WO1991019054A1

WO1991019054A1 - A method and apparatus for minimizing and recovering fluid cargo spills

Info

Publication number: WO1991019054A1
Application number: PCT/US1991/004091
Authority: WO
Inventors: Christian L. Lint
Original assignee: Lint Christian L
Priority date: 1990-06-08
Filing date: 1991-06-10
Publication date: 1991-12-12
Also published as: AU8052391A; EP0648295A1; CA2084759A1

Abstract

An apparatus for preventing or minimizing spilled fluid cargo in a marine environment, and for recovering that fluid cargo which does spill, is disclosed. The apparatus consists of an air pump (12) that can be connected with each hold of a marine cargo vessel (16) and used to evacuate the holds after they are filled with fluid cargo, thereby preventing of minimizing fluid cargo loss due to a breach of the holds. Also disclosed is the use of an air pump (12) which is connected to a substantially airtight enclosure (14), typically a tank or a hold (19) of a marine cargo vessel, and a pickup mechanism (20) with a pickup passage (22) that has one end connected to the tank or cargo hold (14) and a second end connected to at least one pickup nozzle (30) to recover spilled fluid cargo. The apparatus may be permanently installed on a marine cargo vessel, or it may use a port seal which fits over a port in the tank or hold, i.e., butterworth port, with at least two apertures to provide connections with the air pump (12) and the pickup means (30) only when the apparatus is needed to recover materials. Methods for minimizing fluid cargo loss and for recovering spilled fluid cargo also are disclosed.

Description

A METHOD AND .APPARATUS FOR MINIMIZING AND RECOVERING

FLUID CARGO SPILLS

Technical Field The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for preventing or minimizing spilled fluid cargo in a marine environment, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for preventing or minimizing spilled fluid cargo in a marine environment by entrainment of panicles of the spilled fluid in an air flow.

Background of the Invention

The use of vacuum sources for recovering materials in a marine environment, particularly spilled fluid cargo on open water, such as crude oil and associated debris, is well known. An example of a typical device is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 3,813,887, to Kruger et al. Such devices typically use displacement pumps which pull the materials to be recovered through the pump itself.

Recent experience at the oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska, shows that devices using conventional pumps are unsuited for such recovery work. The material that is to be recovered includes a great deal of debris, such as wood, dead animals, and pieces of cloth, as well as the spilled crude oil. Pulling this type of debris through a displacement pump causes frequent mechanical breakdowns, with the attendant expense and time loss of repair. It is critical to recover the spill materials as soon as possible to minimize environmental damage as well as direct cost. Also, spilled petroleum products can develop into a material called "mousse" and clot as time passes, making recovery more difficult. Thus, these frequent breakdowns cause delays when time is critical.

Another problem is that devices for recovering fluid cargo spills are usually not near the spill site and must be transported to it, causing delays in the initial recovery of the spill materials.

Of course, the most efficient way to limit damage from a fluid cargo spill is to minimize the amount of cargo spilled in the first place. Marine vessels transporting fluid cargos such as crude oil typically do not have systems to reduce the amount of cargo spilled that function very effectively. Examples of such systems are disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 3,859,944, to Warner, and U.S. Patent No. 4,241,683, to Conway. Warner discloses a system for transferring cargos from one hold to another, lining the holds with a puncture-resistant liner, and automatically pressurizing a hold that has been breached to minimize the extent of a spill. Conway discloses the use of a three-dimensional grid of bulkheads and a system for transferring cargo from one hold to another in the event of a breach to minimize lost cargo. While these devices may minimize cargo spills somewhat, they may actually aggravate the problem under certain circumstances. For example, if a breach in a hold were to penetrate the liner in Warner, the automatic pressurization of the hold could actually force more fluid out of the hold. Also, systems like the one disclosed in Conway require extensive additional construction on a vessel and would be difficult to retrofit.

As illustrated by the present discussion, there are a number of desirable features for an apparatus to rmnimize and recover fluid cargo spills in a marine environment. It would be desirable to have an apparatus that prevented or minimized the fluid cargo spill from a breach in the hold. In addition, it would be desirable for apparatus for spill recovery and spill minimization to be relatively inexpensive to install on new marine cargo vessels and to retrofit on older vessels. It would also be desirable to have an apparatus for recovering materials in a marine environment to a substantially airtight enclosure, such as a marine cargo vessel hold that, in turn, has a pickup mechanism forming a passage between the enclosure and spill material to be recovered so that the recovered materials pass directly into the enclosure without passing through an intermediate tank. It also would be desirable to have an apparatus that could be installed on a marine vessel temporarily in the event of a fluid cargo spill or that could be installed on the vessel permanently. Further, it would be desirable to have an apparatus which could use an air flow to remove the sheen left on water after petroleum products have been released on the water. It would also be desirable to have an apparatus that automatically controls the amount of air flow by regulating the height of a pickup tube above the surface of the material to be removed from the water. Additionally, it would be desirable to have an apparatus that aids in the air flow entraimnent of the material to be removed from the water.

While the above discussion was centered on apparatus for Doiπirπizing and recovering fluid cargo spills in a marine environment, it is not intended that the invention be limited to t i situation. The invention can be used in the case of different types of fluids, for example. It will be obvious from the description that follows that the present invention will be useful in other applications with problems common to those described herein.

Summary of the Invention

It is the object of the present invention to provide an apparatus to prevent or minimize the fluid cargo spilled in the event of a breach of a hold by using a source of an air flow connected to the hold by a manifold. It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus to mimmize the amount of fluid cargo spilled in the event of a breach of a hold that can be installed in new marine cargo vessels and retrofitted in older vessels with relatively low cost.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus to minimize the amount of fluid cargo spilled in the event of a breach of a hold that can also be used to recover materials in a marine environment.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for recovering materials in a marine environment using an air flow and constructed so that the recovered materials do not pass through the source of the air flow.

