Abstract: A placement and orienting apparatus for a pump and water passing pipe assembly includes a wheeled trailer supporting the pump and water passing pipe assembly; an upper frame structure; a lower frame structure; a turntable bearing assembly positioned between and interconnecting the upper and lower frame assemblies and permitting rotation of the upper frame structure relative to the lower frame structure; a motor drivably connected to one of the upper frame structure, the lower frame structure and the turntable bearing assembly to rotate the upper frame structure and the trailer relative to the lower frame structure and the ground; and at least one upright hydraulic cylinder having a cylinder lower end connected to the upper frame structure and having a cylinder upper end connected to the trailer to drive the upper and lower frame assemblies downwardly together from the trailer so that the lower frame structure makes contact with the ground and elevates the trailer from the ground.

Abstract: There are disclosed a method of and system including a ship for recovery of oil from an oil spill. The system includes a main ocean-going ship having a floating intake device with large submersible pumps; a clarifier system in the ship for separating the oil from the water; a discharge system for discharging the separated water; a bow thurster for laterally positioning the bow; a plurality of other vessels using floatable oil recovery booms for containing the spill and urging it toward the oil recovery ship, and pumps for pumping the processed oil back to shore or to another ship. A plurality of secondary and smaller vessels each having pumping means associated therewith which are operable for directing either a surface current or a current in the water for displacing objects and substances on or in water.

Abstract: There are disclosed a method of and system including a ship for recovery of oil from an oil spill. The system includes a main ocean-going ship having a floating intake device with large submersible pumps; a clarifier system in the ship for separating the oil from the water; a discharge system for discharging the separated water; a bow thruster for laterally positioning the bow; a plurality of other vessels using floatable oil recovery booms for containing the spill and urging it toward the oil recovery ship, and pumps for pumping the processed oil back to shore or to another ship. A plurality of secondary and smaller vessels each having pumping means associated therewith. The smaller vessels can use booms to contain the spill and can have their pumping means operated so as to create controlled currents in preselected directions.

Abstract: There are disclosed a method of and system including a ship for recovery of oil from an oil spill. The system includes an ocean-going ship having a floating intake device with large submersible pumps; a clarifier system in the ship for separating the oil form the water; a discharge system for discharging the separated water; a bow thruster for laterally positioning the bow; a plurality of other vessels using floatable oil recovery booms for containing the spill and urging it toward the oil recovery ship, and pumps for pumping the processed oil back to shore or to another ship.

Abstract: Pumping system with a desilting arrangement having a bidirectional water pump disposed in a housing which has a pump inlet and a pump outlet. The system also has a silt blow-out pipe with a desilting valve therein, connected at one end to the pump outlet and having the other end spaced a certain distance away from the pump inlet and below the water level. Desilting is performed by opening the desilting valve and operating the pump in reverse direction for blowing silt, accumulated at the pump outlet, away.

Abstract: The hydraulic turbine system includes:an electric generator;rotary turbine blades;a hydraulic pump for operation by rotation of the turbine blades;a hydraulic motor for driving the generator;a hydraulic reservoir;and connections between the pump, the motor and the reservoir for causing the motor to operate in response to rotation of the turbine blades by water flow.In the present improvement, the turbine blades and the hydraulic pump are unified in an axial flow unit which has an annular outer casing through which water flows to drive the turbine blades which in turn drive the pump. The motor, the generator and the reservoir may be located remotely from the axial flow unit. The axial flow unit is preferably generally U-shaped so that it can be placed inverted over a dam with the legs extending down into the water on opposite sides of the dam.

Abstract: The present hydraulic system for driving a submersible pumping unit has an above-ground pump for pumping oil through a hydraulic motor in the submersible pumping unit which has a gate valve to prevent the reverse flow of water after the submersible pumping unit is turned off. A pressure regulating valve limits the oil pressure to the hydraulic motor. The inlet flow to the above-ground pump is filtered. In the present improvement, the hydraulic surge at start-up and shut-down is cushioned by bypassing hydraulic fluid through an accumulator which causes pressure at the motor in the submersible pumping unit to build-up relatively gradually at start-up and decrease relatively gradually at shut-down.