Apparatus for detecting oil in water

Claim 1

An apparatus for detecting oil in water comprising: a plurality of oil sensors of the type having a limited wavelength light source for causing florescence of oil which may be present in the water, and having a light detector to detect resulting florescence; means including suspension means attached to each of said sensors for maintaining each sensor at a selected position in the water; computer means; and, means for connecting each sensor to said computer means to permit said computer to receive and store information generated by each light detector.

Claim 2

An apparatus for detecting oil in water comprising: a plurality of oil sensors of the type having a limited wavelength light source for causing florescence of oil which may be present in the water, and having a light detector to detect resulting florescence; means including suspension means attached to each of said sensors for maintaining each sensor at a selected position in the water; computer means; and, means for connecting each sensor to said computer means to permit said computer to receive and store information generated by each light detector.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claims 1 or 4 wherein each of said sensors includes unique identification means to permit said computer to associate such generated information with a sensor location.

Claim 7

An apparatus for detecting oil leaks along an oil pipeline submerged in a body of water, said apparatus comprising: a plurality of water sampling chambers suspended at selected intervals over said pipeline; a limited-wavelength light source for each chamber, each source being positioned to direct light into its associated chamber and being constructed to emit light of the wavelength that makes oil fluoresce; a light detector for each chamber, each detector being positioned to detect fluorescence in its associated chamber and being constructed to generate a signal containing information relating to detected fluorescence; computer means; and means for connecting each detector to said computer means to permit said computer to store said signals.

Claim 8

An apparatus for detecting oil leaks along an oil pipeline submerged in a body of water, said apparatus comprising: a plurality of water sampling chambers suspended at selected intervals over said pipeline; a limited-wavelength light source for each chamber, each source being positioned to direct light into its associated chamber and being constructed to emit light of the wavelength that makes oil fluoresce; a light detector for each chamber, each detector being positioned to detect fluorescence in its associated chamber and being constructed to generate a signal containing information relating to detected fluorescence; computer means; and means for connecting each detector to said computer means to permit said computer to store said signals.

Claim 13

A method for detecting oil leaks from an oil pipeline submerged underwater comprising the steps of: (a) providing a plurality of oil sensors suspended adjacent the pipeline along its length, said sensors being of the type having an oil-fluorescing light source and a detector for generating signals relating to oil fouorescence; (b) energizing the light sources; (c) measuring the signals generated by each detector; (d) relating the signals generated by each detector to a sensor location to create a map of oil in the water along the pipeline.

Claim 14

A method for detecting oil leaks from an oil pipeline submerged underwater comprising the steps of: (a) providing a plurality of oil sensors suspended adjacent the pipeline along its length, said sensors being of the type having an oil-fluorescing light source and a detector for generating signals relating to oil fouorescence; (b) energizing the light sources; (c) measuring the signals generated by each detector; (d) relating the signals generated by each detector to a sensor location to create a map of oil in the water along the pipeline.