It is also the object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for recovering materials in a marine environment which can be temporarily installed on a marine vessel in the event of a fluid cargo spill.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for recovering materials in a marine environment which has a pickup mechanism that forms a passage between a substantially airtight enclosure and the materials to be recovered from the marine environment.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for recovering materials from a marine environment which uses a pickup mechanism having multiple pickup points through which the materials can be recovered.

It is also the object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which could use an air flow to remove the sheen and oil left on water when petroleum products have been released on the water by using the air flow acting through multiple pickups at or near the water surface.

The present invention achieves these objectives and other objectives which will become apparent from the description mat follows by providing an air flow source connected to fluid cargo holds of a marine cargo vessel. The connections can be provided a plurality of passages, such as a multiple manifold. After the holds are filled with fluid cargo, the air flow source is engaged, the air remaining in the holds is removed, and a vacuum is created within the holds. If a breach occurs in one of the holds, the spillage of the fluid cargo is minimized by the vacuum acting on the fluid cargo in the hold. In certain circumstances, when the vacuum is sufficient and the fluid cargo has a lesser density than water, such as crude oil, water can actually enter through the breach into the hold and thereby prevent the spillage of fluid cargo from the breach. Another preferred embodiment of the present invention uses an air flow source, a substantially airtight enclosure connected to the air flow source, and a pickup mechanism forming at least one pickup tube between the airtight enclosure and materials to be recovered. When the air flow source is engaged, the materials to be recovered are entrained in the air flow and they are pulled through the pickup tube and into the enclosure. By not passing the materials through the air flow source, the reliability and efficiency of the apparatus are increased significantly over earlier devices. It is envisioned that the apparatus will be used on marine vessels where it could be installed permanently, using a compartment or hold as the enclosure. Alternatively, the apparatus could be used as a portable unit which can be transferred to the location of a fluid spill. This portable unit could be transported with a substantially airtight enclosure or could use a hold of the marine vessel involved in the spill.

In an alternative preferred embodiment of the present invention, a pickup mechanism is used that incorporates at least one pickup nozzle with a connector end and an input end. The pickup nozzle connector end is attached to the pickup tube, and the input end is placed proximate the materials to be recovered.

In yet another alternative preferred embodiment of the present invention, a pickup mechanism is used that incorporates at least two pickup tubes, each pickup tube having a pickup nozzle with a connector end and an input end. The pickup nozzles are connected to the pickup tubes as described in the alternative embodiment immediately above.

In a further alternative embodiment of the present invention, a pickup mechanism is used that incorporates at least one pickup nozzle with a connector end and an input end. As with the above embodiments, the pickup nozzle connector end attaches to the pickup tube. In this embodiment, an input end contains a rotating cylindrical drum which rotates the material to be picked up towards the open end of the pickup nozzle. The cylindrical surface can be configured in a number of ways to aid its pickup of the material to be recovered.

In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, a pickup mechanism is used with at least two pickup tubes, each pickup tube having a pickup nozzle attached in the manner described in the above embodiments. In this configuration, the pickup tubes are formed from a hollow device constructed of flexible, resilient material. Further, each of the pickup tubes is sufficiently long to enable the pickup nozzle to be maneuvered independently by propulsion means for each nozzle. This allows each of the pickup nozzles of the pickup mechanism to be maneuvered to facilitate the most efficient recovery of spilled material.

In another alternative preferred embodiment of the present invention, which may be incorporated with either the transportable unit or a unit permanently installed on a marine vessel, a port seal is provided. The port seal has a sealing assembly on a lower surface and at least two apertures to provide connections with an air flow source and at least one pickup mechanism assembly. The port seal has sufficient size to cover a port in a hold of a marine vessel.

One preferred embodiment of the sealing assembly used with a port seal uses a substantially resilient material which covers at least a portion of the port seal lower surface. With this embodiment, when the port seal is placed over an open port and acts to form a substantially airtight seal.

Another preferred embodiment of the sealing assembly uses a plurality of clamps to attach the port seal to the port to form a substantially airtight seal. Yet another preferred embodiment of the sealing assembly uses substantially resilient material on the port seal's lower surface in combination with a plurality of clamps to form a substantially airtight seal.

Yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention uses an air flow connected to holds of a marine cargo vessel and a poπ seal and pickup mechanism assembly. As in the above-discussed embodiment, the air flow is connected to holds with a multiple manifold and a vacuum is exerted on the holds to minimize the spillage of fluid cargo in the event of a breach. If spillage results from such a breach, the port seal is placed on a port of one of the holds and connected to the air flow, the air flow is engaged, and the spillage material is recovered through the pickup mechanism assembly with very little delay. In yet another further preferred embodiment of the present invention, an air flow source is connected to the holds of a marine cargo vessel using a plurality of passages, such as a multiple manifold attached to each hold of the marine cargo vessel as a pickup tube and a pickup nozzle using the rotating cylindrical drum embodiment described in an above embodiment. The pickup tubes and nozzles are arranged so that the longitudinal axes of the rotating cylindrical drums are substantially aligned on one side of the marine cargo vessel. After the air flow source is engaged, the marine cargo vessel in this embodiment is propelled so that the side that has the plurality of pickup nozzles with rotating drums is moving through the material to be recovered. Thus, the marine cargo vessel has been turned into a sweeper barge which is capable of recovering substantial amounts of materials, such as spilled crude oil, in a relatively brief amount of time.

Yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention uses an air flow source to remove the sheen left on water after petroleum products have been released on the water. In this alternative preferred embodiment, the air flow source is connected to a plurality of pickups which float at or near the water surface. As the water with the petroleum sheen is pulled into the pickups, it is entrained in the air flow and passes into a substantially vertical collection tube where the petroleum sheen is separated from the water as they pass through separation plates. The petroleum sheen is retained, while the substantially clean water passes out the bottom of the collection tube, thus mimmizing the waste product requiring disposal.

