Method and apparatus for removing contaminants from the surface of a body of water

Claim 1

A method of removing liquid hydrocarbon contaminants from the surface of a body of water comprising: providing a plurality of substantially rigid shell members each substantially spherical in shape and each having an outer shell having a plurality of substantially circular holes formed therein, said shell members being substantially filled with a quantity of liquid hydrocarbon absorbent material, said outer shell having sufficient rigidity to prevent the liquid contaminant from being squeezed back out of said absorbing material by movement of said absorbent members in the water or during handling of said members; distributing the shell members having the absorbent material contained therein onto the surface of a body of water having liquid hydrocarbon contaminants floating thereon and thereby absorbing the liquid hydrocarbons into the absorbent material within the shell members; recovering the shell members having the absorbent material contained therein from the surface of the body of water; and removing the liquid hydrocarbons from the absorbent material while the material remains positioned within the shell members.

Claim 2

A method of removing liquid hydrocarbon contaminants from the surface of a body of water comprising: providing a plurality of substantially rigid shell members each substantially spherical in shape and each having an outer shell having a plurality of substantially circular holes formed therein, said shell members being substantially filled with a quantity of liquid hydrocarbon absorbent material, said outer shell having sufficient rigidity to prevent the liquid contaminant from being squeezed back out of said absorbing material by movement of said absorbent members in the water or during handling of said members; distributing the shell members having the absorbent material contained therein onto the surface of a body of water having liquid hydrocarbon contaminants floating thereon and thereby absorbing the liquid hydrocarbons into the absorbent material within the shell members; recovering the shell members having the absorbent material contained therein from the surface of the body of water; and removing the liquid hydrocarbons from the absorbent material while the material remains positioned within the shell members.

Claim 7

A method of removing liquid hydrocarbon materials from the surface of a body of water comprising: providing a plurality of hollow, substantially rigid, substantially spherical shell members each having a plurality of substantially circular holes formed therein; positioning a quantity of oleophilic, hydrophobic material within each spherical shell member; depositing the spherical shell members having the oleophilic, hydrophobic material contained therein on the surface of a body of water having liquid hydrocarbon materials floating thereon and thereby absorbing the liquid hydrocarbon materials in the oleophilic, hydrophobic material; removing the spherical shell members having the oleophilic, hydrophobic material contained therein from the surface of the body of water; subsequently guiding each spherical shell member having the oleophilic, hydrophobic material contained therein into a chamber individual thereto; moving the individual chamber to the outer zone of a rotating frame thereby individually centrifuging each spherical shell member with the oleophilic, hydrophobic material remaining therein and thereby removing the liquid hydrocarbon material from the oleophilic, hydrophobic material within the spherical shell members; and subsequently guiding each spherical shell member with the oleophilic, hydrophobic material remaining therein out of its respective centrifuging chamber.

Claim 8

A method of removing liquid hydrocarbon materials from the surface of a body of water comprising: providing a plurality of hollow, substantially rigid, substantially spherical shell members each having a plurality of substantially circular holes formed therein; positioning a quantity of oleophilic, hydrophobic material within each spherical shell member; depositing the spherical shell members having the oleophilic, hydrophobic material contained therein on the surface of a body of water having liquid hydrocarbon materials floating thereon and thereby absorbing the liquid hydrocarbon materials in the oleophilic, hydrophobic material; removing the spherical shell members having the oleophilic, hydrophobic material contained therein from the surface of the body of water; subsequently guiding each spherical shell member having the oleophilic, hydrophobic material contained therein into a chamber individual thereto; moving the individual chamber to the outer zone of a rotating frame thereby individually centrifuging each spherical shell member with the oleophilic, hydrophobic material remaining therein and thereby removing the liquid hydrocarbon material from the oleophilic, hydrophobic material within the spherical shell members; and subsequently guiding each spherical shell member with the oleophilic, hydrophobic material remaining therein out of its respective centrifuging chamber.

