METHOD TO LIMIT THE PROPAGATION OF A SPILL OF FLOATING SUBSTANCES SPILLED INTO WATER AND BARRIER TO

专利摘要:
Rapid Deployment Oil Spill Containment Barrier Deployment Method and Rapid Deployment Oil Spill Containment Barrier A rapid deployment system for spills containing oil and similar water contamination, comprising a pre-prepared glove having inflatable compartments for gas or air and water inflatable compartments. in some applications, the uninflated glove is stored as a coil of glove material and the deployment system, optionally mounted on a small boat, comprises a machine to fill the water and air compartments at the site of a spill. in some applications, the water and/or air compartments can be automatically filled; the system is relatively inexpensive, lightweight, and not bulky, so it can be easily stored in potential spill sites (including containers), and can be used to quickly prepare a floating oil barrier around a spill, containing , thus, the spill before it has a chance to propagate; a variety of barrier configurations that are effective in blocking oil movements even in turbulent water, and that are stable under wind and wave conditions, are presented.
公开号:BR112014025728B1
申请号:R112014025728-0
申请日:2013-04-14
公开日:2021-06-15
发明作者:Arnon Shany；Boaz Ur；Haim Greenberg
申请人:Harbo Technologies Ltd；
IPC主号:

专利说明:

RELATED ORDER(S)
[0001] The present invention patent application claims the priority benefit under 35 USC §119(e) of the Provisional US Patent Application No. 61/624,353 filed on April 15, 2012, and the Provisional Application Patent No. 61/696,260, filed September 3, 2012, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. FIELD OF APPLICATION AND HISTORY
[0002] The present patent application, in some respective applications, refers to a mechanical barrier implantable in water and, more particularly, but not exclusively, to an inflatable barrier designed for rapid implantation at the site of the accidental oil spill or other environmentally destructible floating substances. Environmental depredations and the economic damage caused by oil spills are, unfortunately, well known. Methods commonly used today to deal with accidental oil spills and similar situations generally involve the towing of a large mechanical barrier (eg a floating oil barrier) to the spill site comprising a flotation element that holds the water surface barrier and a heavy ballast suspended below the flotation element to provide a vertical wall-like extension, staying below the level of the oil spill. Because barriers are cumbersome and cumbersome and because they require relatively large and trained crews to deploy, barriers are not stored in considerable lengths at potential spill sites, but rather at central locations or at facilities specializing in handling oil spills. Such barriers, when implemented in time, sometimes successfully retain spilled oil (or other spilled harmful materials). However, since such barriers sometimes need to be hauled by tow (as relatively slow as and usually from relatively distant sources, barriers currently in use sometimes require a large amount of time from the moment a spill is discovered to the moment in which the barrier is brought in to retain the spilled material. In this interval, while waiting for the barrier to reach the site, the substance spreads across the surface of the water, can be shaken by waves, carried by winds, moved by currents and generally tend to extend over large surface areas. These large surface areas then need to be partially enclosed by a barrier to initiate spill treatment. The longer it takes for the barrier to reach the site, the more the barrier and the deployment procedure will take longer. In some cases, while waiting for the barrier to arrive, the spill is subdivided into several areas separate small spills, which should then be handled individually. In fact, in some spill scenarios, the arrival of barrier equipment at the spill site happens so late that the incoming barriers, rather than being deployed to surround the spill, are deployed near beaches to protect them from the unrestrained oil adrift.
[0003] Currently, barriers in common use typically comprise a heavy ballast material suspended under a flotation element and are generally transferred from a storage area to the spill site. The towing process is necessarily slow, especially when there is a need, as is often the case, to tow the barrier in a direction perpendicular to its surface, for example, to bring the barrier closer to a spill area or to tow the spilled material trapped by the barrier. Such barriers, being bulky, are generally stored in central locations, not necessarily close to likely spill sites. Moving by tow or other deployment process generally requires the barrier to be constructed of very durable materials and to incorporate elements that will withstand the removal forces. In addition, large and generally powerful vessels are required to tow portions of the barrier and/or otherwise deploy the barrier. Finally, today's barriers often require large crews who have been extensively trained in operating the machinery. The need for a crew adds more time to the process as before barriers can be put in place, the crew must be assembled and taken to the preparation site. All of these features of conventional containment barriers combine to produce a situation where barriers generally cannot be quickly deployed at spill sites, resulting in extensive spillage of the spilled material before the barrier containment procedure can even begin . As a result, containment is sometimes impossible, sometimes only partial or otherwise inefficient, and always expensive, and recovery or treatment of spilled material is often partial, in the best case scenario.
[0004] Some attempts have been made to provide barriers that do not need to be towed to a spill site. For example, U.S. Patent No. 5197821, to Richard E. Cain et al., filed in 1991, describes an accordion-folded hollow curtain barrier comprising an automatic gas inflatable flotation chamber on a longitudinal edge with an integral dependent curtain terminating in a chamber with automatic ballast inflatable by water or seawater on the opposite longitudinal edge. However, Cain's invention has proven to be seemingly ineffective, as evidenced by the fact that it is not generally used in spill containment.
[0005] Additional technique history includes:
[0006] US Patent No. 5074709, filed December 24, 1991,
[0007] US Patent No. 5040918, filed April 23, 1990,
[0008] US Patent No. 5120159, filed March 25, 1991,
[0009] US Patent No. 3563036, filed September 2, 1969,
[00010] US Patent No. 5580185, filed October 30, 1995,
[00011] US Patent No. RE28966, filed January 24, 1974,
[00012] US Patent No. 5238327, filed April 9, 1992,
[00013] US Patent No. 4124981, filed September 29, 1977,
[00014] US Patent No. 5885451, filed October 31, 1990, and
[00015] U.S. Patent No. 4997745, filed December 29, 1989. SUMMARY
[00016] Some applications of the present patent application may solve some of the problems in oil spill containment described in the background section above, by providing efficient barriers capable of containing oil spills, whose barriers can be stored economically or nearby to potential spill sites and/or aboard spill sources such as ships, oil platforms and the like, and can be deployed more quickly using relatively inexpensive deployment means. Such barriers can therefore encircle and contain newly discovered spills before the spilled material propagates away from the spill source and before it subdivides into separate oil slicks.
[00017] Barrier applications include barriers prepared in situ from one or more empty sleeves made of plastic or other material. The term "sleeve" is generally used herein to refer to a long hollow structure made of a film (optionally multilayer) closed laterally (eg a hollow cylinder) optionally divided into segments and further subdivided to provide flotation compartments, water compartments, or both. Optionally, a sleeve can be formed from two long rectangular pieces of film welded together at their edges and further welded together to create compartments. Optionally, a sleeve can be formed from a single long rectangular piece of film folded longitudinally and welded along its free side edges, and welded together to create compartments. Optionally, a sleeve can be formed as an extruded tube. Examples of suitable material for creating gloves as described in this document are specified below.
[00018] In some applications, barriers are fully or partially inflated automatically. In some applications, deployment equipment includes modules to fill the barrier with air and water. Some applications comprise water compartments at least possibly elevated above the water level of ambient water when the barrier is deployed in ambient water. In some applications, a plurality of gloves are sandwiched in during preparation, and become semi-rigid when filled, the flotation compartments and water-filled compartments are held in semi-rigid geometric relationship to each other by forces induced by the filling and filling of the compartments.
[00019] In some applications, a barrier comprises only a plastic and a similar sleeve (optionally including one-way valves) when empty, and only gas and water are added when filled.
[00020] In preparing some applications, two, three or more gloves, each comprising inflatable compartments, are interspersed, and are kept in a semi-rigid geometric relationship to each other when their compartments are filled. In some applications, gas and water (eg air and water) are mixed when filling some compartments. In some applications, two or more water compartments and/or a water compartment with two or more extensions are connected to a flotation device. In some applications, a portion of the barrier above water level comprises a plurality of extensions. In some applications, an angle between the lowest flotation device and a portion of the barrier extending above that lowest flotation device is at an acute angle.
[00021] In some applications, a barrier collector collects a barrier after deployment and use, optionally comprising a machine to perforate the barrier, optionally comprising a machine to shred the barrier, optionally comprising a machine to bring it to storage at a coil.
[00022] In some applications, a barrier surrounding a spill is allowed to float freely, without connections, optionally with a light buoy and/or transmitter attached. In some applications, a barrier comprises a flotation device and a water-containing compartment in which at least part of said contained water is held by the flotation device above the water level of said ambient water.
[00023] In some applications, a deployment vessel is used to surround a spill with a barrier of at least 200 meters in length within 15 minutes of detecting the spill.
[00024] According to an aspect of some applications of the present patent application, a method for limiting the spread of a spill of floating substances spilled into water is provided, comprising: a) preparing in advance at least one empty glove comprising inflatable compartments selected from a group consisting of flotation compartments and water compartments; i) use a deployment vessel to navigate around the spill while preparing and deploying portions of a spill blocking barrier, by filling the barrier by filling the flotation compartments with a gas and by filling, at least partially, the compartments of water with water, so that the pressures exerted between said flotation compartments and said water compartments after at least partial filling and filling maintain at least some of the flotation compartments and at least some of the water compartments in at least a semi-rigid geometric relationship to each other; and ii) deploying the barrier in the water close to the spill while navigating around the spill, thereby creating and deploying around at least a portion of the spill, a barrier that limits the spread of the spill.
[00025] According to some applications of the invention, at least one empty glove comprises segments that each have at least one inflatable or fillable compartment.
[00026] According to some applications of the invention, the filling of the segments is carried out sequentially and the deployment of the barrier is carried out progressively while the deployment vessel moves by an edge of the spill.
[00027] According to some applications of the invention, the method further comprises interleaved segments of a first empty glove with segments of a second empty glove before completion of filling and filling.
[00028] According to some applications of the invention, the pressures induced by filling and filling maintain the intercalated segments in at least a semi-rigid geometric relationship with each other.
[00029] According to some applications of the invention, a segment of the first sleeve is interleaved with a single segment of the second sleeve.
[00030] According to some applications of the invention, a segment of the first sleeve is interleaved with a plurality of segments of the second sleeve.
[00031] According to some applications of the invention, the method further comprises interleaved segments of a first empty glove with segments of a second empty glove and with segments of a third empty glove.
[00032] According to some applications of the invention, the method comprises surrounding the spill with the prepared barrier.
[00033] According to some applications of the invention, a transverse profile of the flotation compartments of at least a majority of the segments has a width at least 1.5 times greater than its height.
[00034] According to some applications of the invention, the method further comprises using a filling module to introduce water into the water compartments under pressure.
[00035] According to some applications of the invention, the method further comprises releasing a spring-loaded water compartment under water so that it fills the water compartment through a one-way valve in the water compartment.
[00036] According to some applications of the invention, the method further comprises implanting in the water a water compartment that comprises openings and also comprises a water-absorbent material, thus making the water compartment fill automatically.
[00037] According to some applications of the invention, the method further comprises using a chemical reaction to create a gas inside at least some flotation compartments, thus filling them.
[00038] According to some applications of the invention, the method further comprises releasing a spring-loaded flotation compartment in the air in a way that allows the flotation compartment to be filled automatically through a one-way valve in the flotation compartment.
[00039] According to some applications of the invention, the method further comprises using a controller receiving information from a sensor to detect an edge of the spill, and using the controller to calculate a steering command for the deployment vessel.
[00040] According to some applications of the invention, the method further comprises storing materials and devices for the preparation of the barrier in a potential spill site, pre-loaded in a boat less than 10 m long.
[00041] According to some applications of the invention, the method further comprises launching the deployment vessel and starting the preparation of the barrier within 5 minutes of the spill detection.
[00042] According to some applications of the invention, the method further comprises preparing the barrier at a rate of more than 5 meters per minute.
[00043] According to some applications of the invention, the method further comprises deploying a barrier of at least 200 meters in length within 15 minutes of detection of the spill.
[00044] According to some applications of the invention, the method further comprises connecting a part of the prepared barrier to another part of the prepared barrier to form a continuous barrier around the spill.
[00045] According to some applications of the invention, the method further comprises preparing the barrier at a speed approximately equal to the speed at which the deployment vessel advances around the spill.
[00046] According to some applications of the invention, the method further comprises influencing the shape of the prepared barrier by selectively controlling the pressure of the substances used to fill and fill the fillable and inflatable compartments.
[00047] According to some applications of the invention, it further comprises selecting, as a function of environmental conditions, an amount of water to be introduced into a portion of a water compartment that will be positioned above the water level when the barrier is in place.
[00048] According to some applications of the invention, the method further comprises selecting, as a function of environmental conditions, pressures of the materials used to fill and fill the compartments.
[00049] According to some applications of the invention, the method further comprises storing the material of the empty glove in a coil containing a rolled glove.
[00050] According to some applications of the invention, the coil comprises informational markings printed on the glove portions during glove preparation and readable during barrier preparation, and further comprises using the legible information to control an aspect of the preparation of the barrier.
[00051] According to some applications of the invention, the method further comprises using an electronic reader to read the information, and using the information to calculate commands for an automatically controlled aspect of the preparation of the barrier.
[00052] According to some applications of the invention, the method also comprises using the same tool both to connect the glove portions to each other, thus creating the compartments, as to mark the glove with the information.
[00053] According to some applications of the invention, the method further comprises using a voltage sensor to measure the voltage exerted on a portion of the barrier prepared by portions of the barrier implanted in water, and using the information provided by the voltage sensor to calculate a command for at least one of the a) equipment that prepares the barrier; and b) an engine that transmits motion to the deployment vessel.
[00054] According to some applications of the invention, the deployment vessel is a boat with a maximum length of 10 meters.
[00055] According to some applications of the invention, the method further comprises allowing the continuous barrier around the spill to float freely, without being attached to anything.
[00056] According to some applications of the invention, the continuous barrier around the spill comprises at least one of a group composed of a light buoy and a transmitter.
[00057] According to some applications of the invention, the method further comprises distributing, with the barrier, one of a group composed of a) an oil absorbent layer; b) an oil degrading material; c) a chemical distributor; d) a biological distributor.
[00058] According to some applications of the invention, the barrier is color coded according to at least one of a group of color codes composed of a) colors indicating the standard lengths of the barrier, to facilitate the evaluation of the length of said distance barrier; and b) colors indicating the positions of the openable connections of said barrier, to facilitate the location of said remotely openable attachments.
[00059] According to an aspect of some applications of the present patent application, a barrier for containing a floating material spilled in water is provided, comprising a first glove comprising a plurality of inflatable gas compartments and a second glove which comprises a plurality of water inflatable compartments, the gloves being so interspersed that the filling of the water and air compartments connects the gloves and forces the water and air compartments into at least a semi-rigid geometric configuration.
[00060] According to some applications of the invention, the barrier also comprises a third glove that comprises a plurality of water compartments.
[00061] According to some applications of the invention, the materials contained in the glove compartments, when deployed, are not considerably heavier than water.