Numerous other embodiments of the present invention may be achieved by ^• combining different embodiments or aspects of embodiments described above. This summary of the invention is an attempt to disclose a representative sample of the important embodiments and their features, but is not meant in any way to be viewed as disclosing each embodiment possible with this invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 is a partial isometric view of a preferred embodiment constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 1A is a partial isometric view of first alternative preferred embodiment constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure IB is a partial isometric view of second alternative preferred embodiment constructed in accordance with the present invention. Figure 1C is a partial plan view of a third alternative preferred embodiment constructed in accordance with the present invention. Figure ID is a partial side elevation of a third alternative preferred embodiment constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a partial side elevation view of a preferred embodiment constructed in accordance with the present invention. Figure 2A is a partial perspective view of an alternative preferred embodiment constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 3 is a partial top plan view of an alternative preferred embodiment constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 3A is a partial top plan view of an alternative preferred embodiment constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 4 is an isometric view of an alternative preferred embodiment constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 4A is a cross-sectional view of an alternative preferred embodiment constructed in accordance with the present invention taken along lines 4A in Figure 4.

Figure 4B is a cross-sectional view of an alternative preferred embodiment constructed in accordance with the present invention taken along lines 4B in Figure 4.

Figure 5 is an isometric view of an alternative preferred embodiment constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 6 is a partial isometric view of an alternative preferred embodiment constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 7 is an isometric view of an alternative preferred embodiment constructed in accordance with the present invention. Figure 8 is a partial perspective view of an alternative preferred embodiment constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative preferred embodiment constructed in accordance with the present invention taken along lines 9 in Figure 7. Figure 10 is a top plan view using several devices with the configuration of an alternative preferred embodiment constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 11 is an environmental isometric view of an alternative preferred embodiment constructed in accordance with the present invention. Figure 12 is an isometric view of first alternative preferred embodiment constructed in accordance with the present invention. Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative preferred embodiment constructed in accordance with the present invention taken along lines 13 in Figure 12.

Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view of a second alternative preferred embodiment constructed in a accordance with the present invention.

Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view of a third alternative preferred embodiment constructed in a accordance with the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Invention

With reference to Figure 1, a recovery apparatus 10 for recovering materials in a marine environment is disclosed. While one of the primary uses anticipated for this and other preferred embodiments of the present invention is the recovery of spilled fluid cargos, particularly crude oil and other petroleum products, the embodiments are equally useful in other applications involving the recovery and transfer of any materials, such as transferring fish from nets to holds on fishing vessels or wheat to rail cars.

The recovery apparatus 10 has an air flow source 12, which can be a mechanical or electrical pump. Other air flow sources are anticipated. The air flow source 12 is connected to a substantially airtight enclosure, in this case the hold 14 of a barge 16, by an air passage 18 that is substantially airtight. Also connected to the substantially airtight enclosure is a pickup mechanism 20.

The pickup mechanism 20 has at least one pickup tube 22, each pickup mbe 22 having a first end 24 and a second end 26. The first end 24 of the pickup tube 22 is connected to the hold 14. The second end 26 of the pickup tube 22 is connected to a connector end 28 of a pickup nozzle 30, which also has an intake end 32 that is placed near the materials to be recovered and through which the materials enter the recovery apparatus 10. The connection 34 between the pickup tube 22 and the hold 14 and the connection 36 between the pickup tube 22 and the pickup nozzle 30 are substantially airtight connections.

The pickup tube 22 can be constructed in a number of different ways and out of different materials that are well known in the an. For this particular embodiment, as illustrated in Figure 1, the pickup tube 22 is long enough to allow the pickup nozzle 30 to reach the materials to be recovered. The pickup mbe 22 can be construαed from any material that is resilient and at least flexible enough to allow an operator to move the pickup nozzle 30 near the materials to be recovered. The cross section of the pickup tube 22 can have any shape, e.g., circular, rectangular, oval, etc., so long as its ends 24 and 26 can form substantially airtight connections with the hold 14 or other enclosure and with the pickup nozzle 30.

Like the pickup mbe 22, the pickup nozzle 30 can have a number of different embodiments. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the pickup nozzle 30 in this embodiment is an elongated metal cylinder with a connector end 28 and an intake end 32. While the pickup nozzle shown has a substantially circular cross section, the cross section shape can also be square, rectangular, oval., etc., or any other convenient shape similar to the shape of the pickup mbe 22. In this embodiment, the pickup nozzle 30 can be constructed from materials other than metal, such as plastic, if the material can provide sufficient structural integrity to allow the pickup nozzle 30 to pickup material without collapsing or breaking apart. In this embodiment, a plurality of apertures 37 are arrayed about the pickup nozzle 30 to prevent clumping of material in the pickup nozzle 30 and pickup mbe 22, thereby assuring an uninterrupted flow of materials through the recovery apparatus 10.

When the recovery apparatus 10 is in operation, the air flow source 12 is engaged, creating an air flow in the pickup tube 22 and at the intake end 32 of the pickup nozzle 30. The materials to be recovered are entrained in the air flow pulled into the pickup nozzle 30, pass through the pickup mbe 22, and are deposited into the hold 14 without ever passing through the air flow source 12.

As a result, the recovery apparatus 10 is much more reliable than systems which pass the recovered materials through the air flow source 12, as well as being simply more efficient. A wider range in the size and shape of materials also can be recovered with the recovery apparatus 10 disclosed herein. Experimentation has shown that the combination of improvements discussed above results in an apparatus which has a recovery rate significantly superior to the earlier devices.

The velocity of the air flow at the pickup nozzle 30 is affected by several factors. Basically, the upper limit of the air flow is controlled by the air flow rate of the air flow source 12 can evacuate air from the hold 14. Another factor discussed below is the number and size of pickup tubes 22 and pickup nozzles 30 making up the pickup mechanism 28.

For the recovery apparatus 10 as illustrated in Figure 1, the conneαion 38 between the air passage 18 and the hold 14 and the conneαion between the pickup mechanism 20 and the hold 14 are formed using a port seal 40, with a first aperture 42 coπneαing the air flow source 12 to the hold 14 and a second aperture 44 connecting the pickup mechanism 20 to the hold 14. As shown in greater detail in Figure 2, the port seal 40 is a plate that has an upper surface 46 and a lower surface 48 and a sufficiently large surface area to cover a port 50 in the hold 14. The port seal 40 typically is made of metal, but other materials with sufficient rigidity also can be used. Overpressure valves 51 in the port seal 40 can be used in case any pressure differential between the hold 14 and the atmosphere becomes too great.

