This design applies a catenary, the suspended-chain-like inner edge of the near figure above ; (based upon the hyperbolic cosine),

and the reflected positive limb of its hyperbolic sine sister curve, (the spear-like outer edge), to the problem of collecting oil from a spill or blowout from the surface of rough seas .

The form's cross-sections are elliptical ; and, except at center, are perpendicular to the outer edge .

At the center their height to width ratio is pi to one, and this is reduced along the limbs until at their ends the ratio is one to one, (circular) .

As the reduction is keyed to x input rather than to sweep, most of it occurs close to center ; (this can be changed) .

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I imagine that the limb's shape and structural integrity will (or would) be maintained by regular, ellipsoid section-braces, linked together by one or more high-strength, flexible lines and/or horizontal sheets ;

allowing them to move up and down freely with the waves, but tending to pull the limbs back into their overall shape if and when they are deflected to the side .

In use, it is meant to float half submerged, (as seen in the top figure), with most of the necessary ballast incorporated into the lower parts of the section braces .

The skin i imagine as of a flexible oil-resistant material, likely a form of rubber .

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What seems the best application would be to tow it by its limbs behind two boats ; ocean tugs might work well .

As it moves through the water, surface oil should collect near the high 'back wall' ; where i imagine it would be fairly well contained in seas low or high, (up to a point) .

The peak of the back wall could hold navigation lights : red to port, green to starboard ; to facilitate night-time skimming operations .

These towing vessels could work in independent pairs, or advance in formation : as a broken line, with two tugs to each 'crazy diamond' / 'clam on stilts', (two names, same device) ;

or as a chain whose inner tugs towed one limb of two adjacent diamonds ; and in doing so form a dragnet for the oil .

The tugs could be outfitted to incinerate oil quickly, or, given time, to transfer it via floating hose to a tanker or tankers .

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Though it should be possible to design crazy diamond with ports at the base of the rear wall -- to pass the oil up through hoses running like central nerves through its limbs to the tugs -- there may be a better use for this space .

However the oil is retrieved, one will want to screen out surface debris ; and to clear such debris, (such as discarded plastic shopping bags), which might come to cover the screens .

An approach might be as follows : Begin with a 'laundry line' loop of netting in a shallow arc between the tugs, to screen out most debris .

Behind this, a 'necklace' line could hold moveable anchor points for two surface hoses, (one from each tug), which ran to 'pendant' floats having the buoyancy of heavy crude oil .

These could be given line to drift backward, 'hung', near the clam's high wall where the oil was collecting .

To assist in their placement at night, one could carry a blue lamp, and the other a white .

If the screen on one of them got covered-over with debris, it could be pulled back up and cleared while, hopefully, the other continued to collect oil .

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One issue in the design is the potential for the back, (and/or areas nearby), where the draft is fairly deep, to tip forward over the water when towed ;

allowing oil to escape beneath, or distorting the overall form so that it escaped farther up the limbs .

The most direct means of addressing this would be to include one or two propellers or pump-jets/jet-outlets on the back of the clam, (and possibly nearby sections), nearer the bottom .

The center area (at least) should have enough space for these, (with neutral-buoyancy volume) .

I think that pneumatic, hydraulic or electric power from the tugs, (run through cables in the centers of the limbs), would be better here than internal combustion ;

as the back of this device will be bathed in crude oil and its (potentially ignitable) fumes, which would at the least play havoc with the fuel-air ratio in cylinders .

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This post refines the previous figures by extending the limbs to a more realistic length ;

and by setting a minimum radius, (1/64), for their cross-section, (this brings them slightly out of math-perfect geometry when applied) .

I had imagined the design could be an independent vessel . I now see a variety of reasons why that would be overreaching, and less effective .