FR2576338A1 - Recovery system and independent antipollution and fireproof barrier - Google Patents

Abstract

Complete device for recovering hydrocarbons and other floating products. This system is provided mainly for the high seas, but its use near shores or estuaries under strong currents is recommended; it may be used for firefighting. It is divided into two parts, namely: - one part comprising floating elements which may be adjusted and controlled and which is provided with a remote control inertia system; - the second part is a recovery system which may move along the tanker equipped with adjustment means in order to work under difficult conditions. It is a paddle-wheel system with a conveyor belt leading to a decantation tank. This complete system may equip tankers of different tonnages and is designed for a rapid displacement without hindering the running of the ship and to be operational as soon as it arrives on the scene of the accident.

Description

DESCRIPTIONS
The present invention relates to a complete device for the recovery of hydrocarbons or other floating products originating from a disaster at sea, whatever the atmospheric conditions. This process is designed to be operational up to a rough sea of 9 on the Beaufort scale.

 It allows an oil tanker fitted out with these devices to be completely autonomous. These devices can be installed on tankers of different tonnages, but also on barges or other floating motorized or towed vehicles, or other land vehicles (semi-trailers).

 This invention has two parts complementary to each other? but also usable individually.

 The first part is a new haunted sea pollution control and fire fighting. Its main function is work in the open sea, but can also be used near the coasts, an estuary, a mouth, as soon as the climatic conditions no longer allow the use of already existing gear.

 Its use is very simple and quick and safe.

 This anti-pollution barrier system is completely nonvean because it is autonomous and operational with a minimum of. workforce. It is made up of elements ovalized downwards (fig. 11) with a length of 10 meters, a width of 1.75 meters and a height of 2.50 meters. Each end t2) is curved to allow correct handling between the elements preventing friotions. The upper part (I) is surmounted by a metal apron with a height of I, 20 meters. The lower part (3) is fitted with a 2 meter skirt curved at the end (49 to avoid infiltration and reduce the heel.

 At each end (5) is fixed a load mSt which is housed in the gantry for launching. Another system can be taken on the reinforced stabilizers, serving as a slide in the gantries (fig. 4 bis). On each side of the element there are 3 stabilizers of 2 meters each long, and a width of 0s30 meter (6) increasing the effectiveness of the anti-roll.

 Each element is divided into four (fig. 1) in order to increase the impact resistance which can come from various objects and allowing appropriate ballasting.

 The upper part (7) is waterproof in all circumstances.

 The lower part (8) is made to receive the ballast necessary to maximize profitability according to the state of the sea. The vertical separation (9) is perforated (manhole) to allow the liquid to spread all by being held back by the cottage. The ballasting of this compartment is done with seawater by a supply valve (IO) and suction valve (11) system controlled by a hydraulic pump from the deck of the recuperator. This operation is quickly effected by the pipes (12) fixed on each element, connected together by flexible pipes (13). All the elements are linked together by a system of shackles and snap hooks (I4).

 the spaces between the elements which are separated by 0.50 meters are provided with an apron # made of anti-inflammable material, and fastened with quick fasteners on each element. The system for using this boom is simple and an indefinite length can thus be set up and prepared on gantries (fig. 4) so as to be ready for use as soon as the collector arrives on site. launching is easy or controlled from the deck without any manual intervention.

 It is enough to direct the bydrolic gantry towards the sea level (fig.I2) and using a digital remote control to start the cylindrical boat, torpedo type (fig.5), also maintained on the gantry using the derricks (5), or ############## longitudinal rails.

 This will lead to the elements prepared in advance on the gantry cranes (fig. 4) and (fig. 4 bis) which will allow the dam to have constant tension and to adjust the trajectory of the dam as necessary ( fig. 11). The constant tension of the dam considerably increases the efficiency of the retention of the oil in rough seas at high.

 This dam system launched to the boat at the same time on each side of the recovery vessel is operational in 30 minutes; it remains to put the second part of this system in the water, another 30 minutes and the recuperator is ready to work.