Figure 1C is a plan view of a second alternative preferred embodiment constructed in accordance with the present invention. Figure ID is a partial side elevation view of the second alternative preferred embodiment construαed in accordance with the present invention. In Figures 1C and ID, the recovery apparatus 10 is shown attached to a hold 14 of a barge 16 (not shown). The air passage 18 is conneαed between the air flow source 12 (not shown) and the hold 14, and the pickup mechanism 20 is connected between the hold 14 and the pickup nozzle 30 through a substantially airtight connection. The pickup nozzle 30 shown in Figure ID includes a flexible, corrugated tube 300 which is supported above the surface of the effluent 302, which overlies the surface of the water 304 by a support mechanism 306. The upper end 308 of the corrugate mbe 300 is held at a substantially fixed distance above the surface of the effluent 302, with the lower end 310 of the corrugate mbe 300 being positioned only a short distance above the surface of the effluent 302.

The supporting distances of the corrugate mbe 300 above the surface of the effluent 302 are established so that, when the air flow source 12 is not operating, the lower end 310 of the corrugate mbe 300 is approximately 6 inches to 12 inches above the surface 302 of the effluent. The springiness of the corrugate mbe 300 allows the corrugate mbe 300 to stretch towards the surface 302 of the effluent when the air flow source 12 is operating. It has been determined that causing the air flow induced by the air flow source 12 to pass through the recovery apparatus 10 creates a high velocity of aiY over the surface 302 of the effluent, entraining small particles in the form of a mist or "rain" which is carried through the pickup mechanism 20 into the hold 14. If the surface 302 of the effluent should rise towards the lower end 310 of the corrugate mbe 300, for example, by wave action, a negative pressure is created within the interior of the corrugate mbe 300. The pressure differential between the interior of the corrugate mbe 300 and the outside atmosphere creates a force acting horizontally on the corrugate mbe 300 which causes the inner diameter of the corrugate mbe 300 to collapse while the outer diameter of the corrugate tube 300 remains substantially the same. This, in turn, produces a "scissors" action of the corrugations, shortening the length of the corrugate mbe 300. Since the upper end 308 of the corrugate mbe 300 is supported at a substantially fixed distance above the surface 302 of the effluent, the shortening of the corrugate mbe 300 causes the 5 lower end 310 of the corrugate mbe 300 to rise above the surface 302 of the effluent until the small pressure differential between the interior of the corrugate mbe and the atmosphere approaches a steady state value. In this way, it can be seen that the corrugate mbe 300 is "self-positioning" above the surface 302 of the effluent. Accordingly, an individual who may be maneuvering the pickup nozzle

10 30 over the surface 302 of the effluent need only guide it in horizontal directions, since the corrugate mbe 300 optimally positions itself above the surface 302 of the effluent.

Figure ID also shows an air injeαion mbe 320 which supplies a stream of pressurized fluid, such as a gas, into the gap between the pickup nozzle

15 and the surface 302 of the effluent. The source of the pressurized gas, which can ύe an inert gas, indicates that the hold may potentially contain an explosive mixture, can be a pressurized tank or a return line (not shown) between the air flow source 12 and the air injection mbe 320. The air stream produced on the surface 302 of the effluent aids in the process of entraining the particles of effluent

20 which are carried by the air flow into the pickup mechanism 20, thereby increasing its efficiency.

The pickup mechanism 20 in Figure ID can be operated with or without the airtight air injection mbe 320. Similarly, the pickup mechanism 20 of Figure 1 can be operated with an air injeαion mbe 320 close to the intake end 32

25 of the pickup nozzle 30. Preferably, when operating with an air injeαion mbe 320, the apertures 37 in the pickup mbe 30 will be closed. In this case, the air injeαed by the air injeαion mbe 320 into the intake end 32 of the pickup nozzle 30 agitates the surface of the effluent in the vicinity of the intake end 32, reducing the chance that the intake end 32 of the pickup nozzle 30 becomes fully submerged below the

30 surface of the effluent, cutting off all of the air flow w;<ich is necessary to entrain

/ , the particles of the effluent.

One advantage of the air entrainrnent system of the present invention is that only a small volume of the effluent and/or water is present in the pickup mechanism at any time. However, because of the high velocity of air flow

35 through the pickup mechanism, the effluent and water present in the pickup mechanism travel at a high velocity, so that the particles of the effluent are removed from the effluent surface at a high volume rate. The port seal 40 also has a seal assembly 52 which forms a substantially airtight seal between the port seal 40 and the port lip 54 when the port seal 40 is in place. The seal assembly 52 can take several different embodiments. One embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, uses a substantially resilient material 56 attached to at least a portion of the lower surface of the port seal which contacts the port lip when the port seal is in place. When the air flow source 12 is engaged, the enclosure exerts a downward force on the port seal which pulls the seal assembly against the port lip, creating a substantially airtight seal. Another seal assembly embodiment uses a plurality of clamp devices 60, one of which is shown in Figure 2A. The clamp device 60 has a grooved stud 62 extending upwardly from the upper surface 64 of the port seal 66. A bracket 68, which is attached to the enclosure by a hinge 70, is positioned so that when it is rotated over the port seal 66, the stud 62 slidably fits into a slot 72 in the bracket 68. After the bracket 68 is rotated over the port seal 66, a lock nut 74 is placed on the stud 62 and tightened. This procedure is repeated for all of the clamp devices 60, which form a substantially airtight seal between the port seal 66 and the port lip 76.

