Icebreaker Tests Out Oil Spill Recovery System
Published on by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network in Technology
A Finnish icebreaker has conducted an oil spill response exercise in the Baltic Sea, testing a new, inbuilt oil recovery system — a first for an icebreaker.
The vessel, Polaris, can collect 1,400 cubic meters (49,000 cubic feet) of oil, even in harsh and icy weather conditions. The Polaris operates mainly in the Baltic but can also reach large parts of the Arctic Ocean during the summer months.
The highly automated system opens hatches on each side of the vessel from which inflatable oil containment booms are deployed. With the vessel positioned in the path of an oil spill, these booms can trap pollutants, pushing them into hull of the ship. A skimmer with brushes then separates seawater from the oil, which is stored in large tanks.
Polaris' icebreaking capabilities means the vessel can intervene in oil spills in icy waters, but the cold brings another set of problems: oil gets thicker at colder temperatures. So the system is heated, to allow the pumping of oil with very high viscosity.
Read Full Article: ABC News
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