Submerged offshore fluid storage facility

Claim 2

A storage facility for a first fluid substantially immiscible with water that may be moved in a collapsed condition to a desired site on a body of water and then submerged and expanded to a fluid-containing configuration, including: a. a buoy; b. a first cable depending from said buoy; c. first means for anchoring the lower end of said cable in a taut condition to the bottom of said body of water; d. a first rigid buoyant cap slidably and sealingly mounted on said first cable; e. a first continuous sheet of pliable material that extends downwardly from said first cap and is sealed thereto, which sheet is substantially impervious to said fluid and of such configuration as to be expanded into a frustoconical shape and open at the bottom thereof; f. a plurality of second cables extending down in circumferentially spaced relationship from a lower edge of said sheet; g. second means for anchoring the lower ends of said second cables to said bottom, with said second cables being of such length as to hold said first cap below the surface of said body of water, which first cap and second cables cooperatively hold said sheet material in said frustoconical shape whereby fluid of lower specific gravity may be discharged upwardly through the lower open end of said frustoconical sheet material to storage thereof within the confines thereof; h. third means for discharging fluId into said confines; i. fourth means for removing fluid stored in said confines; j. a continuous sheet of woven material that extends inwardly from a lower circumferential edge of said sheet of pliable material to said first cable to minimize the mixing of fluid stored in said confines with the water of said body of water; and k. fifth means for supporting an inner portion of said sheet of woven material from said first cable at a fixed position thereon intermediate said first buoyant cap and said first means for anchoring said first cable.

Claim 3

A storage facility for a first fluid substantially immiscible with water that may be moved in a collapsed condition to a desired site on a body of water and then submerged and expanded to a fluid-containing configuration, including: a. a buoy; b. a first cable depending from said buoy; c. first means for anchoring the lower end of said cable in a taut condition to the bottom of said body of water; d. a first rigid buoyant cap slidably and sealingly mounted on said first cable; e. a first continuous sheet of pliable material that extends downwardly from said first cap and is sealed thereto, which sheet is substantially impervious to said fluid and of such configuration as to be expanded into a frustoconical shape and open at the bottom thereof; f. a plurality of second cables extending down in circumferentially spaced relationship from a lower edge of said sheet; g. second means for anchoring the lower ends of said second cables to said bottom, with said second cables being of such length as to hold said first cap below the surface of said body of water, which first cap and second cables cooperatively hold said sheet material in said frustoconical shape whereby fluid of lower specific gravity may be discharged upwardly through the lower open end of said frustoconical sheet material to storage thereof within the confines thereof; h. third means for removing fluid stored in said confines; i. a ring secured to said first cable at a fixed position thereon intermediate said first buoyant cap and first means for anchoring said first cable; and a plurality of circumferentially spaced third cables extending radially from said ring to a lower edge of said sheet of pliable material, which third cables allow said first buoyant cap and said pliable sheet material to rise in said body of water but not overturn to spill said fluid from said confines of said second cables should they be broken by extraordinary stresses placed thereon.

Claim 4

A storage facility for a first fluid substantially immiscible with water that may be moved in a collapsed condition to a desired site on a body of water and then submerged and expanded to a fluid-containing configuration, including: a. a buoy; b. a first cable depending from said buoy; c. first means for anchoring the lower end of said cable in a taut condition to the bottom of said body of water; d. a first rigid buoyant cap slidably and sealingly mounted on said first cable; e. a first continuous sheet of pliable material that extends downwardly from said first cap and is sealed thereto, which sheet is substantially impervious to said fluid and of such configuration as to be expanded into a frustoconical shape and open at the bottom thereof; f. a plurality of second cables extending down in circumferentially spaced relationship from a lower edge of said sheet; g. second means for anchoring the lower ends of said second cables to said bottom, with said second cables being of such length as to hold said first cap below the surface of said body of water, which first cap and second cables cooperatively hold said sheet material in said frustoconical shape whereby fluid of lower specific gravity may be discharged upwardly through the lower open end of said frustoconical sheet material to storage thereof within the confines thereof; h. third means for removing fluid stored in said confines; i. a ring secured to said first cable at a fixed position thereon intermediate said first buoyant cap and first means for anchoring said first cable; and a plurality of circumferentially spaced third cables extending radially from said ring to a lower edge of said sheet of pliable material, which third cables allow said first buoyant cap and said pliable sheet material to rise in said body of water but not overturn to spill said fluid from said confines of said second cables should they be broken by extraordinary stresses placed thereon.

Claim 5

A storage facility as defined in claim 3 which further includes; k. fourth means for storing a second fluid below the surface of said body of water and below said sheet of said pliable material when said sheet is in said frustoconical shape for purposes of protection; l. fifth means for discharging said second fluid into said fourth means; and m. sixth means for removing said second fluid from said fourth means.

Claim 6

A storage facility as defined in claim 3 wherein said fourth means comprises an inverted hemispherical shell occupying a fixed position relative to the bottom of said body of water.

Claim 7

A storage facility as defined in claim 3 wherein said fourth means comprises: n. a spherical buoyant tank through which a tubular guide diametrically extends, with said guide slidably engaging said first cable; o. a plurality of circumferentially spaced third cables secured to the lower portion of said tank and depending therefrom; and p. seventh means for anchoring lower ends of said third cables to the bottom of said body of water, which cables are of such length that said tank floats in said body of water at least partially below said sheet of pliable material when said sheet is in said frustoconical shape.

Claim 8

A storage facility as defined in claim 3 wherein said fourth means comprises: n. a second buoyant cap slidably and sealingly mounted on said first cable a substantial distance below said First cap; o. a second continuous sheet of pliable material that extends downwardly from said second cap and is sealed thereto, which sheet is substantially impervious to said second fluid and is of such shape as to be expandable into a frustoconical shape, open at the bottom thereof; p. a plurality of third circumferentially spaced cables depending from a lower edge of said second sheet and inwardly to a center ring slidably mounted to the said first cable; and q. seventh means for anchoring lower ends of said third cables to the bottom of said body of water.

Claim 9

A storage facility as defined in claim 2 wherein said first sheet of pliable material has pleats formed therein to permit collapse thereof into a compact configuration.

Claim 10

A storage facility as defined in claim 6 wherein said second sheet of pliable material has pleats formed therein to permit collapse of said second sheet into a compact configuration.

Claim 11

A storage facility as defined in claim 2 which further includes; j. a source of fluid concrete above the surface of said body of water and adjacent said buoy; and k. a tubular chute supported at a downwardly inclined angle on the exterior surface of said first sheet material when the same is of said frustoconical shape, with said chute being capable of receiving said fluid concrete discharged downwardly therethrough to at least partially define said second means.