As shown in Figure 2A, another embodiment of the seal assembly is possible by combining the two embodiments for the seal assembly discussed which uses the resilient material 78 in conjunction with the clamp devices 60. There are a number of other clamp devices which are well known in the art that could be used in the seal assembly. Embodiments of the seal assembly other than the ones discussed are contemplated. As shown in Figures IB and 7, it is possible to have preferred embodiments of the present invention that do not use a port seal. The port seal can either be permanently fixed in position or it can be placed over a port and conneαed to an air flow source and pickup mechanism only when needed to recover materials, such as after a fluid cargo has been breached. In one preferred embodiment, illustrated in Figure 6, the portability of the port seal 90 is exploited by making it a component of a portable unit 92. The portable unit 92 also includes an air pump 94 mounted to a bed 96 of metal, wood, or other rigid material, which enables the portable unit 92 to be transported by air, sea, or land. A portable, substantially airtight enclosure 98 may be included with the portable unit 92; or a hold on a marine vessel can be used with the port seal 90. Another preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figures 1A and IB. As with the embodiment discussed above, this embodiment involves an air flow source 100, such as an air pump, a substantially airtight enclosure, such as a hold 102 of a marine cargo vessel, and a pickup mechanism 104. In this embodiment, however, the pickup mechanism 104 has at least two pickup nozzles 106 with which to recover materials from a marine environment. There are a number of connecting multiple pickup nozzles 106 to the hold 102 and, thereby, to the air flow source 100. In Figure 1A, a single pickup mbe 108, having a first end 110 conneαed to the hold 102, is used. Along its length, the pickup mbe 108 splits into at least two secondary tubes 112, each secondary mbe having a second end 114 that is connected to a conneαor end 116 of a pickup nozzle 104.

The pickup mechanism 104 in Figure IB uses two pickup tubes 120 having a first end 122 connected to the hold 123 and a second end 124 conneαed to the connector end 126 of a pickup nozzle 127. Any number of pickup nozzles 127 can be used in this embodiment The desired induαive force at the open ends 129 of the pickup nozzles 127 is the only limitation on the number of pickup nozzles 127 used in this embodiment. Although the embodiment shown in Figure IB does not use a port seal, a port seal readily could be modified to have multiple apertures to make conneαions with more than one pickup mbe 120, as shown in Figure 3A (pickup mbe 132 in Figure 3A).

As illustrated in Figure 4, a preferred embodiment of the present invention can prevent or minimize spillage of fluid cargo from a breached fluid cargo hold. This embodiment uses an air flow source 133 that is conneαed to fluid cargo holds 134 of a marine cargo vessel 135 in a substantially airtight manner. A multiple manifold 136 is used. The multiple manifold 136 has a main mbe 138 conneαed at one end and open to the air flow source 133 and a plurality of secondary tubes 140 where each secondary mbe 140 connects and is open to the main mbe 138 and one of the holds 134. Other devices can be used to conneα the air pump and the individual holds 134, such as individual tubes from the air flow source 133 to each hold 134.

After the fluid cargo holds have been filled, the air flow source 133 is engaged and the remaining air in the holds 134 is evacuated, creating a negative pressure in each of the holds 134. In the event that one or more of the fluid cargo holds 134 are breached, the negative pressure in the holds 134 exerts a retarding force that prevents or at least minimizes the flow of fluid cargo from any breach, as shown in Figure 4A. In the situation where the breach is at or near the bottom of the vessel and the density of the fluid cargo 140 is less than that of water, such as that of crude oil, the retarding force from the negative pressure may aαually pull water through the breach and into the hold 141. This creates a barrier layer of water on which the fluid cargo 140 can float between the cargo and the breach, as shown in Figure 4B. In this situation, this embodiment may prevent any spillage of fluid cargo.

The above embodiment for preventing or minimizing the loss of fluid cargo in the event of a breach in the hold can be used with any of the embodiments discussed herein to recover spilled fluid cargo. A specific example is illustrated in Figure 5, where the barge 150 has an air flow 152 connected to individual cargo holds 154 by a multiple manifold 156. By utilizing port seal 158, a pickup mechanism 160 can also be conneαed to one of the cargo holds 134. For illustrative purposes in this embodiment, the pickup mechanism 160 consists of a pickup mbe 162 and a pickup nozzle 164, but any of the pickup mechanisms described herein for recovering spilled fluid cargo can be combined with the apparatus for minimizing the spillage of fluid cargo.

In operation, the embodiment illustrated in Figure 5 is virtually identical to the embodiments whose features it combines. Prior to a breach, the holds 134 are filled with fluid cargo and then the remaining air is evacuated from each of the cargo holds 134, creating a negative pressure within each hold 134.

When the breach occurs, as discussed above, the negative pressure in the hold 134 αeates a retarding force that minimizes the flow of fluid cargo from the breach.

At the same time, the valves 166 to each of the holds 134 can be closed, except for the valve 166 for the hold 134 which has the pickup mechanism 160 attached.

With the remaining valve 166 open and the other valves closed, the vacuum available to serve as an air flow source providing air flow through the pickup mechanism 160 is maximized. The pickup nozzle 164 can then be maneuvered to entrain any spilled fluid cargo through the pickup mbe 164 into ώe hold 134 being used as the substantially airtight container.

Thus, a marine cargo vessel utilizing this embodiment has first prevented or minimized the fluid cargo spilled in the event of breach, and then, without any external intervention, has quickly begun recovering any fluid cargo that was spilled. There is virtually no time lost waiting for skimmers or other recovery devices to be delivered to the stricken vessel. The result is that any damage to the marine environment is greatly deαeased in the event of a breach of the marine vessel. Yet another embodiment is an apparatus for recovering materials in a marine environment, as illustrated in Figures 7-9. In this embodiment, as in the above embodiments, the air flow source 180 is used with one or more holds 182 and one or more pickup mechanisms 184. In this embodiment, each pickup mechanism 184 includes a pickup mbe 186 which connects each hold 182 to a pickup nozzle 190 with a rotating cylindrical drum 188. As shown in Figure 7, the pickup mbe 186 connects to the conneαor end of the pickup nozzle 190, which also has a intake end that has a wide mouth 190. In the wide mouth 190, there is the transversely mounted, rotating cylindrical drum 188. The outer surface 182 of the cylindrical drum 188 is covered with some sort of recovering means 194 such as an all absorbant material which enables it to attract or hold materials such as spilled or crude oil on the water surface and deliver it to the wide mouth 190 of the pickup nozzle 190.

