Oil recovery system

Abstract

The oil recovery system minimizes environmental contamination and oil leakage into the ocean in the event of a rupture of the hull of an oil tanker. The oil recovery system includes at least one buoyant reservoir for receiving recovered oil, which is deployed into the ocean upon detection of a breach or rupture in the hull of the oil tanker. At least one conduit is in fluid communication between at least one oil tank housed within the oil tanker and the at least one buoyant reservoir. Upon detection of an oil spill from the oil tanker, the at least one buoyant reservoir is released from the hull of the oil tanker into the water and oil from the at least one oil tank is routed to the at least one buoyant reservoir to minimize the size of the oil spill.

I claim: 
     
         1 . An oil recovery system, comprising:
 at least one buoyant reservoir;   means for releasably securing said at least one buoyant reservoir to a hull of an oil tanker;   at least one conduit in fluid communication between at least one oil tank housed within the oil tanker and said at least one buoyant reservoir; and   means for selectively filling said at least one buoyant reservoir upon detection of an oil spill from the oil tanker, whereby when the oil spill is detected, said at least one buoyant reservoir is released from the hull of the oil tanker into the water and oil from the at least one oil tank is routed to the at least one buoyant reservoir to minimize the size of the oil spill.   
     
     
         2 . The oil recovery system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said at least one oil tank comprises a plurality of oil tanks, and said at least one conduit in fluid communication between the at least one oil tank and the at least one buoyant reservoir comprises a longitudinal conduit in fluid communication with each of the plurality of oil tanks, the longitudinal conduit extending along a longitudinal axis defined by the plurality of oil tanks. 
     
     
         3 . The oil recovery system as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the at least one conduit further comprises:
 a lateral conduit in communication with the longitudinal conduit;   at least one side hull conduit in communication with the lateral conduit; and   at least one hull outlet in communication with the at least one side hull conduit for feeding the oil from the plurality of oil tanks to said at least one buoyant reservoir.   
     
     
         4 . The oil recovery system as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the at least one conduit further comprises at least one flexible hose extending between the at least one hull outlet and an inlet port of the at least one buoyant reservoir. 
     
     
         5 . The oil recovery system as recited in  claim 4 , wherein said means for selectively filling said at least one buoyant reservoir upon detection of the oil spill from the oil tanker comprises at least one pump in fluid communication with the lateral conduit. 
     
     
         6 . The oil recovery system as recited in  claim 5 , wherein said means for selectively filling said at least one buoyant reservoir upon detection of an oil spill from the oil tanker further comprises at least one tank valve for selectively opening and closing an outlet port of the at least one oil tank in fluid communication with the longitudinal conduit. 
     
     
         7 . The oil recovery system as recited in  claim 6 , wherein said means for selectively filling said at least one buoyant reservoir upon detection of an oil spill from the oil tanker further comprises at least one pump valve for selectively feeding the oil from the lateral conduit to the at least one pump. 
     
     
         8 . The oil recovery system as recited in  claim 7 , wherein said means for selectively filling said at least one buoyant reservoir upon detection of an oil spill from the oil tanker further comprises at least one hull valve for selectively opening and closing the at least one hull outlet. 
     
     
         9 . The oil recovery system as recited in  claim 8 , further comprising a plurality of primary buoyant floats secured to an upper surface of the at least one buoyant reservoir. 
     
     
         10 . The oil recovery system as recited in  claim 9 , further comprising at least one secondary buoyant float secured to the at least one flexible hose. 
     
     
         11 . The oil recovery system as recited in  claim 10 , further comprising a plurality of mooring lines extending between the hull of the oil tanker and the at least one buoyant reservoir. 
     
     
         12 . The oil recovery system as recited in  claim 11 , wherein free ends of the plurality of mooring lines are at least partially wrapped around at least one sidewall of the at least one buoyant reservoir. 
     
     
         13 . The oil recovery system as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the at least one buoyant reservoir is a parallelepiped. 
     
     
         14 . An oil recovery system, comprising:
 at least one buoyant reservoir;   means for releasably securing said at least one buoyant reservoir to a hull of an oil tanker;   a plurality of mooring lines extending between said at least one buoyant reservoir and the hull of the oil tanker.   at least one conduit in fluid communication between at least one oil tank housed within the oil tanker and said at least one buoyant reservoir; and   means for selectively filling said at least one buoyant reservoir upon detection of an oil spill from the oil tanker, whereby when the oil spill is detected, said at least one buoyant reservoir is released from the hull of the oil tanker into the water and oil from the at least one oil tank is routed to the at least one buoyant reservoir to minimize the size of the oil spill.   
     
     
         15 . The oil recovery system as recited in  claim 14 , wherein said at least one oil tank comprises a plurality of oil tanks, and said at least one conduit in fluid communication between the at least one oil tank and the at least one buoyant reservoir comprises a longitudinal conduit in fluid communication with each of the plurality of oil tanks, the longitudinal conduit extending along a longitudinal axis defined by the plurality of oil tanks. 
     
     
         16 . The oil recovery system as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the at least one conduit further comprises:
 a lateral conduit in communication with the longitudinal conduit;   at least one side hull conduit in communication with the lateral conduit;   at least one hull outlet in communication with the at least one side hull conduit for feeding the oil from the plurality of oil tanks to said at least one buoyant reservoir; and   at least one flexible hose extending between the at least one hull outlet and an inlet port of the at least one buoyant reservoir.   
     
     
         17 . The oil recovery system as recited in  claim 16 , wherein said means for selectively filling said at least one buoyant reservoir upon detection of the oil spill from the oil tanker comprises at least one pump in fluid communication with the lateral conduit. 
     
     
         18 . The oil recovery system as recited in  claim 17 , wherein said means for selectively filling said at least one buoyant reservoir upon detection of an oil spill from the oil tanker further comprises:
 at least one tank valve for selectively opening and closing an outlet port of the at least one oil tank in fluid communication with the longitudinal conduit;   at least one pump valve for selectively feeding the oil from the lateral conduit to the at least one pump; and   at least one hull valve for selectively opening and closing the at least one hull outlet.   
     
     
         19 . The oil recovery system as recited in  claim 14 , further comprising a plurality of primary buoyant floats secured to an upper surface of the at least one buoyant reservoir. 
     
     
         20 . The oil recovery system as recited in  claim 14 , wherein free ends of the plurality of mooring lines are at least partially wrapped around at least one sidewall of the at least one buoyant reservoir.