Abstract:
A floating cleaning device that cleans marine growth from float and skirt type oil booms. The cleaning device is a floating platform with ramps at the front and rear with tracks that guide the movement of the oil boom past a series of spray washers supplied with pressurized water to remove the marine growth from the oil boom.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/303,742 filed Jul. 10, 2001, entitled “Floating Oil Boom Cleaning Apparatus,” incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST 
     The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without payment of any royalties thereon or therefore. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to cleaning an oil boom, and more particularly to an oil boom cleaning device having the capacity to simultaneously clean both sides of float and skirt type oil booms of marine growth or other contaminants. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Floating oil booms that are used to contain spills of oil and flotsam and jetsam have been used for many years,. Many of these booms are deployed at the site of the spill. The oil booms are transported by boat to the spill site and when the clean up effort is complete the booms are removed from the water and stored until needed again. However, some booms are used in harbors or at fuel filling stations to contain dockside spills and the booms are left floating in the water in various length sections for quick containment of any spills. 
     One disadvantage that oil booms kept in the water for quick deployment have over oil booms that are stored dry and deployed as needed is the need for periodic cleaning. Booms stored in the water become havens for marine growth such as algae and barnacles. Without periodic cleanings the booms become heavy, making it harder to pull the booms into position, and negatively affect the boom buoyancy. This negative buoyancy can affect the ability of the boom to contain spills in choppy water. Additionally, boom surface marine growths make clean up of any spills harder because the growth will absorb some of the oil spill requiring the marine growth to be cleaned off the boom and treated as non-reclaimable hazardous waste. 
     Floating oil booms of the float and skirt type that is suitable to contain oil spills or flotsam and jetsam are well known. Such typical types of booms are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,049,170; and 5,580,185. 
     Presently oil booms that are left floating in the water for quick deployment are periodically cleaned in a messy and time consuming effort involving pulling the boom out of the water and scraping the boom by hand. There are known various devices to clean marine growth from boats or ships. Such devices generally would not be suitable to cleaning floating oil booms as the devices are configured to the shapes of hulls and not to the extremely narrow and pliable skirts of oil booms. 
     It is therefore an important object of the present invention to remove marine growth from both sides of the oil boom simultaneously in a more quick and efficient manner without requiring the removal of the booms from the station area. 
     It is a further object of this invention to provide a self contained cleaning apparatus that floats and may be towed to a convenient location to clean the floating oil booms without the need for the booms to be taken off station. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present invention, a cleaning apparatus for removing marine growth from an oil boom comprises a floating platform, a water pressure generator and a pair of tracks to guide the oil boom through a set of pressure spray washers directed at the oil boom surface. Preferably the floating platform includes ramps at the front and rear to allow for a smooth transition from the water to the deck of the floating platform. The floating platform includes a storage tank that may be used to collect the wastewater if it contains any hazardous contaminants. 
     The floating cleaning apparatus of the present invention preferably is self-contained and does not require a water or power source from the shore or dock. The floating cleaning apparatus includes a diesel or gasoline powered engine that pressurizes water taken from the body of water, whether fresh, salt or brackish, where the cleaning apparatus is floating and then supplies the pressurized water to the spray washers to clean the boom. 
     Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and will in part be obvious from the description, or may be learned from practicing the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side view of the floating oil boom cleaning apparatus according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a top schematic view of the floating oil boom cleaning apparatus according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a front perspective view showing an example of the front ramp and track according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 a  is an end view of the track assembly of the floating oil boom cleaning apparatus according to the present invention with one type of continuous float and skirt oil boom supported on the track. 
     FIG. 4 b  is an end view of the track assembly of the floating oil boom cleaning apparatus according to the present invention with another type of oil boom that uses spaced floats and a continuous skirt supported on the track. 
     FIG. 5 is a side view of the spray washer assembly of the floating oil boom cleaning apparatus according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 is a top view of the track assembly and spray washer assembly of the floating oil boom cleaning apparatus according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 7 is a schematic view of the pressure washer assembly of the floating oil boom cleaning apparatus according to the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Reference to the drawings will be made to describe the preferred embodiments of the present invention. 
     As shown in FIG. 1, the oil boom cleaning apparatus comprises a floating platform  100 , tracks  120 , a spray washer assembly  150 , ramps  110 , a pressure washer assembly (not shown), and a boat (not shown) or other means for pulling an oil boom  130  through the cleaning apparatus. FIG. 2 shows the general layout of the components on the platform  100 . The pressure washer assembly  140  is placed on the floating platform  100  in the preferred embodiment and supply hoses (not shown) are run to the spray washer assemblies  150 . By placing the pressure washer assembly  140  on the deck of the floating platform  100  the cleaning apparatus is entirely self-contained and may be towed to any convenient location to clean the oil boom  130 . 
     In the preferred embodiment an oil boom  130  that is floating in a body of water is towed or pulled to the floating platform  100  by a boat or other suitable means (not shown) and is guided into the front guide rails  121  of the track  120 . The platform  100  is approximately 20 feet long, 11 feet wide and 5 feet thick with 3 storage tanks (not shown) in the hull. The oil boom  130  is pulled up the front ramp  110  and it passes through a group of spray washer assemblies  150  that clean the oil boom of any marine growth that has accumulated. The debris and wastewater drain back down the ramp to the water. The oil boom  130  continues through the length of the track  120  and down the back ramp  110  where the oil boom  130  is returned to the body of water and towed to any desired location. 
