Marine vessel landing site barrier

Abstract

A method and apparatus for a marine vessel landing site barrier is described. The apparatus includes a barrier adapted to at least partially surround a marine vessel and partition the water surrounding the marine vessel to prevent or minimize marine species from entering water intake systems located on the marine vessel. The barrier prevents ingress and egress of marine species from entering the water surrounding the marine vessel, which facilitates efficient operation of water intake and exchange systems on the vessel.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 938,549, filed May 17, 2007, which is incorporated by reference herein.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention generally relates to water collection systems for ballast water, cooling water, and auxiliary service water on marine or naval vessels. More particularly, this invention relates to a system and method for filtering water before reaching the vessel ballast, cooling, and auxiliary systems.[0004]2. Description of the Related Art[0005]Marine vessels, such as cargo ships and cruise ships, have been used for years to transport cargo and / or people from port to port all over the world. The ports are typically located onshore near a body of water, and the ships are typically moored nearby to facilitate loading and unloading of the cargo or people. To provide for the operation of the vessel, there are provisions ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011]The embodiments described herein generally provide a method and apparatus for a marine vessel landing site barrier. The apparatus includes a barrier adapted to at least partially surround a marine vessel and partition the water surrounding the marine vessel from a greater body of water. The barrier prevents marine species from entering the water surrounding the marine vessel and facilitates efficient operation of water intake and exchange systems on the vessel.

[0012]In one embodiment, a docking facility is described. The docking facility includes a bulkhead defining a slip having at least one opening through which a marine vessel may pass, a dock coupled to at least a portion of the bulkhead, and a water permeable barrier positioned to selectively occupy the opening, the barrier adapted to prevent ingress and egress of marine species through the opening.

Problems solved by technology

While these inlet conduits may include a grating or mesh to filter large debris during operation, the gratings typically do not exclude smaller debris and / or marine life, such as aquatic species of plants and animals.

The introduction of certain marine life into the vessel's water intake system, for example fish species inadvertently pulled into the inlet conduit, may injure or kill the fish irrespective of the duty the water will perform aboard the vessel.

Moreover, in the case of water brought aboard for ballast service, any marine biota surviving transfer into a ballast tank will be locationally displaced.

This injury, unintentional eradication, or locational displacement of the fish may negatively impact the ecological balance in the body of water in which the vessel is docked, and the possibility of negative environmental impact to fish may limit the docking or landing possibilities of the vessel.

For example, estuaries, preserves, and other ecologically sensitive or protected marine areas may not be available as potential landing sites for the vessel.

This limited docking potential may, in turn, prevent or minimize commercial ventures in certain areas, or may limit the availability of certain products in an area where the products may be used, thus requiring the products to be off-loaded at distant ports and transported to the area by alternate means.

Challenges exist for these companies as the typical vessel to be moored at the landing site may be an older vessel and / or is not equipped to limit impact to the area due to the age of the vessel, or the vessel is mechanically deficient of some apparatus that may limit environmental impact.

For example, the companies that operate the landing sites often do not have a say in the age or manufacture of the vessel that is used to transport the cargo to the landing site.

Thus, these companies have been challenged to make these vessels more ecologically friendly without major redesigns in the vessel itself.

Images