Patent ID: 9206575
Filing Date: 2015-12-08
Classification: E02B,Y02A

Abstract:
1. An inflatable barrier deployment system mounted on a single floating vessel, for confining a material leaking from the floating vessel floatable on a liquid surface, comprising: a. a winch reel assembly located at a first point on the vessel, wherein the winch reel assembly comprises a rotatable reel and a motor; b. an inflatable barrier wound in multiple wound layers upon the reel, and wherein the inflatable barrier has a first end deployable from the reel; c. a gas supply line that is wound on the reel and runs externally and concurrently along the entire length of the inflatable barrier for delivering pressurized gas to the wound layers of the inflatable barrier while wound on the reel, and wherein the weight of the inflatable barrier wound on the reel prevents inflation of the inflatable barrier until it unwinds from the reel and is deployed from the vessel onto the liquid surface; d. a valve positioned in a core of the reel through which pressurized gas is delivered to the gas delivery line and to the entire length of inflatable barrier wound on the reel; e. a pneumatic system comprising a gas supply line and pneumatic supply, wherein the pneumatic system supplies pressurized gas via the gas supply line to the motor and through the valve in the core of the reel to the gas delivery line; f. wherein activation of the pneumatic system enables simultaneous powering of the winch-reel assembly through pressurized gas supplied to the motor, for enabling rotation of the reel for deployment of the inflatable barrier, while also supplying pressurized gas to the gas supply line wound on the reel and to the entire length of inflatable barrier, for enabling inflation of the inflatable barrier as it begins to unwind from the reel; and g. a means comprising first and second ends wherein the first end of the means is secured to a first end of the inflatable barrier and wherein the second end of the means is capable of being attached to another fixed point on the vessel or off the vessel, or is capable of being moved across and around the vessel as the inflatable barrier is being deployed, inflated or maintained for providing directional control to the inflatable barrier without requiring use of a separate vessel, and for defining and changing the direction of deployment of the inflatable barrier to define a confinement area in which the floatable material is confined, wherein pressurized gas is deliverable via the gas supply line to an entire length of the inflatable barrier while the inflatable barrier is wound on the reel.