Two-Dimensional Computational and Physical Modeling of High-Speed Oil Spill Containment Booms
Publication: Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal, and Ocean Engineering
Volume 147, Issue 6
Abstract
The main measure of response to aquatic oil spills is the mechanical containment and recovery from the water surface. The majority of containment booms are not effective when the relative current/tow speed exceeds approximately 1 knot. A research study was conducted to assess the performance of some existing booms and to propose improved and novel boom concepts for use in high-speed situations. Studied booms included conventional single-skirt and L-shaped booms, and boom systems involving screens and ramped skirts. The study included two-dimensional computational fluid dynamics simulations and physical modeling experiments. The computational modeling utilized the open-source OpenFOAM toolbox briefly validated prior to computational modeling of high-speed boom concepts. The physical modeling component was conducted in a 95-m-long and 2-m-wide wave-current flume. Despite some differences in the details of what was computationally and physically modeled, the boom performance and containment success were generally consistent. Among several studied boom concepts, ramped-boom and screen-boom systems were most promising for the containment of light and medium oils in relative speeds of 2–3 knots.
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Acknowledgments
Many NRC colleagues made important contributions to the success of this research project, and their efforts are hereby acknowledged with gratitude. In particular, Mr. Michel Brassard, Mr. Yvan Brunet, Mr. John Marquardt, and Mr. Amanj Rahman warrant special recognition for their dependable technical support throughout the physical model experiments. The authors also wish to acknowledge helpful discussions with Ms. Kristi McKinney from the US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and Mr. Steve Potter from SL Ross Environmental Research Ltd. and thank them for their contributions to this study. This study was partially funded by BSEE, under Contract No. E17PC00002.
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Information
Published In
Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal, and Ocean Engineering
Volume 147 • Issue 6 • November 2021
Copyright
Crown Copyright © 2021 Published by American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jan 21, 2021
Accepted: Jun 10, 2021
Published online: Aug 4, 2021
Published in print: Nov 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Jan 4, 2022
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