Test and Evaluation of the BSEE Burner

The Low Emission Spray Combustor, referred to as the BSEE Burner, is a crude oil disposal system developed by the Naval Research Laboratory with funding from BSEE. The system is intended as a new response option in locations where removal and processing of collected materials is impractical, time consuming and/or prohibitively costly. The system is designed for continuous operation, built with no moving parts and is compatible with off-the-shelf auxiliary equipment. Tested with crude oil emulsified up to 40%, the system is clean burning with minimal smoke output and a 75% decrease in emissions compared to on-water in situ burning (ISB). The cleaner burning nature of the system additionally opens the possibility for operation of the BSEE Burner in areas closer to urban centers or sensitive infrastructure. The BSEE Burner would be a viable solution for crude oil disposal in scenarios such as: Arctic spills, leaking wrecks, oil removal from marshes, and disposal of stored waste.

This test and evaluation effort will be divided into four phases. Phase one will involve the evaluation of the existing BSEE Burner prototype to document baseline performance metrics and perform life cycle testing on all components. Phase two will modify the BSEE Burner to address necessary design changes identified in Phase one. The goal is to modify the BSEE Burner design to allow safe, stable operation on water and on land, and to maintain the burn efficiency. Considerations will be made regarding the BSEE Burner and auxiliary equipment necessary for operation. During this phase, the contractor will address advancements such as the following: safe and easy construction with minimal supporting infrastructure, packaging the BSEE Burner for transport to remote locations, development of a non-computerized control scheme, and incorporating safety monitoring devices. Additionally, a second prototype will be constructed according to the new design to serve as the field deployable prototype. Phase three will evaluate the BSEE Burner system performance in relevant field environments, such as in marine environment, in remote marsh areas, or in Arctic conditions, representing proposed deployment scenarios. If possible, BSEE will also explore the possibility of deploying the BSEE Burner to a spill of opportunity as a further test of the system in a relevant spill scenario. A user manual and inspection guidelines will be prepared to provide end users with a complete guide for deployment and operation of the BSEE Burner system. Finally, in Phase four the BSEE Burner design will be reevaluated based on the results of field testing. As necessary, updates to the prototypes and schematics will address concerns identified during deployment.

BSEE aims to develop the BSEE Burner system to a technology readiness level (TRL) of TRL 8, with the goal of transiting the technology to relevant public and private oil spill responders. To accomplish this, BSEE will continue working with the contractor throughout the project to address the potential commercialization of the system. This two-year effort is projected to be completed by SL Ross Environmental Research LTD. and will be performed collaboratively with relevant end users. The project cost is $1,844,359.80.