Oil entrapment and containment watercraft

Patent · Tue Oct 26 04:00:00 EDT 1971

OSTI ID:5594812

Valdespino, J M

An oil-slick entrapment and containment watercraft has a pair of pontoons buoyantly supporting an open-bottomed entrapment tower and funnel-shaped surface skimming shroud. The open bottom of the entrapment tower is below the water level; and, as the craft moves on the water having an oil slick, the oil passes into the skimmer and into the entrapment tower where the column of liquid is raised by vacuum applied to the top of the entrapment tower. Oil rises to the top of the water in the entrapment tower due to the difference in specific gravity and without emulsifying and is then pumped off the top. A single pump carried by the craft is connected by suitable piping arrangements and provides multiple functions, including drawing vacuum in the entrapment tower by aspirating air from the entrapment tower through an aspirator, supplying air to the pontoons, and pumping the oil from the entrapment tower. (10 claims)

• Assignee: EDB-82-087802
• Patent Number(s): US 3615017
• OSTI ID: 5594812
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020900* -- Petroleum-- Environmental Aspects
520200 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CONTAINMENT
CONTROL
DESIGN
EQUIPMENT
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
OIL POLLUTION CONTAINMENT
OIL RETENTION BOOMS
OIL SPILLS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
POLLUTION CONTROL
POLLUTION CONTROL EQUIPMENT
PUMPS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SKIMMERS
WATER
WATER POLLUTION
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL