WO2007101474A1

WO2007101474A1 - Oil barrier

Info

Publication number: WO2007101474A1
Application number: PCT/EP2006/060531
Authority: WO
Inventors: Volkert Petersen
Original assignee: Volkert Petersen
Priority date: 2006-03-07
Filing date: 2006-03-07
Publication date: 2007-09-13

Abstract

The invention relates to devices and methods for damming in and/or removing pollution which drifts across a water surface, in particular oil and oil products such as heavy oil, heating oil, fuels and the like. The devices and methods according to the invention are suitable for damming in and/or confining this pollution (generally referred to below as oil) in inland waters such as rivers, lakes and canals; they are also suitable for damming in and/or removing oil in the vicinity of coasts, for protecting coasts from oil and for damming in and/or removing oil at sea (offshore).

Description

Volkert Petersen Annenstrasse 8, 28857 Syke

oil boom

The invention relates to apparatus and methods for containment and / or removal of impurities driving on a water surface, in particular oil and oil products such as heavy oil, fuel oil, fuels and the like. The apparatus and methods of the present invention are useful for controlling and / or eliminating these contaminants (hereafter generally referred to as oil) on inland waters such as rivers, lakes and canals, and are also useful for containment and / or de-oiling of offshore oil for coastal protection oil and for containment and / or removal of oil at sea (off-shore). The devices according to the invention are also suitable for binding oil.

From DE 92 00 087 111 an oil barrier with a floating body is known, to which a fibrous oil binder, in particular made of pressed mineral wool is attached without play through a net. The fibrous oil binder forms a mat-like body, which rests as such when using the oil barrier on a water surface along the outer edge of the float. Furthermore, this utility model publication discloses an oil barrier in which a plurality of mat-like bodies of the fibrous oil binder by a corresponding Recess in the mat-like bodies are mounted on the float.

From DE 42 22 438 A1 a further oil barrier is known. This consists of two cells each filled with a fiber mat of glass fibers, which are interconnected by a perforated tube. The fiber mat of one cell consists of hydrophobized glass fibers, while the fiber mat of the other cell consists of non-hydrophobized glass fibers. The latter cell should fill with water during operation and protrude below the water surface in the manner of a sword. The publication further shows that fiber mats can be rolled up into a roll.

Another oil barrier of this type is known from DE 195 22 532 A1. This discloses an oil barrier of five cells, wherein two sub-cells again contain non-hydrophobized glass fibers to project in the manner of a sword in operation under the water surface, while three other sub-cells contain hydrophobized glass fibers and should float on the water surface. One of the three cells filled with hydrophobized glass fibers is longitudinally spaced from the others by special spacers to form a flushing channel. The filled with glass fibers cells are each enclosed by a perforated tube. No information is given on the way in which the tube-enclosed cells are filled with glass fibers.

DE 295 09 601 111, in turn, oil barrier of the type mentioned with a float and attached fiber mats are known to rest on the water surface during operation of the oil barrier. The utility model also shows that several disc or cylindrical oil binder segments can be stacked together in the main direction of the oil barrier and connected by a network to a roll-shaped oil barrier. This embodiment differs from that mentioned in DE 92 00 087 in that the fiber mats are not threaded through a central recess on a float, but are held together by a net without a central recess.

The known from the prior art oil barriers have proven to be in need of improvement. The oil absorption capacity and oil retention ability is often perceived as insufficient. The floats used repeatedly in the prior art are either cumbersome or require additional equipment such as compressors to inflate the floats to create a suitable buoyancy. In addition, mat-shaped oil barriers have proved to be unwieldy and less effective, especially because the cohesion of the fiber mats may be lost during use or when retrieving the mats. The conventional oil barriers are therefore considered unsuitable for continuous use, for example, for coastal defense purposes.

The object of the present invention was therefore to provide an oil barrier for use on land, in inland waters such as streams, ponds, canals and rivers, for coastal protection and for containment and / or removal of oil at sea (offshore), which avoids or reduces the disadvantages described above. In particular, the oil barrier should not be harmful to health itself, it should have a high adsorption capacity for oil, it should also allow for swamping a safe damming of ölversch mutzungen, easy to handle, be equipped without additional floats buoyant and with a high retention capacity of recorded oil spills.

