WO2003018167A2

WO2003018167A2 - Device and method for removing oil floating in water

Info

Publication number: WO2003018167A2
Application number: PCT/EP2002/008772
Authority: WO
Inventors: Otto Daude
Original assignee: Otto Daude
Priority date: 2001-08-09
Filing date: 2002-08-06
Publication date: 2003-03-06
Also published as: WO2003018167A3; AU2002325935A1; DE10139308A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a device and method for removing oil (2) floating in water. The device comprises an oil delivery device (4, 10, 16) having at least one longitudinally extended, flexible and buoyant supporting element (6) that is provided with at least one oil delivery element (10) having an oil delivery direction (R) extending essentially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the supporting element (6). The inventive device also comprises at least one buoyant oil collecting device (20), which is arranged near the supporting element (6) and interacts with the oil delivery element (10) thereof.

Description

Device and method for removing oil floating in water

TECHNICAL AREA

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for removing oil floating in water, in particular crude oil.

STATE OF THE ART

In ship accidents, in which so-called oil tankers are mostly involved, large quantities of oil leak at sea, which float on the water as oil slicks and contaminate the sea and nearby coasts, causing serious damage to flora and fauna and considerable costs for the necessary ones Cause cleaning and disposal work. Another problem that arises in this connection is that the oil surfaces that are still connected after a disaster relatively quickly dissolve into more or less connected oil stains under the influence of wind and swell or float in the form of oil clumps. This makes detection and recovery considerably more difficult. With the methods available today, in which, for example, oil-defense boats are used which absorb the driving oil, for example with the aid of paddle wheels and / or suction devices or the like, which are arranged on the bow area or between double hulls, it is therefore particularly in the open sea and under the influence of the wind, it is not possible to absorb a sufficient amount of a generally rapidly spreading oil slick and thus remove it from the water. PRESENTATION OF THE INVENTION

The invention is therefore based on the object or the technical problem of creating a suitable device and a suitable method which, in particular on the open sea and under the action of the wind, make it possible to effectively remove large amounts of oil floating in water from the water.

This object is achieved by a device with the features of claim 1.

This device for removing oil floating in water comprises: an oil delivery device with at least one elongated, flexible, floatable support element with at least one oil delivery element which has an oil delivery direction that extends essentially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the support element _/ and at least a floating oil collecting device, which is arranged in the region of the carrier element and cooperates with the oil-conveying element.

The device according to the invention makes it possible in a comparatively simple, effective and inexpensive way to remove even large amounts of oil floating in water, for example oil rugs, from the water. Due to its flexible construction, the device according to the invention adapts perfectly to the contour of a moving water surface. As will be explained in more detail below, the mode of operation of the device according to the invention is even positively supported under the influence of wind. The device according to the invention can be anchored both stationary, that is to say, for example, in a flowing body of water, in tidal waters, in a bay or in front of a beach, or also mobile, that is to say, for example, between two ships which are towing the device or holding it in position, or one Mixed form can be used using a ship as well as anchoring on land. The device according to the invention can thus be used both on inland waters and on the open sea. It can be used, for example, to protect oyster beds, salmon farms, beaches in the area of ocean currents with heavy shipping traffic, etc. The device according to the invention works very effectively and can be flexibly adapted to a wide variety of circumstances and oil spill or accident situations.

Further preferred and advantageous design features of the device according to the invention are the subject of subclaims 2 to 19.

The object on which the invention is based is further achieved by a method according to the invention having the features of claim 20.

This method for removing floating oil in water, however, comprises the steps of, ^'not mandatory manner in the order given:

a) deploying a device according to claim 1 in Lee an oil surface floating on water, so that the longitudinal extension of the device is substantially transverse to a driving direction of the oil surface; b) conveying the oil which comes into contact with the device substantially parallel to the longitudinal extent of the device and thus essentially transversely to the driving direction to an oil collecting device; c) collecting the transported oil in the oil collecting device; and d) removing the absorbed oil from the water by removing the oil from the oil collecting device and / or by removing the oil-containing oil collecting device from the water. It is pointed out that the application of the device in the lee of the oil surface floating on the water is not limited in the sense of the invention to the fact that for each application and in the lexical sense there must be a wind that defines a leeward side, i.e. one side facing away from the wind. The device can of course also be used when there is no wind, for example when one or more ships are towing the device with its substantial longitudinal extent transversely towards and into or around an oil slick, that is to say to artificially produce a leeward effect. The same applies in the event that the device is anchored in flowing water or tidal water. Here Lee has the meaning of the downstream side. Even if the device according to the invention is arranged relatively free of movement in or on a stationary oil slick, it can still have a considerable effect.

