Patent ID: 11905671
Assignee: THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA
Field: Civil engineering (Other fields)
Classification: CPC E  C  Y | IPC E

Claim 13:
14. A sorbent-based oil skimmer configured to capture an oil-containing first liquid from the top of a second liquid, the sorbent-based oil skimmer comprising: an encasing; a ballast connected to the encasing; and a sponge constructed from a sorbent material, wherein the sponge comprises: a top sheet in contact with the first liquid; a vent comprising an opening in the top sheet, wherein the vent is in direct communication with the atmosphere above the sorbent-based oil skimmer; and a shell connected to the top sheet, wherein the shell extends below the top sheet into the encasing; and wherein the sponge is configured to absorb oil from the oil-containing first liquid and passively carry the absorbed oil into the encasing.