Oil spills are increasingly becoming a big threat for the sea, the marine life and various other research activities conducted in the depths of seas and other mass water bodies. Many organizations have been working in the area of containing oil spills so far. One such successful attempt has been made by the Norwegian research organization, SINTEF. The prototype has worked well in rough water, and we are hoping that it would work equally well on a big scale too.
The model is very simple. There is a huge grating, on which a pierced pipe and a compressor is attached. The entire model which includes hoses and grating are submerged under the surface of water, around 2 meters beneath it. When the bubbles begin to come out from the hoses it forms a dense wall of bubbles. When these bubbles rise up in the water, they naturally carry water also along with them. When this water reaches the surface of the water body, it forms into a horizontal current which the oil drops are not able to cross.
The research team had successfully tried the model in calmer waters and after getting encouraging results, they tried the same prototype in the gale force winds of Norway. This place is famous for its strong currents. In view of safety of marine life, instead of oil, some other environmentally friendly material was used. The research team is quite encouraged with the results and believes that this model can work in the most chaotic situations too. The only weak link is the strength of the compressor. In order to make this equipment functional in most rough weathers, a strong compressor is required which can force out more air from the hoses.
The other plus point of this equipment is that boats can sail even when the equipment is working, unlike the traditional booms where work gets hampered. However best results will be seen when this equipment will be used in conjunction with the booms.
via: Gizmag
