Full contact floating roof

Abstract

A full contact floating roof for use in covering fluid bodies, such as storage tanks containing hydrocarbon fluids, allowing ease of construction, high integrity, and low maintenance cost.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A full contact floating roof having a top, a bottom, and a perimeter, comprising 
 a plurality of selectively interlinkable buoyant cells, comprising an interior and an exterior, and    a linkage between at least two of said cells, wherein said linkage and said cells are essentially impermeable to hydrocarbon fluids and vapors.    
     
     
         2 . The full contact floating roof of  claim 1 , wherein said buoyant cells comprise fiber reinforced plastic shells.  
     
     
         3 . The full contact floating roof of  claim 1 , wherein said buoyant cells comprise fiberglass shells.  
     
     
         4 . The full contact floating roof of  claim 1 , wherein said buoyant cells are formed by extrusion.  
     
     
         5 . The full contact floating roof of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said buoyant cells comprises at least one interior riser.  
     
     
         6 . The full contact floating roof of  claim 5 , wherein at least one interior riser essentially divides the interior of said buoyant cell into a first interior segment and a second interior segment.  
     
     
         7 . The full contact floating roof of  claim 6 , wherein said first interior segment and said second interior segment are not in gaseous or liquid communication.  
     
     
         8 . The full contact floating roof of  claim 1 , wherein said interior contains a gas.  
     
     
         9 . The full contact floating roof of  claim 8 , wherein said gas is inert.  
     
     
         10 . The full contact floating roof of  claim 1 , wherein said interior contains an intermescent material.  
     
     
         11 . The full contact floating roof of  claim 1 , wherein said interior is in signal communication with a vapor detector.  
     
     
         12 . The full contact floating roof of  claim 1 , wherein said interior is in signal communication with a fluid detector.  
     
     
         13 . The full contact floating roof of  claim 1 , wherein said buoyant cells are essentially square-angle parallelepipeds.  
     
     
         14 . The full contact floating roof of  claim 1 , wherein said linkage comprises a formed rigid strip, and wherein said buoyant cells comprise interlocks capable of securely receiving said formed rigid strip.  
     
     
         15 . The full contact floating roof of  claim 1 , wherein said linkage comprises an adhesive.  
     
     
         16 . The full contact floating roof of  claim 1 , wherein said linkage comprises a fiberglass epoxy.  
     
     
         17 . The full contact floating roof of  claim 1 , additionally comprising a seal around the perimeter of said floating roof.  
     
     
         18 . The full contact floating roof of  claim 1 , additionally comprising lift points attached to said top of said floating roof.  
     
     
         19 . The full contact floating roof of  claim 1 , additionally comprising a drain providing fluid communication from said top of said floating roof to said bottom of said floating roof.