Presentation
In-situ Burning with a Floating Flame Refluxer System
SessionIn-Situ Burning
DescriptionIn-situ burning is a technique of corralling an oil spill in the ocean using a fire boom, forming a capture area, and then burning the oil within this area. The technique has been an effective countermeasure in cleaning oil spills under various circumstances. This study presents the advancement toward developing a self-floating sea-worthy Flame Refluxer (FR) system that can be directly attached to the apex of a fire boom. The FR system comprises of multiple corrugated copper modules enclosed in a burn area. When fuel flows into the containment area, the FR modules collect heat from the fire to preheat and vaporize the fuel layer, resulting in an enhanced burn. The first phase of the experiment involved testing the FR technology on a 1:6 scale (0.6 m x 0.3 m) using side floats, which increased the burn rate by approximately three times. A larger scale burn (3.6 m x 1.8 m) was then conducted at the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL), which showed that the FR system increased the burn rate by approximately 2.6 times compared to the baseline (no-FR) case. The FR system also reduced the CO/CO2 ratio by approximately 45% in both the small- and large-scale experiments. The final phase of the experiment evaluated the sea-worthiness of the floating FR system at OHMSETT (Oil and Hazardous Materials Simulated Environmental Test Tank). The system was attached to a boom and towed at speeds ranging from 0.25 to 2 knots in various wave conditions to examine the system's oil flow from the boom to the containment area and oil containment efficiency. The results indicated that the oil was effectively fed into the system for tow speeds greater than 0.5 knots for all wave conditions, with oil feed rates increasing with tow speed.
Event Type
Paper
TimeTuesday, May 14th3:50pm - 4:10pm CDT
Location288-290
Response