Two possible embodiments of the recovery means are illustrated in Figures 8 and 9. In Figure 8, the outer surface of the rotating cylindrical drum 188 has a plurality of ridges 196 extending substantially along its length. As the cylindrical drum 188 rotates, materials floating at or near the water surface are picked up by the ridges 196 and rotated up to the wide mouth 190 of the pickup nozzle 190 where the air flow entrains the materials through the pickup mbe 186 into the hold 182. In Figure 9, the outer surface of the rotating cylindrical drum 188 is covered with an oil-absorbent material 198. In this embodiment, as the cylindrical drum 188 rotates through the spilled materials, materials are absorbed into the oil-absorbent material 198. As the drum rotates, the oil-absorbent material 198 passes under a squeezing roller 200, which extends substantially along the length of the rotating cylindrical drum 188 and acts as a squeegee, forcing the absorbed material out of the recovering means into the airflow of the pickup mbe 186.

Rotating the cylindrical drum 188 can be achieved in a number of wavs well known in the art that include a belt-driven mechanism, or a hvdraulic or eleαric motor attached directly to the rotating cylindrical drum 188.

Figure 7 illustrates an application of the pickup mechanism 184 utilizing the rotating cylindrical drum 188. In this embodiment, the holds 182 of a marine cargo vessel are attached to the air flow source 180 by multiple manifold 202. One pickup mechanism 184 using the rotating cylindrical drum 188 is provided for each hold 182. Further, all of the pickup mechanisms 184 are located on one side of the barge, with the longitudinal axis of each of the rotating cylindrical drums 188 substantially aligned. As a result, when the marine vessel is moved in a direαion substantially normal to the longitudinal axes of the rotating cylindrical drums 188 to an area containing materials such as spilled crude oil, the rotating cylindrical drums 188 will pick up or absorb spilled materials rotated upward, out of the water, toward the wide mouth 190 of the pickup nozzle, where it will be carried through the pickup mbe 186 into the hold 182. Thus, in this embodiment, the marine cargo vessel has been transformed into a "sweeper barge." Figure 10 illustrates the use of a plurality of sweeper barges 210 connected together and being propelled by two tugboats 212 through an area of spilled fluid. Figure 11 illustrates another preferred embodiment which utilizes the rotating cylindrical drum concept for recovering materials in a marine environment. In this embodiment, the air flow source 220 is located on a marine cargo vessel 22 and is conneαed by a multiple manifold 224 to holds 226, which serve as substantially airtight enclosures. Extending from one of the holds 226 of the marine cargo vessel 22 are two substantially flexible pickup mbes 228, which are, in turn, conneαed to independently powered vessels 230 and 232. Vessel 230 has the wide mouth 234 of a pickup nozzle 235 attached to its front. The back of the pickup nozzle 235 is attached by an interconneαing hose 236 to a pickup mbe 228, and thus the corresponding evacuated hold 226. A rotating cylindrical drum 238 is transversely attached to the wide mouth 234 of the pickup nozzle 235 and operates in virtually the identical manner as the embodiments employing the rotating cylindrical drums 188 described above in Figure 7. This embodiment, however, can be maneuvered independently of the marine cargo vessel.

The second independent vessel 232 also uses a pickup nozzle with a wide mouth 240 and is conneαed to the pickup mbe 228 at its conneαor end 241. The wide mouth 240 of the pickup nozzle has a rotating cylindrical drum 242 transversely attached to it This pickup mechanism is supported by floats 246 and has a handle 248 attached so that it can be maneuvered by someone located in the independent vessel. In this particular embodiment, the pickup nozzle and rotating cylindrical drum 242 can be maneuvered independently of the independent vessel. Due to their length, the pickup hoses 228 are supported by floats 250. The recovery means on the surface of the rotating drums 238 and 242 for each of these embodiments is the same as those discussed above.

An alternative preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in Figures 12 and 13 and is used to removed the oil and sheen left on water after petroleum products have been released on the water. This embodiment uses an air flow source 270 such as an air pump, connected by a mbe 272 to a petroleum sheen recovery device 274. The petroleum recovery device 224 has a plurality of pickups 276 which, in this embodiment, are made from a plastic mbe 278 with a plurality of slots 279 in a circular configuration, although numerous configurations for the pickups 276 are possible. The pickups are conneαed to a central pressure differential head

280 by support mbes 282. The central head 180 is also connected to the mbe 272 from the air flow source 270. the head 280 rests atop a collection mbe 284, which has an open bottom 286 and contains at least one separation plate 288. The separation plate 288 can be construαed from any resilient material that allows the plate 288 to be construαed in a manner to pass water while retaining materials such as petroleum products. Examples are perforated metal or plastic plates, or heavy-gauge woven plastic. The recovery device is supported by floats 290.

In operation, the air pump is engaged, αeating a moderate suction in vacuum support mbes and the pickups. As best shown in Figure 13, the pickups are kept at or near the water surface. To allow for variations in elevation, the ring containing the pickups is conneαed to the vacuum support mbes with flexible couplings 292. The water containing the petroleum sheen is carried through the pickups, into the support mbes, and deposited in the collection mbe.

As the water containing the petroleum sheen passes through the collection tube, the petroleum sheen is separated from the water by the separation plates, thus cleaning the water. The petroleum sheen is retained in the upper portion of the collection mbe, while the clean water passes out the open bottom of the collection mbe. This minimizes the amount of waste material requiring disposal and gives an effective infinite collection apparatus. The colleαion mbe can be constructed from any sufficiently rigid material, including metal or plastic. The diameter of the colleαion tube can vary from a few inches to several feet, depending on the strength of the air pump used and amount of material to be recovered.

