U.S. patent application number 13/641806 was filed with the patent office on 2013-02-07 for oil skimmer barge.
This patent application is currently assigned to GULP OIL SKIMMERS, LLC. The applicant listed for this patent is Lee A. Dragna. Invention is credited to Lee A. Dragna.
Application Number | 20130032524 13/641806 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45023418 |
Filed Date | 2013-02-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130032524 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Dragna; Lee A. |
February 7, 2013 |
OIL SKIMMER BARGE
Abstract
An oil skimming water vessel having a hull and deck forming one
or more interior compartments, wherein the hull comprising a bow or
forward section, a mid-section, a stern or aft section, and an oil
skimmer assembly. The oil skimmer assembly having first and second
separated side walls (SKEG) extending vertically down from the rake
bottom shell, a skimmer bottom plate extending between and affixed
at the lower end sections of each of the side walls (SKEG) wherein
the skimmer bottom plate having at least one discharge opening in
its leading edge section, and a weir plate assembly. The weir plate
with the side walls, the skimmer bottom plate, and the rake bottom
shell forming an entrance to receive skimmed oil-containing water
and a rear compartment positioned rearward of the weir plate to
collect the skimmed oil-containing water passing over the top edge
of the weir plate.
Inventors: |
Dragna; Lee A.; (Morgan
City, LA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Dragna; Lee A. |
Morgan City |
LA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
GULP OIL SKIMMERS, LLC
Morgan City
LA
|
Family ID: |
45023418 |
Appl. No.: |
13/641806 |
Filed: |
September 16, 2011 |
PCT Filed: |
September 16, 2011 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/US11/52000 |
371 Date: |
October 17, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
12900059 |
Oct 7, 2010 |
8318012 |
|
|
13641806 |
|
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|
|
61351722 |
Jun 4, 2010 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
210/242.3 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E02B 15/046 20130101;
Y02A 20/204 20180101; E02B 15/048 20130101; B63B 35/32
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
210/242.3 |
International
Class: |
E02B 15/04 20060101
E02B015/04 |
Claims
1. An oil skimmer assembly for collecting an oil and water mixture
found in the surface layer of a body of water and for use with a
water vessel having a hull and deck forming a bow section, a
mid-section and a stern section, at least one of the bow section or
the stern section having an rake exterior wall surface, comprising:
a. a pair of separated side walls, each side wall affixable to the
rake exterior wall surface; b. a skimmer bottom plate extending
between and affixed to the pair of separated side walls at their
lower edge sections, the skimmer bottom plate having having at
least one opening; c. a weir assembly comprising a weir affixed to
and extending upward between the at least one opening and the
rearward edge; d. wherein the side walls, the skimmer bottom plate
and the weir assembly when affixed to the rake exterior wall
surface form a skimming entrance into which the oil and water
mixture can enter.
2. An oil skimmer assembly according to claim 1 wherein: a. the
exterior rake wall surface having an upper edge section and a lower
edge section, b. each side wall having an upper edge section and a
lower edge section, wherein each side wall is structured to permit
its lower edge section to be affixed to the exterior rake wall
surface lower edge section and to permit its upper edge section to
extend above the surface layer of the body of water, and c. the
skimmer bottom plate is affixed to the side walls at about the same
depth that the side walls are affixed to the exterior rake wall
surface lower edge section.
3. An oil skimmer assembly according to claim 1 wherein the at
least one opening has an area to prevent at least a portion of a
lower layer of the oil and water mixture from passing over the weir
and into an oil and water mixture collection compartment formed by
the sidewalls, the skimmer bottom plate and the weir assembly when
affixed to the rake exterior wall surface.
4. The oil skimmer assembly according to claim 3 wherein the
skimmer bottom plate has a leading edge section, and wherein
skimmer bottom plate comprises a series of separated ribs extending
from the rearward section of the skimmer bottom plate toward the
leading edge of the skimmer bottom plate, and one or more cutout
openings in the bottom plate, each opening of the one or more
cutout openings positioned between the series of separated
ribs.
5. An oil skimmer assembly according to claim 1 wherein the weir
has a top edge and a height wherein the upper edge extends above
the body of water surface layer and below the exterior rake wall
surface.
6. An oil skimming water vessel having a hull and deck forming a
bow section, a mid-section and a stern section, the mid-section
having at least one interior compartment for receiving an oil and
water mixture, at least one of the bow section or the stern section
having an exterior rake wall surface, the improvement to which
comprises affixing an oil skimmer assembly to the exterior rake
wall surface, wherein the oil skimmer assembly comprises: a. a pair
of separated side walls, each side wall affixable to the rake
exterior wall surface; b. a skimmer bottom plate extending between
and affixed to the pair of separated side walls, the skimmer bottom
plate having a rearward edge having at least one opening; c. a weir
assembly comprising a weir affixed to and extending upward between
the at least one opening and the rearward edge; d. wherein the side
walls, the skimmer bottom plate and the weir assembly when affixed
to the rake exterior wall surface form a skimming entrance into
which the oil and water mixture can enter.
