Date of Award

Winter 2025

Project Type

Thesis

Program or Major

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Degree Name

Master of Science

First Advisor

Nancy E Kinner

Second Advisor

Nancy E Kinner

Third Advisor

Gabriel R Venegas

Abstract

During an oil spill, emergency responders need to be able to estimate the thickness of oil to determine the type of recovery equipment to use and the environmental impact for natural resource damage assessment, perform a risk assessment, and generate response plans. There is an abundance of remote sensing techniques and devices that have been evaluated for use in oil spill emergency response. One that has repeatedly shown promise is active sound navigation and ranging (SONAR) system that transmits and receives acoustic signals. However, the systems that have been tested are often prototypes, not readily available during an oil spill response. This project evaluated the precision and accuracy of a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) acoustic sensing device, the AQUAscat 1000R by Aquatec Group (Basingstoke, UK) equipped with four high frequency transducers, to determine slick thickness during oil spill emergency response. To assess the AQUAscat’s capabilities in a range of different conditions, four phases of testing were conducted in controlled high bay, wave, ice, and outdoor tanks. Marine diesel (MD), Mississippi Canyon Block 20 (MC20) crude oil, and Canadian pipeline petroleum crude oil (rainbow light crude) were analyzed for density and sound speed and used during testing. The AQUAscat’s resolution (i.e., sensitivity) and lower detection limit were 1.25 mm and 2.5 mm, respectively. This thickness is above the typical actionable value for recovery of surface slicks (~0.2 to 1 mm). The AQUAscat would be most applicable for situations where there are thick slicks or pockets of oil, such as under ice, or for calibrating other devices. The COTS AQUAscat will not routinely be a useful tool for responders to assess floating slick thickness during spills when compared to other remote sensing devices (e.g., infrared and thermal cameras on uncrewed aerial platforms).

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