Exhaust vent hoods for marine vessels and related methods

Abstract

An embodiment of an exhaust collection system for collecting exhaust from a marine vessel includes an exhaust cleaning assembly including a tank. In addition, the exhaust collection system includes a vent hood in fluid communication with the tank of the exhaust cleaning assembly. The vent hood includes a frame including one or more extendable frame members, and an outer covering that covers the frame to define an enclosure with an opening configured to receive an exhaust stack of the marine vessel therethrough, the one or more extendable frame members to extend and retract to adjust a size of the opening.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An exhaust collection system to collect exhaust from a marine vessel, the exhaust collection system comprising:
 an exhaust cleaning assembly; and   a vent hood positioned to be in fluid communication with a tank, the vent hood including
 one or more extendable frame member, and 
 an outer covering positioned to cover at least portions of the one or more extendable frame member so as to define an enclosure with an opening to receive an exhaust stack of the marine vessel therethrough, the one or more extendable frame members to extend and retract, thereby to adjust a size of the opening. 
   
     
     
         2 . The exhaust collection system of  claim 1 , wherein the outer covering defines a housing of the vent hood, wherein the housing has an upper end and a lower end spaced from the upper end along a central axis, and wherein the housing further includes one or more side surfaces that are oriented at a selected angle to the central axis such that the extension of the one or more extendable frame member is configured to increase a length of the one or more side surfaces to diverge a lower edge of the one or more side surfaces radially away from the central axis. 
     
     
         3 . The exhaust collection system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more extendable frame member is configured to extend to increase a size of the opening and to retract to decrease a size of the opening. 
     
     
         4 . The exhaust collection system of  claim 3 , wherein the one or more extendable frame member is configured to extend to increase a length of the vent hood. 
     
     
         5 . The exhaust collection system of  claim 3 , wherein the one or more extendable frame members includes an outer sheath and an inner member coaxially nested within the outer sheath, and wherein the inner member is configured to extend out of and retract into the outer sheath. 
     
     
         6 . The exhaust collection system of  claim 5 , wherein the inner member of the one or more extendable frame members is connected to the outer covering. 
     
     
         7 . The exhaust collection system of  claim 5 , wherein the one or more extendable frame members is configured as an extendable piston-cylinder assembly. 
     
     
         8 . The exhaust collection system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a relief vent fluidly connected to the enclosure;   a sensor configured to detect one or more of a pressure or a temperature within the enclosure; and   a controller connected to the relief vent and the sensor, the controller configured to:
 receive an indication of the pressure or temperature within the enclosure via the sensor, and 
 open the relief vent based on one or more of: the pressure or the temperature within the enclosure. 
   
     
     
         9 . The exhaust collection system of  claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to:
 determine when the pressure or the temperature within the enclosure is above a first threshold,   open the relief vent based on the determination when the pressure or the temperature within the enclosure is above the first threshold,   determine that the pressure or the temperature within the enclosure is above a second threshold, the second threshold being higher than the first threshold, and   cause a crane to lift the vent hood from the exhaust stack of the marine vessel.   
     
     
         10 . The exhaust collection system of  claim 1 , further comprising a relief vent fluidly connected to the enclosure and configured to selectively open to allow the exhaust to flow out of the vent hood via the relief vent. 
     
     
         11 . The exhaust collection system of  claim 1 , wherein the vent hood includes one or more seals configured to engage with an outer surface of the exhaust stack of the marine vessel to prevent exhaust from flowing out of the vent hood via the opening. 
     
     
         12 . A vent hood to collect exhaust from a marine vessel, the vent hood comprising:
 an enclosure housing including an opening positioned to extend into the enclosure housing;   an engagement adjustment assembly positioned to adjust a size of the opening; and   a seal positioned to contact an outer surface of an exhaust stack of the marine vessel when the enclosure housing is lowered onto the exhaust stack, the seal positioned at least partially within the enclosure and connected to the engagement adjustment assembly so that the seal expands and contracts as the engagement adjustment assembly adjusts the size of the opening.   
     
     
         13 . The vent hood of  claim 12 , wherein the engagement adjustment assembly is configured to increase a length of the housing, thereby to increase the size of the opening. 
     
     
         14 . The vent hood of  claim 13 , wherein the housing further comprises:
 a central axis, an upper end, and a lower end spaced from the upper end along the central axis so that the opening is positioned at the lower end, and   a side surface that is oriented at an acute angle to the central axis such that the engagement adjustment assembly is configured to increase a length of the side surface to diverge a lower edge of the side surface radially away from the central axis, thereby to increase the size of the opening.   
     
     
         15 . The vent hood of  claim 13 , wherein the engagement adjustment assembly includes one or more extendable frame members, each including:
 an outer sheath, and   an inner member coaxially nested within the outer sheath, wherein the inner member is configured to extend out of and retract into the outer sheath, and   wherein at least one of the one or more extendable frame members is configured as an extendable piston-cylinder assembly.   
     
     
         16 . The vent hood of  claim 15 , further comprising a relief vent fluidly connected to the enclosure and configured to open, thereby to allow the exhaust to flow out of the vent hood via the relief vent. 
     
     
         17 . The vent hood of  claim 12 , wherein the seal comprises one or more of a baffle plate or a compliant seal. 
     
     
         18 . A method of collecting exhaust from a marine vessel, the method comprising:
 (a) positioning a vent hood over an exhaust stack of the marine vessel, the vent hood including (i) an enclosure housing having an opening and (ii) one or more extendable frame member;   (b) adjusting a length of the one or more extendable frame member to adjust a size of the opening; and   (c) positioning the exhaust stack into the opening so as to receive exhaust when emitted from the exhaust stack.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein each of the one or more extendable frame member includes an outer sheath and an inner member coaxially nested within the outer sheath, wherein the inner member is configured to extend out of and retract into the outer sheath, and wherein step (b) includes for the one or more extendable frame member, flowing a fluid into the sheath to extend the inner member out of or retract the inner member into the sheath. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the housing includes one or more side surfaces positioned at a selected angle to a vertical axis of the housing, and wherein step (b) further includes increasing a length of the one or more side surfaces to move a lower edge of the one or more side surfaces radially away from the vertical axis.