[00062] According to an aspect of some applications of the present patent application, a barrier is provided for containing a floating material spilled into water, comprising a) an inflatable flotation compartment wider than high, thus designed so that hydrodynamic forces may tend to maintain their broad dimension parallel to the surface of the water on which it floats, when the flotation compartment is filled and floats on the water; and b) a water inflatable compartment held by filling forces in a position approximately perpendicular to the broad surface of the flotation device when the flotation compartments and water compartment are filled.
[00063] According to some applications of the invention, the barrier contains no more than 1% by volume of material heavier than water.
[00064] According to some applications of the invention, the width of the flotation compartment is at least 1.25 times the length of the flotation compartment.
[00065] According to some applications of the invention, the barrier further comprises a terminal connector prepared as part of the sleeve, and usable to connect a portion of the barrier prepared from a coil of the sleeve material to a portion of the prepared barrier from another coil of glove material.
[00066] According to some applications of the invention, the connector is also used as shaft for the barrier coil.
[00067] According to some applications of the invention, the inflatable compartments in the glove alternate with the non-inflatable portions along the barrier, and the non-inflatable portions are more flexible than the inflatable portions when the inflatable portions are inflated.
[00068] According to some applications of the invention, the barrier, exclusive of contained air and water, weighs a maximum of 0.45 kg/meter in length.
[00069] According to some applications of the invention, the barrier comprises flotation compartments that comprise portions of which, when deployed in ambient water, extend along the surface of the ambient water, and the extended portions comprise edges at descending angles when they are thus implanted.
[00070] According to some applications of the invention, a degree by which the edge angles descend varies as a function of the inflation pressures used in the inflatable compartments.
[00071] According to some applications of the invention, the barrier further comprises a fillable compartment, at least partially filled with water and in which it is at least partially erected above the ambient water level by the flotation device when the barrier is deployed in ambient water.
[00072] According to an aspect of some applications of the present patent application, a barrier is provided for containing a floating material spilled into water, which barrier, when deployed in water, comprises: a) a flotation compartment containing gas and serving as a flotation device for barriers; b) a compartment comprising a material at least as heavy as water on which it hangs and positioned below the flotation device when the barrier is deployed in the water; and c) a compartment at least partially filled with water, in which at least a portion of the fill water is positioned above the ambient water level when the barrier is deployed in the ambient water.
[00073] According to some applications of the invention, the pendant compartment is a fillable compartment in a glove and is at least partially filled with water.
[00074] According to some applications of the invention, the pendant compartment is filled by nothing heavier than water.
[00075] According to some applications of the invention, the compartment containing water positioned above the ambient water level is an extension of the pendant compartment and has a lumen in common with it.
[00076] According to some applications of the invention, the compartment containing water positioned above the ambient water level is independent of the pendant compartment and does not have a lumen in common with it.
[00077] According to some applications of the invention, a compartment containing water positioned above the ambient water level contains both liquid and a gas.
[00078] According to some applications of the invention, the barrier comprises a glove and the glove comprises the flotation compartment, the pendant compartment, and the compartment containing water positioned above the ambient water level.
[00079] According to some applications of the invention, the barrier comprises a first glove that comprises the flotation compartment interspersed with a second glove that comprises the slope, the first and second gloves being maintained in at least a semi-rigid relationship between itself when the flotation compartment is filled with a gas and the pendant compartment is filled with water.
[00080] According to an aspect of some applications of the present patent application, a barrier for containing a floating material spilled in water is provided, comprising a) an inflatable flotation compartment; and b) at least two water inflatable compartments maintained below the flotation compartment when the barrier is deployed.
[00081] According to some applications of the invention, the barrier comprises at least four extensions of the water inflatable compartments, having at least two positioned below the flotation compartments and at least two at least partially maintained above the ambient water level when the barrier is deployed in ambient water.
[00082] According to an aspect of some applications of the present patent application, a barrier collector is provided to collect a barrier after implantation in water, comprising a machine to perforate the flotation compartments and the water compartments of the barrier and one of a group consisting of a) a squeezing device for compressing portions of the barrier after the portions are considerably emptied of gas and water; b) a coil to bring the barrier after the portions are considerably emptied of gas and water; and c) a shredder to shred the barrier.
[00083] According to one aspect of some applications of the present patent application, a method for limiting the spread of a spill of floating substances spilled into water is provided, comprising: a) surrounding at least a portion of the spill with a floating barrier that considerably prevents the spilled material from passing through the barrier; and b) allow the barrier to float freely in a water environment, absent physical connections to boats and objects in fixed physical positions.
[00084] According to some applications of the invention, the method further comprises attaching at least one of a group consisting of a light buoy and a transmitter to the free-floating barrier.
[00085] According to an aspect of some applications of the present patent application, a barrier is provided to prevent the passage of a spilled material floating in ambient water, comprising a) a flotation device; and b) a water-containing compartment in which at least part of the water contained is held by the flotation device above the water level of the ambient water.
[00086] According to one aspect of some applications of the present patent application, a method is provided to limit the spread of the spill of a floating material in water, comprising the use of a deployment vessel to surround the spill detected with a barrier of at least 200 meters in length within 15 minutes of spill detection.
[00087] According to some applications of the invention, the barrier comprises a glove with fillable compartments, and the compartments are filled with material that is not heavier than water.
[00088] According to an aspect of some applications of the present patent application, a method is provided for using a deployment vessel to deploy a barrier containing spilled material, comprising using a voltage sensor to measure the stress exerted on a portion of the barrier prepared by portions of the barrier implanted in the water, and using the information provided by the voltage sensor to calculate a command for at least one of the a) equipment that prepares the barrier; and b) an engine that transmits motion to the deployment vessel.
[00089] Unless defined otherwise, all technical and/or scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as would normally be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention belongs. While methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein may be used in practicing or testing the applications of the invention, exemplary methods and/or materials are described below. In case of conflicts, the patent specification, including definitions, will prevail. In addition, the materials, methods and examples are illustrative only and should not necessarily be limiting.
[00090] The implementation of the method and/or system of applications of the invention may involve the execution or completion of selected tasks manually, automatically or a combination thereof. Furthermore, according to the instrumentation and current equipment of the applications of the method and/or system of the invention, several selected tasks can be implemented by hardware, by software, by firmware or by a respective combination using an operating system.
[00091] For example, the hardware to perform the selected tasks, according to the applications of the invention, can be implemented as a chip or a circuit. As software, selected tasks, according to the applications of the invention, can be implemented as a plurality of software instructions being executed by a computer using any suitable operating system. In an exemplary application of the invention, one or more tasks, in accordance with the exemplary applications of the method and/or system as described herein, are performed by a data processor, such as a computerized platform for executing a plurality of instructions. Optionally, the data processor includes volatile memory for storing instructions and/or data and/or non-volatile storage, for example, a magnetic hard disk and/or removable media, for storing instructions and/or data. Optionally, a network connection is also provided. A screen and/or user input device such as a keyboard or mouse is also provided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[00092] Some applications of the invention are described here, by way of example only, with reference to the attached drawings. With specific reference to the figures in detail, it is noted that the details are shown by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of applications of the invention. In this regard, the description taken with the figures makes it apparent to those skilled in the art how the applications of the invention may be practiced.
[00093] In the drawings:
[00094] Figure 1 is a simplified diagram of a storable barrier preparation module in a potential spill site, according to some applications of the present patent application.
[00095] Figure 2 is a flowchart showing methods for containing a spilled floating material, such as oil, according to some applications of the present patent application.
[00096] Figure 3 is a simplified schematic of a detail of the preparation module shown in Figure 1, according to some applications of the present patent application.
[00097] Figure 4 is a simplified drawing of the use of a barrier, according to some applications of the present patent application.
[00098] Figures 5A to 5B present stabilization concepts used in some applications of the invention.
[00099] Figures 5C to 5D show methods to interleave the gloves when preparing a barrier, according to some applications of the invention.
[000100] Figures 6A to 6F show simplified cross-sectional diagrams of a plurality of configurations of barriers, according to some applications of the present patent application;
[000101] Figures 7A to 7C are simplified schematics of methods and devices to connect the portions of a barrier with another according to some applications of the present patent application.
[000102] Figures 8 and 9 are simplified schematics of machines usable to collect a barrier after use, according to some applications of the present patent application.
[000103] Figures 10A and 10B are simplified cross-sectional drawings of additional optional barriers, according to some applications of the present patent application.
[000104] Figures 11A to 11F are simplified views of a barrier implanted in rippled water, according to some applications of the present patent application.
[000105] Figures 12A and 12B are simplified views of a machine to create a barrier based on extruded foam, and a barrier thus constituted, respectively, according to some applications of the present patent application. DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIFIC APPLICATIONS OF THE INVENTION
[000106] The present patent application, in some respective applications, refers to a mechanical barrier implantable in water and, more particularly, but not exclusively, to an inflatable barrier designed for rapid deployment at the site of the accidental oil spill or other environmentally destructible floating materials.
[000107] For simplicity of exposition, most of the discussion and most of the examples below are related to “oil” spills and “containment” of them. However, it should be understood that the applications presented herein can be used to contain spills of "oil" and other petroleum materials and can also be used to contain spills of any other type of product or contaminant, provided that the spill is in water and the spilled material has a tendency to float on the surface of the water. Also, although it is desirable to contain spillage through an enclosure in many cases, alternative uses of the barriers and barrier deployment equipment described herein are contemplated. For example, a barrier in accordance with the applications described herein can be deployed to exclude (rather than enclose) a spilled material, for example, to protect a beach, or a portion of a harbor, or a wildlife environment, from prevent the entry of uncontained spilled material into a selected area. Additionally, the barriers described herein can be used in contexts that do not involve spills, for example, to contain and/or exclude floating plants, to protect catchment power plants and marine fish farms, and similarly fragile environments. While not necessarily mentioned with respect to any specific application presented herein, such uses are contemplated with respect to all applications described herein.
[000108] Some applications of the present patent application comprise barriers that are prepared in situ, at the spill site, from a relatively inexpensive glove component or components that are pre-built to have filling compartments for water and for air, and optionally for water and air combined, the compartments run together most of the length of the barrier segments, optionally connected by relatively narrow non-inflatable sections or other forms of relatively flexible joints.
[000109] The glove is stored in a compressed, space-efficient format such as a reel or a roll. Because the glove is relatively inexpensive and relatively much less bulky than currently used barrier components, it is practical to store it along with a filling module and distribution system in or near a deployment vessel onboard ships. oil carriers, on other large vessels that may spill their own fuel, on oil platforms, and/or in proximity to potential spill sites such as ports and oil terminals.
[000110] When a spill is detected, a barrier can be quickly prepared: a ship or other type of vessel (for example, a small boat, such as a boat less than 10 meters in length) can be used to transport the coil from the glove, the fill module and a distribution or deployment system around a spill, and to progressively prepare a barrier by using the fill module to inflate the glove's water and air compartments and transport the glove segments filled in water .
[000111] The disclosure below presents a variety of methods of using such a barrier, and a variety of configurations to form the barrier. Some of the applications comprise designing features that would make the barrier relatively stable and relatively efficient in blocking the passage of oil or other spilled materials, while using compact, lightweight, inexpensive and relatively simple materials. The applications described in detail below can be implemented cheaply, quickly and simply, for example, by two operators working from a boat 10 meters in length or less. Some applications provide for the deployment of the barrier by an automated mechanism, also operated from a relatively small vessel.
[000112] The fact that barrier components can be economically stored aboard spill sources or near potential spill sites and/or can be quickly transported to current spill sites, and that an efficient barrier can be quickly prepared on site, optionally using only a small boat or other inexpensive vessel will, in some cases, make it possible to encircle and contain a spill soon after the spill is detected, while the spill is still small and undivided, and well before a barrier Conventional, relatively heavy, relatively bulky and relatively expensive (of the type commonly used today) can be towed or otherwise transported from a storage location and taken to use.
[000113] As described in the background section above, the ability to deploy a barrier within minutes of detecting a spill can, in some cases, simplify as much as several orders of magnitude in the complexity of a containment operation and the area of the spill to be contained.
[000114] Applications of the invention described in detail below include barrier configurations resistant to the destabilizing actions of wind and waves, and that provide efficient barriers that prevent the passage of spilled floating materials such as oil, even under difficult water conditions, even if prepared cheaply and quickly at spill sites as described above.
[000115] Before explaining at least one application of the invention in detail, it should be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited in its application to the details of the preparation and arrangement of the components and/or methods set out in the description below and/or illustrated in the drawings and/or in the Examples. The invention is capable of executing other applications or of being practiced or executed in various ways. GENERAL
[000116] As explained above, “time is an essential factor” in containing oil spills. Once a spill has occurred or is in progress, the spilled material tends to propagate from the source, and can spread over a large area, and can be spread or broken up in several areas by the action of wind, waves, currents, and the physical properties of the spilled materials.
[000117] Some applications of the present patent application are expected to improve the handling of oil spills and similar material spills, as they allow quick handling of spills, and allow a spill to be contained before spilled materials propagate naturally and that the actions of winds, currents and waves propagate it over a large area. In some applications, this is achieved by using locally stored materials and/or easily and quickly transportable materials to quickly prepare a containment barrier at the spill site. Some applications, for example, will allow a small team (eg two people) on a small dedicated vessel (eg 10 meters or less) to start deploying an oil containment boom in accordance with an application of the gift patent application within 5 to 10 minutes of detecting a spill, and to deploy this barrier at a speed of approximately 15 to 30 meters per minute. In other words, based on the estimated characteristics of an exemplary application, a 300 meter long barrier can be placed around an oil spill within 20 minutes of the spill being detected. In some applications, half an hour would be enough. In some applications, an hour would be appropriate. These numbers are, of course, exemplary only, and are not limiting, but serve to indicate the important potential advantages of the methods and devices taught here. As far as is known to the Applicant, no nearly comparable solution is known in the art at this time. They can be contrasted with methods and devices commonly used today, where bulky and relatively much more expensive barriers are prepared in advance, stored in central locations generally not adjacent to potential spill sites, and then must be transported over long distances to be put into action on a detected spill. This conventional process takes orders of magnitude longer, and the problem of spill containment and recovery is therefore much more difficult by the current time when containment activities could start (some sources indicate that oil recovery rates today, are generally less than 15%).