7. An oil skimming water vessel according to claim 6 wherein the
mid-section having at least two interior compartments for receiving
an oil and water mixture from the oil skimmer assembly collecting
compartment, further comprising: a. at least one standpipe
operatively extending from the deck to the exterior rake wall
surface at a position leading into an oil skimmer assembly
collecting compartment formed by the sidewalls, the skimmer bottom
plate and the weir assembly when affixed to the rake exterior wall
surface; b. a first pump positioned on the deck and having an
intake opening and a discharge opening, a first hose operatively
attached to the intake opening and sized to extend through the at
least one standpipe and into the oil skimmer assembly collecting
compartment to draw the oil and water mixture from the collecting
compartment and to the pump, a second hose operatively attached to
the discharge opening to receive the oil and water mixture from the
pump and to deliver the oil and water mixture to at least one of
the at least two interior compartments; and c. a second pump
positioned on the deck and having an intake opening and a discharge
opening, a second pump first hose operatively attached to the
second pump intake opening and sized to extend into at least one of
the at least two interior compartments to draw the oil and water
mixture from the at least one of the at least two interior
compartments and to the second pump, a second hose operatively
attached to the second pump discharge opening to receive the oil
and water mixture from the pump and to deliver the oil and water
mixture to another of the at least two interior compartments.
8. An oil skimming water vessel according to claim 7 further
comprising an oil and water mixture transfer device for drawing the
oil and water mixture from the another of the at least two interior
compartments and to deliver the oil and water mixture to a
designated location.
9. An oil skimming water vessel according to claim 8 wherein the
oil and water mixture transfer device comprises the second pump, a
directional flow control valve operatively attached to the second
pump discharge opening wherein the second pump second hose and a
second pump third hose are operatively attached to the directional
flow control valve to receive the oil and water mixture flowing
through the directional flow control valve when the directional
flow control valve is directed to direct the oil and water mixture
to either the second pump second hose or the second pump third
hose.
10. An oil skimming water vessel according to claim 8 wherein the
oil and water mixture transfer device comprises a third pump
positioned on the deck and having a third pump intake opening and a
third pump discharge opening, a third pump first hose operatively
attached to the third pump intake opening and sized to extend into
the another of the at least two interior compartments, a third pump
second hose operatively attached to the third pump discharge
opening to receive the oil and water mixture from the third pump
and to deliver the oil and water mixture to the designated
location.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates in general to apparatus for skimming
oil from the surface of large bodies of water, more particularly to
a reconfigured barge that is structured to skim oil from the
surface of large bodies of water.
[0003] 2. Prior Art
[0004] One long standing problem with the drilling and transporting
of oil has been the spilling of oil into the waterways and water
bodies in which the oil drilling and oil transporting take place.
In response to this problem various devices, such as oil booms, oil
skimmers and other oil collecting assemblies, have been attached to
a variety of water craft from smaller boats, such as air boats and
shrimp trawlers, to large ships, such as supertankers. However, the
waterways and water bodies are not static, but are in constant
motion due to weather or tide conditions. In deep, large bodies of
waters, such as the oceans or large gulfs, there are likely two to
three feet waves even on very calm days, and more likely larger
waves up to six feet are common. For these reasons small water
craft have been ineffective in collecting the oil in such bodies of
water. Unfortunately, the oil collection process is made even more
difficult by the fact that the oil slick is also moving both on the
water surface, as well as, vertically in the water. This movement
is not necessarily coordinated with the movement of the wave action
of the water which can result in the oil slicks making sudden turns
or movements. Most large vessels are not sufficiently maneuverable
to track the movement of these oil slicks, and therefore are
inefficient in collecting the oil in the rougher, larger bodies of
water. If there are large quantities of oil to be collected it is
highly desirable that the water vessels be designed to collect
large quantities of oil over a relatively short time period to
prevent the oil from spreading and reaching the shorelines where
recovery may be even more difficult and increased damage to the
environment can occur. Despite this decades old problem and the
large sums of money and manpower spent there still exists a need
for a water vessel having the combined ability to operate in rough
seas with the necessary maneuverability to track the oil at speeds
that permit the collection of large quantities of oil over a
relatively short period of time. Such a vessel would be very
desirable to the oil and gas drilling and transporting
industry.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] Therefore, one object of this invention is to provide a
water vessel having the combined ability to operate in rough seas
with the necessary maneuverability to track the oil at speeds that
permitted the collection of large quantities of oil over a
relatively short period of time.