 This dam is of a certain effectiveness and without endangering human lives; it can do important work in the open sea and also near the coasts or in estuaries in rough seas.

 The second part of this system is based on the recovery of hydrocarbons and other floating products. The recuperator which can be a kneader or other floating material is equipped with an articulated arm (15) on each side which consists in sweeping the surface of the water in order to recover the various products such as the hydrocarbon. This system can be used in rough sea with #holes important on its maneuverability.

 It is a system that allows an oil tanker of any tonnage, equipped with these two systems, to quickly go to the scene of the disaster and work as soon as it arrives on site. The implementation of my process requires a maximum of one hour.

 This system is made up of two parts. The hopper is a paddle wheel (fig. 6) fitted with side blades (16) 0.60 meters thick and 6 meters wide. These blades can be made of treated steel or of rubber suitable for chemical substances of hydrocarbons.

This impeller (I7) is driven by a worm gear (18) and its speed can be regulated by a hydro motor located at the top of the process at the height of the ship. To be perfectly efficient, this brush must be mounted on adjustable floats (19); that is to say that the impeller will be fixed on a watertight box which will be provided with an inlet of light gases in order to regulate according to the state of the sea the penetration in the sea. This box is @@ connected by a pipe descending the leng from the casing with an electromagnetic valve which will be controlled directly from the bridge. consistency, the blades turning in the opposite direction of a clock hand and allowing direct penetration into the ply of product to be retrieved while avoiding an emulsion, which guarantees a high percentage of recovery at each turn of the wheel; the hydrocarbon thus recovered is entrained by means of a conveyor belt (20) provided with tabs of cacutchou @, to @ s the 20 cm and a height of 15 cm in order to hang @u maximum the thick part (hydrocarbon) and remove the water
which will flow on each side through chutes. The top of this carpet will be protected, as well as the front of the impeller up to a height of 1.50 meters by a housing (21) in order to avoid # the deterioration of the blades on the paddle reus, and d '' avoid washing the conveyor belt by rough seas waves.

FIG. 6 represents the front section of the impeller leaving a @ perceive the trapezoidal shape so as to increase the profitability of hydrocarbon recovery. We can realize the immersion of the pale and the front of the reulant carpet, all mounted on the float regulates bleo
Figure 17 is the profile section of the impeller-tanis conveyor assembly with the direction of rotation and mounting of the casing protecting the drive system of the paddle wheel (shaft; gimbals; and worm).

 FIG. 8 is the system for launching the assembly (paddle wheel and conveyor belt) using three telescopic gantries (24) which allows the assembly to be placed on the deck of the recuperator during from the trip to the point of disaster, and the rapid implementation, arrived on the linkers of the disaster.

 Figure 9 shows the assembly (paddle wheel and conveyor belt in working position). The assembly is permanently maintained along the recuperator using telescopic gantries (24), which allows quick and simple permanent adjustment according to the evolution of the state of the sea. We can see at the front of the paddle wheel the anti-pollution barrier (22) which is brought into the water by the identical system, ie by the telescopic gantry plunging to sea level. (fit.12).

 Figure 10 shows an overall plan view (plane view) of the ship's deck with the two assemblies on each side (paddle wheel and conveyor belt) and in the center the storage plan for the emission control boom with the launched into the bow of the ship. This model was studied on the deck of an oil tanker of 150,000 tonnes but can be modified according to the size of the recovery vessel or other means of transport. Figure 4 is not explicit on the storage plan; when the recovery work is finished, a winch (23) at each end of the gantry guides brings the entire dam back onto the bridge.

FIG. 11 is the diagram of the funnel formed # by the dam, drawn by the two remote-controlled canoes, the penetration of the recovery vessel into the polluted zone and the two combined paddlewheel and conveyor belt at work. When these two systems are in operation, the hydrocarbon is conveyed to a settling tank and is then dispatched to the storage bunkers, then transported to the refinery. The decantation system chosen for this kind of work is the CL process from Creusot
Loire.