[000118] It is an additional advantage of some applications that the distribution methodologies instructed here make it possible to deposit the barrier at, or close to, the observed edge of the spill, a fact that contributes to limiting the expansion of the spill.
[000119] It is an additional advantage of some applications that some spills, when quickly and accurately surrounded by a barrier within minutes of spill detection, can be sufficiently concentrated to allow for on-site burning of the spilled material and/or to facilitate chemical and/or biological treatment. (The contained spill, having been surrounded before it has a chance to propagate, can provide a relatively high concentration of the spilled material within the barrier containment.) Similarly, skimming is facilitated under these circumstances.
[000120] It is an additional advantage of some applications that the amount of chemical and/or biological dispersants or other products used in spills (which are expensive, and not necessarily environmentally benign) is relatively less than required to cover large areas of spillage found when traditional towed barrier containment is used. PREPARATION OF AN ON-SITE INFLATION BARRIER
[000121] Some applications of the invention comprise a barrier comprising a prepared glove having segments and each segment comprising inflatable compartments. The barrier is optionally deployed by a vessel advancing around a spill while mechanically and progressively filling some glove compartments using pressurized air (or optionally another gas) and also filling other glove compartments with water supplied under pressure. The result, as will be shown below, is a stable, efficient and buoyant oil barrier. A variety of exemplary designs for barriers of this type are shown in Figures 6A through 6F and discussed here below.
[000122] In some alternative applications, glove compartments can use several types of automatic fillings known in the art. For example, self-filled water compartments may use compressed sponges and/or a moisturizing material and/or an open-cell foam and/or a spring-loaded compartment with a one-way valve and/or similar means of absorbing the water in the water compartments. Flotation compartments can use spring-loaded compartments having one-way valves to automatically fill with air, and/or can use a chemical reaction that produces gas, such as is produced by a binary gas-creating material to automatically fill the materials. binaries being mixed by the action of unwinding the sleeve and/or by the action taken by a distribution module 350 (discussed below with references to Figures 1 and 3), for example, by providing an action of distribution module 350 that breaks a seal between the binary materials contained in the flotation compartments, or by some other mechanical and/or chemical processes. It was noted that each of the various configurations presented here below, comprising a variety of exemplary and alternative geometries for a barrier, can be implemented using automatic filling for water and/or flotation compartments, along with or replacing a filling module 300 (discussed with references to Figures 1 and 3) and/or as with intervention (eg to stimulate gas production) by distribution module 350.
[000123] In some alternative applications, glove compartments may use several types of automatic filling known in the art. For example, self-filled water compartments may use compressed sponges and/or a moisturizing material and/or an open-cell foam and/or a spring-loaded compartment with a one-way valve and/or similar means of absorbing the water in the water compartments. Flotation compartments can use spring-loaded compartments having one-way valves to automatically fill with air, and/or can use a chemical reaction that produces gas, such as is produced by a binary gas-generating material to automatically fill, the binary materials being mixed by the action of unwinding the sleeve and/or by the action taken by a distribution module 350 (discussed below with references to Figures 1 and 3), for example, by providing an action of distribution module 350 that breaks a seal between the binary materials contained in the flotation compartments, or by some other mechanical and/or chemical processes. It is noted that each of the various configurations presented here below, comprising a variety of exemplary and alternative geometries for a barrier, can be implemented using automatic filling for water and/or flotation compartments, along with or replacing a filling module 300 ( discussed with reference to Figures 1 and 3) and/or as with intervention (eg to stimulate gas production) by distribution module 350.
[000124] In some applications, sleeves 101 are subdivided into segments, so that a segment can fail or be perforated, the flotation of the barrier (and the functions of the water compartments) will be ensured by adjacent segments.
[000125] In some applications, segments are joined together by joints or hinges or other flexible portions connecting filled or automatically inflatable segments, which tend to be more rigid.
[000126] In some applications, some glove materials may be supplied above the flotation compartments. Similarly, additional glove materials can be provided around the water compartments, thus extending them to form an extended 'skirt' that serves to extend surfaces impenetrable by oil, whose surfaces, in some applications, may tend to be considerably vertical when the barrier is deployed, at least in calm water, and which may tend to be considerably perpendicular to the water surface in turbulent conditions. DEPLOYMENT EQUIPMENT
[000127] Referring now to the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates a preparation module for deploying a water spill barrier.
[000128] According to some applications of the present patent application, a method to limit the spread of oil or other floating substances spilled in water comprises providing a barrier 99 preparation module at a potential spill site. According to further applications, the method comprises quickly transporting the module 99, or parts thereof, to a spill site as soon as a spill is detected, for example, by air or by a speedboat.
[000129] In some applications, and as shown in Figure 1, a barrier preparation module 99 may comprise a glove 101 stored as an unfilled material source of the glove 102, a filling module 300 for filling glove compartments 101 with air and/or water, a boat (optional) or other vessel 200 to transport the sleeve 101 and filling module 300 around a spill site, and a distribution module 350 to move the prepared barrier 100 from the boat to the Water. The glove 101 can be any continuous plastic or other film containing inflatable compartments, as will be discussed in detail below.
[000130] The barrier 99 preparation module, being relatively inexpensive, can be prepared and made available, and stored on board or in the vicinity of a potential spill site. Alternatively, the unfilled material of sleeve 102, filling module 300 and/or dispensing module 350 can be compactly stored in a central location and can be quickly transported (e.g., by air (e.g., by helicopter), by rapid sea transport (eg by speedboat) and/or by land rapid transport) to a spill site. Module 99 can be stored assembled and ready in a deployment vehicle, such as a boat, or can be quickly mounted on a general purpose boat or other vehicle when needed.
[000131] In some applications, the glove 101 material used to prepare the barrier 100 comprises compartments, lumens in the glove designed to be filled, some compartments to be filled by air, and some to be filled (e.g., filled or partially filled ) by water. In some applications, these compartments are flexible but not expandable, and therefore will become firm and rigid or at least semi-rigid when filled with pressurized air and/or water. Specific exemplary drawings for such water and air compartments are shown in detail below and with reference to Figures 6A through 6F.
[000132] As discussed in detail inter alia with references to Figures 5C and 5D, optionally the barrier 100 may comprise segments 140, each segment 140 comprising at least one compartment 150 designed to be filled by air or, optionally, by another gas and to provide flotation to the barrier 100, and at least one compartment 160 designed to be filled with water or other liquid. (Some examples of compartments 150 and 160 are shown inter alia in Figures 6A to 6F.) Optionally, segments 140 may be positioned close to sleeve 101 in alternation with joined areas 142, which joined areas do not comprise inflatable compartments. Joined areas 142 may simply be glove portions without inflatable compartments, and may therefore be more flexible than segments 140 which may tend to be firm once their inflatable compartments 150 and 160 are filled. Alternatively, the joined areas 142 may comprise hinges or other flexible connectors. Joined areas 142 may also comprise connections for attaching a portion of a barrier 100 to another, or for attaching a portion of a barrier 100 to another object.
[000133] A length of a barrier 100 may comprise a sleeve 101, or more than one. An application described in detail below comprises a first glove 101 comprising water compartments 160, interspersed with a second glove 101 comprising air compartments 150.
[000134] Before filling, the unfilled materials of sleeve 102, optionally prepared in advance with empty compartments 150 and 160, can be stored in continuous coil formats 110, each coil 110 comprising a convenient sleeve length, for example 100 meters, or 200 meters, or 250 meters, or 300 meters in length. In some applications, a 200 meter barrier weighs from 30 to 90 kg before filling. In the event of a spill, one or more spools can be conveniently mounted in filling modules 300 on a vessel 200 and put into operation quickly by preparing a barrier 100. As shown in Figures 7A to 7C, each spool 110 can optionally be provided with an end connection 180, to provide a convenient means for connecting the end portion of one coil to an initial portion of a next coil, optionally making barriers greater than the length comprised in individual coils. This connector can also act as the shaft on which the coil is wound. Coils can optionally be supplied with a sealed protective film to improve shelf life during long-term storage.
[000135] Optionally, a deployment vessel and/or a depot at a potential spill site and/or a central storage area can store a plurality of such coils, optionally with different characteristics, such as differences in length, in strength , in height and depth when deployed, in color, type or shape of the upper and/or lower portions of the barrier when deployed. The availability of such a variety allows for spill control by professionals and/or automatically controlled mechanisms to select a coil or coils containing gloves that, in their opinion, are more suitable for the spilled material, the size of the spill, the water conditions, the proximity to land or other obstacles, or in accordance with any other characteristic. A selected spool can be easily and quickly mounted on the dispensing apparatus, and successively used spools can be easily connected to each other.
[000136] Figure 1 shows the functionalities of the preparation module 99.
[000137] The filling module 300 (of which an exemplary application is shown in detail in Figure 3) is operable to prepare a barrier 100 by successively filling the sections of said sleeve 101, filling the air compartments 150 with air (or optionally with other gases) and filling the water compartments 160 with water (or optionally with other liquids). In some applications, the filling of compartments 150 and 160 in given segments tends to firm these compartments, and optionally lead them (under pressure of their respective fillings) to at least a semi-rigid geometric relationship between them. Examples of these are discussed in more detail with reference to Figures 6A to 6F, inter alia.
[000138] Figure 1 shows a vessel 200 capable of loading at least a reel of glove material 102, a filling module 300, and optionally a distribution module 350 that can be used to facilitate the distribution of the filled gloves or partially filled 101 from the vessel to the water. Since the coils are relatively compact and light, according to some applications, a 200 deployment vessel can optionally easily carry five or ten 200 meter coils, allowing you to connect the glove coils end-to-end to create a large, barrier-free barrier. /or allow selection of gloves with specific characteristics according to the prevailing spill and the weather and water conditions.
[000139] Vessel 200 is optionally a boat. In some situations, a relatively small boat, for example a 10 meter boat, will be sufficient to support the reels 110, and the fill module 300, a distribution module 350, and two crew members to guide the boat and control the boat. the barrier preparation operation.
[000140] Alternatively, a vessel 200 can be an unmanned vessel or even a semi-submersible vessel, for example a similar vessel in the shape of a torpedo. (The terms “boat 200” and “deployment vessel 200” are also used here, and should be understood to include vessels that are not necessarily “boats.” In fact, in some applications, a helicopter may be used to serve the functions of the “boat 200”).
[000141] Figure 1 shows a 230 boat controller, with wired or unwired connections (not shown) to any or all of the 210 boat engines, 212 propeller control, 214 steering mechanism, and control elements (by example, preparation speed control) of the filling module 300 and/or the distribution module 350. Optionally, the functions of the controller 230 can be divided among a plurality of processors. Optionally, the boat controller 230 can receive information from sensors, optionally including a sensor 220 for measuring the speed of the boat 200 relative to water, a sensor 307 (or other information source such as a mechanical counter measuring the production speed of the barrier. 100, a sensor 305 measuring the voltage between the portions of the barrier 100 already in water and the portions of the barrier 100 currently being moved towards the water, and/or additional sensors measuring ambient conditions such as water and air temperatures, water turbulence, and wind speed. In an optional use of the 230 controller, the 230 controller uses measurements of boat speed and set-up speed and/or voltage measurements induced at the barrier 100 by the movement of the boat 200, to adjust the speed of the boat 100, the speed of the filling module 300, or both, so that it can coordinate between the movement of the boat in the water and the speed of production of the barrier, so that new ones become barriers are distributed in the water at approximately the same speed as the boat is moving through the water. It can be appreciated that if module 99 is equipped to complete this coordination (at least approximately), then little in the sense of towing stress (optionally nothing) will be applied to barrier 100. This fact provides an important advantage to barrier 100 when compared to prior art barriers, which were typically transported for considerable distances, commonly in choppy water conditions, before being brought in to suit controlling a spill. Consequently, such prior art barriers must be strong enough to sustain themselves during the high stresses and pressures exerted by the towing process, potentially in rough seas. Consequently, such prior art barriers must be strong, and therefore must be constructed from strong and resistant materials. Such materials are relatively bulky, heavy and expensive. In contrast, the barrier 100, optionally, does not need to be removed by towing, but can instead optionally be deposited, at a speed close to or equal to the speed of the deployment vessel, relatively smoothly in the water. Consequently, barrier 100 may optionally be constructed of materials as strong as required for that purpose, and which may consequently be lighter and/or less bulky and/or less expensive than materials required to form prior art towable barriers.
[000142] An exemplary material optionally usable to prepare barrier 100 is "TPU 1001" prepared and sold by Erez Thermoplastics Ltd., of Kibboutz Erez, Israel. Here are some exemplary specifications: a “PA 210 Den” fabric, polymer: TPU, full weight A STM D 751 ad 8 oz/yd2, with tear strength (band) A STM D 751 procedure E at 100/120 lbs/in. , 59” wide. A similar fabric described in metric terms: “PA 235 Dtx”, also TPU, weighing 273 g/m2, with a tensile strength of 90/110 kg/5cm, 150 cm wide. An exemplary application designed with this material in mind is expected to have a total tensile strength of 1500 to 2000 kg. Other applications can provide tensile forces from 200 to 5000 kg. Optionally, additional materials such as Kevlar, wire reinforcements, and fibers of various types can be added.
[000143] Optionally, a 101 glove (eg a 101 glove using this exemplary material) is expected to withstand extreme temperature changes, have high resistance to organic solvents and oils, be easily visible from a distance, be available and in any length desired, be easy to use in pairs of gloves (see below), be cost effective, have a low volume and weight relative to the glove length, and provide good aerodynamic and hydrodynamic operation. Optionally, the glove material can optionally be UV resistant and capable of withstanding waves as it can be found in stormy conditions. Optionally, a biodegradable film can be used. Optionally, a fire-resistant material can be used to allow for the in-situ burning of oil, a practice commonly used in response to oil spills.
[000144] Optionally, barrier 100 can be color coded in several ways. For example, in some applications, the barrier 100 has color units alternating at regular distances, to make it easy to estimate the barrier length and/or circumference of a spill while viewing the air barrier. In some applications, a selected color designates those portions of the barrier that can be easily separated (eg connector locations), to facilitate opening and closing of the deployed barrier without damaging it, for example, to allow a ship (by (eg, a ship with equipment to treat or collect spilled material) in the barrier casing.
[000145] Optionally, the barrier 100 can be implanted with an oil absorbing layer, an oil degrading material, a chemical distributor and/or a biological distributor.
[000146] It is a further advantage that the barrier 100, optionally prepared without wires and chains and other expensive and heavy components of prior art barriers, can be economically prepared and used on a disposable basis, and can be easily collected and/or shredded , for example, using the equipment shown in Figures 8 and 9. Alternatively, barrier 100 can be constructed from a biodegradable material that slowly decomposes in water.
[000147] In some applications, the 230 boat controller may also steer the 200 boat under full or partial automatic control. A sensor 222 may be provided to provide information such as the state of the water within which the boat 200 is advancing. In the figure, sensor 222 is shown positioned as a camera or other monitoring/scanning sensor, but this placement is optional and not limiting, sensor 222 can be of a variety of sensor types positioned in or out of water, and “Sensor 222” can also be a combination of sensors and/or a combination of sensor types.
[000148] In some applications, the sensor 222 may, in fact, be a camera providing visual images to the controller 230 of the boat's water environment. The image interpretation software running on the controller 230 can then interpret the images to detect (for example, by differences in colors or textures) the edge of the spilled material. Additionally or alternatively, sensor 222 may also be a chemical sensor immersed or floating in the water beside boat 200, or it may, in fact, be a plurality of sensors of the same type and/or different, each providing useful information. by controller 230 to detect the edge of the spill and guide the boat 200 accordingly. In any case, controller 230 can use the information from sensor 222 to calculate the commands in which it will control boat 200 so that boat 200 (and hence prepared barrier 100) passes just outside the outer edge of the spill, or through any other path deemed convenient or appropriate.
