Hydraulic Analysis of Oil Spill Control Systems in Transformer Stations

Electrical transformer stations use transformer oil to increase the efficiency of the electrical voltage transfer and to reduce the moisture and air in an electrical transformer. Each year, there is a high probability of spilling the transformer oil accidentally into the environment. Some spill events contain large volume of transformer oil. The objective of this thesis is to investigate oil spill control systems for spilled transformer oil during all operating and weathering conditions at a Hydro One's transformer station near the city of Burlington. This thesis examines the design of (1) oil trap systems which trap the spilled transformer oil and (2) the oil back-up systems thick back up the transformer oil spills to the transformer station. This research focuses primarily on Hydro One's transformer stations and the normal operation conditions in Ontario.

Control of oil spills in urban areas

10.32920/ryerson.14662905 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jenny King-Lai Chui

Keyword(s):

Physical Model ◽

Oil Spill ◽

Oil Spills ◽

Analysis Technique ◽

Water Separator ◽

Diversion Structure ◽

Oil Water ◽

Sewer Outfalls ◽

Spill Control ◽

The City of Toronto has experienced about 300 oil spills per year (Li 1997). Traditionally, the city recommends that businesses and industries practise pollution prevention and install on-site oil separators. Currently, the sizing criteria for these devices are not well defined and the draft code of practices for oil separators by the Canadian Petroleum Product Institute (1994) has not yet been approved by the Ministry of the Environment (Li 2000). Thus, the city is currently investigating the possibility of installing oil separators at spill prone sewer outfalls. The new application of oil separators at sewer outfalls requires that the devices be operable under high flow conditions and that their capacity should reflect the land use characteristics in the associated sewershed. This study has developed an innovative spill control device for the Humber Creek outfall and a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based analysis technique for urban oil spill management. First, a flow diversion structure was designed to capture the dry weather flow at the outfan and to transport the captured flow into an oil/water separator designed in accordance to the American Petroleum Institute's manual (1990). The designs of the flow diversion structure and the oil/water separator were evaluated by a physical model study using the National Water Research Institute's Hydraulics Laboratory at the Canada Centre for Inland Waters in Burlington, Ontario. Then, the GIS-based analysis technique was used to identify potential treatment options for spill-prone sewer outfall in the Town of Richmond Hill. It was found that (I) the spill event characteristics should be analyzed in order to develop design criteria for oil spill control systems; (2) the preliminary design of the oil spill control system at Humber Creek was different from the API's methodology; and (3) the physical model investigation confirmed the conveyance capacity of the diversion channel and the general behaviour of the tilted-plate separator. A database of oil spill records in the Greater Toronto Area from 1988 to 2000 were compiled and geo-referenced. By overlaying the spill characteristics and other GIS data layers, such as woodlots, wetlands and watercourses, spill prone areas were identified. In order to increase the accuracy of the analysis, the percentage of georeference oil spill locations should be increased.

Control of oil spills in urban areas

10.32920/ryerson.14662905.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jenny King-Lai Chui

Keyword(s):

