When the FEB-I is deployed and operational during an oil spill emergency at sea, the oil will typically be contained by oil booms, and the oil-mixed water collected in FEB-I by the specially designed belt skimmer. In FEB-I's holding tank, the oil will separate from the water and collect at the top of the holding tank, due to the lower density of the oil, while the water will sink towards the bottom where it flows out through a filter at the bottom of the holding tank, which prevents the oil from flowing back into the sea.
To prevent the oil from flowing all the way down to the filter and eventually blocking the filter, the oil level in the holding tank must be monitored continuously so the skimmer can be stopped, and the collection of oil-mixed water stopped in due time.
FLEX-FEB has therefore, in collaboration with an internationally recognized manufacturer of sensors for industrial use, performed a series of laboratory tests of sensors in different oil / water mixtures to test the quality and reliability of the sensors, as well as their ability to detect different types of oil in water. The tests demonstrated that the sensors can detect different types and solutions of oil in water, and on this basis FLEX-FEB has selected the type of sensor to be mounted and tested on a larger scale in FEB-I.
Here you can see the clear difference between diesel oil and water, and the sensors immersed in the oil / water mixture.
Here you can see the separation of diesel oil from the water, shortly after the diesel oil and water have been mixed to a homogeneous liquid. The sensors can detect the varying concentrations of oil in the water.
Comments