The method according to the invention has essentially the same advantage as the device according to the invention.

Preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention with additional design details and further advantages are described and explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Show it:

Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of an essential portion of a device according to the invention. FIG. 2 shows a schematic perspective view of an essential partial area of an oil delivery device of the device according to the invention from FIG. 1;

3 shows a schematic cross-sectional view through a single oil-conveying element of the device according to the invention from FIGS. 1 and 2 in a first operating state;

4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view through a single oil-conveying element of the device according to the invention from FIGS. 1 and 2 in a second operating state;

5 shows a schematic perspective view of a device according to the invention towed by two ships, to illustrate the method according to the invention;

6 shows a schematic perspective view of an accommodation and delivery device for the device according to the invention, which is mounted on a ship;

7a shows a schematic partial view of a further embodiment of an oil delivery element;

7b shows a further alternative embodiment of the oil delivery element shown in FIG. 7a;

Fig. 8 is a schematic representation of the temporal

Pressure curve during the operation of the oil delivery element according to FIGS. 7a and 7b; and 9 shows a schematic perspective illustration of an oil delivery element according to a further embodiment of the invention.

PRESENTATION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the following description and in the figures, identical parts and components are also identified with the same reference symbols in order to avoid repetitions, provided that no further differentiation is necessary.

1 shows a schematic perspective view of an essential partial area of a device according to the invention for removing oil floating in water. For the following explanations, it is assumed that the oil is an oil slick 2 originating from a leaked oil tanker and floating on the open sea under the influence of wind.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, the device comprises an oil delivery device 4, which in the present example has a plurality of elongated, flexible, floatable support elements 6. Each carrier element 6 is designed as a hollow body suitable for receiving and transporting a force transmission medium. The water on which the oil damage has occurred is preferably used as the power transmission medium. For the present embodiment, the carrier elements 6 are designed as stable, flexible tubular bodies. To drive the oil delivery device 4, the force transmission medium is introduced directly into the hollow carrier elements 6 by means of a pressure generating device or the like, not shown. The pressure generating device (here: a feed pump) can, for example, be installed on board a ship, on a pontoon or even on land. In addition or as an alternative to supplying the force transmission medium via the carrier elements 6, at least one separate supply line 8 can be used. As such a supply line 8, for example, a correspondingly dimensioned hose (pressure hose) is conceivable, which is arranged, for example, in the middle of a strand of adjacent support elements 6, as indicated schematically in FIG. 1. The supply line 8 can assume a pressure storage function depending on the dimensions and strength (in particular tensile and tear strength). The central supply line 8 is connected to respective oil delivery elements 10 of the oil delivery device 4 via suitable branches. If only the supply line 8 is used, it may not be necessary to supply the force transmission medium via the carrier elements 6. The carrier elements 6 could then be designed as pure elements transmitting a tensile force, such as steel cables or hawser. The buoyancy can be ensured via separate buoyancy bodies or the like.

Neighboring carrier elements 6, which in practical use with their bodies simultaneously form a type of delivery channel or delivery channel for the oil 2, are connected to one another by a plurality of spacers 12 which extend transversely to the longitudinal direction of the carrier elements 6 in such a way that the carrier elements 6 run at a predetermined distance and substantially parallel to each other. In the present case, the spacers 12 have a uniform length. In principle, however, spacers 12 of different lengths can also be used.

The device is also equipped with elongated tension elements 14, for example cables or ropes, which run essentially parallel to the tubular support elements 6. In the given exemplary embodiment, two tension elements 14 are each located laterally through the support elements 6 formed strand arranged. The tension elements 14 are also connected to the spacers 12. The end regions of the tension elements 14 are also provided with connecting means (not shown in the figures, for example couplings, shackles or the like), with the aid of which a secure and preferably releasable connection can be established with a towing device of a towing vehicle (ie here: a ship). The tension elements 14 absorb the tensile forces acting when towing or also when anchoring the device and during its operation.

The carrier elements 6 connected laterally to one another by the spacers 12 and, if appropriate, the existing central pressure supply line 8 together with the tension elements 14 form a floatable, elongated, net-like mat structure 16, which can flexibly follow the wave movements at sea. The central pressure supply line 8 can form the backbone of the system in the mat structure. The length of the mat structure 16 is preferably greater than its width. Several matt structures 16 can be modularly connected to each other ^'. For this purpose, the support elements 6, the tension elements 14 and a possibly existing supply line 8 are expediently equipped with suitable coupling elements (bayonet lock or the like).