[000149] Module 99 optionally comprises a distribution module 350 operable to move or help move the prepared barrier sections of boat 200 into the water. The distribution module 350 may, for example, simply be a funnel or passage that allows to deposit the barrier in the water out of risk of contact with the boat's propeller or steering system. Alternatively, delivery module 350 may comprise a motor-driven conveyor, or any other convenient tool for manipulating and moving the barrier being prepared. As mentioned above, the distribution module 350 may also comprise a filling investigator 351, such as, for example, a hammer or other mechanism to break a barrier between the gas-producing binary materials, thereby causing the filling to be in a mechanism. Inflatable flotation automatically.
[000150] Figure 2 is a flowchart summarizing the methods for using the barrier 100 according to some applications of the invention.
[000151] As shown in Figure 410, a barrier preparation module 99, optionally including some or all parts in the sleeve 102 supply, such as a coil 110, a filling module 300, and a distribution module 350, being relatively inexpensive and not bulky compared to barriers in use today, which can be stored locally at potential spill sites. Alternatively, module 99 can be stored in a central storage location as shown at 412: the relatively small and light size of the components of module 99 also facilitates distribution quickly (eg, by air, by speedboat) to the location. of the spill detected as well as displayed in 414.
[000152] Module 99 may comprise a dedicated vessel or other distribution vehicle (such as a helicopter), or alternatively, may be quickly mounted on a distribution vehicle when a spill is detected. The delivery vehicle is then launched as shown at 416, and is guided (manually or automatically) around the spill site, as shown at 418, while preparing barrier 100 through filling (using pumped air or production internal gas or other automatic filling techniques to fill the flotation compartments 150, and when using pumped water or other automatic filling techniques to fill the compartments 160). In many cases, it will be useful to use barrier 100 to completely surround the spill or a portion of the spill, connecting one part of the barrier 100 to another part of the barrier 100 to form a ring 103 around the spill or part of the spill, such as shown at 420. Optionally, the spill surrounded by the barrier can be allowed to drift until recovery equipment is available, and optionally, as shown at 422, a light buoy and/or transmitter 107 can be attached to the 100 barrier to facilitate your location after drifting.
[000153] In some applications, in cases of discovery of an oil spill or similar from an offshore vessel in open water, or a drilling rig, a deployment vessel is immediately lowered and a barrier is deposited around the spill as soon as possible to prevent the spill from spreading. Deployment is preferably in the direction of the current, however in the case of a fast current an alternative method can be employed in which a barrier can be deployed from a position in which the current moves the spill. If possible, the spill is surrounded by the barrier, a navigation aid such as a light buoy or transmitter is attached to the barrier, and the barrier is allowed to float freely.
[000154] In the event of a spill close to land or in port, additional barriers can be placed where they can protect the coast or other sensitive areas.
[000155] In case equipment is brought in to collect the spill (for example, by skimming) or to treat the spill by chemical or biological treatment, in some applications the barrier is opened, a treatment vessel is introduced into a area enclosed by the barrier, the barrier is closed again, and treatment is given within the barrier casing. Treatment vessel personnel optionally move in concentric circles within the barrier area, taking the current into account so as to avoid inadvertently damaging the barrier. PREPARATION MODULE DETAILS 99
[000156] Attention is now given to Figure 3, which provides additional details of a portion of a preparation module 99, according to an exemplary application of the invention.
[000157] Figure 3 shows details of a filling module 300 and a distribution module 350 mounted on a boat 200.
[000158] As shown in the Figure, a barrier roll feeder 112 feeds the sleeve 102 of the coil 110 through puller wheels 312 and into the filling modules 300. A filling module 300 optionally comprises a water filling module 370 and a 360 air inflation module.
[000159] In this exemplary application, the air inflation module 360 comprises an air inlet 362, an air filter 364 and an air blower 366 to create an inflation air pressure, and one or more air injectors 367 to inject air into the flotation compartments 150, optionally through a one-way valve 369 in the compartment. Optionally, the 360 module also comprises air pressure sensors or 368 fill pressure sensors reporting to controller 230 and thus allowing accurate control of fill pressures through controller 230 in some applications. Optionally, filling pressures can be modified according to air temperature, sea conditions, or other environmental and/or operational factors. Optionally, filling pressures can be controlled on a per compartment basis, for example, to provide controlled degrees of filling for selected compartments, in order to influence the geometry of the resulting barrier. This process will be discussed in more detail below.
[000160] In an exemplary application, the water filling module 370 comprises a water inlet 372, a seawater filter 374, a pump 376, a water relief valve 377, and a water injector 378, which injects water into water compartments 160, optionally through one-way valves 379 into compartments 160.
[000161] The distribution module 350, in this exemplary application, comprises puller wheels 312 that provide movement to the sleeve during the preparation of the barrier 100, a funnel or guide 352 that prevents the barrier 100 from touching the boat's propeller or steering mechanisms , and optionally additional levers that provide movements or wheels that facilitate movement of the prepared portions of the barrier 100 towards the water.
[000162] As noted above, the control elements or sensors reporting to controller 230 can report the speed of the delivery vehicle 200 through the water and/or speed of preparation of the barrier. In some applications, controller 230 uses this information to calculate commands (for example, to the boat engine, to modules 300 and/or 350) to coordinate these two speeds with each other so that the barrier deployment process leave the boom sections in their desired positions, and little additional pressure (eg pull-out pressure) is given to the boom when it reaches the water.
[000163] An exemplary application of a barrier 100 and a module to deploy it are described in the next two paragraphs. It should be noted that the figures given are exemplary only, and not limiting. When given distances, these are also exemplary and not limiting. The information is provided as a description of an application currently planned and estimated to be useful for specific applications.
[000164] According to an exemplary application, a barrier 100 may be 200 to 500 mm high and 250 to 350 mm wide when deployed. The weight of the empty sleeve 102 should be 140 to 450 g per meter. The same portion of the barrier, when injected with water, can weigh between 2000 to 6000 g per meter. An exemplary glove 100 coil can be 150 to 200 m long and weigh from 30 to 90 kg, with a cartridge diameter of 0.7 to 0.9 m and a width of 0.3 to 0.45 m. As can be seen, these values, while not limiting, are indicative of the availability and adaptability of the applications described here: components like these can, in fact, be stored on site, and managed quickly by a small team (eg 2 people ) operating in a small boat (eg a 10 m craft). The useful life of such a glove can be from 4 to 10 years, if stored in protection and isolated from the external environment. The speed of preparation (filling and dispensing) of barrier 100 can be as fast as 10, or 15, or 20, or 30, or even 40 m per minute or more, depending on the speed and quality of the dispensing and filling modules used . Such a barrier, if stored on site and used as soon as a spill is detected, may, in fact, in many situations, be able to completely encircle and contain a spill within 10 or 15 or 20 or 30 or 60 minutes of spill detection .
[000165] An exemplary application of a module 99 to deploy the barrier 100 described in the previous paragraph can be as small as 1 m x 0.5 m x 0.5 m. A 352 funnel, as shown in Figure 3, can be 1 to 1.5 m long. The entire module, with the exception of the sleeve coil, can weigh from 50 to 250 kg. In some applications, a coil of the barrier sleeve material and the modules required to fill and deploy it, capable of deploying a 200 meter barrier, can be contained in a space of less than 2 cubic meters.
[000166] Optionally, the module can be designed to work with 12 V or 24 V power sources, so that it is compatible with the power sources conveniently available on a small vessel.
[000167] Attention is now given to Figure 4, which is a simplified view of an optional use of the barrier 100, according to some applications of the present patent application.
[000168] Prior art barriers are commonly towed away after encountering a spill, sometimes as a way of trying to gather the spilled material spread widely. Since in many circumstances barrier 100 can be quickly deployed after a spill (for the reasons discussed above), it may, in some cases, be able to completely contain the spilled material in a fenced barrier. Therefore, in some circumstances, and as an optional method of use under some applications, boat 200 and module 99 are used to construct a barrier 100 around a spill or around a portion of the spill. Optionally, two portions of the barrier (for example, a previously prepared segment and a later prepared segment, or, for example, the first and second prepared portions of a barrier) are connected together to complete and close a ring surrounding the barrier. 100, thus forming a ring 103, as shown in Figure 4.
[000169] In some applications, a ring 103 formed by barrier 100 around all or part of the spill may be allowed to float freely away from the spill site. In other words, according to this optional application, the ring 103 is subject to the action of wind and currents and waves, just as the spill itself is subject to these influences. In many circumstances, in an offshore drilling rig spill, for example, the spill and its containment ring 103 may be allowed to drift for a while, until the necessary equipment to recover or treat the spilled material can be brought in to suit. Optionally, one or more light buoys (and/or transmitters) 107 can be attached to barrier 100 (ring 103) to facilitate locating drift spill containment, even in dark and/or foggy conditions.
[000170] This method of using barrier 100 optionally further allows barrier 100 to be constructed in a manner that is smaller, lighter and optionally less robust than prior art barriers, which are commonly attached to objects or towed by the water, and must therefore be robust enough to withstand the resulting pressures, and large enough to block spilled material that is subject to contrary winds and currents. The ring 103, according to this optional application, flows with the wind and current, rather than having to hold the spilled material against it. Therefore, barrier 100 can be efficient despite being lighter and optionally less robust in preparation and in smaller sizes compared to prior art barriers, which are typically designed to be attached and/or towed when they come into contact with the spill. , and therefore must be high enough and deep enough to withstand the passage of spilled material that must be kept upwind and against currents (currents in the water and/or currents generated by removal by trailer). Note, however, that this 'free-floating' use of the 100 barrier is optional. Some applications can be built as described in this paragraph to take advantage of this expected ‘free-floating uso usage, although other applications can be built to be attached or even towed.
[000171] Attention is now given to Figures 5A to 5B, which present a stabilization concept used in some applications of the present patent application.
[000172] In some applications, barrier 100 comprises a flotation component 150 and a component filled or partially filled with water 160, as discussed above. It is a useful feature of some applications of the barrier 100 that the sleeve 101 of which it is constructed, after filling, contains no significant amount (eg, no more than 1% by volume) of the heavier-than-water ballast material. One advantage of such a barrier is that no ballast material needs to be stored, formed, transported, deployed and eventually retrieved, making the barrier 100 deployment process relatively faster, simpler, and cheaper than it would be if the heavy ballast material was used.
[000173] The classic barriers used to contain oil spills comprise a flotation chamber floating on water, and depending on it, a ballast heavier than water. Such an arrangement tends to have a vertical orientation in the water, with the flotation element pushing up and the heavy ballast pushing down.
[000174] In some applications of barrier 100, however, anything heavier than (eg denser than) water is contained in compartments 160, which consequently are not significantly heavier than water. Consequently, hydrodynamic stabilization of the deployed barrier must be achieved using only a gas-filled flotation element and a water-inflatable compartment depending on it. Figures 5A and 5B explain how this is done.
[000175] Figure 5A presents a cross-sectional view of a barrier 100 comprising a flotation compartment 150 and a water compartment 160. A flotation compartment 150 is wider than deep, optionally 1.25 times wider, optionally by minus 1.5 times wider, and optionally at least twice or three or four or five times wider. As can be well understood from basic physical principles, hydrodynamic forces will tend to push such a flotation chamber to a position in which the flotation compartment 150 is approximately parallel to the surface of the water.
[000176] Figure 5B shows, for example, a stream of water tending to push the compartment 160 laterally, and thus causing the barrier 100 to rotate. (Wind pressure moving from right to left in the figure would have a similar rotational effect.) However, in some applications of the barrier 100, the water compartment(s) 160 has at least a semi-rigid relationship to the water compartments. flotation 150. In the application shown in Figures 5A and 5B, compartments 150 and 160 are approximately perpendicular to each other. In some applications, compartments 150 and 160 are within 20° of being perpendicular. In some applications, compartments 150 and 160 are within 10° of being perpendicular. In some applications, compartments 150 and 160 are within 30° of being perpendicular. Methods for creating this perpendicular orientation are discussed with reference to Figures 5C and 5D below.
[000177] In contrast to prior art barriers using heavy ballast (eg metal chains), the weight of housing 160, filled with water, does not strongly contribute to vertically orient this application of barrier 100. The water contained in portion 160 does not resist wind forces which may otherwise tend to lift the flotation element 150 out of the water. Since the flotation element 150 is pushed into the water by the weight of the compartment 160, hydrodynamic forces (as seen in Figure 5B) will tend to keep the flotation element 150 parallel to the surface of the water. Consequently, with portion 160 connected so that it is perpendicular to flotation element 150, these same hydrodynamic forces tend to force portion 160 into a position roughly perpendicular to the water surface, as is appropriate to contain an oil spill and to prevent a phenomenon called “leakage” in the oil spill industry, where oil can pass over a barrier in turbulent water conditions that push the downside of the barrier laterally, allowing spilled material to pass under the barrier.
[000178] Attention is now given to Figures 5C and 5D, which show methods of interleaving a plurality of gloves to create a barrier 100, in accordance with some applications of the invention.
[000179] According to some applications, a method for constructing the barrier 100 comprises providing a plurality of gloves optionally, each comprising inflatable and/or fillable compartments, and interspersing portions of two or more gloves (for example, by passing an extension from one glove through an opening in another glove) before filling and filling glove compartments (or, optionally, before completing filling and filling the compartments). In some applications of the invention, the pressures induced by filling and filling keep the gloves interspersed in at least one semi-rigid geometric relationship between them. In an application shown in Figure 5C, a segment from a first glove is interleaved with a plurality of segments from a second glove. In an application shown in Figure 5D, a segment from a first glove intersperses with a single segment from a second glove. In some applications, the methods shown in Figure 5C and the methods shown in Figure 5D can be combined in the same barrier 100. In some applications, the segments (containing inflatable compartments) are approximately the same length in two interspersed sleeves. In alternative applications, the segments (in different sleeves or in the same sleeve) can be of different sizes. In some applications, three or more gloves can be interspersed. In some applications, filling or filling the interspersed glove compartments hold the gloves together in a semi-rigid geometric configuration.
[000180] Figure 5D shows components to comprise two segments of a sleeve 100 constructed from portions of two barriers. A glove 151 comprising air compartments 150 (eg 150A and 150B) intersperses with a glove 161 comprising water compartments 160 (eg 160A and 160B). In this exemplary application, each segment 140 of glove 151 comprises: - a segment of glove 151, comprising a pair of gas inflatable compartments 150 of glove 151 (e.g., compartments labeled 150A and 150B in the figure), connecting bands or surfaces 152 connecting 150A to 150B, an open space 153 between 150A to 150B and connecting surfaces 152, and surfaces (optionally flexible) 154 connecting segment to segment; and - a glove segment 161, comprising a pair of water compartments 160 of glove 161 (labeled 160A and 160B in the figure), with connector strips or surface 162 connecting 160A and 160B, and an optional flexible surface 164 for connecting between the segments.
[000181] During preparation, the filling module 300 and/or the distribution module 350 slide the upper compartments 160A through the space 153 so that the sleeves 151 and 161 are interposed. Compartments 150 and 160 are then filled. The compartment sizes are thus calculated so that intercalation is possible with the compartments not filled or only partially filled, but as soon as all or most of the compartments are filled either with water, or with air, or with a mixture of water and air, the interleaved segments are held together by filling pressures from both the water and flotation compartments, which are pushed together by the forces of the filling. Therefore, in addition to filling the water and flotation compartments, the filling process has two effects: 1) it connects the two intercalated elements of the glove so that they cannot be forced apart while the filling is maintained, and 2) the filling pressures tend to keep the intercalated elements in at least semi-rigid geometric relationship to each other. So, for example, in some applications, shaping the intercalating portions of gloves 161 and 151 and/or controlling the filling process to produce a desired amount of pressure in each of the several intercalated inflatable compartments, separately and/or together producing a fixed geometric relationship between glove compartments 151 and 161 when filled. In some applications, the gloves are kept perpendicular to each other. Other optional positional relationships between the parts are shown in Figures 6A through 6F and are discussed below.
