Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
  • E02B—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING
  • E02B15/00—Cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water; Apparatus therefor
  • E02B15/04—Devices for cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water from oil or like floating materials by separating or removing these materials
  • E02B15/08—Devices for reducing the polluted area with or without additional devices for removing the material
  • E02B15/0857—Buoyancy material
  • E02B15/0864—Air
  • E02B15/0871—Air self-inflating barriers
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
  • B63B35/00—Vessels or similar floating structures specially adapted for specific purposes and not otherwise provided for
  • B63B35/32—Vessels or similar floating structures specially adapted for specific purposes and not otherwise provided for for collecting pollution from open water
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
  • E02B—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING
  • E02B15/00—Cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water; Apparatus therefor
  • E02B15/04—Devices for cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water from oil or like floating materials by separating or removing these materials
  • E02B15/06—Barriers therefor construed for applying processing agents or for collecting pollutants, e.g. absorbent
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
  • E02B—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING
  • E02B15/00—Cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water; Apparatus therefor
  • E02B15/04—Devices for cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water from oil or like floating materials by separating or removing these materials
  • E02B15/08—Devices for reducing the polluted area with or without additional devices for removing the material
  • E02B15/0828—Devices for reducing the polluted area with or without additional devices for removing the material fixed to the side of a boat for containing small leaks in the hull
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
  • E02B—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING
  • E02B15/00—Cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water; Apparatus therefor
  • E02B15/04—Devices for cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water from oil or like floating materials by separating or removing these materials
  • E02B15/08—Devices for reducing the polluted area with or without additional devices for removing the material
  • E02B15/0814—Devices for reducing the polluted area with or without additional devices for removing the material with underwater curtains
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02A—TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02A20/00—Water conservation; Efficient water supply; Efficient water use
  • Y02A20/20—Controlling water pollution; Waste water treatment
  • Y02A20/204—Keeping clear the surface of open water from oil spills

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an oil spill prevention arrangement and particularly to an oil spill prevention arrangement on a marine vessel or drilling rig.
• Document EP 0716188 A1 discloses an oil boom of the kind which includes an elongated hose-like buoyant body and internal boom-distending elements in the form of inflatable annular hoses attached to the buoyant body.
• the oil boom is characterized in that at least when transported to its intended deployment site, the boom is in a rolled-up state or in some other packaged state which forms a boom pack that is held together by suitable means; and in that the annular hoses and their connecting hose elements are filled with air or some other appropriate gas at a pressure which when the boom is deployed and the boom-pack securing means have been loosened or released will cause the boom pack to expand explosively to achieve its effective state of use and therewith essentially its full length.
• the oil boom has a length of 300-400 m.
• the problem with the solution is that the oil boom must be transported for example by helicopter to the emergency site. Transporting of the booms takes time, during which the spilled oil has already spread far away from the source. Another problem with the solution is that the oil boom pack is very heavy and thus does not stand dropping into water from height. Further, because the annular hoses and their connecting hose elements are filled with air or some other appropriate gas at a pressure, the boom pack is very large.
• An object of the present invention is thus to provide an arrangement so as to overcome the above problems.
• the objects of the invention are achieved by an arrangement which is characterized by what is stated in the independent claims.
• the preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims.
• the invention is based on the idea of providing a lightweight oil boom that is packed in a container that can be attached for example to a shipside.
• the container comprises means for automatically inflating the oil boom. In case of an oil spillage the container can be quickly released from the ship and the oil boom is automatically inflated.
• An advantage of the arrangement of the invention is that the deployment of the oil booms can be done very quickly upon an oil spillage. Because of light weight and the protecting container, the oil boom can be dropped from the ship to the water without damaging the oil boom. Further, because the oil boom is deflated during storage, less space is needed.
• Figure 1 is a schematic drawing of an oil boom
• Figure 2 is a schematic drawing of a cross section of an oil boom
• Figure 3 is a schematic drawing of a container
• Figure 4 is a schematic drawing of an opened container
• Figure 5 is a schematic drawing of a drilling rig with containers distributed evenly around the board of the drilling rig;
• Figure 6 is a schematic drawing of a marine vessel with containers distributed evenly around the board of the marine vessel;
• Figure 7 is a schematic drawing of a marine vessel that is leaking oil and that has been surrounded by a chain of oil booms;
• Figure 8 is a schematic drawing of a marine vessel that is leaking oil and that has been partly surrounded by a chain of oil booms.
• the invention relates to an oil spill prevention arrangement on a marine vessel 6 or drilling rig 10 comprising - inflatable oil booms 7,
• the containers 5 are releasably attached to the marine vessel 6 or drilling rig 10
• each of the containers 5 is adapted to open when after the container 5 is released from the marine vessel 6 or drilling rig 10 or when getting in- to contact with water, and
• the means 9 for inflating an oil boom 7 are adapted to inflate the corresponding oil boom 7 after the corresponding container 5 is released from the marine vessel 6 or drilling rig 10 or when the container 5 gets into contact with water.
