Oil-spill detection system

Claim 2

System for detecting oil spills on a body of water, comprising in combination a rotatable thin disc, means for rotating said thin disc about its axis in order to lift oil from the surface of said body of water by adherence to the flat surface of said disc, buoyant means for supporting said disc partially submerged in said body of water and having the flat face of the disc transverse to the direction of movement of surface liquid, scraper means cooperating with said flat surface of said disc above said body of water for removing adherents including said oil, means for detecting the presence of oil in said removed adherents, and divergent means for directing movement of surface water of said body to the location of said disc.

Claim 3

A system according to claim 1, also comprising means associated with said scraper means for directing said adherents to a container therefore, said container being associated with said detecting means.

Claim 4

A system according to claim 2, wherein said disc is metallic.

Claim 5

A system according to claim 3, wherein said detecting means is capacitive, said container is columnar, and said detecting means comprises a pair of capacitor electrodes on said container column for having said adherents act as the electrolyte therebetween.

Claim 6

A system according to claim 4, wherein said adherents-directing means comprises means for receiving and settling out sediment from said adherents.

Claim 7

A system according to claim 5, also comprising means for maintaining the level of said adherents above said capacitor electrodes.

Claim 8

A system according to claim 6, wherein said disc is stainless steel.

Claim 9

System for detecting oil spills on a body of water, comprising in combination a stainless-steel rotatable disc, buoyant means for supporting said disc partially submerged in said body of water while floating on the surface thereof, surface-water flow-directing wings attached to said buoyant means for directing movement of surface water to the vicinity of said disc, means for rotating said disc about its axis for continuously submerging the periphery thereof, a doctor blade bearing against said periphery above the surface of saiD body of water for removing liquid adherents including any oil floating on said water surface, channel means associated with said blade for directing said adherents into a sediment settling vessel having an outlet therefrom, said outlet directing said adherents into an upstanding tubular container having electrically insulating interior walls, a pair of electrically conducting plates mounted diametrically opposite one another and forming a capacitor with said adherents filling the space therebetween, a turbulence chamber connected to the bottom of said tubular container and having an overflow outlet for maintaining the level of said adherents above said capacitor plates, air-bubble inlet and outlets on said tubulence chamber for passing bubbles through to prevent settling of fine solids, and electrical bridge circuit means including an indicator for indicating the presence of oil in said adherents by measuring the change in capacitance of said capacitor.

Claim 10

System for detecting oil spills on a body of water, comprising in combination a stainless-steel rotatable disc, buoyant means for supporting said disc partially submerged in said body of water while floating on the surface thereof, surface-water flow-directing wings attached to said buoyant means for directing movement of surface water to the vicinity of said disc, means for rotating said disc about its axis for continuously submerging the periphery thereof, a doctor blade bearing against said periphery above the surface of saiD body of water for removing liquid adherents including any oil floating on said water surface, channel means associated with said blade for directing said adherents into a sediment settling vessel having an outlet therefrom, said outlet directing said adherents into an upstanding tubular container having electrically insulating interior walls, a pair of electrically conducting plates mounted diametrically opposite one another and forming a capacitor with said adherents filling the space therebetween, a turbulence chamber connected to the bottom of said tubular container and having an overflow outlet for maintaining the level of said adherents above said capacitor plates, air-bubble inlet and outlets on said tubulence chamber for passing bubbles through to prevent settling of fine solids, and electrical bridge circuit means including an indicator for indicating the presence of oil in said adherents by measuring the change in capacitance of said capacitor.