EFFECT OF WAVES ON A FLEXIBLE CONTAINMENT OIL BARRIER

Abstract

ABSTRACT The main aim of the research project is to investigate the efficiency limits of a flexible barrier in containment of oil spills in deep undulating water. For this purpose, two-dimensional experiments with a flexible oil containment barrier have been carried out in a laboratory flume equipped with a pneumatic wave generator. The results have been analyzed and compared with similar cases for a rigid barrier. The hydrodynamic basics describing oil containment behind a rigid barrier have been reviewed. influence of waves on containment procedure was scarcely investigated even in case of a rigid barrier. The initial failure velocity of containment system was measured in presence of waves with different heights and periods. To take into account the effect of barrier'S geometry, different drafts and ballast weights were examined.