Diversion Oil Booms in Current

Abstract

Diversion boom approaches are developed to contain oil spills close to shore when high‐current velocities prevent normal booming operations. In the diversion boom configuration, one end is anchored outside the spill, while the other is secured to shore. The boom is angled to the current to deflect the oil towards a shore pickup point. Boom configuration (planform shape) must be designed for each site‐specific current environment to prevent leakage under the boom. A mathematical model relating mooring points, boom parameters, and current is developed, calibrated, and validated. The model is applied, as a representative example, to the design of a boom configuration for the Northeast Petroleum terminal on the Piscataqua River, N.H. Current information is obtained, and trial configurations are evaluated employing the model and using a leakage criterion of 0.31 m/s (0.6 knots) for the maximum normal component of current. The recommended design is found to behave as predicted in a demonstration experiment (without oil). Thus, the model and design procedures are observed to be suitable for diversion configuration design in high‐speed currents.