Extension of Cluster Space Control for 3-Vessel Oil Skimming

MICHAEL NEUMANN; THOMAS ADAMEK; IGNACIO MAS; CHRISTOPHER KITTS

Santa Clara, California

Congreso; ASME/JSME Joint International Conference on Micromechatronics for Information and Precision Equipment; 2012

ASME/JSME

While the number of oil spills has been generally decreasing in recent years, incidents such as the Deepwater Horizon blowout in the Gulf of Mexico highlight the need for improved cleanup measures. Traditional methods of cleaning oil spills include dispersant, bioremediation, in-situ burning, and skimming. Often multiple vessels work together with booms in order to collect oil from a wider area than a single vessel could on its own. Common formations used during oil cleanups include two vessels connected by a boom forming a ?u?, two vessels connected by a boom forming a ?j?, and three vessels connected by two booms forming a ?v?. In the latter two formations the rear vessel is typically separating and storing the oil that is collected by the boom.