• the marine vessel 6 is for example a ship or a tanker.
• the drilling rig 10 is for example an oil rig or a gas drilling rig.
• each of the oil booms 7 comprises a first end and a second end.
• each of the oil booms 7 comprises an inflatable buoyant 1 extending from the first end of the oil boom 7 to the second end of the oil boom 7, and a skirt 2 having a first edge and a second edge, extending from the first end of the oil boom 7 to the second end of the oil boom 7.
• the skirt 2 is attached from the first edge to the inflatable buoyant 1 .
• a weight 3 is attached to the second edge of the skirt 2 for keeping the skirt 2 under the surface of water when deployed.
• openable container 5 it is meant, that in the container 5 an opening is provided, through which the oil boom 7 can expand when inflated.
• the opening is a hole in the container 5.
• the container 5 is separated into two or more parts for providing the opening.
• the containers 5 are made of plastic.
• the con- tainers 5 may be of any shape that is suitable for containing the oil boom 7 and the means for inflating an oil boom 7.
• each of the oil booms 7 is deflated when contained inside the corresponding container 5.
• the containers 5 are cylindrical.
• each of the oil booms 7 is in folded state inside the corresponding container 5.
• each of the oil booms 7 is in rolled state inside the corresponding container 5.
• each of the containers 5 is adapted to open after contact with water.
• the means 9 for inflating an oil boom 7 is adapted to inflate the corresponding oil boom 7 after the corresponding container 5 is contacted with water.
• each of the containers 5 is adapted to open by the inflating oil boom 7 inside the container 5.
• the means 9 for inflating an oil boom 7 comprises a gas canister or a gas generator.
• the means 9 for inflating an oil boom 7 comprises a valve means sensitive to water adapted to cause the gas canister to inflate the corresponding oil boom 7 when contacted with water.
• the valve means comprises a small pellet or bobbin holding back a spring. When the pellet or bobbin contacts with water, it dissolves rapidly releasing the spring. The spring pushes a firing pin into the gas canister causing the oil boom 7 to inflate.
• the gas generator is adapted to form gas through a chemical reaction for inflating the oil boom 7.
• the oil booms 7 used in the invention must be sufficiently lightweight in order to withstand dropping from the marine vessel 6 or drilling rig 10. Because the oil booms 7 are intended only for emergency use, they need not to be reusable. According to an embodiment the oil booms 7 are disposable. According to an embodiment the length of each of the oil booms 7 is between 25 to 100 m, preferably between 25 to 50 m.
• the containers 5 are released from the marine vessel 6 or drilling rig 10 for establishing a barrier for the oil around the marine vessel 6 or drilling rig 10 using the oil booms 7 inflated from the containers. Preferably several oil booms 7 are released.
• each of the oil booms 7 is provided with an at- taching means 4 for attaching the oil boom 7 to another oil boom 7 for forming a chain 8 of oil booms 7, or to the marine vessel 6 or drilling rig 10.
• the attaching means 4 are provided at the ends of the oil boom 7.
• several oil booms 7 can be connected to each other for forming a chain 8 of oil booms 7 around the source of the spillage, for example the marine vessel 6 or drilling rig 10.
• the containers 5 are distributed evenly around the board of the marine vessel 6 or drilling rig 10. Even distribution of the containers 5 eases the forming of the chain 8 of oil booms 7 around the marine vessel 6 or drilling rig 10, because the containers 5 can be released roughly to a desired position.
• each of the oil booms 7 comprises positioning means for positioning the oil boom 7. With the positioning means the location of the oil booms 7 can be monitored.
• the positioning means comprise a satellite positioning system.
• the invention relates also to an automatically opening oil boom container 5, comprising
• the means 9 for inflating an oil boom 7 is adapted to inflate the oil boom 7 after the container 5 is released from the marine vessel 6 or drilling rig 10.
• the container 5 is adapted to open after it is contacted with water.
• the means 9 for inflating the oil boom 7 is adapted to inflate the oil boom 7 after the container 5 is contacted with water.
• the means 9 for inflating the oil boom 7 compris- es a gas canister or a gas generator.
• the means 9 for inflating the oil boom 7 comprises a valve means sensitive to water adapted to cause the gas canister to inflate the oil boom 7 when the container 5 is contacted with water.
• the oil boom 7 is disposable. According to an embodiment the length of the oil boom 7 is between 25 to 100 m, preferably between 25 to 50 m.
• the oil boom 7 is provided with attaching means 4 for attaching the oil boom 7 to another oil boom 7 for forming a chain of oil booms 8, or to the marine vessel 6 or drilling rig 10.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
• Earth Drilling (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=51843207

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Citations (5)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 2013
  • 2013-04-30 FI FI20135445A patent/FI124771B/fi not_active IP Right Cessation
• 2014
  • 2014-04-24 EP EP14791965.8A patent/EP2991893A4/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2014-04-24 WO PCT/FI2014/050296 patent/WO2014177759A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (5)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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