BSEE funds submersible oil skimmer tests

In a project funded by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, Albion Sciences and Technologies has been using BSEE’s Ohmsett test tank to try out a prototype submersible skimmer for recovering spilled oil from ice infested waters. According to the latest Ohmsett newsletter, the idea is that the device will operate from below the water surface, rather than above, thus enabling the device to navigate under ice to reach otherwise difficult to access oil contaminated locations.

The newsletter says that the prototype device consists of a drum oil skimmer and three remote operated vehicles mounted to an aluminum frame. A protective cage structure prevents ice from interfering with the oil recovery process.

Staff engineers at Ohmsett designed and developed a new system for producing ice blocks for the test tank. Chiller boxes and frames froze and stored the ice, thus adding new Arctic simulation capabilities to the test facility, the Ohmsett newsletter says.

After testing the device’s maneuverability in the water, tests were initiated by the placement of ice and diesel fuel oil in a boomed test area. The device was place in the water outside this area and then caused to travel underwater to surface among the oil and ice to start recovering the oil.

“The prototype was able to successfully submerge, maneuver under the ice, surface within the field and recover diesel oil,” said Kristi McKinney, BSEE project manager, “Next steps will be to review test results with an eye towards future development of this concept.”

- ALAN BAILEY