Compressed air oil barrier
The pneumatic oil barrier or compressed air lock is a device that generates in waters or harbors a lock on everything that floats on the water. Above all, it holds back floating oil and debris. For more than 50 years it has been used in locks, ports, rivers, canals or to protect industrial plants.
Main ingredients
The main components of a permanently installed compressed air oil barrier are:
- Nozzle pipe on the river bed
- Supply air pipes
- Compressed air station with compressors
functionality
In the case of a permanently installed system, hoses or pipes are anchored to the bottom of the water with special nozzle openings. When used, the compressed air generated in a compressed air station is pressed into the nozzle tube. The air emerging from the nozzles creates a vertical current in the water, which is converted into two horizontal currents on the surface of the water. These horizontal currents hold back oil and other floating matter floating on the surface of the water. Boats or ships can pass the barrier unhindered. A permanently installed compressed air system is usually ready for use in a few minutes after activation. It can be operated without additional labor and can also be used in the event of a fire.
The effectiveness of a compressed air oil barrier is exhausted when the pressure on the barrier increases and the force of the flow exceeds the force of the flow due to the steadily following oil or rising floating debris. In the event of an emergency, the floating substances must be skimmed off at the same time in order to maintain the function of the barrier.
History and Development
The first compressed air oil barrier was built in Germany in 1961 in the Hamburg petroleum port. The then building officer Dr.-Ing. Erich Stehr from the former office for electricity and port construction. The largest plants today are in Rijeka , Croatia, with a length of 972 m, and Umm an-Nar , United Arab Emirates, with a length of 500 m. The system was using research funds from the federal environment and -bauministeriums developed by the company Hydrotechnik Lübeck and can now also for sound attenuation in the water during pile driving or ammunition explosions are used at sea ( Big Bubble Curtain or bubble curtain ).
Individual evidence
- ↑ Compressed air oil barriers - worldwide for 50 years. (No longer available online.) Hydrotechnik Lübeck GmbH, archived from the original on July 26, 2014 ; accessed on June 24, 2014 (German). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
