Oil spillage detection system

Claim 2

An oil spillage detection system comprising: a housing adapted to be disposed in a partially submerged buoyant state in a body of water; a selectively transmissive member of the hydrophobic lipophylic type exposed to the surface of said body of water and operative to transmit oil contained on the surface of said body of water to a sensing position; and sensing means disposed with respect to said member at said sensing position and operative in response to the presence of oil transmitted by said member to provide an output indication of oil presence.

Claim 3

An oil spillage detection system comprising: a housing adapted to be disposed in a partially submerged buoyant state in a body of water; a selectively transmissive member of the hydrophobic lipophylic type exposed to the surface of said body of water and operative to transmit oil contained on the surface of said body of water to a sensing position; and sensing means disposed with respect to said member at said sensing position and operative in response to the presence of oil transmitted by said member to provide an output indication of oil presence.

Claim 4

An oil spillage detection system comprising: a housing adapted to be disposed in a partially submerged buoyant state in a body of water; a selectively transmissive member of the hydrophobic lipophylic type exposed to the surface of said body of water and operative to transmit oil contained on the surface of said body of water to a sensing position; and sensing means disposed with respect to said member at said sensing position and operative in response to the presence of oil transmitted by said member to provide an output indication of oil presence.

Claim 5

An oil spillage detection system according to claim 1 wherein said selectively transmissive member includes an adsorption element having a surface exposed to the surface of said body of water and operative to transmit oil on said water surface to a sensing position on said element.

Claim 6

An oil spillage detection system according to claim 1 wherein said sensing means includes a resistance temperature dependent element which exhibits a sensible change of resistance in the presence of surrounding oil to provide said output indication of oil presence.

Claim 7

An oil spillage detection system comprising: a housing adapted to be disposed in a partially submerged buoyant state in a body of water; a chamber disposed within said housing for collection of a predetermined quantity of oil; a selectively transmissive member of the hydrophobic lipophylic type supported by said housing and exposed to the surface of said body of water and operative to transmit oil contained on said water surface to said chamber; and sensing means disposed within said chamber and operative in response to the presence of oil transmitted into said chamber by said member to provide an output indication of oil presence.

Claim 8

An oil spillage detection system comprising: a housing adapted to be disposed in a partially submerged buoyant state in a body of water; a chamber disposed within said housing for collection of a predetermined quantity of oil; a selectively transmissive member of the hydrophobic lipophylic type supported by said housing and exposed to the surface of said body of water and operative to transmit oil contained on said water surface to said chamber; and sensing means disposed within said chamber and operative in response to the presence of oil transmitted into said chamber by said member to provide an output indication of oil presence.

Claim 9

An oil spillage detection system according to claim 4 including: means operative in response to said output indication of oil presence to release a material onto said oil spillage.

Claim 10

An oil spillage detection system according to claim 4 including: means operative in response to said output indication to signal at a remote site detection of oil presence.

Claim 11

An oil spillage detection system according to claim 4 including: means operative in response to said output indication of oil presence to release a marking material onto said oil spillage for visual notation of the spillage area.

Claim 12

An oil spillage detection system according to claim 4 including: means operative in response to said output indication of oil presence to release a coalescing material onto said oil spillage to aid in oil recovery.

Claim 13

An oil spillAge detection system according to claim 4 wherein said sensing means includes an electrical element which exhibits a sensible change in operating characteristics in the presence of surrounding oil.

Claim 14

An oil spillage detection system according to claim 4 wherein said chamber is one of a plurality of oil receiving chambers; and including means for sequentially positioning said plurality of oil receiving chambers in operative relation with said selectively transmissive member to provide for the sequential collection of oil samples.

Claim 15

A detection system for a contaminant disposed on the surface of a body of water comprising: a housing adapted to be disposed in a partially submerged buoyant state in a body of water; a selectively transmissive member adapted to transmit said contaminant to the exclusion of water, said member being exposed to the surface of said body of water and operative to transmit the contaminant on the surface of said body of water to a sensing position; and sensing means disposed with respect to said member at said sensing position an operative in response to the presence of said contaminant transmitted by said member to provide an output indication of contaminant presence.

Claim 16

A detection system for a contaminant disposed on the surface of a body of water comprising: a housing adapted to be disposed in a partially submerged buoyant state in a body of water; a selectively transmissive member adapted to transmit said contaminant to the exclusion of water, said member being exposed to the surface of said body of water and operative to transmit the contaminant on the surface of said body of water to a sensing position; and sensing means disposed with respect to said member at said sensing position an operative in response to the presence of said contaminant transmitted by said member to provide an output indication of contaminant presence.

Claim 17

An oil spillage detection system comprising: a housing adapted to be disposed in a partially submerged buoyant state in a body of water; a selectively transmissive membrane adapted to transmit oil to the exclusion of water, said membrane being exposed to the surface of said body of water and operative to transmit oil contained on the surface of said body of water to a sensing position; and sensing means disposed with respect to said membrane at said sensing position and operative in response to the presence of oil transmitted by said membrane to provide an output indication of oil presence.

Claim 18

An oil spillage detection system comprising: a housing adapted to be disposed in a partially submerged buoyant state in a body of water; a selectively transmissive membrane adapted to transmit oil to the exclusion of water, said membrane being exposed to the surface of said body of water and operative to transmit oil contained on the surface of said body of water to a sensing position; and sensing means disposed with respect to said membrane at said sensing position and operative in response to the presence of oil transmitted by said membrane to provide an output indication of oil presence.