[0006] Other objects and advantages of this invention shall become
apparent from the ensuing descriptions of the invention.
[0007] Accordingly, one embodiment this invention comprises an oil
skimmer assembly constructed having separated side walls attachable
to a bow or stern section rake wall of a barge or similar water
vessel, a skimmer bottom plate extending between the separated side
walls, and a weir plate assembly including a weir plate extending
upward from the skimmer bottom plate. In one preferred embodiment,
the separated side walls extend downward from the rake wall of
either the bow or stern section preferably to a depth approximating
the depth of the barge bottom. In this embodiment the skimmer
bottom plate is preferably affixed to each of the separated side
walls so that it is also at a depth approximating the depth of the
barge bottom. In a more preferred embodiment the skimmer bottom
plate has one or more openings positioned between the leading edge
of the skimmer bottom plate and the weir plate to permit the lower
layer of the oil and water mixture entering the oil skimmer
assembly to flow out of the oil skimmer assembly before it can pass
over the weir plate. In another preferred embodiment the weir plate
will extend upward to a height above the barge draft line.
[0008] The rake wall section, the separated side walls, the skimmer
bottom plate, and the weir plate are assembled to form a skimming
entrance which during operation receives the oil and water mixture
from the surface layer of the body of water and a rearward
positioned compartment for capturing the oil and water mixture that
flows over the top of the weir plate. In another preferred
embodiment a standpipe extends from the barge deck to the barge
wall section whereby it opens up into the rear compartment to
permit a suction hose to extend from the barge deck into the rear
compartment to siphon off the collected oil and water mixture.
[0009] In another embodiment of the invention, a barge having the
oil skimmer assembly operatively attached to either its bow section
rake wall or its stern section rake wall is constructed having at
least one, but preferably two or three separate elongated
compartments or holds within the hull, preferably running parallel
to the sides of the barge. This embodiment further includes a
combination of hoses, pumps and valves operatively connected to
siphon the oil and water mixture from the oil skimmer assembly
compartment to a first of the barge compartments, then to the
second barge compartment, then to the third barge compartment, and
then uploaded to an oil storage tank or oil transport vessel.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] The accompanying drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment
of this invention.
[0011] FIG. 1 is a profile view of a preferred embodiment of the
modified oil skimmer barge of this invention.
[0012] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the modified oil skimmer barge
illustrated in FIG. 1.
[0013] FIG. 3 is a partial stern view depicting the oil skimmer
modification including the weir plate, the filler plate and the
SKEG of the oil skimmer barge taken along lines III-III of FIG.
2.
[0014] FIG. 4 is a top view taken along lines IV-IV illustrating
the features of the skimmer bottom plate.
[0015] FIG. 5 is an elevation view taken along lines V-V of FIG. 2
illustrating the positioning of the weir plate and standpipe in
relationship to the skimmer bottom plate.
[0016] FIG. 6 is a section view taken along lines VI-VI in FIG. 5
illustrating a front view of the weir plate assembly including the
weir plate, the filler plate and vertical support beams.
[0017] FIG. 7 is an orthogonal plan view of the rake or inclined
bottom of the stern section of the oil skimmer barge taken along
lines VII-VII of FIG. 5.
[0018] FIG. 8 is a detail view in FIG. 5 illustrating the
attachment of the standpipe to the deck of the barge in FIG. 2.
[0019] FIG. 9 is a detail view in FIG. 5 illustrating the
attachment of the standpipe to the rake or inclined stern wall.
PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
[0020] Without any intent to limit the scope of this invention,
reference is made to the figures in describing the preferred
embodiments of the invention. Although there are different kinds of
water vessels that can be utilized, the preferred embodiments of
the invention are illustrated utilizing a modified conventional
barge.
[0021] FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a conventional barge 1 that has
been modified to add the oil skimmer assembly 2 of this invention.
Although barges can vary in dimensions this invention is applicable
to all sizes. A smaller barge may typically be 54 feet wide by 180
feet long. Larger barges may typically be 100 feet wide by 330 feet
long. Barge 1 is shown scaled to be 90 feet wide and 300 feet long.
The barge 1 comprises a hull structure 3 and a deck structure 4.
The hull and deck structures 3, 4 form a barge having a bow or
forward section 5, a mid-section 6 and a stern or aft section 7.
