During dispersant applications, monitoring of dispersant effectiveness is vital for understanding the fate of treated oil and planning out future deployments. The EPA’s Subpart J Requirements detail the necessary monitoring to take place in conjunction with dispersant applications. To meet these requirements, effective monitoring tools are required. Through BSEE Project 1156, a Towed SilCam, built by SINTEF Ocean AS, was purchased in an effort to test Subpart J monitoring equipment. Through Ohmsett tank deployments, and on water deployments in Raritan Bay, upgrades were identified that could improve the Towed SilCam for future deployments. Some of the modifications discussed were but are not limited to: stiffening camera support frames, redesigning the fluorometer head, and improving data transfer speeds by installing new data ports. These modifications were chosen to improve the data quality from the system and prepare for future Ohmsett and on water deployments.
These repairs and modifications will be performed by SINTEF Ocean AS with funding from BSEE, valued at $38,041.00. In addition to system modifications, SINTEF will be performing routine repairs and maintenance to the Towed SilCam, under the maintenance agreement established during BSEE Project number 1156. These repairs will replace weakened and broken fixtures in the system, as well as account for oil leaking in from previous use. During this six month contract, the Towed SilCam will be returned to the SINTEF Ocean AS headquarters in Trondheim, Norway for repairs, modifications, and testing verification. Upon completion, the Towed SilCam will be returned to Ohmsett.
The system is being shipped to the SINTEF Ocean AS facility in Trondheim, Norway.