[000182] It is noted that the method to obtain a perpendicular relationship between the flotation compartments 150 and the water compartments 160 described in Figure 5D and discussed above is optional. Some applications may use straps or connections or any other method to attach two sleeves or to create a pre-formed sleeve with compartments separated at predetermined angles.
[000183] The surfaces 154 and 164 joints comprise joint areas 142, which (optionally and flexibly) join segments 140 together.
[000184] Figure 5C is similar to Figure 5D, with a principle difference of the open area 153 to receive the insertion of a portion 160A of the sleeve 161, is positioned between two segments (e.g., between two longitudinally inflatable portions) of the glove 151, while in Figure 5D, open area 153 is positioned within a single segment of glove 151. Therefore, Figure 5C shows an exemplary application in which a segment of a first glove is interspersed with two segments of a second glove, and Figure 5D shows an exemplary application in which a segment of a first glove interspersed with a single segment of a second glove.
[000185] Attention is now given to Figures 6A and 6F, which show simplified schematics of a plurality of optional configurations for the barrier 100, according to some applications of the present patent application. The designs shown in Figures 6A and 6F can optionally be implemented using the glove interleaving process explained above with references to Figures 5C. Alternatively, any other method of connecting gloves and/or producing a complex glove having a particular shape and a plurality of internal compartments can be used to produce configurations similar to those shown in Figures 6A to 6F. It should be understood that these configurations are exemplary and not limiting: other numbers of matching compartments and other ways of combining compartments should be used as well.
[000186] Figure 6A is a simplified schematic of a barrier 100 that can result from a glove, combining the operation described above with reference to Figure 5C and 5D. A “cross” mold results in flotation compartments 150A and 150B forming the 'arms' of the cross, and compartment 160B depending on them. Figure 6A presents an additional interesting feature: the application shown there, called application 100A, comprises a water compartment (or a portion of a water compartment) labeled 160A, characterized in that, after filling, a portion of the water is maintained above the water level of the ambient water when the 100A barrier is deployed. This “water above water” configuration has the advantage of adding stability to the 100a barrier from several aspects. Keeping some water above the ambient water level has the effect of forcing the flotation compartments down into the water. This is similar to the effect that would be obtained where compartment 160 filled with a ballast material heavier than water, yet with the arrangement shown in Figure 6A, no heavy ballast material is required. An advantage of forcing the flotation compartment 150 into the water is that it lowers the aerodynamic profile of the barrier 100A, thus making it less prone to wind movement, and less prone to tipping or spinning in the wind.
[000187] The 'water on water' configurations optionally comprise a separate compartment, at least partially supported above the ambient water level and at least partially filled with water and/or a water compartment 160 that extends far below the level of ambient water and above the ambient water level, as shown in Figure 6A. In other words, referring to Figure 6A as an example, compartments 160A and 160B can be separate compartments or a common compartment, and can be completely filled with water or can be partially filled with water and partially filled with gas. Ordinarily, placing a weight such as the water compartment above the water level can be expected to reduce the stability of the structure, but placing it above the central axis of the barrier configuration tends to solve this problem, and stress the barrier. in water increases overall stability when wind effects are taken into account. Optionally, a similar effect can be achieved by introducing some water into a flotation compartment 150. Optionally, wind and water conditions at the time of deployment can be taken into account when selecting barrier shapes and/or infill patterns and padding to be used.
[000188] Figure 6E shows a configuration similar to the 100A barrier, and labeled 100E. The 100E configuration differs from the 100A in that the 'arms' formed by compartments 150a and 150b have downward angles, so that the distal ends of these arms are forced further down into the water than the central crossing point, where (if used) glove interleaving occurs. The 100E configuration, like the 100B configuration, can have an aerodynamic advantage over the 100A configuration, where the tips of the 'arms' formed by the flotation compartments are, in many circumstances, below water. This minimizes the likelihood that a strong wind could pass over the flotation compartment and exert a strong rotational force, rotating the barrier and thus perhaps facilitating the passage of oil over or under the barrier. If the ends of the 'arms' are forced into the water, this possible rotational effect due to strong winds may be less likely to occur. Consequently, the 100B and 100E configurations may be preferred when a barrier is deployed under strong wind conditions. Arms comprising flotation compartments 150 may also be formed with a downwardly facing curvature to produce a similar effect.
[000189] Note that since it is the mutual pressure exerted on compartments 150 and 160 to each other when filled that maintains their geometric positional relationship, variations in filling pressures can optionally be used to vary the positions that compartments take with respect to a with the other. For example, if the glove material is expandable to some extent and the compartment 160A is filled to a pressure greater than 160B, then the effect of that overpressure of the higher compartment 160 will have the effect of pressing the compartments 150 down, as shown in Figure 6E. Consequently, the downward angle of the arms formed by compartments 150 can be determined at the time of barrier filling by controlled differential filling of the individual compartments, or it can be controlled by controller 230 or by an operator of module 350, with the downward angle being selected having in view of prevailing wind and water conditions.
[000190] Figure 6F presents a 100F configuration similar to Figure 6E, with a difference that its 160A "water on water" compartment, while kept above the ambient water level, is however lower than the upper level of the water chambers. 150 flotation, helping to maintain a low center of gravity.
[000191] Attention is now given to Figure 6D, which presents a barrier configuration labeled 100D, and which can be called a 'chubby' barrier. As can be seen from the figure, the upper and lower compartments 160 are given a somewhat rounded shape. An advantage of this format is that the external 'collection' areas, featuring acute angles, are created at positions labeled 171 and 172 in the figures. The collector 171 will tend to capture and force down the oil droplets splashed by the waves and will tend to run over the top of the barrier 100D. Collector positions labeled 172 will tend to reduce an effect known in the industry as drag. Similarly, portions of spilled material driven by wave action or currents against lower portions 160B will similarly encounter an acute angle that resists their passage below barrier 100D.
[000192] Attention is now given to Figures 6B and 6C, showing what might be called a “butterfly” configuration labeled 100B. The 100B configuration also features sharp angles at the 171 and 172 positions, helping to block spilled material and preventing it from spilling over or under the 100B barrier due to the actions of wind, waves and/or current. The 100B configuration also has the advantage that even under conditions when the 100B barrier is momentarily partially rotated, there will still be an 'arm' (160A1 or 160A2) of the barrier extending into the air in an almost vertical orientation, and a 'leg' of the barrier (160B1 or 160B2) extending into the water in an almost vertical orientation. Butterfly barrier 100B can be constructed, for example, using the interleaving technique described with respect to Figures 5C and 5D, using two sleeves 161 interspersed with one sleeve 151, to produce the butterfly effect.
[000193] Figures 6B and 6C together show that the degree of filling of the upper compartments 160A1 and 160A2 compared to the filling of the lower portions 160B1 and 160B2 can be used to control a downward pointing angle on the arms 150. The two figures exhibit the same configuration, differing only in that compartments 160A1 and 160A2 are more highly filled in Figure 6B than in Figure 6C. (Note that a glove 101 having compartments made of slightly expandable materials may be required to use this effect).
[000194] Attention is now given to figures 7A to 7C, which show an optional device and a method for connecting the barrier sleeves together, according to some applications of the present patent application.
[000195] If barrier sleeves 101 are supplied as coils 110 or similar, it is sometimes desirable to create a larger barrier than the sleeve provided in a single coil. Consequently, in some applications, the ends of a sleeve 101 may be provided with connectors to connect one sleeve to another. Figures 7A to 7C show an exemplary application of such a connector. Figure 7A shows a sleeve coil 110 in the process of being used to prepare a barrier being pushed towards and into module 300 and/or module 350. In the center of coil 110, one end of sleeve 101 is attached to a 180 connector. The 180 connector is optionally made of lightweight plastic materials and is attached to the barrier using a unidirectional pressure spring and piercing the barrier material as it closes. Provision can be made by lowering the 'plumb' (unfilled space of the sleeve leading to connectors 180), once connectors 180 are pressed together.
[000196] The 300/350 modules can be equipped to recognize when the coil 110 reaches its end, either by optically scanning a code printed on the glove material, or by the pressure detected by a sensor when the connector 180 tries to pass through the module 300/350, or by any similar means. Upon detecting the end of the coil, the barrier filling is stopped, and a new coil can be fitted, and the 'inner' end of the sleeve of the old coil can be connected to the 'outer' end of the new coil, as shown in Figure 7C. Note that in the exemplary application shown in the figure, connector 180 comprises a 'female' component 182 prepared in size and shape to receive and optionally lock into a 'male' component 181. Optionally, the male component will be the 'external' connector and the female component will be the 'internal' connector, or vice versa, with consistency being maintained between the coils for greater compatibility. It should be understood that the details of connector 180 shown in the figure and in this paragraph are exemplary and not limiting.
[000197] Attention is now given to Figures 8 and 9, which demonstrate yet another advantage of the barrier 100 over prior art devices and methods. When a barrier comprises heavy, bulky and/or expensive components, barrier recovery is desirable, even though it requires significant labor and expense above and beyond the labor and expense of using the barrier to contain an oil spill and which is involved in collecting or treating the collected spilled material.
[000198] In contrast, barrier 100 optionally contains no material heavier than water (other than, optionally, the glove material itself) and no material is expensive enough to require maintaining the glove, cleaning it and re-transporting it. to your storage facility. Barrier 100, when no longer needed to contain spilled material, can simply be collected and recycled or otherwise disposed of.
[000199] Figure 8 shows an 800 collection module to collect (and optionally recycle) the 100 barrier. In this optional application, an 808 motor powers the puller wheels (or equivalent) to pull the 100 barrier. The barbed wheels 804 (or equivalent) pierce compartments 150 and 160 of barrier 100, letting out the contained air (or gas) and water, allowing the remaining sleeve 101 to be pressed between the steering wheels 806 that squeeze out the gas, water, or residual oil or other materials spilled out. Optional scrapers 807 can be used to scrape spilled material from the surface of the compressed sleeve 101, which can then be wound onto a spool 810, which may be somewhat similar in size to the spool 110 containing the original sleeve. By using (on label 820) filtration, centrifugation, skimming and other techniques, the spilled residual oil can be collected and the clean water can be returned to the environment. Optionally, facilities can be provided to discharge spilled material collected from the barrier at that time.
[000200] It is notable that the machines and physical arrangements required for the collection module 800 have some similarity to those used by the module 99 to fill and deploy the barrier 100. Consequently, in some applications, a combined module can be used, whose facilities for filling (or controlling automatic filling of) barrier 100 and for deploying barrier 100, and facilities for collecting barrier 100 after use, can be mounted on the same vessel and used, in each module, where appropriate. In such a combined module, common objects such as motors, controllers, coil handlers, loading and unloading devices (eg 350) and other common tools and materials can obviously be used in both deployment and collection contexts.
[000201] Figure 9 presents an alternative to the coil pickup arrangement shown in Figure 8. In Figure 9, a combination wheel shredder 900 (or the equivalent thereof) can be used in place of the coil pickup 810 to collect the 100 barrier used. In some applications, wheeled shredders 900 are used to shred glove 101 once it has been emptied (and optionally cleaned of spilled material) and the shredded parts of glove 101 can then be stored in an arbitrarily formed space until they are distributed for recycling or other disposal.
[000202] It is noted that it is an advantage of the barrier 100 that clean water and chemical treatments may optionally not be used to clean the barrier 100 after use (as is typically done with prior art reusable barriers). Since the volume of the barrier 100, when deflated and compressed, is relatively very small, simply discarding the contaminated barrier sleeve is an option.
[000203] It is noted that as an optional improvement, the barrier 100 can be provided with and/or deployed with an oil-absorbing layer (such layers are known in the art) to at least partially absorb the oil that touches the barrier 100 .). The machine will deploy them together.
[000204] Attention is now given to Figures 10A and 10B, which are simplified cross-sections of additional designs of optional barriers, according to some applications of the present patent application.
[000205] Figure 10A shows a barrier design in which a large and relatively flat flotation compartment 820, on which a water compartment depends, is formed with a hollow space 822 as shown in the figure, so that it creates a lowered profile and less aerodynamic.
[000206] Figure 10B shows an application in which an approximately perpendicular geometric relationship between a flotation compartment 830 and a water compartment depending on it is maintained by bands or connections 832.
[000207] Attention is now given to figures 11A to 11F, which are simplified views of barriers deployed in rippled water, according to some applications of the present patent application. Figures 11A and 11B show top and side views of a barrier comprising water compartments 846, flotation compartments 842, and 'water on water' compartments 844. Also shown is a material 'skirt' connecting water compartments 846 and extending the barrier they created. Figure 11C shows the behavior of this barrier in a rippling sea environment, where the flexibility provided by the 852 intersegment connection regions provides flexibility allowing the barrier to adapt to the surface of the water.
[000208] Figure 11D shows a barrier in which a vertical 'skirt' 830 containing and connecting water compartments and a flap 882 of similar material containing and connecting flotation compartments can be provided, the skirt 830 and the flap 882 helping to prevent spilled material from passing through the barrier barrier in wavy and windy conditions.
[000209] Figure 11E shows a barrier comprising flotation compartments and water compartments hanging in standing water. Figure 11F shows the same barrier in rippled water.
[000210] Figure 12A shows a simplified view of a machine to create a barrier comprising extruded foam, and figure 12B shows such a barrier, according to some applications of the present patent application.
[000211] Figure 12A shows a container 910 for ingredients required to create a closed cell foam, and a container 912 for ingredients required to create an open cell foam. The 980 extruder prepares the closed cell foam and the 922 extruder prepares the open cell foam, and both types of foams are joined by the extrusion process. The result is a 930 foam barrier shown in greater detail in Figure 12B. The closed cell portions of barrier 930 contain air, and comprise a flotation element for barrier 930. The open cell elements of barrier 930 absorb water, becoming relatively heavy, and constitute the underwater extension of barrier 930.
[000212] The following is another additional description of some applications of the present patent application:
[000213] Method, Device and System for Containing Spills in a body of water and a Method, Device and System for producing and/or implementing the Containment mechanism:
[000214] According to some applications of this invention, the spread of marine spills can be blocked and/or the leaks must be contained. Marine spills/leaks can include oil or chemical spills or any other liquid surface including biological and any other spills in a liquid environment, such as large bodies of water (oceans, lakes, rivers and more). When starting as a fault or accident, a spill can be considerably concentrated and may extend over a limited area. If contained in this step, it may be possible to prevent the spillage from: separating, propagating with waves and currents, and being physically and/or chemically transformed or altered. For example, some applications of this invention can be used as a primary means of blocking an oil spill.
[000215] Known solutions include transporting the pre-prepared containment booms to the spill site and deploying them to mechanically block them. Some applications of the current invention introduce a method to prepare and deploy barriers on site. In addition, some applications of the invention include an innovative barrier production concept (floating barriers) and a design that can allow for improved containment with smaller and lighter barrier sizes that allow the barrier to be stored in typical marine vessels. This method avoids the need to tow the barrier while transferring it to the spill site.
[000216] Removing the need to tow the barrier allows it to have an extremely light design compared to any other type of barrier. The concept and design also prevent the occurrence of types of errors common to current barriers, such as submersion, dragging and planning.
[000217] Some applications of this invention can also be used to contain areas of flora or fauna flotation or any floating material, for different reasons. This method allows this flotation “colony” to move in sync with ocean currents and remain relatively isolated from its surroundings. Other applications of this invention can be used to prevent floating flora and fauna from entering the isolated area by this method.