Physical Model ◽

Oil Spill ◽

Oil Spills ◽

Analysis Technique ◽

Water Separator ◽

Diversion Structure ◽

Oil Water ◽

Sewer Outfalls ◽

Spill Control ◽

The City of Toronto has experienced about 300 oil spills per year (Li 1997). Traditionally, the city recommends that businesses and industries practise pollution prevention and install on-site oil separators. Currently, the sizing criteria for these devices are not well defined and the draft code of practices for oil separators by the Canadian Petroleum Product Institute (1994) has not yet been approved by the Ministry of the Environment (Li 2000). Thus, the city is currently investigating the possibility of installing oil separators at spill prone sewer outfalls. The new application of oil separators at sewer outfalls requires that the devices be operable under high flow conditions and that their capacity should reflect the land use characteristics in the associated sewershed. This study has developed an innovative spill control device for the Humber Creek outfall and a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based analysis technique for urban oil spill management. First, a flow diversion structure was designed to capture the dry weather flow at the outfan and to transport the captured flow into an oil/water separator designed in accordance to the American Petroleum Institute's manual (1990). The designs of the flow diversion structure and the oil/water separator were evaluated by a physical model study using the National Water Research Institute's Hydraulics Laboratory at the Canada Centre for Inland Waters in Burlington, Ontario. Then, the GIS-based analysis technique was used to identify potential treatment options for spill-prone sewer outfall in the Town of Richmond Hill. It was found that (I) the spill event characteristics should be analyzed in order to develop design criteria for oil spill control systems; (2) the preliminary design of the oil spill control system at Humber Creek was different from the API's methodology; and (3) the physical model investigation confirmed the conveyance capacity of the diversion channel and the general behaviour of the tilted-plate separator. A database of oil spill records in the Greater Toronto Area from 1988 to 2000 were compiled and geo-referenced. By overlaying the spill characteristics and other GIS data layers, such as woodlots, wetlands and watercourses, spill prone areas were identified. In order to increase the accuracy of the analysis, the percentage of georeference oil spill locations should be increased.

A GIS planning model for urban oil spill management

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2001.0295 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 43 (5) ◽

pp. 239-244 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

J. Li

Keyword(s):

Oil Spill ◽

Oil Spills ◽

Pollution Prevention ◽

Control Measures ◽

Planning Model ◽

Local Conservation ◽

Control Plan ◽

Environmental Features ◽

And Control ◽

Oil spills in industrialized cities pose a significant threat to their urban water environment. The largest city in Canada, the city of Toronto, has an average 300–500 oil spills per year with an average total volume of about 160,000 L/year. About 45% of the spills was eventually cleaned up. Given the enormous amount of remaining oil entering into the fragile urban ecosystem, it is important to develop an effective pollution prevention and control plan for the city. A Geographic Information System (GIS) planning model has been developed to characterize oil spills and determine preventive and control measures available in the city. A database of oil spill records from 1988 to 1997 was compiled and geo-referenced. Attributes to each record such as spill volume, oil type, location, road type, sector, source, cleanup percentage, and environmental impacts were created. GIS layers of woodlots, wetlands, watercourses, Environmental Sensitive Areas, and Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest were obtained from the local Conservation Authority. By overlaying the spill characteristics with the GIS layers, evaluation of preventive and control solutions close to these environmental features was conducted. It was found that employee training and preventive maintenance should be improved as the principal cause of spills was attributed to human errors and equipment failure. Additionally, the cost of using oil separators at strategic spill locations was found to be $1.4 million. The GIS model provides an efficient planning tool for urban oil spill management. Additionally, the graphical capability of GIS allows users to integrate environmental features and spill characteristics in the management analysis.

JAPANESE GOVERNMENTAL AND INDUSTRIAL MEASURES FOR THE CONTROL OF MARINE OIL SPILLS

10.7901/2169-3358-1979-1-261 ◽

1979 ◽

Vol 1979 (1) ◽

pp. 261-267

Author(s):

Chikao Funatani

Keyword(s):

Oil Spill ◽

Oil Spills ◽

Disaster Prevention ◽

Legal Structure ◽

Marine Disaster ◽

Marine Oil Spills ◽

Marine Disasters ◽

Prevention Center ◽

ABSTRACT Development of an effective oil spill control system in Japan was spurred by two marine disasters in 1974 which brought about an organizational and physical reinforcement of the nation's capability to respond to oil spills. This paper describes today's legal structure for oil spill control, the organizational concepts used at various levels to provide joint efforts by government agencies and industry, the role of the Marine Disaster Prevention Center which serves as the nucleus of the necessary control operations, and research and development highlights of ongoing Japanese efforts to prevent, control, and clean up oil spills.

