Significance and Use
4.1 Current industry practice has been to claim the capacity of a skimmer based on the throughput of the discharge pump (which is typically measured using water as a test fluid) and then applying a de-rating factor to account for various inefficiencies.
4.2 Existing test protocols (for example, Guide F631 and Test Method F2709) measure stationary or possibly slowly advancing skimmers. This guide will assist spill response equipment manufacturers and users to verify and accurately report skimming system performance for advancing skimmer systems operating at 0.4 m/s (~0.75 kt) or greater.
4.3 The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) recently developed a new planning tool – known as the Estimated Recovery System Potential (ERSP) Calculator2 – to better estimate the performance of an advancing skimming system as it encounters, contains, recovers, stores, and offloads its recovered fluids to secondary storage. A test method was required to provide data for this calculator for users that wish to use values that are different from the default settings.
4.4 The ERSP Calculator requires inputs specific to the skimming system including its speed of advance, its sweep width (which is used to calculate the oil encounter rate), maximum total fluid recovery rate, throughput efficiency, and recovery efficiency. This guide is designed to simulate the system’s speed of advance and oil encounter rate to provide data on the skimmer’s maximum total fluid recovery rate, throughput efficiency, and recovery efficiency.
4.5 This guide encourages performance testing using one or more oil types for comparison purposes.
4.6 Tests shall be conducted under well-documented conditions and generate repeatable results. Alternative test methods for collection of skimmer performance are covered under existing standards (for example, Guide F631).
4.7 For skimming systems that include more than one option for the discharge pump, the test described in this guide may be used to measure the performance of the skimming component of the system. Performance of the pumping component can be measured independently using the same viscosity of oil and the discharge head conditions noted in this guide. The measured recovery rate of any specified skimming component and pump combination would be the lesser of the skimming component and the pump capacity.
Scope
1.1 This guide defines a procedure and the measurement criteria to quantify the performance of an advancing skimming system for use in oil spill response.
1.2 This guide is designed to provide data that can be used as inputs to the Estimated Recovery System Potential (ERSP) Calculator,2 a planning tool that estimates the performance of an advancing skimming system for each of the first three days following the instantaneous discharge of a batch oil spill, or daily for an ongoing continuous discharge of oil.
1.3 This guide includes the option of testing in waves if the device is intended for nearshore or offshore conditions, and the user wants to use values for throughput efficiency that are greater than the default values in the ERSP Calculator.
1.4 It is accepted that the measured fluid recovery rate, throughput efficiency, and recovery efficiency, as determined by this guide may be higher than what is typically achievable under actual conditions of a spill. However, the results are intended to provide a reasonable estimate of skimmer performance in the conditions simulated in the ERSP Calculator.
1.5 This guide involves the use of test oils that may be considered hazardous materials. It is the responsibility of the user of this guide to procure and abide by necessary permits, regulations, safety, and health considerations for the use and disposal of test oil.
1.6 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.
1.7 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.8 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