Typically, either or both the bow section 5 or the stern section 6
will be constructed having a rake wall surface 8. In FIGS. 1 &
2 only the stern section 6 is illustrated have flat rake wall
surface 8 that extends between the sides of the barge 1. It is to
surface 8 that the oil skimmer assembly 2 is attached. It is to be
understood that if the bow section 5 had a similar rake wall
surface, the oil skimmer assembly 2 could be attached to the bow
section rake wall surface. The hull structure 3 will also include a
keel or bottom section 9. The barge 1 will also include a series of
steel or other metal walls 10-19 affixed to the hull structure 3
and deck structure 4 that form separated compartments 20-22 that
can be used to contain the oil and water mixture that has been
collected by the oil skimmer assembly 2. The deck area above
compartments 20-22 can be open to permit visual inspection of the
oil-water mixture level in each compartment 20-22 and to determine
the degree of oil separation from the water.
[0022] The barge 1 may also include a superstructure 23 on top of
the deck structure 4 that can serve as a control room for operating
the equipment that may be used on the barge 1, or if the barge 1 is
self-propelled as the bridge. Typically, the barge 1 would be
navigated by a tug (not shown) pushing against the barge stern
section 7. However, in this invention the oil skimmer assembly 2 is
affixed to and becomes part of the barge stern section 7.
Therefore, the barge is navigated by a tug pushing against the
barge bow section 5 or by being lashed to barge 1 by ropes or other
conventional means to be positioned at the mid-section 6 of the
barge 1 along one side of the hull structure 3. In another
embodiment the barge 1 may include its own propulsion system that
permits it to navigate without the use of a tug.
[0023] FIG. 3 illustrates a frontal view of a preferred embodiment
of the oil skimmer assembly 2 affixed to rake wall surface 8. Oil
skimmer assembly 2 includes a pair of separated vertically oriented
side walls 24, 25, a skimmer bottom plate 26 and a weir assembly 27
including a weir plate 28. FIG. 4 illustrates a preferred
embodiment of the skimmer bottom plate 26, as viewed from its
underneath side 29, having a series of latitudinal stiffeners 30
affixed to the underneath side 29 and running from the bottom plate
leading edge 31 that receives the oil and water mixture (as
indicated by the and toward the bottom plate rearward edge 32. In
addition, there is a second series of longitudinal stiffeners 33 of
reinforcing metal I-beams or other shaped longitudinal stiffeners
33A-33D affixed to the upper side 34 of skimmer bottom plate 26 and
running between the side plates 24, 25. FIG. 4 also illustrates one
embodiment of a novel feature of the oil skimmer assembly 2.
Skimmer bottom plate 26 is provided with at least one, and more
preferably, with a series of openings 35 positioned between the
latitudinal stiffeners 30 and the longitudinal stiffeners 33 and
between skimmer bottom plate leading edge 31 and the attachment
position 36 that weir plate 28 extends upward from the longitudinal
stiffener 33B. It has been unexpectedly found that barge 1 can be
operated at greater speed, handle the large volume of water
entering the oil skimmer assembly entrance 37, and more efficiently
capture that portion of the entering water that contain the desired
oil if skimmer bottom plate 26 is further provided with a series of
separated openings 35. The number and size of the openings 35
depends on barge size, sea conditions and the volume of water that
enters the oil skimmer assembly entrance 37. Although openings 35
can assume different shapes and sizes, it is preferred that
openings 35 be uniformly spaced across skimmer bottom plate 26 and
each opening 35 be 1-3 feet in diameter, more preferably about 2
feet in diameter.
[0024] During the oil skimming operation, oil skimmer assembly 2 is
subjected to extreme forces caused by the forward movement of barge
1 forcing large volumes of water into the oil skimmer assembly 2
and by the body of water striking the oil skimmer assembly 2 as the
barge moves up and down as the result of the wave action. It is
therefore, preferable that oil skimmer assembly 2 be provided with
additional structural bracing such as illustrated in FIGS. 5-7.
These would include the series of rows of vertical steel I-beams 38
extending upward from and attached at their lower end 38L to the
longitudinal stiffeners 33 and at their upper end 38U to
longitudinal stiffeners 39 affixed to bottom rake surface 8. In
addition, beams 38 are further strengthened by cross-bracing
members 40. Bottom rake surface 8 is also provided with latitudinal
beams 41.
[0025] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 8-9, standpipe 42 extends from deck
opening 43 through bottom rake surface opening 44. Standpipe 42 is
of sufficient diameter to permit a hose to extend through to assist
in the removal of the oil and water mixture that passes over weir
plate 28 and captured in skimmer compartment 45 formed by weir
plate 28, skimmer bottom plate 29, and bottom rake side 8. If
desired, one than one standpipe 42 can be installed to permit more
than one hose to be inserted into oil skimmer assembly compartment
45. Standpipe 42 is supported in place by upper brackets 46, 47 and
lower brackets 48, 49.