The flow of water through the collection mbe can be enhanced by the used of a pump. Also, an air flow may be attached direαly to the petroleum sheen recovery device. This embodiment is useful in any situation where petroleum products are released in limited amounts on water. Besides areas near oil spills, any dock or harbor situation where small amounts of materials such as oil or gas are released can use this embodiment. This embodiment could be a portable unit as well as a permanently installed device attached to a dock.

Figure 14 is an isometric view of a second alternative preferred embodiment and constructed in accordance with the present invention. The recovery apparatus 10 includes the air flow source 12 placed on a barge 16. The recovery apparatus 10 also includes a colleαion mbe 340 which floats adjacent to barge 16 and is conneαed to the air flow source 12 through a mbe 342. The recovery apparatus 10 also includes a pickup nozzle 30, such as that discussed in connection with figures 1C and ID. The pickup nozzle 30 is attached to the collection mbe 340 through a mbe 344. The collection mbe 340 is kept afloat by buoyancy member 346, which may be, for example, blocks of Styrofoam or an air filled tank, and retains a substantially fixed position relative to the water surface 348. The collection mbe 340 includes a head 350 mounted on top of cylindrical mbe 352 which is open at its lower end 354. A fluid pump 356 pumps material from the colleαion mbe 340 through a feed mbe 358. The fluid pumped by the fluid pump 356 empties into the hold 14 of the barge 16 through the outlet mbe 360. In the head 350 mounted to the collection mbe 340, the effluents are entrained in the air flow through the pickup nozzle 30 passes into the interior 362 of the colleαion mbe 340. The outlet end 364 of the mbe 344 is lower than the intake end 366 of the mbe 342, which has a filter 368 attached thereto.

In operation, the air supply source 12 induces an entrained flow of the effluent through the mbe 344 to the interior 362 of the collection mbe 340. In the interior 362, the entrained effluent drops out of the air flow and on to the effluent material 370 and 372 which is floating on the surface of contained water 374 and the interior 362 of the colleαion mbe 340 is at a slight negative pressure relative to the atmosphere surrounding the colleαion mbe 340, the pressure differential typically being approximately one inch Hg, and not more than 3 inch Hg. The air flow which brought the effluent to the interior 362 of the collection mbe 340 is filtered by the filter 368 at the intake end 366 of the mbe 342 conneαed to the air flow supply 12. Accordingly, the upper surface of the effluent material 372 is slightly elevated relative to the surface 348 of the surrounding water, and the water which separates out from the effluent material 372 falls to the contained water 374, from which it exits through the lower end 354 of the collection mbe 340. As the amount of effluent material 372 inαeases, it is pumped into the hold 14 through the feed mbe 358, the fluid pump 356, and the outlet mbe 360.

In one particularly preferred embodiment, the colleαion mbe 340 includes a series of apertures 376 which are formed above a piston 378. The piston 378 can take the form an inverted cup, having its open end pointed downward. As the contained water 374 is colleαed, it passes through the apertures 376 to the surrounding water as the effluent material 372 accumulates, it can be removed from the colleαion mbe 340 by an upward movement of the piston 378, which closes off the apertures 376 and forces the effluent material 370 and 372 through the dump mbe 380, which is connected to the hatch 14 in the barge 16.

The piston 378 can be forced upward by the introduction of some fluid which is lighter than water, such as air, into the inverted cup shaped piston, by conventional means not shown. After the piston has been used to remove the effluent material 372 from the colleαion mbe 340, the accumulated fluid in the piston 378 can be released through conventional means, so that it returns to its normal position, as defined by the annular stop 382 at the bottom of the colleαion mbe 340.

Figure 15 is a second preferred embodiment of the apparatus shown in figures 12 and 14. The collection mbe 340 includes a floating ball valve 400 which is engaged against sealing stop 402. The ball valve 400 can be caused to float upward by giving it a lower specific gravity than the water in which the colleαion mbe 340 is floating. The entrained effluent which is carried by the air flow through the pickup nozzle 30 (not shown) passes through the pickup mbe 22 into the upper portion of the collection mbe 340. At this point, the entrained effluent matter is trapped in region 404, above the ball valve 400. The air flow which brought the effluent to the interior of the colleαion mbe 340 passes upward through the filter 368 in the head 350 from which it passes through the mbe 18 to the air flow source 12. As the effluent collects in the region 404, it will build to a height whose downward force in the collection 340 then forcing the ball valve 400 to open and dumping the effluent into a tank such as hold 14.

The embodiments discussed herein are an attempt to provide a representative sample of the preferred embodiments of the present invention. It is apparent that by taking the different features of the embodiments discussed herein, any number of preferred embodiments are possible. For example, the rotating cylindrical drum combined with a pickup mechanism could be used with the portable unit described above and illustrated in Figure 6. Also, the port seal mechanism described in a number of the above embodiments could be used with the rotating cylindrical drum embodiments. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that such combinations and variations are possible upon careful review of the above disclosure. Therefore, the present invention is not limited by the above description but is to be determined by the scope of the claims which follow.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for recovering materials in a marine environment comprising: a air pump; a substantially airtight enclosure; a substantially airtight passage coπneαed between said air pump and said substantially airtight enclosure; and a pickup mechanism, said pickup mechanism forming at least one substantially airtight passage between said enclosure and said materials in said marine environment.

2. An apparatus for recovering materials in a marine environment as claimed in claim 1, wherein said substantially airtight enclosure is a hold of a marine vessel.

3. An apparatus for recovering materials in a marine environment as claimed in claim 2, wherein said apparatus further comprises: a port in said hold; a port seal, said port seal having an upper surface and a lower surface, a sealing assembly attached to said port seal, said sealing assembly forming a substantially airtight seal when said port seal is placed over said port; and at least two apertures in said port seal, with at least one said aperture conneαed to said air pump, and at least one other said aperture coπneαed to said pickup mechanism,

4. An apparatus for recovering materials in a marine environment as claimed in claim 3, said sealing assembly comprising a substantially resilient material at least partially covering said port seal lower surface, said resilient material forming substantially airtight seal when said port seal lower surface is placed over said port.

5. An apparatus for recovering materials in a marine environment as claimed in claim 2, wherein said hold incorporates an overpressure relief device.

