Patent FR-2828164-A1 (FR)
Title: Recovery of fluid from sunken vessel via evacuatioRecovery of fluid from sunken vessel via evacuation pipe, e.g. from damaged oil tanker, involves usin pipe, e.g. from damaged oil tanker, involves using pump on vessel where end of pipe is connected tng pump on vessel where end of pipe is connected to floating element by lifting cable o floating element by lifting cable
Inventor: DABI JEAN LUC
IPC: B63C7/16
Filed: 2000-12-15
Abstract: One or more circulating pumps (32) in the vessel are connected to the first end of the evacuation pipe, with the capacity to pump the fluid content through the evacuation pipe to a rescue vessel on the surface. The electrical supply for the pump is long enough to be connected at one end to the pump motor and at the other to the floating element on the surface  The system comprises a floating element which can be ejected from the sunken vessel (12) towards the surface (20) and an evacuation pipe (30) for the fluid content, long enough for the first end to be connected to the vessel and the second end to the floating element on the surface. The floating element is connected to the second end of the evacuation pipe by means of a lifting cable (16) sized, to form a mechanical connection between the floating element floating on the surface and the second end of the evacuation pipe coiled in the sunken vessel The floating element is connected to the lifting cable via an elastic element sized to minimize the traction forces applied to the lifting cable by the floating element floating on the surface. The electrical cable and the pipe are stuck together. A supplementary pipe is also stuck to the evacuation pipe, and enables injection of a fluidizing product into the sunken vessel. A telecontrol line is also stuck to the evacuation pipe. The vessel has a sealed compartment in its hull in which the evacuation pipe is coiled. This compartment has an outlet orifice through the side of the hull. The floating element is also stored in the sealed compartment, which is formed by a monobloc box with an annular section. Means of braking release eject the floating element towards the surface with a preprogrammed braking after detection of one or more characteristic parameters of the vessel being sunk, for example a shock of a given violence or a minimum hydrostatic pressure. A sonar receiver starts the ejection on receipt of a sonar signal and a telecontrol starts the pump. The pump is on rails, so it can slide by gravity from a high position to a low one. The pump has a flexible suction pipe with a ballasted end and means of heating the suction pipe.  Independent claims are included for: (1) a vessel with a recovery system as above on each side (port and starboard) or on each quarter (port and starboard, prow and stern). If the vessel contains more than one hull, an additional transfer pump transfers fluid to the hull containing the recovery system from the other hulls; and (2) a method of using the above system, where the floating element is released to be recovered by the rescue vessel. This allows the lifting cable to be winched onto the rescue vessel by a winch until the top end of the evacuation pipe and the electrical supply can be connected to the rescue vessel. The pump is then started. A fluidizing product can be injected into the sunken vessel using the auxiliary pipe.