[0026] In a preferred embodiment as seen in FIG. 2, deck structure
4 will have a stern section 4A and a bow section 4B on which the
various pumps 51-54, generators 55-56, hoses 56-65, valves 66-68,
connecting electrical wires 69-72, and other equipment can be
operatively positioned.
[0027] In operation, a tug boat is connected to one side of barge 1
in any conventional manner that permits the tug boat to drive the
barge stern 7 forward toward the oil slick that is to be skimmed As
the stern 7 enters the oil slick the oil-water mixture on the water
surface, as well as the substantially water only layer below the
oil-water mixture is funneled into the oil skimmer apparatus
entrance 38. With the continued forward movement of barge 1 the oil
and water mixture is forced against weir plate 28, and its level is
caused to rise as additional oil and water enters entrance 38 until
it flows over the top edge 50 of weir plate 28. The selection of
number and size of drain openings 35 and the selection of the barge
speed forces the bottom portion of the mixture and water to exit
through drain openings 35. Since the bottom portion is
substantially only water, there exists a greater oil-to-water ratio
in the oil-water mixture flowing over weir plate top edge 50. Thus,
there is a significantly greater percentage of oil to water
captured in a shorter period of time than had heretofore been
possible with other deep water oil skimmer assemblies. In turn this
allows much larger quantities of oil to be separated from the water
without having to shut down the skimming operation of the barge 1
as had been required by other prior art techniques.
[0028] As the oil skimmer assembly compartment 45 fills with the
oil-water mixture, intake hose 57 is inserted through deck opening
43 and into standpipe 42 until it extends into oil skimmer assembly
compartment 45. Generator 55 is started to apply power through line
69 to pump 51 that then pumps out the captured oil-water mixture in
compartment 45. The oil-water mixture enters the intake section of
pump 51 and is then discharged from pump 51 from its discharge
section through discharge hose 58 into holding tank 20. Because the
volume of holding tank 20 is significantly larger than that of oil
skimmer assembly compartment 45, the further separation of the oil
and water takes place as holding tank 20 fills up. When holding
tank 20 reaches a predetermined level the separating oil and water
mixture is pumped to holding tank 21 by use of intake hose 59, pump
53 powered by generator 56, and discharge hose 60. Once holding
tank 21 reaches its predetermined level the further separated oil
and water mixture is pumped to holding tank 22 by use of intake
hose 61, pump 52 also powered by generator 55 and discharge hose
62. By setting the level of fluid in each holding tank 20, 21 and
22 allows the operator to maintain barge 1 level and continue
efficient skimming operations. If the oil and water have
sufficiently separated in holding tank 21, intake hose 61 is
inserted until its intake end is near the bottom of holding tank 21
so as to first remove the denser water. By closing valve 66 and
opening valve 67, this water can be discharged through hose 63 back
into the water body. The remaining concentrated oil mixture can be
pumped into holding tank 22 by reversing the valve settings.
Finally, the concentrated oil mixture in holding tank 22 is removed
by inserting hose 64 near the top of the liquid level in holding
tank 22 to remove the concentrated oil mixture by opening valve 68
and activating pump 54 to discharge it to an oil tanker other
larger vessel that can transport it to storage tanks located on
shore. Alternatively, hose 64 can be positioned near the bottom of
the holding tank 22 to first remove the remaining water by pumping
it back into the water body. Once the water is removed pump 54 is
shut down and the remaining 95+% oil mixture is captured in holding
tank 21 where it can be off-loaded to a tanker. It is preferred
that once holding tank 21 has reached the desired level, that the
skimming operation be stopped for a short period of time,
preferably 30-60 minutes, to permit further separation of the oil
and water. Such procedure has achieved a 99% separation of the oil
and water on barge 1. This separation is significantly greater than
any other known deep water skimming vessel that is designed to
capture the same quantities of oil-water mixture.
[0029] There are many various configurations of pumps and hoses
that could be used to move the oil and water mixture foam one hold
to another hold. This would include the use of a single pump to
perform more than one segment of the transfer of the oil and water
mixture between the holds. In whatever configuration used, it is
desirable that a minimum amount of turbulence in the oil and water
mixture be created during the transfer from one hold to the next
hold. It is also desirable that the size, shape and number holds be
such to achieve the desired separation of oil and water in the last
hold in order to ensure only a minimum amount of the oil that may
been captured is returned to the water body. In another embodiment
the pumps could be hydraulically driven.
* * * * *