The object is achieved by an oil barrier comprising three or more interwoven mineral wool strands.

It has now surprisingly been found that braided strands of mineral wool and preferably glass wool have improved oil adsorption compared to conventional pressed mineral fiber mats of the same size and also compared to mineral wool mats rolled up to the same size exhibit. In addition, unlike mineral fiber mats and mineral fiber mats turned into rolls, the oil barriers of the present invention are well bendable in all directions yet stable. Therefore, the oil barrier according to the invention can also easily adapt to a water surface in the case of corrugation, without being lifted out of the water or being forced under the water surface due to its internal rigidity. The oil barrier according to the invention thus advantageously support the containment and elimination of oil spills in particular in off-shore applications on the high seas. In addition, they are different than mineral fiber mats in the main direction of the oil barrier elastic and tensile, so that they can easily dragged example of a ship on a water surface and there can be pulled around a ölsversch utilization. In addition, the oil seals according to the invention absorb retained oil particularly well. This is important because otherwise, when removing the oil barrier from a water surface in the interior of the oil barrier existing oil would run out of this and would contribute to further water pollution. The oil barrier according to the invention is easy to produce, storable virtually unlimited, easy to transport and intuitively usable even by laymen. After use, the oil absorbed by the oil barrier can be squeezed out and reused; However, the used oil barrier can also be burned with the oil contained therein, leaving only ash the mineral wool and the optionally contained in the oil contained incombustible impurities. The oil barrier according to the invention is particularly suitable for damming and preferably for taking up, particularly preferably for adsorbing, heavy fuel oil, heating oil, diesel fuel, medium-weight oil and other oil distillates.

The mineral wool strands preferably have a diameter of ≥ 5 cm to preferably 30 cm, further preferably up to 15 cm, particularly preferably from 7 to 10 cm. Also preferred are mineral wool strands of rectangular or square cross-section, with one or more edges having a length as indicated above as the diameter. Accordingly preferred are mineral wool strands of substantially band-shaped shape with rectangular Cross-section, with a wide edge of a length of 7 to 30 cm, preferably 7 to 15 cm and particularly preferably 10 cm, and a narrow edge with a length of 5 to 15 cm, preferably from 5 to 10 cm and more preferably from 7 cm. Mineral wool strands with the specified diameters or edge lengths have a sufficient and high oil adsorption capacity for the purposes of the oil barrier according to the invention. The strands have a length of preferably at least 3 m to preferably 10 m, further preferably up to 6 m. Such oil barriers can be put together particularly well for various purposes and store in the form of individual straight elements.

The oil barrier according to the invention preferably comprises four or more strands which are intertwined with one another, particularly preferably four to eight mineral wool strands. Compared to three-strand plaits, such plaits consisting of four or more strands have the advantage of having a substantially circular cross-section, rather than forming a substantially flat ribbon. The round wickerworks are therefore particularly suitable to protrude below the water surface and thus prevent under flushing of the oil barrier. In addition, a wickerwork with a round cross-section surprisingly has a better oil absorption effect than a band-shaped, flat wickerwork.

In preferred embodiments of the invention, one or more, preferably all, of the mineral wool strands are tubularly surrounded by a net. Conveniently, the mesh material is water and oil resistant. The strands surrounded by a net are particularly durable and also very stable against tensile forces in the main extension direction of the respective strand. In addition, the strands surrounded by a net are particularly easy to process. As the mesh material is particularly preferably a plastic, in particular polypropylene and preferably Raschelware. The mesh preferably has an inner diameter equal or small (inner diameter 7 cm with a mineral wool strand diameter of 10 cm) of smaller size than the outer diameter of the respective mineral wool strand. With an inner diameter of the net from 9 to 15 cm For example, a mesh count of between 2.5 and 3 per cm is preferred with a ribbon width of 1.9 and 2.2 mm. The net is preferably closed at the ends of the respective mineral wool strand by a metal clip, but may also be tightly closed in other ways, for example by a seam or a seal.

