Spill sensors

Claim 2

Monitoring apparatus for sensing the presence of films of floating petroleum and other floating material on the free surface of a body of water comprising: A. a monitoring unit capable of being deployed partially immersed beneath the surface of the body of water at a predetermined position enclosing a monitoring cavity overlying and shielding from external radiation a monitored portion of said free surface, said monitored portion extending contiguously through at least two portals to form a continuous subportion of said free surface and incorporating B. a broadband source of radiant energy positioned in the monitoring cavity and directed toward the free surface of the body of water, C. a filter in the monitoring cavity positioned in optical alignment to receive radiant energy which has been emitted by the source incident upon and reflected from the free surface of the body of water, said filter having an infrared passband in a spectral wavelength region for which floating foreign material on the free surface of the body of water possesses different infrared absorption-reflectance characteristics from those of the free surface of a substantially pure body of water on which such floating materials are not present, D. an infrared radiation detector positioned in the monitoring cavity to receive infrared radiation passed by the filter, E. a warning system connected to the detector and producing a warning signal in response to the absorption-reflectance characteristics of foreign materials floating on the free surface of the body of water upon radiation passing through the filter and received by the detector, F. and a source of energy providing the power required to operate the radiation source and the detector and warning system circuitry.

Claim 3

Monitoring apparatus for sensing the presence of films of floating petroleum and other floating materials on the surface of a body of water comprising: A. a floating monitoring unit capable of being deployed on the surface of the body of water at a predetermined position and incorporating a buoyant hollow hull portion enclosing an internal monitoring cavity concavely facing and shielding a monitored portion of the free surface of the body of water from external radiation, B. means forming an entrance portal and an exit portal both connecting the internal cavity with the external portion of the surrounding body of water on which the buoyant hull portion is afloat, said monitored free surface portion thereby extending contiguously through at least said two portals to form a continuous subportion of said free surface, C. a broadband source of emitted radiant energy positioned in the monitoring cavity and directed toward the shielded monitored free surface portion of the body of water within the internal cavity, D. a filter positioned in the cavity in optical alignment to receive radiant energy which has been emitted by the source and then reflected from the shielded monitored free surface portion of the body of water within the internal cavity, and having an infrared passband in the spectral wavelength region for which floating foreign material on the free surface of the body of water possesses different absorption-reflectance characteristics from those of the free surface of a substantially pure body of water on which such floating materials are not present, E. a radiation detector positioned in optical alignment in the cavity to receive reflected radiation passed by the filter, F. a warning system connected to the detector and producing a warning signal in response to the presence of radiation reflected by foreign materials floating on the free surface of a body of water within the internal cavity passing through the filter and received by the detector, G. and a source of energy providing the power required to operate the radiation sourCe and the detector and warning system circuitry.

Claim 4

Monitoring apparatus for sensing the presence of films of floating petroleum and other floating materials on the surface of a body of water comprising: A. a floating monitoring unit capable of being deployed on the surface of the body of water at a predetermined position and incorporating a buoyant hollow hull portion enclosing an internal monitoring cavity concavely facing and shielding a monitored portion of the free surface of the body of water from external radiation, B. means forming an entrance portal and an exit portal both connecting the internal cavity with the external portion of the surrounding body of water on which the buoyant hull portion is afloat, said monitored free surface portion thereby extending contiguously through at least said two portals to form a continuous subportion of said free surface, C. a broadband source of emitted radiant energy positioned in the monitoring cavity and directed toward the shielded monitored free surface portion of the body of water within the internal cavity, D. a filter positioned in the cavity in optical alignment to receive radiant energy which has been emitted by the source and then reflected from the shielded monitored free surface portion of the body of water within the internal cavity, and having an infrared passband in the spectral wavelength region for which floating foreign material on the free surface of the body of water possesses different absorption-reflectance characteristics from those of the free surface of a substantially pure body of water on which such floating materials are not present, E. a radiation detector positioned in optical alignment in the cavity to receive reflected radiation passed by the filter, F. a warning system connected to the detector and producing a warning signal in response to the presence of radiation reflected by foreign materials floating on the free surface of a body of water within the internal cavity passing through the filter and received by the detector, G. and a source of energy providing the power required to operate the radiation sourCe and the detector and warning system circuitry.

Claim 5

The apparatus defined in claim 1, further including a telemetry transmitter actuated by an output warning signal produced by the warning system, and a telemetry receiver connected to produce a warning indication in response to information transmitted by the telemetry receiver.

Claim 6

The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the source of energy includes solar cells mounted on the sensor unit exposed to incident solar radiation, connected to storage batteries carried by the sensor unit.

Claim 7

The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the warning signal produced by the warning system is a high intensity flashing light signal.

Claim 8

The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the warning signal produced by the warning system is an audible sonic warning signal.

Claim 9

The apparatus defined in claim 3, including a plurality of said floating sensor units each including a telemetry transmitter constructed to emit different pulse coded signals when actuated, whereby decoding circuits in the telemetry receiver are enabled to identify the floating sensor unit emitting a warning information transmission.

Claim 12

The method defined in claim 8 including the simultaneous steps of receiving radiation at a second comparison detector in said cavity exposed directly to a portion of the same radiation before it reaches the free surface, and balancing the output signals of the two detectors against each other to maximize the influence of infrared reflectance variations produced at the free surface by foreign materials floating thereon upon the output signal from said first detector.