As can further be seen from FIG. 1, each is the

Carrier elements 6 with a variety of

Oil delivery elements 10 equipped. Each oil-conveying element 10 has one that extends essentially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the associated carrier element 6

Oil-conveying direction. The direction of conveyance is indicated by arrows R. In the present example, each carrier element

6 provided with two groups of oil-conveying elements 10, which on both sides of a predetermined central section M (here, for example, defined as an approximately half-length of a carrier element

6 located transverse axis) of the carrier element 6 are and have opposite to each other, substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the support member 6 extending oil delivery directions. Oil reaching and between the carrier elements 6 is consequently conveyed from two sides of the central section M to the central section M.

The device according to the invention further comprises a floatable oil collecting device 18 which interacts with the oil delivery elements 10 of the carrier elements 6. In the present exemplary embodiment, the oil collecting device 18 is equipped with a buoyant, sack-like oil collecting container 20 which has an oil receiving opening 22 (sack opening or inflow opening) and on the side, i.e. is arranged in the empty area, next to the central section M of the mat structure 16 formed by the carrier elements 6. The oil receiving opening 22 points transversely to the longitudinal direction of the carrier elements 6 after windward.

Those areas of the sack-like oil collecting container 20 which form the container wall 24 are essentially made of a flexible, water-permeable, oil-retaining material, which at the same time functions as an oil-water separating device for an oil-water mixture entering the oil collecting container 20 , On a side opposite the inflow opening 22, the oil collecting container 20 can also have a correspondingly designed chamber which enables the separation of water and oil. The chamber can be attached to the underside of the oil reservoir 20 (water is heavier than oil). When designing the chamber, the dimensions, in particular those of the cross section and the length of the oil collecting container 20, must be taken into account.

The flexible container walls 24 are spanned by a plurality of hollow, ring-shaped or elliptical ribs 26, brackets or rings. This ensures that the inflow opening 22 is kept open. Furthermore, due to its flexible container walls 24 and the ribs 26, the oil collecting container 20 can be folded up like an accordion and stowed in the smallest space. In addition, due to this design, the oil collecting container 20 can be optimally adapted to a wide variety of loads generated by waves. The shape of the oil collecting container 20 supported by the ribs 26 in connection with a suitable displacement also ensures that a part of the oil receiving opening 22 lies above the water surface or is held there, as can be clearly seen in FIG. 1.

In the area of its closed sack bottom section, the sack-like oil collecting container 20 is connected via a suitable coupling device to an oil suction device 28, with the aid of which the oil 2 collecting in the container 20 can be sucked off.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic perspective view of an essential partial area of the oil delivery device 4 of the device according to the invention from FIG. 1. As can be seen from this drawing, the respective oil-conveying elements 10 of an elongated carrier element 6 comprise an oil-driving element 30 which can be moved back and forth in a direction running essentially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the carrier element 6, as in FIG. 2 Double arrows indicated. The oil-entraining element 30 has a relief-like surface structure 32. In the present example, this relief-like surface structure 32 is formed by a plurality of sawtooth elements, each of which has a tooth flank that is steep or concave in the direction of transport and an inclined or convex tooth flank opposite to the conveying direction R.

Further details of the oil delivery device 4 of the device according to the invention can be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4. 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional view by a single oil delivery element 10 in a first operating state (delivery stroke), and FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view through a single oil delivery element 10 in a second operating state (reset stroke).

As can be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the oil delivery element 10 comprises a cylindrical, tubular base body 34, the two ends of which each form a connecting piece 36, with which the oil delivery element 10 as a complete unit at an initial and an end section of a respective section of the elongated tubular support element 6 can be connected. The force transmission medium (here: water) guided by the carrier element 6 can thus be passed through the tubular base body 34 to the next carrier element section and a next oil-conveying element 10. The carrier element sections, as it were, interposed between the respective oil-conveying elements 10 in this embodiment further guarantee the necessary flexibility of the entire construction. Furthermore, a compact and stable design is achieved, which is particularly important in rough operation at sea, where high demands are placed on the load capacity, operability and operational safety to be guaranteed when removing and reinstalling the device according to the invention. Furthermore, the design described facilitates the removal or replacement of a respective oil-conveying element 10 or a section of the carrier element 6 for maintenance purposes or the like. In addition, less expensive production can be realized.

