On-board re-inflatable containment boom and control system

• US 9,809,942 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2016
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Octopus Containment Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Michael T. Miller, Terry Hall
• Inventors: Miller, Michael T., Hall, Terry
• Primary Examiner(s): ANDRISH, SEAN D
• Application Number:
  US15/235,306
• Publication Number:
  US 20160348328A1
• Time in Patent Office: 452 Days
• Field of Search: 405 60, 405 63, 405 66, 405 67, 405 68, 405 69
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 15/047 provided with an oil collecting boom arranged on at least one side of the hull
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 15/06 Barriers therefor E02B15/08 takes precedenceconstrued for applying processing agents or for collecting pollutants, e.g. absorbent
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 15/08 Devices for reducing the polluted area with or without additional devices for removing the material
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 15/0807 with stabilising elements
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 15/0814 with underwater curtains
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 15/0828 fixed to the side of a boat for containing small leaks in the hull
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 15/0842 adapted to be towed for operation
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 15/0864 Air E02B15/0878 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 15/0871 self-inflating barriers
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 16/2026 with a plurality of throttling means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/204 Keeping clear the surface of open water from oil spills

Abstract

An on-board re-inflatable containment boom for a waterborne vessel that lies substantially flat and capable of being spooled when deflated and floats in the proper orientation when inflated, that has re-inflatable float sections which are sequentially inflated during deployment and sequentially deflated during recovery, that can be repeatedly deployed and recovered for the purposes of training and testing, and that can be deployed immediately upon occurrence of an oil spill from a waterborne vessel because of its on-board location and its rapid deployment, and a control system for proper inflation and deflation of re-inflatable containment boom during deployment and recovery.

Claims

1. A control system to coordinate operator-controlled speed of deployment and recovery of an on-board re-inflatable spool-wound containment boom having a plurality of linearly arranged inflatable and deflatable float sections with air chambers, which are configured to have automatically controlled inflation and deflation, the control system comprising:

a control manifold adapted to monitor and control sensors, valves, spool motor, compressed air source, and vacuum source;

a control display adapted to provide information to and accept commands from an operator;

a control manifold antenna and a control display antenna for data communication between said control manifold and said control display;

where said control manifold continually senses a rate at which the on-board re-inflatable containment boom is being deployed or recovered;

where said control manifold continually senses positive air pressure at intermediate points between the compressed air source and a pneumatic control pathway at a point at equal pressure with an incorporated air hose in the re-inflatable containment boom in the spool, and adjusts the air pressure at said intermediate points by controlling valves regulating positive air pressure and flow in a stepping-down high-to-low pressure sequence, wherein the air hose is maintained at a predetermined positive air pressure while the air hose and the containment boom are wound on the spool before deployment of the boom, thereby allowing inflating a first off air chamber of the containment boom and then remainder of the containment boom air chambers sequentially as the containment boom is unwound from the spool;

where said control manifold continually senses the air pressure in the pneumatic control pathway at a point at equal pressure with the incorporated air hose in the re-inflatable containment boom in the spool, and adjusts the air pressure by controlling the valves regulating positive air pressure and a valve regulating vacuum and pressure release, in order to provide adequate positive or negative pressure and flow for deployment or recovery while avoiding overpressure conditions by releasing excess pressure or applying a vacuum;

where said control manifold monitors and adjusts the direction and speed of the spool motor according to operator commands, and monitors and adjusts the positive or negative pressure applied by the pneumatic control pathway to the incorporated air hose in the re-inflatable containment boom in the spool, adapting to changing circumstances of atmospheric pressure, air and water temperatures and turbulence, speed of deployment or recovery, and size of boom, and provides updated optimal positive and negative pneumatic pressures to facilitate operation without damage to the boom and without premature or delayed inflation or deflation; and

wherein said re-inflatable containment boom and is capable of being spooled when deflated, and floats with the proper orientation of boom upper and lower portions when inflated, wherein the incorporated air hose extends along an entire length of the boom and is connected to all filling valves and all emptying valves of individual float sections of the re-inflatable boom, with an interior of the air hose being maintained at a pre-determined positive air pressure while the boom and the air hose are wound on the spool before deployment of the boom; and

wherein a containment skirt is formed by the lower portion of the boom below the air hose and below said inflatable float sections.

2. The control system of claim 1 further comprising a control house.

3. The control system of claim 1 further comprising a control manifold keyboard and control manifold display.

4. The control system of claim 1 further comprising an observation camera and observation camera display.

5. The control system of claim 1 further comprising a weather station and a weather and conditions display.

6. The control system of claim 1 further comprising a logged-data display.