The Elastec Hydro-Fire Boom system is comprised of a 500’ long section of 32” specialized fire retardant boom that is water cooled via 2 1000 GPM water pumps. Each system is rated to be capable of 12-16 burns before it becomes necessary to refurbish. The boom is stored on a hydraulic boom reel and the water system monitored via flow meters, pressure gauges, and suction strainer manifolds. Also included in the system are two towing packages, each with 400’ of towline and 400’ fire hose assemblies.
Process
Each fire boom system is designed to burn pooled oil in primarily the offshore, or outer edges of the nearshore environment to augment mechanical recovery or when mechanical recovery may not be possible. ISB is most effective when deployed as soon as possible after the spill occurs so that volatile compounds can be utilized to ensure the effectiveness of the burn. The general strategy is to use vessels of opportunity to work in tandem on each end of the boom to locate fresh pockets of oil and coral into burnable thicknesses (2-3 mm). Once approval has been obtained from the Federal On-Scene Coordinator, and as assigned wildlife observer verifies there are no animals within the burn area, an accelerant/ignition system can be floated into the oil and the operation monitored for burn control and safety. Several tons of oil and hour can be burned without the need for disposal. Once the burn is complete, any residues left over the must be disposed of in accordance with a written disposal plan.
Sea conditions of 1′ – 3′ in choppy conditions can begin to affect the ability to coral and contain oil in the boom, but burning can be done as long as the contained oil is not splashing over and can be controlled. In a non choppy, rolling swell, conditions up to 6′ may still be manageable and allow fur burning operations, again, as long as splash over isn’t a factor and the oil can be controlled. Also, winds over 20 knots will reduce the ability to control the oil and resulting smoke plume therefore limiting the ability to conduct burning operations. Burn operations should be at least 1/2 mile from other operations.