A block element 38 adjoins the tubular base body 34 of the oil delivery element 10 radially outward. This block element 38 essentially comprises a feed line 40 for the pressure medium communicating with the hollow interior of the tubular base body 34, a controllable reusable Valve 42, an actuating cylinder with a cylinder working space 44, a piston 46, a piston rod 48 and a return spring 52 arranged in a spring accommodation space 50, corresponding bearings and an outlet channel 54 which passes through the reusable valve 42 with the feed line 40 and over a relief bore 56 communicates with the spring housing space 50. The outlet channel 54 has an outlet opening 58 which points in the conveying direction R of the oil-conveying element 10. The above-mentioned components can of course be present several times in a single oil delivery element 10.

The reusable valve 42 works according to a type of flip / flop principle and controls the desired pressure application or pressure relief of the corresponding piston side. The reusable valves 42 of the device according to the invention are preferably interconnected synchronously; they can be addressed jointly or individually via a valve control system.

The oil driver element 30 already mentioned above is arranged on the outside of the block element 38 and is preferably connected to the block element 38 by means of a round or dovetail guide (not shown for reasons of clarity). The oil driver element 30 is coupled to the working cylinder via the piston rod 48 and can be moved back and forth in a direction which will be explained in more detail below in a direction which runs essentially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the carrier element 6, as in FIGS. 3 and 4 Double arrows indicated.

Delivery stroke (Fig. 3):

For a delivery stroke of the oil delivery element 10, the reusable valve 42 is in the switching position shown in FIG. 3. The outlet channel 54 is through the Reusable valve 42 blocked to supply line 40. When the pressure generating device is activated and a continuous pressure build-up occurs, pressurized water enters the cavity of the carrier element 6 and via this into the connecting piece 36 and the cylindrical, tubular base body 34, into the feed line 40 and via the reusable valve 42 into the working space 44 of the actuating cylinder. This causes the piston 46 to be displaced against the restoring force of the restoring spring 52 attached to the other side of the piston 46. The pressure setting and the construction of the oil-conveying element 10 are selected such that a relatively slow, uniform displacement of the piston 46 takes place during operation. Any water located in the spring accommodation space 50 can flow out via the relief bore 56 and the outlet opening 58.

Since the piston 46 is connected to the oil driver element 30 via the piston rod 48, this is also moved relatively slowly during the delivery stroke of the actuating cylinder (to the right in FIG. 3).

This in turn has the effect that oil 2, which surrounds or adheres to or adheres to the oil-carrying element 30, is carried along with the aid of the relief-like surface structure 32 and is conveyed essentially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the carrier element 6. All oil delivery devices 4 of the device according to the invention expediently execute the delivery stroke synchronously.

Reset stroke (Fig. 4):

Shortly before or when the piston end position is reached, the reusable valve 42 switches almost without delay from the position shown in FIG. 3 to the position shown in FIG. 4. Thereby the supply line 40 to the tubular base body 34 is shut off and the pressure supply is interrupted. At the same time, the working space 44 of the actuating cylinder is connected to the outlet channel 54 via the upper part of the feed line 40 and the piston 46 is suddenly relieved on the pressure side. The spring force of the return spring 52 now pushes the piston 46 back to the left into the starting position. The return movement of the piston 46 and thus also the return movement of the oil driver element 30 is achieved with the aid of the reusable valve 42 which controls the working pressure via the relief bore 56 to the rear of the piston 46, ie into the spring accommodation space 50. The water in the working space 44 is inevitably pushed out through the outlet channel 54 and the outlet opening 58, which acts as a nozzle. The water pressed out emerges in the desired delivery direction R and consequently makes it possible to actively support the oil production with a directed jet pulse.

The reusable valve 42, in particular its valve diameter, the spring force of the return spring 52 and the passage cross-sections of the feed line 40, the outlet channel 54, the outlet opening 58 and the relief bore 56 are selected and coordinated with one another in such a way that a return movement which is relatively fast compared to the delivery stroke or there is an abrupt reset stroke. Here one takes advantage of the inertia of the adhering or surrounding oil 2, which is not conveyed back in the opposite direction due to the rapid return movement of the oil driver element 30, which would be disadvantageous.

When the piston 46 and thus also the oil driver element 30 has reached its original starting position again, a new delivery stroke can begin. It should be noted at this point that the spring force and the dimension of the return spring 52 influence a precisely defined starting position and must therefore be selected accordingly. All Oil delivery devices 4 of the device according to the invention expediently execute the return stroke essentially synchronously.

As a result of the delivery stroke and the return stroke, a linear, alternating movement of the oil driver element 30 of the respective oil delivery element 10 is carried out and thus an essentially discontinuous oil delivery flow in the longitudinal direction of the carrier elements 6 is generated.