[000218] Some innovative aspects of the invention and the advantages obtained from them are: 1. According to some applications, this barrier is made available immediately as soon as an event occurs. The barrier materials and the apparatus that implement the barrier (the spill containment system) are designed to be installed on a vessel. The vessel can be manned or unmanned. The vessel can be designed specifically for the purpose of the spill containment system, or the spill containment system can be installed on other vessels such as coast guard boats, opportunity vessels or general purpose boats. The tank containing the system can be stored on another vessel (such as an oil tanker or other merchant), on oil platforms, in a port, or it can be stored in any location and taken to the spill site by automatic proportion or taken to the location of oil spill from another vessel or aircraft. 2. According to some applications, barriers can be prepared on site, which can allow for the creation of significant lengths of barriers or varieties of types to be created without requiring extensive storage space. 3. According to some applications, the concept of production of barriers can be based on inflatable air (or any suitable gas) and fill liquid (which can be sea water, filtered water, drinking water, the spilled substance such as oil or any other suitable liquid) in a coordinated process sequentially or simultaneously in a rolled or folded plastic sleeve. It is also possible to fill the barrier chambers with closed cell and open cell foam to act as a float or ballast for some or all parts of the barrier. This process can be done manually or using a device, with or without human intervention. 4. According to some applications, the roll or barrier package is pre-prepared using multi-layer films that can be welded or bonded together to create an internal structure and chamber separation. Some elements of the structure may allow/support the creation of the barrier by allowing the filling of the barrier or filling it with water or other materials, either manually or through automated processes. 5. According to some applications, the barrier can be constructed from separate closed chambers configured to contain air or filled with closed cell foams to function as a float and open cell, closed or water foams to function as a float. ballast. In case of local damage (eg emptying of one or more chambers). A continuous wall (“skirt”) can allow the barrier to continue and function as a barrier. 6. According to some applications, the internal structure of the closed chambers separated from the barrier can contribute to making them flexible and stable in axis and desirable directions. The barrier design can allow it to meet hydrodynamic needs to create stability or flexibility in required areas. 7. According to some applications, the barrier can be designed to allow it to function as part of the water body. For example, the stability of the barrier may be considerably unaffected by underwater currents, so that the barrier is not dragged in different directions than the water body, in other cases the underwater currents themselves are sometimes a part location of the water body. 8. According to some applications, the barrier can be designed so that there is a fairly constant stabilization process that keeps it considerably balanced at all times on the vertical axis. 9. According to some applications, the barrier can still be designed or configured so that the barrier can move with the surface of the water under different water conditions, so that the spill/oil is considerably not able to pass over or under the barrier. The joining of the barrier parts and the creation of a continuous barrier is given by joining different parts or edges of the barrier, with or without external materials. 10. According to some applications, depending on the size/quantity of the spill, and the scenario of the situation, the spill contained within the borders of the barrier can be dealt with immediately by a crew, the tools and materials of the barrier producing vessels, nearby vessels, aircraft, etc. In addition, if not dealt with immediately, the spill will be kept considerably contained within the barrier and may float with currents and be treated later. 11. According to some applications, the system may contain an additional subsystem (installed on the vessel or produced with the barrier) to treat the oil. For example, the subsystem could be an oil separator (skimmer) that mechanically separates oil from water. In another application, the additional subsystem may include a mechanism to release a chemical or biological agent that interacts with the oil (as part of the barrier or attached to it before, during or after its deployment). 12. According to some applications, an additional subsystem can gather the oil in an expandable chamber made of flexible material. Thus, the collected oil receptacle can also be stored in a small space and then expand to store the oil. This expandable container can float and can include its own light buoy so it can be left overboard and collected later. 13. According to some applications, the barrier can be used either to contain oil spills, for example, by enclosing the spill within the perimeter of the barrier. Conversely, in certain situations, it is possible to use this method and materials to enclose an area without spillage, in order to prevent chemical elements from reaching the parts involved by the barrier. For example - to protect animals from external hazards, or to protect parts of the coast. 14. According to some applications, the location of the spill may be transmitted by light buoys attached to the barrier and equipped with visual or radio transmitters activated by seawater, batteries or other energy sources. This transmitter can allow tracking of the spill contained by vessels, aircraft, or satellites. Once detected, the spill can be handled by the response units as described above. 15. According to some applications, an additional subsystem can be used to collect the barrier after it is deployed and prepare it for disposal in a useful way. This subsystem can be installed on the same vessel where the barrier was deployed or on another vessel. It can be composed of a mechanical system that extracts the barrier, cuts the cells, passes the water to accompany any residue in the barrier to treatment, shreds/folds/cuts the barrier and stores it in containers to be treated later. EXEMPLARY APPLICATIONS OF THE PROCESS
[000219] According to some applications, a method to block marine oil or chemical spills or any other liquid containing hazardous elements is disclosed. The method can use a dedicated apparatus that will be installed aboard a conventional (manned) vessel or a specially designed unmanned vessel. The vessel itself can be positioned in ports, beaches, on board any type of ship, aircraft or oil platform. The apparatus has the ability to produce and deploy a barrier while the vessel tracks the spill's edge lines and can create a localized barrier in a position considerably relevant for spill containment. This tracking can be done manually (by steering the vessel) or automatically.
[000220] In case of not using a crew (robotics), the vessel must be equipped with a system that includes sensors, software and remote-controlled driving. Tracking can be done, for example, by identifying lines of contrast between the spill and the seabed. Contrast lines can be defined by: color, reflection, density or other material attributes using a variety of active and passive sensor types with a combination of attributes and more.
[000221] According to some applications, the vessel can be activated automatically or mechanically. The activation process may contain a launching mechanism, using a spring, a blow, or other means to push you, set you on fire, or throw you overboard. It can be launched into water using gravity, a winch, an elevator, a crane or other means.
[000222] According to some applications, the apparatus can be designed so that long barriers can be created while using a relatively small space on board the vessel carrying it. The preparation process can be followed by an implantation process where the barrier is applied to the water at the desired location.
[000223] According to some applications, the deployment process can be coordinated with the speed of the vessel. The glove contact point and the sea can become involved using a funnel to take place beyond the vessel's rudder and propeller so that the barrier and vessel functions are not damaged.
[000224] According to some applications, the material used to create the barriers must be chemically manipulated so that it is recyclable or compostable in a way that does not create an ecological damage in itself. It may have an oleophilic or oleophobic coating. It can also be chemically manipulated to be flame resistant, so that under certain conditions the spill can be ignited on site (“in-situ burning”). Its surface color can be made of high visibility contrast color or colors so it can be seen from afar.
[000225] According to some applications, the basic design of the roll or barrier package can be pre-prepared in the desired structure, and then rolled or folded to fit the apparatus structure. The “ready to be filled” barrier package can be mainly made of the multi-layer material itself and can include other materials if necessary for the hinge or hinge. There is an option to use different materials to act as ballasts, or to provide additional tensile strength, stability, flexibility or elasticity to the barrier. These materials can be inserted before or after the barrier is filled and filled.
[000226] According to some applications, on board the vessel there may be extra coils or packages ready for the production of additional barriers. These coils or packages can be the same or different shapes, materials, sizes or lengths for different spill scenarios (eg different sea conditions, oil type or other chemistry, size or spill treatment). The replacement process can be done manually or automatically. There may be a device to assist in the replacement and/or joining the edges of one barrier with another.
[000227] According to some applications, in addition to its containment functions, the vessel or aircraft carrying the apparatus may carry a certain amount of dispersants or other spill handling agents to account for small to medium marine oil spills in their stages initials. This possibility helps, on occasion, to close the spill and retain the need to send more ships or planes. Spill treatment materials are considered to be more efficient when applied at earlier stages.
[000228] According to some applications, after the spill is treated by different means, it can be considered relatively easy to collect and store the used barriers. The collection process can be manual, using a winch or other devices that have the ability to empty the air from the barrier and the water chambers (cut them so that the air is emptied and the water is drained). The process reduces the volume of the barrier considerably to its original dimensions so that it can be stored with minimal space. EXEMPLARY APPLICATIONS OF THE BARRIER DESIGN:
[000229] In some previous solutions, it was necessary to tow the barrier with a vessel in the direction dictated by the vessel and not by the body of water. Due to the need to tow the barrier, it was necessary to withstand forces that could potentially damage the barrier. Keeping the skirt upright on the previous barriers was done using heavy ballast. This compliance has led to the massive and voluminous structure of today's barriers.
[000230] The new barrier is designed to achieve the following advantages when compared to some of the previous solutions: • According to some applications, the barrier is created by “conditioned” air and water in a special structure to create a barrier. • For some applications, there is a reduced need to use heavy ballasts. The design concept is based on the barrier float being considerably off-centre. Forces applied to unbalance the barrier are reacted by contradictory buoyancy forces that hold the underwater wall (“skirt”) perpendicular and rebalance the barrier. This ongoing process allows the barrier to function as a barrier. This capability is achieved by the two parts (float and skirt) having a rigid structure on the roller shaft, which keeps the skirt perpendicular to the float in any situation. • According to some applications, the barrier float can be configured or designed as a proportionately low and flat shape above the sea surface to reduce the effect of wind and lift the force. The advantage of the barrier considerably behaving as part of the body of water surrounding it dictates a characteristic minimum bulge above the sea surface. Must be minimally affected by wind. At the same time, it must act as a barrier and block the spill from moving to the other side. The float is designed to create minimal lifting forces (eg, minimal aerodynamic shape). This capability is achieved by creating shapes above water with minimal flow lines while maintaining maximum drag factor. May involve sharp corners, concave profile, rough surface and rigid frame partially submerged in water to prevent edges from bending upwards. • Under some applications, a “T” shaped barrier may have improved roller response, which can be achieved by moving the float away from the center axis. • According to some applications, it is advantageous for the lower part of the barrier, the skirt, which is a little heavier than the body of water, in order to keep the edges of the floating parts in the water. This would be achieved by lifting the column from the water in the float area. Specifically, creating a barrier structure so that areas filled with water are kept above water level will create extra weight. Using water as an external weight to act as ballast. • According to some applications, the barrier material and chambers can be planned and pre-prepared in such a way that the float chambers are arranged in considerably lateral rows (similar to a sausage package) or a combination of the other rows. These chambers can be constructed to create a rigid horizontal wall. The apparatus may pump water into the water chambers to create a rigid vertical wall. These two types of chambers (air-filled and water-filled) can be robust enough to remain perpendicular to each other. This can affect both the behavior of the top roller and prevent the skirt from bending. Rigidity can also be achieved when using bands made from the barrier material and creating a bar structure. Additional types of chambers can achieve the same results, such as gas filled, liquid filled, and more. • According to some applications, better behavior in rough seas can be achieved. The barrier can be designed so that the barrier is coordinated with waves and elevates with considerably full synchronization with the water body. This can apply to both axes: curl and throw to improve containment capabilities. • According to some applications, longitude flexibility, which can result in improved elevation, can be achieved by some or all of the following factors: a proportionately short skirt, a proportionately short chamber length, material flexibility, material extra film between cells (which may have been left/introduced by/during the filling process), minimum additional weight of ballast. • According to some applications, the barrier which has a three-dimensional shape (eg T-shape) is made of two flat sleeves. One component is filled with water and includes the skirt and the part that acts as a ballast above the surface. The other two-dimensional glove is filled with air and acts as a float. These 2 gloves are pre-prepared as two-dimensional (flat) gloves and are threaded together before or during the filling or filling process. • Rigidity can be provided by filling gloves with water and filling with air. Filling the chamber with water and air can also allow for the forces that hold the structure together.
[000231] It is anticipated that during the life of a patent developed from this application, many relevant spill barriers will be developed, the scope of the term “barrier” being intended to include, a priori, all new technologies.
[000232] As used herein, the term “approximately” refers to ± 10%.
[000233] The terms "comprises", "comprising", "includes", "including", "having" and their conjugates mean "including, but not limited to".
[000234] The term “consisting of” means “including and limited to”.
[000235] The term "consisting essentially of" means that the composition, method or structure may include additional ingredients, steps and/or parts, but only if the additional ingredients, steps and/or parts do not materially change the basic and innovative characteristics of the composition, method or structure claimed.
[000236] As used herein, the singular forms "a" and "the" include plural references, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Through this application, several applications of this invention can be presented in a varied format. It is to be understood that the description in varied format is merely for convenience and brevity and should not be construed as an inflexible limitation on the scope of the invention. Consequently, the description of an extension should be considered to have specifically disclosed all possible subextensions, as well as the individual numerical values, within that extension. For example, the description of an extension, such as 1 to 6, should be considered to have specifically disclosed subextensions 1 to 3, 1 to 4, 1 to 5, 2 to 4, 2 to 6, 3 to 6, etc., as well as individual numbers within that span, for example 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. This applies regardless of the span width.
[000237] Whenever a numerical extension is indicated herein, it shall include any quoted numeral (fraction or integral) within the indicated extension. The phrases "extending/extensions between" a first named number and a second named number and "extending/extensions of" a first named number "to" a second named number are used interchangeably herein and are intended to include the first and second indicated number and all fractional and integral numerals in between.
[000238] It is worth noting that certain features of the invention, which are, for clarification, described in the context of separate applications, may also be provided in combination in a single application. Conversely, various features of the invention which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single application, may also be provided separately or in any suitable subcombination or as appropriate in any other application described in the invention. Certain features described in the context of different applications should not be considered essential features of those applications, unless the application is inoperative without these elements.
[000239] Although the invention has been described in conjunction with specific applications thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the invention is intended to embrace all respective alternatives, modifications and variations which fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.
[000240] All publications, patents and patent applications mentioned in the present framework of claims are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety in the framework of claims, to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated herein by reference. Furthermore, the citation or identification of any reference in this application shall not be construed as an admission that such reference is available prior to the present invention. Insofar as section headings are used, they should not be construed as necessarily limiting. LEGEND TO FIGURES Figure 2 A - Potential spill site storage module B - Centrally located storage module C - Detect spill D - Deliver site module E - Launch deployment vehicle (eg vessels, helicopter...) F - Drive around the spill, prepare and deploy the lance G - Optionally close the environment H - Optionally, attach the light buoy I - Current Figure 5B I - Current J - Floating force K - Gravity L - Air M - Water Figure 11A L - Air M - Water Figure 11B N - Marine Surface O - Edge Figure 11C N - Marine Surface Figure 12B M - Water P - Above water Q - Oil Phase R - Underwater

