections, the watertightness of the barrier is ensured by means of a flexible panel 10 which is secured to the two barrier elements and rests upon the skirt 2 of the said elements; the panel 10 is located at the side of the layer 1 1 of hydrocarbons.
  • the arrangement of the elements of the fabric in the cases of a biassed fabric and a corded fabric respectively may be seen from the diagrammatic enlargements shown at and 21 of portions 22 and 23 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3
  • the fabric shown at 20 has a weave in which the elements 24 and 25 are each arranged at angles of 45 to the longitudinal direction 26 of the barrier.
  • the elements 27 and 28 are arranged at angles 55 with respect to the longitudinal direction 29 of the barrier.
  • the barrier When in position, the barrier cuts off the layer 11 of hydrocarbons from the rest of the sea surface 12 in a remarkably effective manner as has been described above.
  • the provision of the flexible reinforcing element 3 not only makes it possible for the barrier to be highly resistant to natural stresses due to the movement of the sea, but also for it to be moved by pulling the end members and to reduce .the surface of the layer of hydrocarbons so as to make it possible to pump this layer away under optimum conditions.
  • a barrier element in which the flexible element of high resistance to traction takes the form of a cable or assembly of cables which are embedded in the material constituting the barrier element and forming part thereof. It has been found that in certain cases this embodiment possesses certain disadvantages. In fact, if the cable happens to break or be damaged accidentally, the barrier element becomes useless or extremely difficult to repair.
  • Another difficulty in certain cases lies in the method by which they are to be produced.
  • the barrier element similarly includes an inflatable enclosure 1, a skirt 2 formed by two elementary skirts 2a and 2b and a flexible element 3 of high tensile strength located in the upper portion A of the skirt.
  • the flexible longitudinal reinforcing member 3 which in the case of the embodiment shown in a metal cable, is located in a channel 13. It will be noticed that this causes excess thickness due to the relatively thickness of its cross section.
  • the manufacture of the barrier element is effected essentially by bending back on its self a sheet of elastomer comprising a reinforcement 7.
  • a recess In the center region A, there is provided a recess, the wall of which is covered with an antibonding agent which prevents them from sticking together during the vulcanizing operation. The result is the formation of a channel R3 in which the longitudinal reinforcing element is subsequently inserted.
  • the walls of the channel 13 are preferably provided with a reinforcement 14, which may take the form of one or more layers of fabric or any other suitable material capable-of adhering to the elastomer or the plastomer of the barrier element.
  • This reinforcement protects the barrier element from the friction of the element 3 against the wall of the channel and thus does away with any risk of rupture which might occur while the element 3 is being inserted in the channel 13.
  • a continuous element hereinafter referred to as a drawing or pulling element, such as a wire, strip or cable of small diameter which is coated with antibonding agent and which extends beyond the two ends of the channel.
  • This pulling or drawing agent will subsequently be used for inserting the longitudinal reinforcement element 3.
  • the center portion A of the barrier element takes the form shown in FIG. 7. lt will be seen to be quite flat, thus making possible the use of a plate-type or a rotary press for vulcanization.
  • the drawing or pulling element which is located in the channel 13 is connected to the longitudinal reinforcing element 3, the channel 13 is inflated and the pulling element is drawn so as to slide in the channel 13 and draw with it the flexible longitudinal reinforcing element.
  • the longitudinal reinforcing element is thus located in the channel 13.
  • this element 3 is a cable whereas in the embodiment shown in FlG. 9 the element 3a is a chain.
  • a barrier element comprising an inflatable tube and a skirt connected to said tube, wherein said skirt consists of two flexible members, each of which constitutes an elementary skirt, connection means connecting said elementary skirts by their upper portions and the lower portions of said elementary skirts being vertically split at a uniformly spaced distance, the splits in one elementary skirt being offset relatively to those in the other elementary skirt, and at least one flexible mechanical reinforcing element being located in the upper portion of said skirt.
  • a barrier element according to claim 1 which is made of an elastomer or a plastomer and comprising a reinforcement constituted by at least two layers of elements which are parallel to one another, wherein these layers are crossed relatively to one another so that their elements form with the direction of the axis of the inflatable tube oppositely directed but equal angles of between 40 and 6.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Civil Engineering (AREA)
  • Structural Engineering (AREA)
  • Laying Of Electric Cables Or Lines Outside (AREA)
  • Lining Or Joining Of Plastics Or The Like (AREA)
US840724A 1968-07-11 1969-07-10 Floating barrier means Expired - Lifetime US3577879A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR158914 1968-07-11
FR182534 1968-12-31

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3577879A true US3577879A (en) 1971-05-11

Family

ID=26182118

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US840724A Expired - Lifetime US3577879A (en) 1968-07-11 1969-07-10 Floating barrier means

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US3577879A (enExample)
BE (1) BE735996A (enExample)
DE (1) DE1934664A1 (enExample)
ES (1) ES369351A1 (enExample)
NL (1) NL6910681A (enExample)