The device according to the invention preferably comprises an accommodation device 60 which can be mounted on a ship or another suitable means of transport and in which the oil delivery device 4 or the entire mat structure 16 described above can be received in the form of a vertical fan. This accommodation device 60, which here also serves as an application device for launching and resuming the mat structure 16, is shown schematically in FIG. 6. As can be seen in the drawing, the accommodation / delivery device 60 comprises a plurality of brackets 66 which, like in an accordion or in a leporello, are arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction of the ship. They carry the mat structure 16 suspended above them. The brackets 66 are each movably mounted on their foot region via rollers or the like in a rail system 68, which allows both the swiveling or folding down of the brackets 66 and a longitudinal displacement thereof, on the one hand in a standing position Position of the bracket 66 up to a rear-hinged position and on the other hand in a folded position of the bracket 66 in a bracket storage position. In the stirrup storage position, the stirrups can be arranged both horizontally and vertically. Horizontal storage would be very space-saving, particularly in the case of brackets which taper in a trapezoidal shape. To bring out the mat structure 16, one bracket 66 after the other is folded out over the rear and thus the mat structure is simply placed on the water surface.

A separate accommodation device is preferably provided for the oil collecting device 20.

The mode of operation of the device according to the invention and the method according to the invention for removing oil 2 floating in water will now be explained. In this connection, reference will also be made to FIG. 5 for illustration.

The device according to the invention, which has the elongated mat structure 16 explained above, is brought to water from a ship 62, hereinafter referred to as the mother ship 62. For this purpose, the mat structure 16 is brought to the water separately from the oil collecting container 20 by means of the bow-shaped accommodation and dispensing device 60 arranged on the mother ship 62 and pulled out like a leporello. The latter is preferably done with the aid of a second ship 64, hereinafter called daughter ship 64, which pulls the beginning of the mat structure 16 from the mother ship 62 and thus brings the required length of the mat structure 16 between itself and the mother ship 62. If necessary, a plurality of mat structures 16 can be axially coupled together to achieve a greater longitudinal extent.

In this way, the device, which excellently follows any wave movements, is deployed in the lee of an oil surface 2 floating on the water and forms, so to speak, an artificial bay. This state is shown in FIG. 5, which shows a schematic perspective view of the device towed or bay-shaped stretched by the mother ship 62 and daughter ship 64. The longitudinal extension of the mat structure 16 of the device runs essentially transversely to the wind direction and thus transversely to the driving direction of the Oil spill 2. The wind direction is indicated in FIG. 5 by an arrow W.

The oil collecting container 20 is only coupled to the mat structure 16 after it has been brought into position. The coupling position is located at the central section M of the mat structure or the bay formed by it (see also FIG. 1). The oil collecting container 20 opens essentially automatically even with a slight flow.

Through an active towing movement of the ships 62, 64 and / or through the pure, wind-induced driving of the oil surface 2, the latter is enclosed in a semicircular or crescent shape by the mat structure 16. This already effectively prevents oil 2 from dissolving into a multitude of more or less coherent oil stains or floating in the form of many small oil clumps due to wind and sea conditions.

A large edge section of the driving oil slick 2 now gets into and onto the net-like mat structure 16 and between its elongated, flexible carrier elements 6 by wind and sea, and is partially attached to the carrier elements 6 and the oil-conveying elements 10 attached to them.

As soon as the oil 2 comes into contact with the deployed and in operation device according to the invention, it becomes substantially parallel to the oil conveying elements 10, ie more precisely through the reciprocating movement of the oil entrainment elements 30 and the supporting water jet effect Longitudinal extension of the carrier elements 6 and transported from two sides in a directional conveying flow to the central section M of the mat structure 16. In the area of the central section M, these two opposite conveying movements overlap with the driving movement of the Oil 2, so that the oil 2 is deflected in the transverse direction of the mat structure 16 (ie approximately parallel to the wind or driving direction W) and concentrated into the oil receiving opening 22 of the oil collecting container 20 and is received by the latter, as is particularly good in FIG. 1 can be seen.

The collected oil 2 is now sucked off by means of the oil suction device 28 and thus removed from the water. The suction process additionally supports the driving in of the oil 2 into the oil receiving opening 22. Likewise, of course, the entire oil collecting container 20 containing the oil 2 could also be removed from the water. However, this only makes sense at the end of salvage, at least for larger oil areas.