Claims (7)

 1) Device for recovering oil slicks or other floating liquid products, whatever the consistency of these, spread in the open sea during damage of various kinds. This device is in two main parts. The first is an assembly of floating elements connected together and which may have an indefinite length forming a dam. This assembly is provided with a remote-controlled element which allows a counter and an adjustment from the deck of the ship. This set is connected to the recuperator which is the second part. This recuperator consists of a paddle wheel rotating clockwise, and aims to catch the product to be recovered and propel it on a conveyor belt which will pour it into a bin equipped with a system b high efficiency treatment. These two systems are complementary, installed on each side of the recovery vessel, the first serving as a funnel, the second as a recovery. The oil tanker fitted with this system is designed to carry the dam and recuperator assembly on its deck and to put them into action in a minimum of time using a hydraulic gantry. Depending on the type of oil tanker, this set can title mounted at the front or aft of the ship.  2) Device according to claim I characterized by the paddle wheel system (16) mounted on a float (19) adjustable using compressed light air to allow regular and precise penetration into the sheet of product to be recovered . The blades of the impeller can enter treated steel or rubber according to the standards of deterioration and the viscosity of the products to be recovered. The impeller is protected by a steel casing against any floating debris.  3) Device according to claims 1 and 2 characterized by the passage under the impeller of a conveyor belt (20) driven by a hydraulic motor controlled from the top of the recovery boat. The conveyor belt (20) is also immersed in water through its front between the float and the impeller to facilitate the recovery of the layers of products. The recovery mat is protected by a casing (21) which completely covers it to prevent washing by strong waves; which would lower the profitability of this system. The conveyor belt is made of treated rubber and is equipped with 1 + spouts in order to prevent the slipping of the products recovered during the ascent to the settling tanks and to increase their profitability.  4) Device according to any one of the preceding claims characterized by the installation of the assembly, impeller and conveyor belt, on the deck of the ship and the launching, once arrived at the workplace by a hydraulic gantry system (24) and movable floor system on rollers or slide (fig. 8). The impeller and conveyor belt assembly being one. The entire system is driven by targets operated by hydraulic winches.  5) Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by the complementarity of a protected steel hydraulic dam, consisting of cylindrical elements ovalized at the bottom (fXg 2). These elements are separated into four to solidify the whole (fig. 1). The upper part (7) is waterproof and allows the two seawater conduits (10 and 11) to pass. The lower part is supplied with sea water (8) with a pressure suction pump system controlled from the deck of the recovery boat (fig. O).  The perpendicular separation is pierced to allow a better foundation of the dam by braking the liquid ballast. Each element is flanked on each side of its length by three stabilizers (6). Towards the lower part, the element is provided with a skirt (3) to prevent the passage of hydraucarbons from below (4). The upper part is surmounted by an apron for untimely eddies (1). Each element is re ~ linked by a system of shackles and snap hooks. The seawater supply pipes (12) for the ballast is connected between each element by a hose (13). A skirt made of fire-resistant material is attached with carabiners in order to seal as much as possible. The unions of the elements (14a) allow a certain flexibility between the elements to facilitate their handling and displacement by calm or rough sea.  6) Device according to claim 5 characterized by the storage of floating elements constituting the hydro carbide dam on the deck of the ship (fig.10) and to allow easy launching (fig.12) by a system of adjustable hydraulic gantries, as well as the recovery of this dam by a system of hydraulic winches (23).  7) Device according to claims 4 and 5 characterized by two systems of attachments on the supporting gantries (fig. 4) and (fig. 4 bis) which consist of a support arm at each end of the floating elements or by a system of slides on the sides of the stabilizers reinforced for this purpose. The gantry cranes would be fitted with side rails where the stabilizers would be fitted instead of a central rail (fig. 4).