Evaluating a Protocol for Testing a Fire Resistant Oil Spill Containment Boom

摘要

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 booms to evaluate the anticipated performance of different booms. The ASTM F-20 Committee has developed a draft standard, 'Standard Ouide for In-Situ Burning of Oil Spills On Water: Fire-Resistant Containment Boom', however, the draft provides 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 evaluating 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. The draft ASTM F-20 test protocol was evaluated using five typical fire-resistant oil spill containment booms, and the results of this evaluation are presented. The strengths and weaknesses of the protocol are discussed, along with areas for possible improvement.