OIL SPILL CONTINGENCY PLANNING FOR MAJOR TERMINALS AND SENSITIVE AREAS

The APPEA Journal ◽

10.1071/aj89029 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 30 (1) ◽

pp. 413

Author(s):

C. Jones ◽

J. P. Hartley

Keyword(s):

Oil Spill ◽

Staff Training ◽

Oil Spills ◽

Primary Objective ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Response Strategy ◽

Plant Design ◽

Technological Advances ◽

Resource Levels ◽

The BP Exploration approach to oil spill control can be summed up as prevention and preparedness. In all cases our primary objective is to prevent oil spills occurring. However despite careful attention to plant design, staff training, auditing etc., oil may sometimes be spilled.For any operation, effective oil spill ontingency planning depends on having a sound understanding of the local ecological and environmental sensitivities, physical conditions and the nature, size and risks of potential spills. This information allows the definition of response strategy and appropriate resource levels (equipment and personnel). However the mere provision of resources is insufficient; equipment maintenance, staff training, oil spill exercises (planned and unannounced), agreement of responsibilities with external authorities and periodic reviews are regarded as essential to ensure adequacy of response.The implementation of these principles is demonstrated using the development and continued evolution of the oil spill plan for Sullom Voe, a major North Sea oil terminal handling ca 1 million barrels of crude per day. Changes have been made to the plan to take account of technological advances and the lessons learned from actual spills in Sullom Voe, Port Valdez and elsewhere.Oil spill contingency arrangements for onshore and nearshore exploration drilling are also considered, illustrated with recent English (on and offshore Wytch Farm) and Scottish west coast examples. The principles adopted for spill planning at oil terminals have been found to apply equally to E & P operations in sensitive areas.The paper concludes with a brief comparison of the relative costs of efforts to prevent spills with the costs of spill cleanup and damages.

CLEAN CARIBBEAN COOPERATIVE

10.7901/2169-3358-1979-1-225 ◽

1979 ◽

Vol 1979 (1) ◽

pp. 225-227 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Donald A. Alberts

Keyword(s):

Oil Spill ◽

Oil Spills ◽

Great Distance ◽

Control Measures ◽

Response Effort ◽

Large Area ◽

Control Activity ◽

Oil Companies ◽

The Caribbean ◽

ABSTRACT A number of oil companies operating in the Caribbean have formed the Clean Caribbean Cooperative (CCC) with the objective of enhancing the capability to promptly and efficiently respond to oil spills which cause, or threaten to cause, pollution damage to beaches, harbors, offshore islands, and waters of the Caribbean. CCC resources are available to respond to spills within the area bounded by the coasts of Central America, South America, and Panama. These resources are designed to be used in remote areas where little or no response capability is in place, as well as to supplement the present capability in certain other areas. CCC member companies agreed to share the costs of providing a source of materials, equipment, and services to be used in responding to an oil spill incident. Use of the equipment, as well as management of the total response effort, is the responsibility of the company or agency which is taking action to control the spill. The CCC as an organized unit does not engage in joint or collective action in transporting or operating the facilities, arranging for personnel, providing management, or in any way becoming part of the on-scene control activity at the spill site. Because of the large area of the Caribbean, surface transportation cannot be relied on totally to bring resources to a spill at a great distance from locations where the oil industry and other agencies have oil spill cleanup capability in place. Therefore, the CCC leased a select stockpile of equipment which is kept in readiness for prompt dispatch by air. Because of the great variation in conditions surrounding an oil spill, control measures cannot be expected to be 100% effective in preventing any damage. However, by rapidly initiating action under a preplanned response system, the ability to avoid or substantially mitigate the effects of an oil spill is greatly enhanced.

OIL SPILL TREATMENT STRATEGY MODELING FOR GEORGES BANK

10.7901/2169-3358-1979-1-685 ◽

1979 ◽

Vol 1979 (1) ◽

pp. 685-692

Author(s):

Peter C. Cornillon ◽

Malcolm L. Spaulding ◽

Kurt Hansen

Keyword(s):