Furthermore, an oil barrier according to the invention is preferred, in which the individual strands which are interwoven and optionally surrounded by a net are surrounded in a tubular manner by a (possibly also further) outer net. This external network advantageously supports the cohesion of the strands of the oil barrier according to the invention, makes it possible to absorb tensile loads in the main direction of the oil barrier and thus further improve the capacity of the oil barrier in the main direction and facilitates the handling of the oil barrier according to the invention by bundling the intertwined strands. The network is expediently water and oil resistant. Preferably, the material of the net surrounding the intertwined strands is a high strength plastic, more preferably a polyester net, preferably of high strength altex 1100/6 times with a mesh size of 40mm and a stitch count of 15 stitches based on 1100/6. The network is preferably closed at its ends in each case with a metal clip. More preferably, at each end a plurality, preferably two, spaced apart metal clips (preferably at a distance of 3 to 6 cm, preferably 5 cm) arranged for closing the network. The (outer) network also makes it possible, in particular, to connect a plurality of oil barriers according to the invention by permanently or detachably connecting an outer network of one oil barrier to the outer network of another oil barrier, for example via snap hooks. In particular detachable connections, preferably via snap hooks are particularly preferred. Such oil barriers can be easily assembled to large oil barriers of a length required in an individual case.

The oil barrier according to the invention can also be provided with a pull rope, wherein the pull rope intertwined with the mineral wool strands, on one or attached to several of the possibly existing inner, the mineral wool strands immediately enclosing networks and / or on the outside, the intertwined strands surrounding network can be attached. In particular, the pull cable makes it possible to absorb tensile loads in the main direction of extension of the oil barrier according to the invention and thus to protect the mineral wool strands against tensile loads. The pull rope also facilitates the deployment and retrieval of the oil barrier according to the invention on a water surface and in particular at sea. Preferably, the pull rope is not intertwined with the mineral wool strands or attached to one or more of the inner webs, but only attached to the outer web surrounding the intertwined strands. In this way it is prevented that under tensile stress of the pull rope a tensile force is transmitted to the mineral wool strands. This could otherwise lead to an undesirable elongation of the mineral wool strands and thus to an undesirable decrease in the absorption and the barrier effectiveness of the oil barrier according to the invention.

The mineral wool strands used in the oil barrier according to the invention according to one of the types described above are preferably strands of a staple fiber produced by blowing and / or spin coating a mineral wool and more preferably glass wool from glass staple fibers. The mineral wool fibers and in particular the glass fibers preferably have an average diameter of up to 10 .mu.m, preferably less than 3 .mu.m. Furthermore, it is preferred if the mineral wool fibers and in particular the glass fibers have a length of more than 5 microns and the length is at least three times the (average) diameter (WHO-Fasem).

Preferably, the oil barrier according to the invention contains at least one mineral wool strand, which is provided with a hydrophobizing agent for increasing the Ölsadsorptionsfähigkeit. It is particularly preferred if all mineral wool strands and in particular glass wool strands of the oil barrier according to the invention are provided with a hydrophobizing agent. In this way, a particularly high oil adsorption capacity of the oil barrier according to the invention can be achieved. In addition, the retention capacity of the invention Oil barrier for absorbed oil compared to untreated mineral wool and in particular untreated glass wool improved. Particularly suitable is a hydrophobing agent comprising a silicone emulsion. The hydrophobing agent makes it possible, in preferred embodiments, to achieve an oil absorption capacity of the oil barrier of the invention of 1: 1, so that one cubic meter of the oil barrier according to the invention can adsorb one ton of oil, for example diesel oil, and trap it in its interior.

The mineral wool fibers of a strand, and in particular the glass fibers, may additionally be bound together by a binder. This increases the tensile strength of the strand, prevents or reduces the risk of defibration and thus prevents or reduces the risk of release of respirable fiber material. Particularly suitable is a binder based on a phenol-formaldehyde-urea resin. The binder content of an oil barrier according to the invention is preferably up to 12 wt .-%, currently preferably 6 wt .-% + - 0.6 wt .-%. The binder preferably contains 0.5 to 1% by weight of lubricating oil, preferably 0.6% by weight, and 0.8 to 1.2% by weight of silicone, preferably 0.9% by weight. The binder may be applied to the mineral wool fibers in any manner, such as by spraying, dipping or soaking.

