US3683699A

US3683699A - Method of retrieving marine life and mineral specimens from ocean{40 s deepest parts

Info

Publication number: US3683699A
Application number: US147477A
Authority: US
Inventors: James C Grady
Original assignee: Gulf Oil Corp
Current assignee: Chevron USA Inc
Priority date: 1971-05-27
Filing date: 1971-05-27
Publication date: 1972-08-15
Anticipated expiration: 1989-08-15

Abstract

A capsule for obtaining samples of sea bottom material contains a molten sample gathering material. A ballast member at the lower end of the capsule causes the capsule to sink freely when dropped into the sea. An explosive device, preferably located in the ballast member, is detonated when the capsule reaches the sea bottom and ruptures the capsule. A piston within the capsule above the sample gathering material is driven downwardly by gas pressure to force the sample gathering material from the capsule into contact with the sea bottom. The sample gathering material has a density lower than the density of sea water and a freezing point higher than the temperature of the sea water whereby the sample gathering material freezes, occludes sea bottom material, and floats to the surface of the water.

Description

United States Patent [151 3,683,699 Grady [45] Aug. 15, 1972 [54] METHOD OF RETRIEVING MARINE [57] ABSTRACT LIFE AND MINERAL SPECIMENS FROM OCEAN 'S DEEPEST PARTS [72] Inventor: James C. Grady, Port Arthur, Tex. 731 Assignee: Gulf Oil Corporation, Pittsburgh,

[22] Filed: May 27, 1971 [21] Appl. N0.: 147,477

I52] U.S. Cl. ..73/42l R, 73/425 I51] Int. Cl ..G01n 1/04 [SKI Field of Search ..73/42l R, 425

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,521,715 7/1970 Krutein ..73/425 3,347,101 10/1967 Kennedy ..73/42l R Primary Examiner-S. Clement Swisher Attorney-Meyer Neishloss, Deane E. Keith and Paul L. Tillson A capsule for obtaining samples of sea bottom material contains a molten sample gathering material. A ballast member at the lower end of the capsule causes the capsule to sink freely when dropped into the sea. An explosive device, preferably located in the ballast member, is detonated when the capsule reaches the sea bottom and ruptures the capsule. A piston within the capsule above the sample gathering material is driven downwardly by gas pressure to force the sample gathering material from the: capsule into contact with the sea bottom. The sample gathering material has a density lower than the density of sea water and a freezing point higher than the temperature of the sea water whereby the sample gathering material freezes, occludes sea bottom material, and floats to the surface of the water.

12 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures Patented Aug. 15, 1972 3,683,699

FIG

JAMES C GRADY METHOD OF RETRIEVING MARINE LIFE AND MINERAL SPECIMENS FROM OCEAN S DEEPFST PARTS This invention relates to the obtaining of samples of sea bottom material and more particularly to a novel method and apparatus for collecting sea bottom material and floating it to the surface of the water.

During recent years, there has been a large growth in interest in investigating the sea bottom. The sea bottom has been considered as a possible source of minerals which may be relatively rare on land sites. Study of marine organisms from the sea bottom is of interest in investigating the origin of petroleum. While the obtaining of samples of sea bottom material has not caused any difficulty in shallow waters, improved methods of obtaining samples in deep water are desirable. One method that has been used for obtaining samples is to use a drag line supported from a barge in deep water. The weight of a line long enough to reach bottom in deep water demands large, expensive equipment which ordinarily cannot be justified merely for sample taking.

To avoid the cost of a drag line, it has been suggested that kerosene or other oil be used to assist in the elevation of the sample of sea bottom material to the surface. One method has relied on the preferential affinity of certain minerals for oil to cause finely divided particles of the mineral, described as mineral flour, to adhere to oil droplets and be floated to the surface. Obviously, that method is of no value in raising anything but very finely divided materials to the surface. In another method, sea bottom material is scooped and directed into the lower end of a conduit and kerosene is discharged into the lower end of the conduit to cause an upward flow through the conduit to the surface. The equipment required for such a technique in deep water results in that technique being substantially as expensive as a drag line.

This invention resides in a method and apparatus for obtaining samples of sea bottom material in which a capsule filled with a water-insoluble molten sample gathering material of lower density than water is sunk to the sea bottom and ruptured to displace the molten material onto the sea bottom. The molten material freezes and occludes sea bottom material. Because of the lower density than water of the molten material, it rises to the surface where it can be collected and the occluded sea bottom material separated from it. A preferred sample gathering material is paraffin.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view partly in vertical section of the apparatus of this invention for obtaining a sample of sea bottom material.

FIG. 2 is a view of the lower end of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a g transverse sectional view of a second embodiment of a sample obtaining device utilizing this invention.

. Referring to FIG. 1, a capsule indicated generally by reference numeral is shown having a metallic cylindrical casing 12 closed at its upper and lower ends. Extending from the upper end of the capsule are a plurality of fins 14 adapted to guide the capsule and maintain it in a vertical position as it sinks to the sea bottom. Casing 12 is illustrated as having an upper section on which fins 14 are mounted joined to a lower section by threads 15.

Connected into the lower end of the casing 12 and forming a part of the closure of the lower end is a ballast member 16. Ballast member 16 is constructed of steel orlead to provide sufficient weight to cause the capsule to sink rapidly to the sea bottom. The ballast member 16 has a percussion element 18 extending downwardly from its lower end and communicating through a bore 20 with a cavity 22 in the upper end of the ballast member. Cavity 22 is filled with a suitable explosive material for rupturing the capsule 12 as is hereinafter described.

