The aim of the present study is to develop and determine effective spill localization methods for ice-covered rivers. Oil spills from pipelines crossing ice-covered river can have a harmful effect on the river and its inhabitants. Existing spill response techniques might be effective during the warm season of a year; however, during winter oil recovery is complicated by the presence of ice cover. The pipeline networks are rapidly increasing around the world for the last 10-20 years due to increased demand for energy. Pipelines are more reliable and safer mode of transportation in comparison to railway or oil tankers. However, each year there are hundreds of pipeline failures, sometimes resulting in significant environmental pollution, loss of transportation capacity and restoration expenses.
When a spill is restrained below a solid ice, the infected area cannot be directly identified. Therefore, a pipeline rupture incident under ice-covered river should be considered as one of the worst-case scenarios in pipeline crossing design and spill response planning. Responding to a spill in the ice environment presents many challenges that are not met during the warmer months of the year. Government-sponsored organizations as well as oil companies are undertaking numerous Research and Development activities to improve spill response capabilities in challenging environments. Many of the tools and spill response techniques need to be verified for river conditions.
Implementing successful spill response measures is a challenge for every party involved in response operations. Good understanding of oil behaviour in ice-covered waters can improve response preparedness during winter and facilitate response during actual spills. Spill response techniques in ice-covered rivers are similar and rely on downstream movement of oil under ice. Generally, it is assumed that oil beneath ice will move with the current. However, the force of flow is different in various rivers and cannot be uniform even along the same river. This means that ignoring current velocity and using one method in all types of rivers can lead to ineffective and messy response actions. Concerning this, research into spill response methods for ice-covered rivers is important in order to improve industry preparedness for the challenges of cold-weather response.
Table of Contents
1. CHAPTER 1
1.1 INTRODUCTION
1.1.1 BACKGROUND
1.2 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE WORK
1.3 LAYOUT OF THE THESIS
2. CHAPTER 2
2.1 LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1.1 OIL SPREADING UNDER ICE
2.2 OIL MIGRATION UNDER ICE
2.3 MODELLING OIL SPREADING UNDER ICE
2.4 CONCLUSIONS
3. CHAPTER 3
3.1 METHODOLOGY
3.3 EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE
4. CHAPTER 4
4.1 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
4.1.1 INTRODUCTION
4.2 LABOROTARY OBSERVATIONS
4.3 FIELD OBSERVATIONS
4.3.1 Flow profile under river ice
4.4 DISCUSSION OF RESULTS
4.5 MAIN FINDINGS
5. CHAPTER 5
5.1 DEVELOPMENT OF THE SPILL RESPONSE DEVICE
5.1.1 INTRODUCTION
5.2 DEFINING REQUIREMENTS FOR DEVICE
5.4 DESIGN BACKGROUND
5.4.1 Vertical Velocity of Oil Droplets
5.4.2 Flow Velocity in River
5.4.3 Oil Droplets Surfacing Point and Installation Angle
5.4.4 Oil Surfacing Point When Velocity Profile Is Known
5.5 SUMMARY OF ASSUMPTIONS
5.6 EXPERIMENTAL WORK
5.7 RESULTS
5.7.1 Effective Installation Angle
5.7.2 Effective Channel Spacing
5.7.3 Effective Channel Form
5.7.4 Clogging
5.7.5 Effective Channel Material
5.8 CONCLUSIONS
5.9 RECOMMENDATIONS
6. CHAPTER 6
6.1 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
6.1.1 GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS
6.2 CONCLUSIONS
6.3 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE STUDY
Research Objectives and Themes
The primary aim of this research is to evaluate the effectiveness of current oil spill response methods in ice-covered rivers and to develop a functional concept device for localizing oil spills in such challenging environments.
- Analysis of oil behavior and migration under ice cover.
- Evaluation of traditional spill response methods in cold-weather conditions.
- Experimental study of oil slick movement in a laboratory flume.
- Field assessment of river flow profiles under ice cover.
- Conceptual design of an effective underwater oil-localizing device.
Excerpt from the Book
4.2 LABOROTARY OBSERVATIONS
Experiments were conducted in circulating flume with dimensions 4 x 0.4 x 0.4 (m) with real ice. (For details of equipment and procedures used in experiments, please refer to Methodology chapter).
Oil was released through a 0.2 mm diameter (of head) syringe at the flow rate of 2 ml/s, therefore, the velocity of oil at discharge was 16 cm/s. Immediately after release, there was a jet phase that consisted of high-velocity oil. The jet phase was dissipated quickly within about 5 cm of the release point. Droplet sizes were in the range of one to five mm. Then, oil droplets started to rise as a plume due to differential density between the continuous medium (water) and oil. Visually, it was seen that droplets were rising at different rates. Very small droplets that were less than one mm rose at a rate of 5 cm/s, while bigger droplets reached the water-ice interface in a couple of seconds (30 cm/s) Upon reaching ice, oil droplets remained its form and later coalesced to form a thick layer of oil. It was clear that even under the very smooth ice the oil spreading was retarded due to the presence of ice.
Summary of Chapters
CHAPTER 1: Provides the introduction and motivation for the research, highlighting the challenges of oil spills under ice.
CHAPTER 2: Reviews previous research and existing mathematical models regarding oil spreading and migration under ice cover.
CHAPTER 3: Details the experimental setup, flume configurations, and field observation procedures used for data collection.
CHAPTER 4: Presents the results of laboratory experiments and field observations concerning oil movement and river flow profiles.
CHAPTER 5: Introduces the development of an Under-Ice Channel (UIC) concept device, its design criteria, and testing results.
CHAPTER 6: Summarizes the key research findings, provides conclusions, and offers recommendations for future study and industry practice.
Key Keywords
Oil spill, ice-covered river, spill response, pipeline rupture, oil migration, ice slotting, diversionary plywood, hydrodynamics, flow velocity, under-ice channel, oil containment, laboratory flume, environmental pollution, spill localization, cold-weather response.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The work focuses on determining the efficacy of current oil spill response strategies, specifically the method of cutting ice slots to contain spills, within ice-covered river environments.
What are the primary themes explored?
The research examines oil behavior under ice, the insufficiency of existing current-based recovery methods, and the design of new, specialized equipment for cold-weather oil localization.
What is the main research question or goal?
The goal is to determine if current-based oil recovery methods are sufficient in lowland rivers and to develop a more effective, device-based approach for spill containment.
What scientific methodologies are employed?
The study combines small-scale laboratory experiments in a circulating flume with field observations of flow profiles in a natural, ice-covered river.
What is addressed in the main body of the work?
The main sections cover literature reviews on oil dynamics, detailed methodologies for experimental and field work, results of these tests, and the conceptual design and validation of an Under-Ice Channel (UIC).
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include oil spill, ice-covered river, spill response, under-ice channel, and oil migration.
What does the author conclude about traditional ice-slotting methods?
The author concludes that these methods are often scientifically unjustified in many lowland rivers because the current beneath the ice is frequently too weak to initiate or sustain the movement of oil toward the slots.
What role does ice roughness play in oil spill dynamics?
Ice roughness significantly increases the threshold velocity required to move spilled oil; even small irregularities in the ice significantly impede the movement of the oil slick.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Azamat Ashikbayev (Autor:in), 2013, Effective Spill Response Measures during Accidents in Pipelines Crossing Ice-Covered River, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1161455