6. An apparatus for recovering materials in a marine environment as claimed in claim 3, wherein said pickup mechanism further comprises: at least one pickup nozzle, each said pickup nozzle being substantially cylindrical and having a conneαor end and an intake end; and at least one pickup mbe having at least two ends, with at least one said end of each said pickup mbe conneαed to one said port seal and each remaining said end of each said pickup mbe conneαed to said conneαor end of one said pickup nozzle with all said conneαions being substantially airtight so that when said air pump is engaged, the materials are entrained in an air flow and carried into and through said pickup nozzle and pickup mbe into said enclosure.

7. An apparatus for recovering materials in a marine environment as claimed in claim 6, wherein said air pump is a high volume air flow pump.

8. An apparatus for recovering material in a marine environment as claimed in claim 6, wherein each said pickup nozzle further comprises a plurality of apertures arrayed around said pickup nozzle a predetermined distance from said open end.

9. An apparatus to prevent or minimize the fluid cargo lost on marine vessels with one or more cargo holds used to carry fluid cargos in the event of a breach of one or more of the cargo holds where each cargo hold is substantially airtight and has a port opening, said apparatus comprising: a air pump; and a manifold system forming a substantially airtight passage between each said cargo hold and said air pump.

10. An apparatus for minimizing fluid cargo loss as claimed in claim 9, wherein said apparatus further comprises: at least one port seal for at least one cargo hold, said port seal having an upper surface and a lower surface; a sealing assembly attached to said port seal, said sealing assembly forming a substantially airtight seal when said port seal is placed over said port; at least two apertures in said port seal, with at least one said aperture conneαed to said manifold system; at least one pickup nozzle, each said pickup nozzle being substantially cylindrical and having a conneαor end and an open end; and at least one pickup mbe having at least two ends, with at least one said end of each said pickup tube connected to one said port seal and each remaining said end of each said pickup mbe connected to said conneαor end of one said pickup nozzle with all said conneαions being substantially airtight so that when said air pump is engaged, the materials are carried through said pickup nozzle and pickup mbe into said hold thus recovering any fluid cargo lost in the event of a breach.

11. An apparatus for recovering material in a marine environment as claimed in claim 10, wherein said pickup mechanism further comprises: at least one pickup nozzle, each said pickup nozzle being substantially cylindrical and having a conneαor end and a collection end with a wide mouth and a drum transversely and rotatably mounted in said wide mouth, where said rotating drum also has an outer surface covered with a recovering means; and at least one pickup mbe having at least two ends, with at least one said end of each said pickup mbe coπneαed to one said enclosure and each remaining said end of each said pickup mbe conneαed to said connector end of one said pickup nozzle with all said connections being substantially airtight so that when said air pump is engaged, materials are carried onto said rotating drum, through said pickup nozzle and pickup mbe into said enclosure.

12. A method for recovering materials in a marine environment, said method comprising: using an air pump to αeate an air flow through to a substantially airtight enclosure conneαed to said air pump by a substantially airtight passage; αeating a massive air flow through a pickup nozzle by connecting one end of a pickup mbe to said airtight enclosure and connecting a second end of said pickup mbe to said pickup nozzle; and entraining said materials to be recovered in said air flow through said pickup nozzle, through said pickup mbe, and into said enclosure.

13. A method for preventing or niimmizing the fluid cargo lost on marine vessels with one or more cargo holds used to carrying fluid cargos in the event of a breach of one or more of the cargo holds where each cargo hold is substantially airtight and has a port opening, said method comprising: connecting a air pump to each said hold of said cargo vessel, using a manifold; and using said air pump to evacuate each said hold after each said hold is filled with cargo, αeating a negative pressure in each said hold.

14. An apparatus for recovering petroleum sheen from a water surface, said apparatus comprising: an air pump; a pressure differential head conneαed to said air pump in a substantially airtight manner; a plurality of pickups conneαed to said pressure differential head by at least one substantially airtight mbe, said pickups located at or near said water surface; a substantially vertical collection mbe with an internal passage, an open top upon which rests said head, an open bottom, and containing at least one separation plate which allows water to pass therethrough while retaining other material, each said separation plate being mounted aαoss said internal passage of said collection mbe, thereby forcing substantially all fluid passing through said colleαion mbe to pass through each said separation plate, allowing water to pass and retaining petroleum products.

15. An apparatus for recovering a first fluid floating on a surface of a second fluid in an atmosphere of a third fluid, comprising: pickup means for entraining portions of the first fluid in a flow of the third fluid passing therethrough; means for generating the flow of the third fluid; and means for causing the flow of the third fluid to pass through the pickup means.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising an enclosure conneαed to the pickup means to colleα the first fluid.

17. An apparatus for recovering a fluid floating on a surface of water, comprising: a pickup mbe adapted to entrain portions of the fluid in a flow of air passing therethrough; an air flow source to generate the flow of air; and means for causing the flow of air to pass through the pickup mbe.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising an enclosure conneαed to the pickup means to collect the first fluid.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising means for injeαing pressurized air into the pickup mbe.

20. A pickup mbe for recovering a fluid floating on a surface of water, comprising: a collapsible mbe having an intake end and an outlet end, the outlet end of the collapsible mbe being held a substantially constant distance from the surface of the water, the collapsible mbe being longitudinally collapsible when the pressure in the collapsible mbe become less than the pressure outside of the collapsible mbe.

21. The pickup mbe of claim 20, further comprising a rigid mbe having an intake end and an outlet end and being adapted to be placed so that its intake end is a substantially constant distance from the surface of water;

22. The pickup mbe of claim 21, further including means for supporting the intake end of the rigid mbe the substantially constant distance from the surface of water.

23. The pickup mbe of claim 21 wherein the means for placing the intake end of the rigid mbe the substantially constant distance from the surface of the water comprises floats which float on the surface of water.

24. The pickup mbe of claim 20, further including means for injecting a compressed fluid in the vicinity of the intake end of the collapsible mbe.