     FIG. 3 shows a more detailed view of the front ramp  110  and the front guide rails  121  of the track  120 . The tracks  120  at the front and rear of the platform  100  terminate at the water line to facilitate the passage of the oil boom  130  to and from the water. The tracks  120  at the front and rear ramps  110  transitions at approximately a fifteen-degree rise to the deck  105  of the platform  100 . Referring to FIGS. 4 a  and  4   b , the oil boom  130  is shown supported on the track  120  sliding surface  126 . The track  120  sliding surface  126  is preferably made of polyethylene or some other low friction easy maintenance surface. Screws attach the sliding surface  126  to a rigid pipe  124 . In the preferred embodiment the pipe  124  is made of 1½ inch non-ferrous metal that may be shaped and bent to follow the contours of the ramps  110  and the platform deck  105 . The pipe is attached to the platform  100  by several supports  122  spaced along the track  120 . In the preferred embodiment the supports are constructed of flat 2-inch non-ferrous metal and are welded or bolted to the platform  100 . In the preferred embodiment the track supports  122  are approximately twelve inches high to permit smooth passage of the oil boom  130 . The tracks  120  are kept parallel and level with respect to each other for smooth operation. Additionally, the tracks  120  are spaced approximately 2½ inches apart to permit the passage of a towing bridal (not shown). 
     The spray washer assembly  150  is shown in FIG.  5 . In the preferred embodiment the spray washer assembly consists of five sprayer nozzles  154 . Five nozzles  154  were chosen to completely cover the surface area of the oil boom  130 , which is approximately 14 inches. The nozzles  154  are zero degree rotating nozzles capable of three gallon per minute throughput. Each nozzle  154  is connected to a common supply manifold  151  through a set of nipples  155 . The supply manifold  151  has a pressure gauge  152  attached to the top and a drain plug  158  at the bottom. The drain plug  158  is used for cleaning or draining the supply manifold  151 . The supply manifold  151  preferably has a quick disconnect fitting  156  for the water supply pressure hose (not shown) attachment. The spray washer assembly  150  parts are preferably made of stainless steel to reduce corrosion. 
     The spray washer assembly  150  should be mounted with adjustable mounts (not shown) so that the nozzles  154  may be moved towards, away, up or down with respect to the oil boom  130  surface as needed to effect the most thorough cleaning without causing damage to the oil boom  130 . In the preferred embodiment the mounting brackets are slotted to permit the necessary adjustments. 
     FIG. 6 shows the relationship of the spray washer assembly  150  and nozzles  154  to the track sliding surface  126 . In the preferred embodiment the nozzles  154  direct the pressurized water spray onto the oil boom  130  surfaces at approximately a sixty-degree angle of impact. The track  120  has a gap  128  of approximately 1½ inches that is sized to receive the nozzles  154  so that there is no obstruction between the nozzle  154  water spray and the oil boom  130  surface. The gap  128  is located near the upper edge of the front ramp  110  so that the debris and spray water flows down the ramp to the main body of water. 
     Pressure washer assembly  140  is shown in FIG.  7 . In the preferred embodiment the pressure washer assembly  140  comprises a diesel engine powered pressure washer  142  and is located on the platform  100 . The pressure washer  142  uses whatever body of water the platform  100  is floating on as its working fluid source. The water is pumped from the body of water through a suction check valve  148 , through a stop valve  146 , and filtered through a strainer  144  prior to entering the pressure washer  142 . The piping  149  to the body of water may either go over the side of the platform  100  below the water line or may utilize a penetration through the hull of the platform  100 . The pressure washer  142  sends pressurized water at approximately 3000 psi and 15 gpm to each spray washer assembly through supply hoses (not shown) with quick connection fittings. 
     Though the preferred embodiment is as indicated in the discussion above it is possible to make changes to configure other embodiments. An example, of such a modification would be to place the pressure washer assembly  140  on shore and a supply hose (not shown) would be connected to the spray washer assemblies  150  on the platform  100 . The number of nozzles  154  can be varied to cover the width of the oil boom  130  to be cleaned. Each nozzle  154  has approximately three-inch spray coverage at a distance of three inches from the work surface. Other embodiments can be readily made by varying the track  120  height and the distance between the tracks  120  to accommodate different size float and skirt oil booms  130 . The platform  100  could be easily adapted to provide a means for propulsion of the platform  100 . Additionally, it should be recognized that other means for fastening elements together may be used in place of those disclosed such as glue, rivets, clamps, welds, screws, or bolts. 
     In another embodiment the oil boom cleaning apparatus could be configured to remove and collect any oily residue left on the oil boom  130  after a spill was contained and cleaned. In this embodiment the platform  100  is modified to slope the center portion of the platform  100  to a drain that empties into a storage tank inside the platform  100  (not shown). The spray washer assembly  150  would be located in the center portion of the platform  100  over a drain rather than at the top edge of the ramp  110 . Additionally, a detergent injection system (not shown) would attach to the pressure washer  140  to aid in the removal of the oily waste. The detergent would preferably be a non-ionic detergent that can be separated. The track gap  128  would also be located over the drain area for the nozzle  154  placements. After a spill and cleanup the oil boom  130  is pulled or towed to the floating platform  100  by a boat or other suitable means (not shown) and guided into the front guide rails  121  of the track  120 . The oil boom  130  is pulled up the front ramp  110  and as the oil boom transitions to a horizontal attitude it passes through spray washer assemblies  150  that clean the oil boom of any residual oily waste that was left on the oil boom  130  after the cleanup operation. The oily wastewater drains into a storage tank in the platform  100  so that it can be disposed of properly at a later time. The cleaned oil boom  130  continues through the remaining length of the track  120  and down the back ramp  110  where the oil boom  130  is returned to the body of water and towed to any desired location. 
     What has been described is only a few of many possible variations on the same invention and is not intended in a limiting sense. The claimed invention can be practiced using other variations not specifically described above.