权利要求:
Claims (15)
[0001]
1. "METHOD TO LIMIT THE PROPAGATION OF A SPILL OF FLOATING SUBSTANCES SPILLED INTO WATER", consisting of: a) providing at least one glove comprising compartments, having gas-filled float compartments (150) and compartments (160) containing water; b) inflating said barrier (100) by filling, at least partially, said compartments (160) containing water, placing the openings in said compartments in contact with water, so that the pressures exerted between said compartments (150) float and said compartments (160) containing water maintain at least some of said compartments (150) floating and at least some of said compartments (160) containing water in a fixed geometric position with respect to each other, characterized in , in said fixed geometric position, at least some portions of said flotation compartments (150) distance from the vertical centerline of said barrier (100), said portions comprising downwardly angled edges; and c) deploying said barrier (100) in the water around at least a portion of said spill to limit the spread of said spill.
[0002]
2. "METHOD TO LIMIT THE PROPAGATION OF A SPILL OF FLOATING SUBSTANCES SPILLED INTO WATER", according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one said glove has segments, each having at least one fillable or inflatable compartment .
[0003]
3. "METHOD TO LIMIT THE PROPAGATION OF A SPILL OF FLOATING SUBSTANCES SPILLED INTO THE WATER", according to claim 2, characterized in that it also has one or more intercalated segment(s) of a first glove not inflated with segments of one or more uninflated glove(s) prior to completing said inflation and inflation.
[0004]
4. "METHOD TO LIMIT THE PROPAGATION OF A SPILL OF FLOATING SUBSTANCES SPILLED INTO WATER", according to claim 3, characterized in that the pressures induced by said filling and inflation maintain said intercalated segments in a fixed geometric position with respect to each other others.
[0005]
5. "METHOD FOR LIMITING THE PROPAGATION OF A SPILL OF FLOATING SUBSTANCES SPILLED INTO WATER", according to claim 1, characterized in that said compartments (160) containing water comprise a water-absorbent material.
[0006]
6. "METHOD TO LIMIT THE PROPAGATION OF A SPILL OF FLOATING SUBSTANCES SPILLED INTO WATER", according to claim 2, characterized in that it further comprises the use of a chemical reaction to create a gas within at least some of the flotation compartments, thereby inflating them.
[0007]
7. "METHOD TO LIMIT THE PROPAGATION OF A SPILL OF FLOATING SUBSTANCES SPILLED INTO WATER", according to claim 2, characterized in that the speed of a deployment vessel that deploys said barrier is automatically adjusted, according to the speed of production of said barrier.
[0008]
8. "METHOD TO LIMIT THE PROPAGATION OF A SPILL OF FLOATING SUBSTANCES SPILLED INTO WATER", according to claim 2, characterized in that it further comprises selecting, as a function of environmental conditions, pressures of materials used to inflate and inflate the said compartments.
[0009]
9. "METHOD TO LIMIT THE PROPAGATION OF A SPILL OF FLOATING SUBSTANCES SPILLED INTO WATER", according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises forming a continuous barrier around said spill, using said barrier, and allowing it to said continuous barrier around said spillage floats freely, not being attached to anything.
[0010]
10. "METHOD TO LIMIT THE PROPAGATION OF A SPILL OF FLOATING SUBSTANCES SPILLED INTO WATER", according to claim 2, characterized in that said barrier (100) is color-coded, according to at least one of a group of color codes consisting of: a) colors indicating standard lengths of the barrier to facilitate the assessment of the length of the barrier at a distance; and b) colors indicating the positions of the openable accessories of said barrier to facilitate the location of the remotely openable accessories.
[0011]
11. "BARRIER TO AVOID THE PASSAGE OF SPILLED MATERIAL FLOATING IN AMBIENT WATER", characterized by having: a) a flotation device, having floating compartments (150) filled with gas that comprise portions that, when deployed in ambient water, distance from the vertical centerline of said barrier (100), said portions comprising downwardly angled edges; and b) a compartment (160) containing water in which at least part of said contained water is held by said floating device above the water level of said ambient water, and said compartment (160) containing water positioned at least in part above said extended portions of said floating compartments (150) acting as a weight pushing down said portions.
[0012]
12. "METHOD TO LIMIT THE PROPAGATION OF A SPILL OF FLOATING SUBSTANCES SPILLED INTO WATER", according to claim 3, characterized in that said intercalated gloves become semi-rigid when inflated.
[0013]
13. "BARRIER TO AVOID THE PASSAGE OF SPILLED MATERIAL FLOATING IN AMBIENT WATER", according to claim 11, characterized in that said floating compartments (150) filled with gas are filled with air.
[0014]
14. "BARRIER TO AVOID THE PASSAGE OF SPILLED MATERIAL FLOATING IN AMBIENT WATER", according to claim 11, characterized in that said compartment (160) containing water comprises a compressed sponge suitable for water absorption.
[0015]
15. "BARRIER TO AVOID THE PASSAGE OF SPILLED MATERIAL FLOATING IN AMBIENT WATER", according to claim 11, characterized in that when said barrier is deployed in the water, said edges are kept in the water.