The lower end of capsule 12 has a plurality of grooves 24 in the outer wall which serve as rupture areas weakening the wall to aid in. the discharge of the sample gathering material from the capsule. Slidable within the cylindrical casing 12 at its upper end is a piston 26 which separates the compartment 28 for the sample gathering material from a gas filled chamber 30. Piston26 is shown with a layer 31 of thermally insulating material between end plates. A filling port 32 provided with a suitable valve, not shown, extends through the wall of the capsule 10 to provide means for filling the chamber 30 with compressed gas.

In the operation of the sampling device, the piston 26 is placed in the lower section of casing 12, the upper section is screwed onto the lower section and the casing is inverted. Stops 33 limit movement of the piston when the casing is inverted. The casing is then filled with molten sample gathering material, which is preferably paraffin having a melting point in the approximate range of F. The ballast member 16 is then screwed into the end of the capsule to provide a closure for its lower end. Compressed gas is then injected into the chamber 30 under a pressure adequate to force the sample gathering material from the capsule 10 when the capsule is ruptured at the sea bottom.

The capsule 10 is lowered overboard above the site at which the sample is to be obtained. The weight of ballast member 16 causes the capsule to sink rapidly to the sea bottom with the percussion member 18 extending downwardly. When the percussion member 18 strikes the bottom it sets off the detonator in chamber 22 to rupture the lower end of the capsule which is weakened by the slots 24. The compressed gas in compartment 30 forces the piston downwardly to displace molten sample gathering material downwardly and outwardly through the ruptured lower end of the capsule into contact with the sea bottom material. The sample gathering material solidifies and occludes particles of the sea bottom. Because of the lower gravity of the paraffin relative to sea water, the solidified sample gathering material rises to the surface where it can be collected and separated from the occluded material.

The embodiment. of the invention illustrated in a transverse sectional view in FIG. 3 is identical to the embodiment in FIG. 1 in all respects except the wall of the cylindrical vessel is of double thickness with a space 34 between an inner ring 36 and an outer ring 38 to receive a thermally insulating material. The insulating material reduces heat loss to the water as the capsule is sinking and thereby reduces solidification of the sample gathering material as the capsule sinks to the sea bottom.

The sampling device of this invention is inexpensive to construct and operate. No equipment supported near the level of the sea bottom from a floating vessel is required; hence, there isno necessity for expensive lines and lifting equipment. The occlusion of sea bottom material in the solidified sample gathering material permits larger particles to be floated to the surface than is possible in a method based on the selective adhesion of mineral particles to oil utilized in some of the processes heretofore available. Moreover, sea bottom material can be more easily recovered at the water surface when it is occluded in solidified sample gathering material than when it is suspended by oil floating on the water surface. Screening is adequate to separate the solidified material from the sea water.

In the apparatus specifically described, the percussion device is actuated by contact with the sea bottom. Other devices for setting off explosive charges used to rupture the capsule can be used. For example, the capsule may be provided with an explosive-detonating device actuated by an acoustic signal that is sent to the device from the surface of the water after the capsule has reached the sea bottom. Similarly, a slow burning explosive suitably connected to the percussion element could be substituted for the compressed air in chamber 30 to provide means for driving the piston downwardly to discharge the sample gathering material from the capsule.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for collecting samples of material from the bottom of a body of water comprising a capsule having a density causing the capsule to sink freely, said capsule comprising a casing; a molten sample gathering material within the casing, said sample gathering material having a freezing point higher than the temperature of the water and a density, when solidified, lower than the density of water; and means for rupturing the casing when the casing reaches the sea bottom.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which a ballast member is secured to the lower end of the casing to orient the capsule as it sinks in the water.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 in which the casing has a plurality of grooves at its lower end to provide weakened rupture areas.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which the means for rupturing the casing comprise an explosive when the capsule is at the sea bottom.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 in which the means for rupturing the casing are located in the ballast member and comprise an explosive charge in the ballast member and a percussion element adapted to detonate the explosive charge on contact with the bottom of the body of water.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including means for displacing molten sample gathering material from the casing after the casing is ruptured.

7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 6 in which the means for displacing the sample gathering material includes a piston slidable within the casing above the sample gathering material, and compressed gas above the piston.

8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 6 in which the means for displacing the sample gathering material from the casing include a piston slidable within the casing above the sample gathering material, a slow burning explosive c arge within the casing gbove the piston, and means or detonatmg the slow umlng explosive charge.

9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 in which fins extend from the outer surface of the capsule at its upper end to maintain the capsule in a vertical position as it sinks to the bottom of the body of water.

10. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which the casing comprises inner and outer walls spaced apart and an insulating material within the space between the walls.

11. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which the sample gathering material is paraffin.

12. A method of obtaining a sample of sea bottom material comprising sinking a capsule containing a molten sample gathering material having a freezing point higher than the temperature of the sea and a density lower than the density of the sea water, rupturing the capsule, discharging the sample gathering material against the sea bottom, and collecting sample gathering material and sea bottom material from the surface of the water.

Claims

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which the means for rupturing the casing comprise an explosive charge and means for detonating the explosive charge when the capsule is at the sea bottom.

8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 6 in which the means for displacing the sample gathering material from the casing include a piston slidable within the casing above the sample gathering material, a slow burning explosive charge within the casing above the piston, and means for detonating the slow burning explosive charge.