US 12,071,214 B2
Self-orienting suction point for fluid transportation
Liam Long, Washington, DC (US); Christian Burzycki, Washington, DC (US); Glen Armstrong, Washington, DC (US); and Joseph Camean, Old Lyme, CT (US)
Assigned to The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of Homeland Security, Washington, DC (US)
Filed by The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of Homeland Security, Washington, DC (US)
Filed on Jun. 14, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/209,672.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/352,440, filed on Jun. 15, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0406472 A1, Dec. 21, 2023
Int. Cl. B63H 21/38 (2006.01); F16K 17/36 (2006.01); F01M 11/00 (2006.01)
CPC B63H 21/386 (2013.01) [F16K 17/363 (2013.01); F01M 2011/0075 (2013.01); Y10T 137/0923 (2015.04)] 24 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A fluid transportation method for a vessel in rolling motion around a pivoting axis, the fluid transportation method comprising:
attaching a first suction pipe to the vessel to move with the vessel in rolling motion, the first suction pipe having a first proximal end and a first distal end, the first distal end having a first intake opening configured to be submerged in a fluid reservoir of a fluid in a container to take in the fluid and transport the fluid through the first suction pipe out through the first proximal end;
attaching a second suction pipe to the vessel to move with the vessel in rolling motion, the second suction pipe having a second proximal end and a second distal end, the second distal end having a second intake opening configured to be submerged in the fluid reservoir in the container to take in the fluid and transport the fluid through the second suction pipe out through the second proximal end; the first suction pipe and the second suction pipe being attached to the vessel on opposite sides of a vertical plane that passes through the pivoting axis of the rolling motion to move with the vessel in rolling motion, the first intake opening being disposed in the fluid reservoir at a position lower than the second intake opening as the first suction pipe and the second suction pipe move with the vessel in a first rolling direction of the rolling motion, and the second intake opening being disposed in the fluid reservoir at a position lower than the first intake opening as the first suction pipe and the second suction pipe move with the vessel in a second rolling direction of the rolling motion opposite from the first rolling direction;
coupling a valve device to the first proximal end of the first suction pipe and the second proximal end of the second suction pipe, the valve device moving toward a maximally opened position for the first proximal end of the first suction pipe and to move toward a maximally closed position for the second proximal end of the second suction pipe as the first suction pipe and the second suction pipe move with the vessel in the first rolling direction of the rolling motion, the valve device moving toward a maximally opened position for the second proximal end of the second suction pipe and moving toward to a maximally closed position for the first proximal end of the first suction pipe as the first suction pipe and the second suction pipe move with the vessel in the second rolling direction of the rolling motion;
coupling a first one-way valve with the first distal end of the first suction pipe to allow one-way flow from the first distal end to the first proximal end; and
coupling a second one-way valve with the second distal end of the second suction pipe to allow one-way flow from the second distal end to the second proximal end.