Clean up your act at Seawork

Their Leakwise range of oil on water detection and monitoring systems includes wave rider versions for oil tanker buoy terminals, jetties and piers to detect floating oil sheens resulting from spills or leaks occurring during loading/offloading.The main functions are governed by a controller (signal processor) and one or more sensors, depending on application needs. The sensors can detects sheens as low as 0.3 mm and monitor on-line any changes in oil layer thickness up to 20mm.

The wireless controller (WSP-220) has alarms which are adjustable to the necessary parameters needed for individual applications. Given a ‘trigger’ level, it will transmit alarms and status message via satellite, cellular, or other wireless method such as email, SMS, or other message media. The system features continuous unattended remote monitoring with status messages transmitted at user determined intervals.

The wave rider float incorporates wireless communication antennas and a solar panel with battery. This float is designed to keep the position of the detecting antenna at the liquid/air interface despite fluctuations in the water level due to waves and tide. It has two field adjustable alarm points, one to capture a low level of hydrocarbons and one that responds to a higher level. These are effectively ‘problem’ or ‘panic’ alarms which can be set by the operator.

The unit is designed to be simple and reliable with low maintenance costs.

The Leakwise system is having a global uptake, with recent purchases of ID-227 wave rider systems including three installations for the port of Tallinn in Estonia, one for an oil refinery at Puerto de Huelva in Spain, and six wave rider units installed at Abu Dhabi oil terminals in the UAE.

Also being brought to Seawork 2008 by IAC are Imbiber Beads, which are absorbents designed to take in large amounts of hydrocarbons and ignore water. They are able to soak up oil from spills at marina fuelling berths or from bilges of types of vessels. They also reduce vapour emissions in case of a spill in a confined space.