In a further preferred embodiment, the oil barrier according to the invention comprises a plurality of "braids" of interwoven mineral wool strands (in particular glass wool strands) .The braids may be juxtaposed, wrapped around each other or around a central body or intertwined with each other, similar to the mineral wool strands themselves Depending on the nature of the oil pollution to be contained and possibly to be removed, any number of braids can be connected to one another (optionally further) in the manner of the outer network described above Way, the Ölaufnahmefähigkeit the oil barrier according to the invention is advantageous easy way increased. In addition, such a type enlarged oil barrier according to the invention is particularly well suited as protection against droplets sprayed oil, for example, in high seas.

The oil barrier according to the invention can be equipped with further devices. The oil barrier according to the invention may contain, for example, an additional buoy and signal means. The oil barrier may further include ballast to one or more strands or one or more braids in operation under the

To draw water surface and to prevent underpinning the oil barrier according to the invention even more than without the ballast. The ballast may be formed, for example, in the manner of a sword. In addition, the oil barrier according to the invention may contain one or more strands of mineral wool, which is poorly or least hydrophobized, and in particular glass wool.

During operation, such strands will soak up water on a water surface and sink below the water surface. The strands or braids thus serve as additional, arranged below the water surface

Barrier.

The oil barrier according to the invention can also be provided with mineral fiber mats or used together with such mats. Corresponding methods of use are described in the abovementioned DE 295 09 601 U1, the contents of which are referred to for the purpose of disclosing the present invention. The person skilled in the art realizes that the floats described in the utility model may optionally (and particularly preferably) be replaced by an arrangement according to the invention of interwoven mineral wool strands in one of the ways described above.

The oil barrier according to the invention can be used as a dam barrier, collection barrier, steering or steering lock and as a trough lock. This can be done in particular on land, on an inland waterway including a canal or at sea. Especially when used at sea, the oil barrier according to the invention has proved to be particularly advantageous because it the spread of a oil pollution particularly effectively prevented, has a particularly high oil absorption and adsorption capacity compared to other oil barriers, particularly good against under- and over-rinsing, uncomplicated and clean ausbringbar and recoverable, is harmless to the fauna and flora and especially durable and stable a permanent use. Preferred types of use of the oil barrier according to the invention correspond to those which are known from German Utility Model DE 295 09 601 U1; The content of this utility model is therefore also incorporated in so far for the purposes of the disclosure of the present invention.

The oil barrier according to the invention can be used as a steering and guiding barrier, for example, transversely to the flow direction of rivers and in channels. It can be dragged as a trough lock, for example, by ships around a Ölversch use around to capture a swimming carpet and away, for example, away from an environmentally sensitive place.

As a permanent device, an oil barrier according to the invention, preferably via a pull rope according to one of the types described above, can be anchored to buoys and the like on land or at sea, for example by a mooring technology. It is particularly useful for off-shore use when the buoys are attached by means of expansion on the seabed or other lying below the water level construction.

Preferred embodiments of an oil barrier according to the invention are described in more detail below in the examples and figures. However, the scope of the invention is not intended to be limited by these examples, but arises solely from the claims.

They show:

Figure 1 shows various schematic views of an embodiment of an oil barrier according to the invention, and Figure 2 is a view of another embodiment of an oil barrier according to the invention.

Fig. 1 b shows the structure of an embodiment of an oil barrier according to the invention. The oil barrier has a braid 10 made of glass wool, the three interlaced glass fiber strands 11, 12, 13 includes. The glass fiber strands 11, 12, 13 have a diameter of on average 9 to 10 cm; in other embodiments, the average diameter is up to 20 cm, in this comparatively less preferred embodiments up to 30 cm. The braid 10 has a length of 5 m. Shorter braids with lengths of 2m to 5m are particularly suitable for controlling minor soils, especially on land; longer braids with lengths of 5 m to 10 m are particularly suitable for rapid damming and removing larger dirt, especially at sea.

The glass fiber strands 11, 12, 13 are made of glass staple fibers, which were produced by blowing and / or spinning glass wool. The

Glass fiber strands 11, 12, 13 are each surrounded by a net 15 like a tube. The net 15 has an inner diameter of 9 cm. At a

Inner diameter of the net 15 of 9 to 15 cm, it has a mesh size of about 2.5 to 3 per cm with a ribbon width of 1.9 and 2.2 mm. The net 15 is made of a water- and oil-resistant net material, preferably of polypropylene Raschelware.

