Onboard oil containment system

Abstract

An oil containment system aboard a vessel includes a pneumatic system to provide power to a winch and reel assembly containing boom whereby the pneumatic supply is capable of simultaneously powering the winch-reel assembly for boom deployment through inflatable gas fed to a pneumatic motor while also inflating the boom. The inflation of the boom is accomplished by diverting, all or any portion thereof, the inflatable gas from a pneumatic supply through a hose that runs concurrently on the outside of the boom. The pneumatic supply originates from a single pneumatic system powering both the winch and reel assembly as well as associated brake and feeding inflatable gas pressure to the inflation hose running concurrently with the boom. The system can be utilized to confine a discharge of a floating material such as hydrocarbons floating on the surface from a vessel or structure.

1 - 27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . A winch reel assembly comprising:
 a) a reel that is rotatable;   b) a motor;   c) an inflatable flow line wound in multiple wound layers upon the reel, wherein the inflatable flow line has a first end and a second end, and wherein the first end is deployable from the reel;   d) a gas delivery line that is wound on the reel and runs externally and concurrently along a length of the inflatable flow line wound on the reel for delivering pressurized gas to the wound layers of the inflatable flow line while wound on the reel, and wherein a weight of the inflatable flow line wound on the reel prevents inflation of the inflatable flow line until the inflatable flow line unwinds from the reel and is deployed from the reel;   e) a valve through which pressurized gas is deliverable to the gas delivery line and to the entire length of inflatable flow line wound on the reel;   f) a pneumatic system comprising a gas supply line and pneumatic supply, wherein the pneumatic system supplies pressurized gas via the gas supply line to the motor and also through the valve to the gas delivery line;   g) wherein activation of the pneumatic system powers the reel through pressurized gas supplied to the motor, for enabling rotation of the reel for deployment of the inflatable flow line; and   h) wherein activation of the pneumatic system also causes pressurized gas to enter the gas delivery line wound on the reel and to deliver the pressurized gas to the wound layers of the inflatable flow line, for enabling inflation of the inflatable flow line as it unwinds from the reel.   
     
     
         29 . The assembly of  claim 28  wherein the valve is located at a core of the reel and is rotatable enabling the reel to rotate while the pressurized gas is being delivered into the gas delivery line. 
     
     
         30 . The assembly of  claim 28  wherein the inflatable flow line includes a plurality of sections and wherein each said section receives pressurized gas independent of any other section of inflatable flow line on the reel. 
     
     
         31 . The assembly of  claim 28  wherein the reel is operable in a forward direction to deploy the inflatable flow line from the reel and operable in a reverse direction to rewind the inflatable flow line on reel. 
     
     
         32 . The assembly in  claim 28 , wherein the pressurized gas enters the gas delivery line wound on the reel at a point other than a first-off or a last-off section of the inflatable flow line. 
     
     
         33 . The assembly in  claim 28 , wherein the pressurized gas first enters the gas delivery line wound on the reel at a point not concurrent with a last-off section of inflatable flow line. 
     
     
         34 . The assembly in  claim 28  wherein the pneumatic system is operable to control pace of deployment of the inflatable flow line. 
     
     
         35 . The assembly in  claim 28  wherein the pressurized gas comprises pressurized air. 
     
     
         36 . The assembly in  claim 28  wherein the gas delivery line is adapted to deliver pressurized gas into the inflatable flow line through multiple connecting hoses connecting multiple outlets on the gas delivery line to multiple inlets on the inflatable flow line while at least some of the inflatable flow line is wound on the reel. 
     
     
         37 . The assembly in  claim 28  wherein the gas delivery line includes injection nozzles for delivering the pressurized gas to sections of inflatable flow line along a length of the inflatable flow line. 
     
     
         38 . The assembly in  claim 28  wherein the gas delivery line is coupled to the inflatable flow line. 
     
     
         39 . The assembly in  claim 28  wherein the inflatable flow line on the reel is deployable from a vessel. 
     
     
         40 . A reel deployment system comprising:
 a) a reel that is rotatable and has a core;   b) a motor;   c) an inflatable flow line wound in multiple wound layers upon the reel;   d) a gas delivery line that is wound on the reel with the inflatable flow line that delivers pressurized gas to the wound layers of the inflatable flow line while wound on the reel;   e) a gas source wherein the gas source supplies pressurized gas to the motor and also to the gas delivery line;   g) wherein activation of the gas source powers the reel through pressurized gas supplied to the motor to rotate the reel in a forward direction; and   h) wherein activation of the source supplies pressurized gas to the gas delivery line wound on the reel so that the inflatable flow line is inflated as it is deployed from the reel.   
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 40  wherein the inflatable flow line includes different sections and each section receives pressurized gas independent of any other section of inflatable flow line on the reel. 
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 40  wherein the source enables operation of the reel in a forward direction to deploy the inflatable flow line from the reel in an inflated state and operates the reel in a reverse direction to rewind the inflatable flow line on the reel. 
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 40  wherein the pressurized gas enters the gas delivery line wound on the reel at a point other than a first-off or a last-off section of the inflatable flow line. 
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 40  wherein the source controls pace of deployment of the inflatable flow line. 
     
     
         45 . The system of  claim 40  wherein the gas delivery line delivers pressurized gas into the inflatable flow line through multiple connecting hoses connecting multiple outlets on the gas delivery line to multiple inlets on the inflatable flow line while at least some of the inflatable flow line is wound on the reel. 
     
     
         46 . The system of  claim 40  wherein the gas delivery line includes injection nozzles that deliver the pressurized gas to sections of inflatable flow line along a length of the inflatable flow line. 
     
     
         47 . An inflatable barrier deployment system:
 a) a reel that is rotatable and has a core;   b) an inflatable flow line wound in multiple wound layers on a the reel, wherein the inflatable flow line has a first end and a second end, and wherein the first end is deployable from the reel;   c) a gas line wound with the inflatable flow line on the reel that runs externally and concurrently along a length of the inflatable flow line;   d) a gas supply which is operable to deliver pressurized gas to the gas line and to the length of the inflatable flow line while wound on the reel at a point that is not concurrent with the first end or second end of the inflatable flow line;   e) a valve through which the pressurized gas from the gas supply is deliverable to the gas line and to the entire length of inflatable flow line wound on the reel, wherein the valve is located at the core of the reel and is rotatable enabling the reel to rotate while the pressurized gas is being delivered into the gas delivery line;   f) wherein rotation of the reel in a forward direction enables simultaneous deployment of a filled inflatable flow line starting with the first end of the inflatable flow line as it is deployed from the reel.