Evaluating a Protocol for Testing Fire-Resistant Oil-Spill Containment Boom.
Evaluating a Protocol for Testing Fire-Resistant
Oil-Spill Containment Boom.
(1743 K)
Walton, W. D.; Twilley, W. H.; Hiltabrand, R. R.;
Mullin, J. V.
NIST SP 995; Volume 2; March 2003.
Arctic and Marine Oilspill Program (AMOP) Technical
Seminar, 21st. Environment Canada. Volume 2.
Proceedings. June 10-12, 1998, Alberta, Canada,
Environment Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, 651-671 pp, 1998.
Keywords:
oil spills; cleaning; crude oil; diesel fuels; heat
release rate; pool fires; containment; in situ burning;
instruments; heat flux
Abstract:
Most response plans for in situ burning of oil at sea
call for the use of a fire-resistant boom to contain the
oil during a burn. Presently, there is no standard
method for the user of fire-resistant boom to evaluate
the anticipated performance of different booms. The
ASTM F-20 Committee has developed a draft Standard Guide
for In Situ Burning of Oil Spills on Water:
Fire-Resistant Containment Boom; however, the draft
provides only general guidelines and does not specify
the details of the test procedure. Utilizing the
guidelines in the draft standard, a series of
experiments was conducted to evaluate a protocol for
testing the ability of fire-resistant booms to withstand
both fire and waves. A wave tank capable of assessing
the capabilities of a 15 m section of boom by subjecting
it to a 5 m diameter fire with 0.15 m high waves was
designed and constructed at the U.S. Coast Guard Fire
and Safety Test Detachment in Alabama. A draft test
protocol was evaluated using five typical fire-resistant
oil-spill containment booms. The results of this
evaluation are presented. The strengths and weaknesses
of the protocol are discussed along with areas for
possible improvement.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899