Flexible floating booms

Abstract

Abstract A SUPPLE, FLEXIBLE, FLOATING OIL BOOM, SELF-REINFORCED BY A TAUT, INTEGRAL, HIGH-TENSILE-STRENGTH, MUTIPLE-STRAND STAINLESS STEEL CABLE ANCHORED CENTRALLY AT LONGITUDINALLY SPACED POINTS TO A THIN, FLAT, FLEXIBLE POLYMER FIN. THE FIN IS ARRAYED "STANDING ON EDGE" IN A GENERALLY VERTICAL POSITION, AND THE CABLE IS ANCHORED TO THE FIN AT A LEVEL ADJACENT TO THE UNDERSIDES OF LONGITUDINALLY SPACED-APART BUOYANT FLOATS LIKEWISE ANCHORED TO THE FLAT CONTINUOUS FIN ALONG ITS UPPER EDGE. THE CABLE IS HELD JUST BENEATH THE WATER SURFACE WHEN THE BOOM IS AFLOAT, WITH BALLAST WEIGHTS ANCHORED ALONG ITS LOWER EDGE HOLDING THE BOOM UPRIGHT. IN THE REGIONS BETWEEN THE BUOYANT FLOATS, THE FIN IS PROVIDED WITH EXCESS SLACK LENGTH FORMING LOOSELY CURVED BIGHTS OF EXTRA FIN MATERIAL, HAVING A GREATER LENGTH THAN THE CORRESPONDING SEGMENT OF TAUT REINFORCING CABLE, AND PROVIDING EXTREME FLEXING CAPABILITY IN ALL DIRECTIONS. THE EXCESS SLACK FIN BIGHT BETWEEN FLOATS PERMITS SHARPLY BENT FLEXING OF THE BOOM TO CONFORM CLOSELY TO THE CREST OR TROUGH OF A STEEP WAVE WHILE MAINTAINING FULL TENSION ON THE TAUT REINFORCING CABLE. THE BOOM IS LIKEWISE CAPABLE OF SHARPLY-BENT, SIDEWISE LATERAL FLEXING IN THE RESPONSE TO WAVES, TURBULENCE, IMPACTS OR MANUAL ACCORDION-FOLDING OPERATIONS.

Inventors

• 👤 Millard F Smith

Bibliographic Details