DEVELOPMENT OF A FLOATING OIL SLICK DETECTOR

The report describes a series of laboratory tests aimed at the initial development of a floating oil slick detector. In principle the detector operates like a viscometer, with a cylinder spinning inside a slightly larger cylindrical shroud partially submerged in the water surface. An oil slick causes the spinner to become coated with oil (rather than water) so that the shaft torque and the electrical current through the drive motor both increase. The increased current can be used to close a relay and thereby signal the presence of floating oil. The test results indicate that all the oil slicks are readily detected by most of the spinner-shroud configurations, and that there is also a limited capability to discriminate the types and thicknesses of oil slicks. (Modified author abstract)

• Corporate Authors:

  URS Research Company

  155 Bovet Road
  San Mateo, CA  United States  94402
• Authors:
  • Kriebel, A R
• Publication Date: 1973-11

Media Info

• Pagination: 139 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Detectors; Monitoring; Oil spill cleanup; Pollution control; Water quality management
• Old TRIS Terms: Oil spill detection; Oil spill monitoring; Pollution abatement measures
• Subject Areas: Environment; Marine Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00057215
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: URS-7221-11 Final Rpt.
• Contract Numbers: DOT-CG-24,670-A
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 16 1974 12:00AM