Fig. 1a shows a network 25, which may surround the braid 10 of the interwoven fiberglass strands 11, 12, 13 tubular. This outer network 25 thus serves the cohesion of the braid 10, improves the load capacity of the braid 10 and facilitates the handling of the oil barrier according to the invention. The outer net 25 is made of high-strength plastic, in this case 40 mm mesh high-strength altex 1100/6 fold polyester with 15 stitches all around. At its ends, the net 25 is in each case closed by a metal clip 29, 29 '. In addition, at the ends of the network 25 is ever a self-closing hook 30, for example a Carabiner. By means of the hook 30, for example, a plurality of oil barriers can be connected to one another or other components can be fastened to the oil barrier, for example buoys or anchoring means.

FIG. 1 c shows a complete arrangement of the oil barrier 10 together with the outer net 25 shown in detail in FIG. 1 a.

For production, the individual glass fiber strands 11, 12, 13 are each covered with a net 15 and intertwined into a braid 10. The braid 10 is then covered with an outer net 25. Several braids 10 each covered with a net 25 can be combined with each other. Depending on the intended use and the desired length, the oil barriers are juxtaposed, juxtaposed, intertwined, wound around each other or around a central body. The combined braids 10 can thereby be surrounded by a further net, similar to the described outer net 25 of the individual braids 10. In addition, the oil barriers can be equipped with other facilities such as buoys, signal means or traction ropes for better handling at sea.

In operation, the buoyant oil barrier is placed around an oil spill, for example, on a water surface. The oil barrier thus insulates the contamination on the surface as a function of a barrier and at the same time adsorbs the oil reaching the oil barrier due to its high oil absorption capacity. After use, the oil barrier is caught up again, for example on board an anti-oil ship. The reclaimed, usually oil-soaked oil barrier can be burned with the oil contained therein. All that remains is the ash from the glass wool.

FIG. 2 shows a further embodiment of an oil barrier according to the invention. The oil barrier is an overall cylindrical body, with a total of six pigtails. The braids are arranged in three layers, the first layer containing three braids, the second layer resting thereon containing two braids, each in the interstices of the three braids of the first layer are arranged, and the third layer includes a braid which is arranged in the intermediate space of the two braids of the second layer. Each plait contains four glass wool strands intertwined into a plait of essentially round cross-section, in the manner of the plait in FIG. 1c. The four glass wool strands each have a substantially rectangular cross section of 7-10 x 10-13 cm and are each covered with an inner network. The intertwined glass wool strands in turn are surrounded by an outer network. Between the pigtails of the second layer is located a pull cord (not shown) attached to the outer net of one or more of the plaits. The pull rope facilitates the deployment of the oil barrier and at the same time prevents the transmission of tensile forces on the braids and glass wool strands.

Another pigtail with four interwoven together in the manner just described glass wool strands is disposed at a rear end of the oil barrier according to the invention and secured with its outer network to the outer network of one of the braids of the first layer. If several of the oil seals shown are connected to one another, for example via the pull rope, to form an elongated chain of oil barriers, the further braid bridged a possibly occurring intermediate space between the links of the chain-shaped oil barrier formed in this way.

Claims

claims

1. oil barrier comprising three or more interwoven mineral wool strands.

2. oil barrier according to claim 1, wherein one, several or all mineral wool strands are strands of glass wool.

3. oil barrier according to one of the preceding claims, wherein one, several or all mineral wool strands are surrounded by a network.

4. oil barrier according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the intertwined mineral wool strands are surrounded by a network.

5. Oil barrier according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a plurality of braids of interwoven mineral wool strands.

6. oil barrier according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising a pull rope.

7. oil barrier according to one of the preceding claims, wherein one, several or all mineral wool strands are hydrophobic.

The oil barrier of any one of the preceding claims further comprising one or more non-hydrophobic mineral wool strands.

9. oil barrier according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising connecting means for permanently or releasably connecting a plurality of oil seals.