Cited By (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3792589A (en) * 1972-01-17 1974-02-19 Chevron Res Floating barrier
US3919847A (en) * 1972-11-27 1975-11-18 Pneumatiques Caoutchouc Mfg Floating anti-pollution barrier
US4043131A (en) * 1976-04-09 1977-08-23 Sessions Byron J Oil slick retaining boom for off-shore oil wells
FR2401276A1 (fr) * 1977-08-25 1979-03-23 Bridgestone Tire Co Ltd Dispositif collecteur d'huile ou de petrole et appareil pour l'assemblage de tels dispositifs
US4234420A (en) * 1979-05-03 1980-11-18 Turbeville Joseph E Method and apparatus for pollutant spill control
US4244819A (en) * 1972-12-26 1981-01-13 Pneumatiques Caoutchouc Manufacture Et Plastiques Kleber-Colombes Floating anti-pollution barrier and method for using the same
US4260285A (en) * 1977-08-25 1981-04-07 Bridgestone Tire Co., Ltd. Oil boom
US4459803A (en) * 1982-02-19 1984-07-17 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Air Force Variable inlet vane assembly for a gas turbine combustion
US5032212A (en) * 1989-04-21 1991-07-16 Campbell Colin G Petroleum containment barrier, apparatus for the manufacture thereof and method and apparatus for recovering floating petroleum
US5040918A (en) * 1990-04-23 1991-08-20 Taricco Todd L Oil boom and method
US5056958A (en) * 1989-04-21 1991-10-15 Campbell Colin G Method and apparatus for recovering floating petroleum
US5085538A (en) * 1989-04-21 1992-02-04 Campbell Colin G Petroleum containment barrier for recovering floating petroleum
CN112064568A (zh) * 2020-09-02 2020-12-11 中国科学院南京地理与湖泊研究所 一种用于低流速水体悬浮蓝藻的导流聚集装置

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
AU523045B2 (en) * 1978-09-09 1982-07-08 Bridgestone Tire Co. Ltd. Collabsible rubber dam

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2682151A (en) * 1950-10-02 1954-06-29 Simpson James Murray Boom for confining material floating on water
US3321923A (en) * 1965-03-02 1967-05-30 Smith Steerable self-powered floating structures
US3494132A (en) * 1968-09-06 1970-02-10 Campbell F Logan Inflatable float boom

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2682151A (en) * 1950-10-02 1954-06-29 Simpson James Murray Boom for confining material floating on water
US3321923A (en) * 1965-03-02 1967-05-30 Smith Steerable self-powered floating structures
US3494132A (en) * 1968-09-06 1970-02-10 Campbell F Logan Inflatable float boom

Cited By (17)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3792589A (en) * 1972-01-17 1974-02-19 Chevron Res Floating barrier
US3919847A (en) * 1972-11-27 1975-11-18 Pneumatiques Caoutchouc Mfg Floating anti-pollution barrier
US4244819A (en) * 1972-12-26 1981-01-13 Pneumatiques Caoutchouc Manufacture Et Plastiques Kleber-Colombes Floating anti-pollution barrier and method for using the same
US4043131A (en) * 1976-04-09 1977-08-23 Sessions Byron J Oil slick retaining boom for off-shore oil wells
FR2401276A1 (fr) * 1977-08-25 1979-03-23 Bridgestone Tire Co Ltd Dispositif collecteur d'huile ou de petrole et appareil pour l'assemblage de tels dispositifs
US4260285A (en) * 1977-08-25 1981-04-07 Bridgestone Tire Co., Ltd. Oil boom
US4234420A (en) * 1979-05-03 1980-11-18 Turbeville Joseph E Method and apparatus for pollutant spill control
US4459803A (en) * 1982-02-19 1984-07-17 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Air Force Variable inlet vane assembly for a gas turbine combustion
US5032212A (en) * 1989-04-21 1991-07-16 Campbell Colin G Petroleum containment barrier, apparatus for the manufacture thereof and method and apparatus for recovering floating petroleum
US5056958A (en) * 1989-04-21 1991-10-15 Campbell Colin G Method and apparatus for recovering floating petroleum
US5085538A (en) * 1989-04-21 1992-02-04 Campbell Colin G Petroleum containment barrier for recovering floating petroleum
US5040918A (en) * 1990-04-23 1991-08-20 Taricco Todd L Oil boom and method
WO1992019815A1 (en) * 1990-04-23 1992-11-12 Taricco Todd L Oil boom and method
GB2270041A (en) * 1990-04-23 1994-03-02 Todd Lawrence Taricco Oil boom and method
GB2270041B (en) * 1990-04-23 1995-04-05 Todd Lawrence Taricco Oil boom and method
CN112064568A (zh) * 2020-09-02 2020-12-11 中国科学院南京地理与湖泊研究所 一种用于低流速水体悬浮蓝藻的导流聚集装置
CN112064568B (zh) * 2020-09-02 2021-10-29 中国科学院南京地理与湖泊研究所 一种用于低流速水体悬浮蓝藻的导流聚集装置

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ES369351A1 (es) 1971-11-01
BE735996A (enExample) 1970-01-12
DE1934664A1 (de) 1970-02-12
NL6910681A (enExample) 1970-01-13

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US3856052A (en) Hose structure
US4564311A (en) Protective jacket for use in revetment structures
US4157101A (en) Hose structure
US4153079A (en) Flexible hose lines
US3686870A (en) Arrangement in flexible fences for enclosing impurities floating on water
US3786637A (en) Oil fence
US3982361A (en) Modified structure for lining generally curved surfaces
US4013100A (en) Flexible elongated member comprising a reinforcing armouring
US4623281A (en) Open-mesh fabric
CA1045058A (en) Hose structure
US3970116A (en) Method of weaving a composite tube and web and resulting article
EP0032352B1 (en) Hose structure
USRE31047E (en) Hose structure
US3641770A (en) Floating oil confining apparatus
US5074709A (en) Device and method for containing fluid spills
JPS63189515A (ja) 損傷防護可撓性膜堰
US3775982A (en) Anti-pollution barrier
DE1934664A1 (de) Absperrelement
US4260285A (en) Oil boom
US4067544A (en) Pneumatic flat pads
US3888086A (en) Floating boom
USRE32508E (en) Hose structure
US3508408A (en) Supporting cushions
EP0617160A1 (en) Covered fabric comprising tubular elements
US4311414A (en) Pile wiper seal