Floating barrier

Abstract

The invention concerns one or more floating barriers for use together with a conventional floating barrier for use in collecting oil on a water surface. The floating barriers are of the kind where the submerged part is partially penetrable for water and oil, thereby providing an impeding but not blocking effect on a passing flow of water. The function of the floating barriers is based on the fact that by disposition upstream relative to the conventional floating barrier and together with the latter they will constitute a total system which can be moved through an oil-contaminated body of water with substantially greater speed than a conventional floating barrier, without leaking oil behind the floating barrier system. The invention particularly concerns conditions of the geometry, spacing and draught of the water-penetrable liquid barriers.

1 . A floating barrier system including a conventional floating barrier and at least two liquid-penetrable auxiliary barriers, where the at least two liquid-penetrable auxiliary barriers are arranged in front of a conventional floating barrier, and where the liquid-penetrating effect is achieved by a given degree of perforation, wherein the conventional liquid barrier as well as the at least two liquid-penetrable floating barriers extend over a horizontal length from one end to another end at a vertical depth from an upper edge to an lower edge, wherein at least one of the at least two liquid-penetrable auxiliary barriers are made with a degree of perforation which is different from at least one other liquid-penetrable auxiliary barrier. 
     
     
         2 . A floating barrier system according to  claim 1 , wherein the liquid-penetrable system is arranged with a front/first liquid-penetrable auxiliary barrier with a first degree of perforation, and at least with one other liquid-penetrable auxiliary barrier with a second degree of perforation, wherein the front liquid-penetrable auxiliary barrier is provided with a greater degree of perforation than a subsequent liquid-penetrable auxiliary barrier. 
     
     
         3 . A floating barrier system according to  claim 1 , wherein the degree of perforation of a liquid-penetrable auxiliary barrier is substantially uniform in its full horizontal length. 
     
     
         4 . A floating barrier system according to  claim 1 , wherein the degree of perforation of a liquid-penetrable auxiliary barrier varies over the horizontal length. 
     
     
         5 . A floating barrier system according to  claim 1 , wherein the individual liquid-penetrable floating barriers have different vertical depths. 
     
     
         6 . A floating barrier system according to  claim 5 , wherein the front/first liquid-penetrable floating barrier is provided with a greater depth than a subsequent liquid-penetrable floating barrier. 
     
     
         7 . A floating barrier system according to  claim 5 , wherein the front/first liquid-penetrable floating barrier is provided with a lesser depth than a subsequent liquid-penetrable floating barrier. 
     
     
         8 . A floating barrier system according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one liquid-penetrable floating barrier includes one or more vertical crossbars extending from the upper edge of the at least one liquid-penetrable floating barrier towards its lower edge. 
     
     
         9 . A floating barrier system according to  claim 1 , wherein the spacing between the individual auxiliary barriers is made such that the spacing (b) is between 80 and 150% of the spacing (c), and that the spacing (a) is between 80 and 150% of the spacing (b).