Shipboard Oil-in-Water Monitor.

Abstract : This report relates the work performed by Beckman to design, fabricate, and test an automated oil-in-water content monitor. A design concept was selected for development which contains the analytical features of the standard laboratory technique for measuring oil content in water. This involved solvent extraction of the oil and subsequent measurement of the infrared energy absorbed by the C-H bond using attenuated total reflectance. Automation was to be done by saturating a tape with solvent, impinging the oil/water sample onto the tape, allowing the oil to be extracted and migrate through the tape where, in contact with the surface of an internal reflecting element, IR absorption would occur in proportion to the amount of oil present. Candidate tape materials and solvents were investigated. A cellulose acetate non-woven fabric and perchlorethylene were found to be a suitable combination. A laser source, dual beam system was designed around their use. Initial attempts were promising, and the system was redesigned to operate without solvent. A fully automated breadboard was assembled. The inherent capabilities of the system to measure oil in concentrations of 0-125 ppm were demonstrated.