After the oil 2 has been removed from the water in the manner described above, at the end of the method according to the invention, the net-like mat structure 16 of the device according to the invention can be taken up again by the mother ship 62, cleaned if necessary and stowed in the accommodation device 60. The same procedure is followed with the oil collecting container 20.

7a shows a schematic partial view of a further embodiment of an oil driver element 80. The oil driver element consists of the carrier element 6, of which only one wall is shown in the partial view according to FIG. 7a. As was described with reference to the embodiment according to FIGS. 1 to 4, the carrier element receives its energy supply from the pressurized medium which is supplied to the carrier element 6 and which is normally water. The oil-conveying element 80 is integrated in the carrier element 6 in that the carrier element 6 is made of a technical textile, in which membrane elements 72 are integrated. The membrane elements 72 are designed such that they specifically assume an asymmetrical shape with regard to their expansion behavior when pressure is applied. To do this 7a, in addition to the membrane 72 which is in the idle state, schematic expansion curves of the membrane element with 72 ′, 72 ″ and 72 ^■ ″ are shown in FIG. 7a in accordance with an increasing exposure to internal pressure in the carrier element 6. Thus, the membrane 72 deforms under the application of internal pressure in the manner shown in FIG. 7a. This is achieved in that the membrane consists of two quasi-rigid sections of different lengths, which are connected via an expandable section. On the short section of the membrane element 72, a rigid element 74, which will be referred to as scale element 74 in the following, is attached. The scale element 74 is rigidly attached to that portion of the membrane element 72 which, when subjected to internal pressure, deflects outward from its unloaded position. As a result, the scale element 74 deflects when the membrane element 72 "stretches" in accordance with the positions 72 ′, 72 ″ and 72 ″ ″ of the membrane element shown in FIG. 7a into the positions 74 ′, 74 ″ and 74 ″ 'positions shown. The position of the scale element in an extreme angular position relative to the carrier element 6 shown in FIG. 7 with 74 '''is only possible because the membrane element deforms strongly asymmetrically when subjected to internal pressure.

The scale element 74 is thus erected in a cycle of an internal pressure application from a rest position, not shown in FIG. 7a, parallel to the surface line of the carrier element 6 up to a maximum angle and returned again with the pressure reduction. In accordance with the design of the pressure impulses, a rhythmic movement of the scale elements is created, which can be adjusted in accordance with the pressure profile in relation to the frequency and speed of raising, as well as returning and closing. The scale elements 74, which are arranged as scales on the carrier element, produce an inflow of the oil / water mixture in the area that rises when erected by erecting between the scale elements 74 and the jacket of the support element 6 or the membrane element 72. When the internal pressure is reduced and, as a result, when the scale element is moved back and closed into the rest position, the oil / water mixture which flows in is displaced away from the point where the scale element 74 is attached to the membrane element 72 and parallel to the lateral surface of the carrier element 6.

The membrane elements 72 with the scale elements 74 can either be arranged in a ring shape in the oil entrainment element 80 or else be introduced in a helix shape, so that an uninterrupted and, as it were, continuous conveying movement occurs over the circumference.

Fig. 7b shows a further embodiment of a scale element 74, which has an increased effectiveness compared to the embodiment of Fig. 7a. For this purpose, lamella 84 are attached to the scale element 74 asymmetrically relative to the pivot 86 provided on each lamella 84 on the scale element: Thus, the space between the scale edges 88, depending on the position of the lamella 84, for the oil / water mixture to flow through or not. Due to the asymmetrical attachment of the slats 84 relative to the scale element 74, the slats 84 pivot in the direction of arrow d into the open position shown in FIG. 7b when the scale element 74 is moved into the open, spread-apart position as shown in FIG. 7a. During the erection of the lamellar element 74 relative to the carrier element (not shown in FIG. 7b), the oil / water mixture can flow through the scale element in the direction of the arrow R, while when the scale element 74 moves towards the carrier element 6, the lamellae are opposed by the flow pressure to that shown in FIG 7b pivot arrow direction d and close the cross-sections through which flow can flow in the area of scale element 74. The whole mechanism is thus based on the wing structure of a bird, in which the flow resistance is likewise designed differently in the case of an upward and downward wing movement. Similar to the lamellae shown in Fig. 7b, which rotate during the opening process and open inflow slots and automatically close again during the closing process, a flexible valve would also work, which opens by a corresponding design when inflowing during the opening process and closes again automatically when closing ,

FIG. 8 shows an example of the pressure curve over time when the oil delivery device 10 is operated according to the embodiment according to FIG. 7a or 7b. In _ι time sequence the carrier element 6 is subjected to pressure pulses 76, wherein pressurization and pressure reduction can be designed specifically with a view to maximizing the desired conveying performance. In the example according to FIG. 8, the pressure build-up takes place faster than the pressure reduction, so that the opening / installation of the scale elements 74 takes place faster than the closing thereof. This sequence of movements serves, together with the profiling of the scale elements 74, to increase the conveying capacity in the direction of the arrow R.

