Behavior of rigid and flexible oil barriers in the presence of waves

Although oil barriers have been used for many years to contain slicked oil in open seas, the effect of waves on them has been rarely considered. In the present study, we investigated the response of rigid and flexible oil containment barriers in the presence of currents with and without waves. Two-dimensional experiments with both rigid and flexible oil containment barriers were carried out in a laboratory flume equipped with a pneumatic wave generator. The initiation of containment failure for various conditions were analyzed and compared.In the course of this study, the effect of wave characteristics on containment failure was discussed and some empirical equations were proposed to predict the initiation of failure in different conditions. Once the failure started, the effect of wave steepness on the loss rate was investigated. Finally a failure mode occurring due to the waves’ effect, called surging drainage failure, was studied.