Claim 13

A system for removing a liquid hydrocarbon compound contaminant from the surface of a body of water comprising: a plurality of discrete liquid contaminant absorbent members for being dispersed upon the water, said absorbent members being buoyant in water and including an outer rigid shell having apertures therethrough and filled with hydrocarbon compound absorbing material; means for collecting said members from said water after absorption by said absorbing material of a desired amount of liquid contaminant through said apertures; and means for receiving said absorbent members from said collecting means and for centrifuging said members to remove the absorbed contaminant therefrom through said apertures; said centrifuging means comprising: a stationary housing, a frame disposed within said stationary housing and rotatable about a central axis, means for rotating said frame, a wheel mounted on said frame for rotation about an axis substantially offset from said central axis and including apertures therein for receiving adjacent the central axis of said frame individual rigid shell members having the absorbent material therein, guide means on the housing for guiding the rigid shell members having the absorbent material therein into the apertures of the wheel, and means for rotating said wheel such that said members received within said apertures in said wheel are carried to the outer extremity of said frame whereby centrifugal force removes the contaminant from said members and thereafter returned for discharge adjacent the central axis of said frame.

Claim 14

A system for removing a liquid hydrocarbon compound contaminant from the surface of a body of water comprising: a plurality of discrete liquid contaminant absorbent members for being dispersed upon the water, said absorbent members being buoyant in water and including an outer rigid shell having apertures therethrough and filled with hydrocarbon compound absorbing material; means for collecting said members from said water after absorption by said absorbing material of a desired amount of liquid contaminant through said apertures; and means for receiving said absorbent members from said collecting means and for centrifuging said members to remove the absorbed contaminant therefrom through said apertures; said centrifuging means comprising: a stationary housing, a frame disposed within said stationary housing and rotatable about a central axis, means for rotating said frame, a wheel mounted on said frame for rotation about an axis substantially offset from said central axis and including apertures therein for receiving adjacent the central axis of said frame individual rigid shell members having the absorbent material therein, guide means on the housing for guiding the rigid shell members having the absorbent material therein into the apertures of the wheel, and means for rotating said wheel such that said members received within said apertures in said wheel are carried to the outer extremity of said frame whereby centrifugal force removes the contaminant from said members and thereafter returned for discharge adjacent the central axis of said frame.

Claim 19

A system for removing oil from the surface of a body of water comprising: a plurality of discrete oil-absorbent members having an outer rigid shell with apertures therethrough and oleophilic material enclosed within said rigid shell; means for dispensing said absorbent members on the surface of the water to thereby absorb the oil and for collecting the resulting oil-filled members; a stationary housing mounted on a vessel and including structure for receiving said oil-filled members; a frame disposed within said stationary housing and rotatable about a central axis; power means for rotating said frame; a rotatable wheel eccentrically mounted on said frame and having apertures about the periphery thereof for receiving said rigid shell absorbent members, said wheel being positioned on said frame such that the rotation of said wheel carries said absorbent members from a central region of said frame to the outer periphery of said frame; and drive means associated with said frame for rotating said wheel simultaneously with the rotation of said frame, whereby said absorbent members are carried to the outer periphery of said rotating frame during rotation of said frame and said wheel, thereby subjecting said absorbent members to a centrifugal force to remove the oil therefrom.

Claim 20

A system for removing oil from the surface of a body of water comprising: a plurality of discrete oil-absorbent members having an outer rigid shell with apertures therethrough and oleophilic material enclosed within said rigid shell; means for dispensing said absorbent members on the surface of the water to thereby absorb the oil and for collecting the resulting oil-filled members; a stationary housing mounted on a vessel and including structure for receiving said oil-filled members; a frame disposed within said stationary housing and rotatable about a central axis; power means for rotating said frame; a rotatable wheel eccentrically mounted on said frame and having apertures about the periphery thereof for receiving said rigid shell absorbent members, said wheel being positioned on said frame such that the rotation of said wheel carries said absorbent members from a central region of said frame to the outer periphery of said frame; and drive means associated with said frame for rotating said wheel simultaneously with the rotation of said frame, whereby said absorbent members are carried to the outer periphery of said rotating frame during rotation of said frame and said wheel, thereby subjecting said absorbent members to a centrifugal force to remove the oil therefrom.