Oil plume simulations: Tracking oil droplet size distribution and fluorescence within high-pressure release jets

ABSTRACT Optical measurements have been used during oil spill response for more than three decades to determine oil presence in slicks and plumes. Oil surveillance approaches range from simple (human eyeball) to the sophisticated (sensors on AUVs, aircraft, satellites). In situ fluorometers and particle size analyzers were deployed during the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) Gulf of Mexico oil spill to track shallow and deep subsea plumes. Uncertainties regarding instrument specifications and capabilities during DWH necessitated performance testing of sensors exposed to simulated, dispersed oil plumes. Seventy-two wave tank experiments were conducted at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography. Simulated were oil releases with varying parameters such as oil release rate, oil temperature (reservoir temp ~ 80 °C), water temperature ( 15 °C), oil type, dispersant type (Corexit 9500 and Finasol OSR52) and dispersant to oil ratio (DOR). Plumes of Alaskan North Slope Crude (ANS), South Louisiana Crude (SLC) and I...