Abstract
This report summarises the main findings from the testing of two oil skimmers produced by Lamor Corporation Ab of Finland in the SINTEF ice basin.The GT 185 Skimmer outfitted with a brush conveyor worked well with no ice present, even with an emulsion of medium viscosity at low temperatures. The ice processing capability was not satisfactory. This will probably be an effective skimmer in open waters even with highly viscous oils, but has less potential in ice-covered waters. Ice had a tendency to block the entrance of the brush conveyor ; however, small ice pieces were recovered by the brushes to some degree. To avoid this problem, reversing the direction of application of the conveyor could be considered so that oil and ice move into downward (not upward)-rotating brushes-; however, implementing this approach was not possible in these tests. The LRB 150 brush drum skimmer worked well both without ice and in the two ice scenarios selected for testing. The skimmer demonstrated good ice processing capabilities. It was concluded that the LRB 150 Skimmer can be an effective device in low-to-moderate ice concentrations (up to approximately 50 – 60% ice cover) when operated from an adequate crane. The skimmer represents state-of-the-art technology for the recovery of oil in ice covered waters.The concept of this skimmer and its potential capability were recognised by the project Reference Group as being both interesting and promising. The skimmer was recommended for further testing during the field experiment planned for 2008.