FIG. 9 shows a further embodiment of the invention using an oil-entraining element 70, which also receives its energy supply from the medium supplied to the carrier element 6 under pressure, normally water. In contrast to the movements of the devices according to Figures 1 to 4 and 7a, b takes place in the

Embodiment according to FIG. 9, however, an alternating rotary movement. Gears, which are specifically formed in the surface structure, are introduced into the oil-entraining element 70 in a helical shape similar to a thread with a large pitch. These passages 78 are suitable for conveying adhering oil during a relatively slow rotation in the direction of the arrows a shown. Thus 9, the oil driver element 70 operated by first moving the oil driver element 70 through a relatively large angle of rotation in the direction of arrow b so that the oil is conveyed in the direction of arrow a. Subsequently, a relatively rapidly running small angle of rotation (c) is allowed to run in the opposite direction, through which the surface of the oil-entraining element 70 is pulled away under the adhering oil as a result of its inertia. The difference between the two counter-rotating movements b and c in repeated succession results in an intermittently continuous rotation of the entire jacket of the oil entrainment element 70 in a direction that supplies the adhering oil via the edge 82 to the oil flow between the carrier elements 6.

The further course of the process, i.e. the introduction of the alternative designs of the oil-entraining elements shown in FIGS. 7a, 7b and 9 into the entire device and the method for taking up oil floating in water is identical to the construction and operation of the embodiment according to FIGS. 1 to 4 already described ,

The invention is not restricted to the above exemplary embodiments, which only serve to explain the basic idea of the invention in general. Within the scope of the scope of protection, the device according to the invention can rather also take embodiments other than those specifically described above. The device can in particular have features that represent a combination of the respective individual features of the appended claims. Instead of providing separate tension elements, it is possible to make the support elements themselves so stable that they can absorb correspondingly high tensile loads. One or more oil collecting containers can also be arranged between two gates of the carrier element (s). The respective oil delivery elements can also be attached coaxially to the elongated support element. For this purpose, the oil-conveying element in question can be constructed from two or more shell-like elements which firmly enclose the elongated carrier element. It is also possible to use oil delivery elements that do not operate in an oscillating manner, but rather intermittently or even continuously. Furthermore, an oil delivery element can also comprise a jet nozzle, in particular a water jet nozzle or an air nozzle, the jet direction of which runs essentially parallel to the longitudinal direction of a respective carrier element. It is possible to activate the nozzles both continuously and rhythmically, and thus to transport the oil floating past or accumulating in the desired direction along the carrier elements and ultimately into the oil collecting container.

In the above-described net-like mat structure of the device according to the invention, in addition to the oil-conveying elements described, further elements connected to a central pressure supply or the elongate, hose-like carrier elements can be introduced into the structure, which, for example, by directing the water located between the carrier elements induce rhythmic pulsation in the form of a laminar flow to move parallel to the direction of delivery of the oil delivery elements and thus to support the intended transport of the oil or adhering or driving oil lumps.

Instead of manned ships which operate with the device according to the invention, unmanned floating bodies equipped with drive, control and actuation elements can also be used. For example, instead of the above-mentioned daughter ship, it is possible to use a remote-controlled floating body, which controls on board the mother ship becomes. Or two swimming robots could be used, which, equipped with suitable control devices and positioning systems (eg GPS), operate automatically and / or autonomously and control a given position, hold or change them according to specifications.

Reference symbols in the claims, the description and the drawings serve only for a better understanding of the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

to draw:

Oil / oil slick Oil delivery device Carrier element Central supply line

Oil conveying element Spacer tension elements Net-like mat structure Oil collecting device

Bag-like oil collection container Oil intake opening / inflow opening Container wall of 20 ribs of 20 oil suction device

Oil driver element from 10 Relief-like surface structure from 30 Tubular base body from 10 connecting piece from 10 Block element from 10

Supply line for reusable valve, cylinder working chamber, piston, piston rod

Spring accommodation space return spring outlet channel 56 relief bore

58 outlet opening of 54

60 accommodation / dispensing facility

62 mother ship

64 daughter ship

66 temples of 60

68 rail system

70 oil-carrying element

72 membrane element

74 scale element

76 pressure pulse

78 courses

80 oil driver element 82 edge

84 slats

86 pivot

88 scale edge

M mid section of 16

R Oil flow direction

W wind direction / driving direction of 2

Claims

claims

A device for removing floating oil (2), comprising

an oil delivery device (4, 10, 16) with at least one elongated, flexible, floatable carrier element (6) with at least one

Oil-conveying element (10) which has an oil-conveying direction (R) which extends essentially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the carrier element (6), and

at least one floatable oil collecting device (20), which is arranged in the region of the carrier element (6) and interacts with the oil conveying element (10).

