DEVICE FOR GATHERING OIL AND OIL PRODUCTS FROM WATER SURFACE UNDER ICE COVER Russian patent published in 2001 - IPC

FIELD: hydraulic engineering. SUBSTANCE: invention is aimed at elimination of consequences of environment contamination, such as oil spillage under ice cover of seas and inland water. Proposed device has panel with sleeve to be filled with air and distributed weighing members connected to panel, pump, compressor, hoses, cable suspension of panel and hollow metal rod of neutral buoyancy in water. Panel is made of oil absorbing hydrophobic material whose density is less than that of water and is furnished with sleeve to be filled with water connected to panel. Both air-and-water-filled sleeves and distributed weighing member are arranged over panel contour. Weighing member are made to provide buoyancy of panel assembly close to neutral when sleeves are not filled with air and water, respectively, and positive buoyancy of panel assembly when sleeves are filled with air and water. Panel in inoperative state is folded in variable-pitch bellows-like manner to form cylinder around hollow metal rod with provision of controlled disconnection from rod by means of cables. Hollow metal rod can be provided with stabilizers of its position in running water mounted on ends of rod panel is furnished with position pickups located in specific points of panel contour. Invention provides increased efficiency of gathering of oil contaminants owing to possibility of freely laying the panel in horizontal position featuring flat shape and positive buoyancy with resulted increase in area of contact of panel with surface of ice cover at linear contact. EFFECT: simplified process of gathering of oil and oil products with bringing to minimum ice-cutting work. 3 cl, 8 dwg