Water Column ◽

Oil Spill ◽

Oil Spills ◽

Georges Bank ◽

Particle In Cell ◽

Oil Dispersant ◽

Oil Concentration ◽

Spill Control ◽

The Impact ◽

Spilled Oil

ABSTRACT As part of a larger project assessing the environmental impact of treated versus untreated oil spills, a fates model has been developed which tracks both the surface and subsurface oil. The approach used to spread, drift, and evaporate the surface slick is similar to that in most other oil spill models. The subsurface technique, however, makes use of a modified particle-in-cell method which diffuses and advects individual oil/dispersant droplets representative of a large number of similar droplets. This scheme predicts the time-dependent oil concentration distribution in the water column, which can then be employed as input to a fisheries population model. In addition to determining the fate of the untreated spill, the model also allows for chemical treatment and/or mechanical cleanup of the spilled oil. With this capability, the effectiveness of different oil spill control and removal strategies can be quantified. The model has been applied to simulate a 34,840 metric ton spill of a No. 2-type oil on Georges Bank. The concentration of oil in the water column and the surface slick trajectory are predicted as a function of time for chemically treated and untreated spills occurring in April and December. In each case, the impact on the cod fishery was determined and is described in detail in a paper by Reed and Spaulding presented at this conference.

OIL SPILL PREPAREDNESS IN A TROPICAL OFFSHORE AREA

10.7901/2169-3358-1983-1-211 ◽

1983 ◽

Vol 1983 (1) ◽

pp. 211-218

Author(s):

Ging Tuang Tan

Keyword(s):

Oil Spill ◽

Oil Spills ◽

Environmental Data ◽

Current Status ◽

Weather Data ◽

Offshore Area ◽

Preparedness Plan ◽

Close Cooperation ◽

Second Tier ◽

ABSTRACT The systematic process by which an oil spill preparedness plan was developed for SSB/SSPC operations in the South China Sea used local wind, current, and weather data in a SLIKTRAK model adapted to estimate the spill costs and risks resulting from a well blowout. The model shows that the Sabah and Philippines shores would be likely to be affected, while the Brunei and Sarawak shores have a low probability. The minimum period in which oil will arrive at any shore is three days after the spill. February to early August are likely months in which a spill will arrive at a shoreline. Spills from late August to January are expected to move away from the coast. Mechanical recovery of spilled oil and chemical dispersant spraying from boats is effective from March to September while natural dispersion is enhanced from September to February. The local environmental data and local availability of vessels and resources greatly influence the choice of mechanical cleanup equipment. An ecological marine macrobenthos survey has been carried out in the Sabah and Sarawak coastal waters. The fundamental aim of the program is to develop quantitative data on the current status of selected marine macrobenthic communities in these areas. This data could be used as a reference for comparison against any future surveys so that any environmental effects or modification resulting from oil spills may be assessed. A coastal resources study along the Sarawak coast also was being carried out to determine sensitive areas in order to prioritise the allocation of available oil spill control equipment and resources. Finally, the roles and development of Shell oil spill cooperatives in this region have been based on the tier concept. Under this concept, SSB/SSPC would be primarily responsible for its own spill as the first tier. It is complemented on a reciprocal basis by close cooperation with Brunei Shell as the second tier. The third tier involves the cooperation of the Shell Companies in Southeast Asia—the ROSE scheme.

INTERNATIONAL OIL SPILL CONTROL TRAINING PROGRAM

10.7901/2169-3358-1981-1-113 ◽

1981 ◽

Vol 1981 (1) ◽

pp. 113-118

Author(s):

Roy W. Hann ◽

Harry N. Young

Keyword(s):

Training Program ◽

Oil Spill ◽

Oil Spills ◽

Oil Pollution ◽

International Response ◽

Technical Content ◽

The Status ◽

United Nations Environmental Program ◽

The Caribbean ◽

ABSTRACT After viewing the oil spill from the supertanker Metula in 1974 and observing the state of preparedness to deal with oil spills in Chile and other countries, the need for a stronger program was evident. With encouragement from the International Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO) and others, a training course was developed to complement the IMCO and United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) programs which subsequently has been presented on a regional basis in the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, the West African area, and Brazil. The support the UNEP Regional Seas Program and at the same time ensure that the faculty of the training program has a realistic knowledge of the problems in a given area, a series of reports has been commissioned on the status of oil pollution and oil pollution control in the various regions. The report on the Caribbean has been completed and reports on Southeast Asia and West Africa are in the final stages of preparation. This paper will discuss the format and technical content of the training courses and the format and technical content of the supporting studies. The authors will also discuss trends in international response responsibility and methods evident from their studies and from their interaction with the students in the course.