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the oil delivery device (4, 10, 16) comprises a plurality of carrier elements (6) which run essentially parallel to one another at a predetermined distance, each of which has adjacent carrier elements (6) by spacers (12), which extend transversely to the longitudinal direction, are connected to one another, so that the carrier elements (6) together with the spacers (12) form an elongated, mesh-like mat structure (16).

3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the at least one elongate carrier element (6) as one for receiving and transporting a Power transmission medium designed hollow body is formed.

.. Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has at least one elongated tension element (14) which runs essentially parallel to the at least one support element (6) and in the longitudinal direction of the support element (6) and the oil -Feeding element (10) absorbs tensile forces.

; , Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the oil-conveying element (10) is arranged coaxially to the elongated carrier element (6).

; , Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the oil delivery element (10) comprises a jet nozzle, the jet direction of which runs essentially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the carrier element (6) and in the delivery direction (R).

'. Apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the at least one oil driver element (30) has a relief-like surface structure (32).

i. Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the carrier element (6) is provided with at least two oil-conveying elements (10) which on both sides of a predetermined central section (M) of the Carrier element (6) are arranged and in relation to each other, substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the carrier element (6) extending oil delivery directions (R), so that the oil (2) from two sides of the central section (M) forth Middle section (M) is promoted.

9. The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the oil-conveying element (10) comprises at least one oil-entraining element (30) which extends in a direction essentially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the carrier element (6) is movable here.

10. The device according to one or more of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the oil-conveying element (10) comprises at least one oil-entraining element (70) which is provided with a helical surface structure and is designed to have an opposite rotational movement different speeds in both directions.

11. The device according to one or more of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the oil-conveying element (10) comprises:

at least one oil driver element (80) through which a force transmission medium can flow and which has membrane elements (72) which can be asymmetrically deformed when pressurized; such as scale-like elements (74), preferably comprising lamellae which can be opened and closed under the action of flow pressure and which are rigidly attached to the membrane elements (72) in such a way that when pressure is applied to the membrane elements (72) into an angular division relative to the lateral surface of the oil-conveying elements (10 ) are movable.

12. The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the oil collecting device (20) comprises at least one oil-water separation device.

13. The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the oil collecting device has at least one buoyant, bag-like oil collecting container (20) which laterally with an oil receiving opening (22) pointing transversely to the longitudinal direction of the carrier element (6) is arranged next to the elongated support element (6), the shape and displacement of the oil collecting container (20) being selected such that at least part of the oil receiving opening (22) lies above a water surface.

14. The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the oil collecting container (20) is arranged laterally next to the central portion (M) of the at least one carrier element (6).

15. The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the oil reservoir (20) between two gates of the

Carrier element (6) is arranged.

16. The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the oil collecting container (20) comprises a water-permeable, oil-retaining container wall material functioning as an oil-water separating device.

17. The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the oil collecting device (20) with a

Oil suction device (28) is coupled.

18. The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has at least one connecting means arranged in the region of one end of the elongated carrier element (6) and / or a pulling element (14) for establishing a connection with a towing device of a towing vehicle (62 , 64) is provided.

19. The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises at least one accommodation device (60) in which the oil delivery device (4, 10, 16) can be wound up and / or can be received in the form of a vertical fan.

20. A method for removing floating oil (2), comprising the following steps: a) deploying a device according to claim 1 in lee of an oil surface (2) floating on water, so that the longitudinal extension of the device runs essentially transversely to a driving direction (W) of the oil surface (2),

b) conveying (30) the oil (2) coming into contact with the device essentially parallel to the longitudinal extent of the device and thus essentially transversely to the driving direction (W) to an oil collecting device (20),

c) receiving (22) the transported oil (2) in the oil collecting device (2), and

d) removing the absorbed oil (2) from the water by removing (28) the oil (2) from the

Oil collecting device (20) and / or by removing the oil-containing oil collecting device (20) from the water.