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公开号 | 公开日

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CA2870384C|2020-11-03|

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BR112014025728A8|2021-02-23|

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EP2839082A4|2015-12-30|

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EP2839082A1|2015-02-25|

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IL235191A|2018-03-29|

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CA2870384A1|2013-10-24|

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CN104508209B|2017-05-24|

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US9739023B2|2017-08-22|

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WO2013156998A1|2013-10-24|

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CN104508209A|2015-04-08|

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US20150086270A1|2015-03-26|

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SG11201406559VA|2014-11-27|

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US20170306580A1|2017-10-26|

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US11136737B2|2021-10-05|

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法律状态:
2018-12-04| B06F| Objections, documents and/or translations needed after an examination request according [chapter 6.6 patent gazette]|

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2020-02-04| B06U| Preliminary requirement: requests with searches performed by other patent offices: procedure suspended [chapter 6.21 patent gazette]|

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2021-04-13| B09A| Decision: intention to grant [chapter 9.1 patent gazette]|

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2021-06-15| B16A| Patent or certificate of addition of invention granted [chapter 16.1 patent gazette]|Free format text: PRAZO DE VALIDADE: 20 (VINTE) ANOS CONTADOS A PARTIR DE 14/04/2013, OBSERVADAS AS CONDICOES LEGAIS. |

优先权:

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申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题

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US201261624353P| true| 2012-04-15|2012-04-15|

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US61/624,353|2012-04-15|

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US201261696260P| true| 2012-09-03|2012-09-03|

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US61/696,260|2012-09-03|

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PCT/IL2013/050325|WO2013156998A1|2012-04-15|2013-04-14|Rapid-deployment oil spill containment boom and method of deployment|

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