International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN:2395-0056
Volume: 11 Issue: 09 | Sep 2024 www.irjet.net p-ISSN:2395-0072
INTRODUCING SWARM ROBOTICS IN VESSEL TO MONITORING AND CONTROL OF OIL SPILLAGE AND CLEANUP
Sampath kumar N1, Sanjay B2, A C Mariappan3, G Peter packiaraj4
1,2Final year B.E Marine Cadet, Department of Marine Engineering, PSN CET, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu 3,4Assistant Professor, Department of Marine Engineering, PSN CET, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu
ABSTRACT
Monitoring and Cleanup Oil spill in sea is a very hazardous for marine environment. This type of oil spills are happen in vessels during bunkering. Tanker vessels and Offshore oil and gas exploration are The major sources of oil spills in the marine environment. This type oil spills can have long lasting consequences on marine ecosystems by contaminating water, disrupting marine food chains Nowadays this type of oil spills are difficult to handleandcleanup.
Key words: SWARMS
1.INTRODUCTION
Oilspillisverydangerousformarine environment. So, we introduce swarmrobotsforthistype emergencys situation. This robotics have optimum behavior for any kind of environmental emergencys. The using swarms foroilspillmonitoringandcleanupintankervesselslies inabilitytoleveragetheprincipleofswarmintelligence, distributed sensing and coordinate action to achieve faster and more efficient cleanup operations like patrolling, disaster recovery and rescue. This picture showsthehowoilspillhappeninsea.Indicatesthehow affect the marine ecosystem. Swarm robotics involves using multiple autonomous robots working collaboratively to achieve a common goal. This technology has great potential in application such a monitoringancontrollingoilspillsonseawater.
2. APPLICATION OF SWARM ROBOTICS IN OIL SPILL MONITORING AND CLEANUP
2.1 Real time data collection
Swarm robots equipped with sensor (optical sensors, hydrocarbon sensors, and cameras) can continuously monitorandcollectdataontheextentandconcentration oftheoilspill.
2.2 Autonomous Mapping
Therobotscancreaterealtimemapsofthespillsspread, its thickness, and its movement patterns. They can also track environmental parameters like currents,
temperature, and speed, which affect how the oil disperses.
2.3 Early Detection
Swarm robots can provide early detection of small oil leaks or spill, preventing hem fro escalating into larger disasters. By continuously patrolling shipping routes, ports,andoffshoreplatforms,theycanidentifyandalert authoritiestospillsasoonastheyoccur.
3.CLEANUP
3.1Surface skimming and recovery
Robotsintheswarm equipped with skimmerscan work together to collect and recover oil from the waters surface.Theycancoordinatetheirpathstomaximizethe amount of oil collected, avoiding redundancy and ensuringcomplete coverage.
3.2Waste Collection and Removal
Swarm robot can also gather solid waste (like booms anddebris)thataccumulatesduringcleanupoperations. They can transport this waste back to collection points orlargerships Fig-1:Oilspillinsea
International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN:2395-0056
Volume: 11 Issue: 09 | Sep 2024 www.irjet.net p-ISSN:2395-0072
4.BENEFITS OF USING SWARM ROBOTICS FOR OIL SPILL MANAGEMENT
4.1 Cost effectiveness
Smaller,specializedrobotscanbemorecost-effectiveto deploy and maintain compared to large single-purpose vessels.
4.2 Autonomy and Efficient
Swarm robots can operate autonomously monitoring, containing, and cleaning the spill without requiring constanthumanintervention
4.3 Reduced Human Risk
Using robots in hazardous conditions reduces the need for human intervention in potentially dangerous environment.
Removingoilfromthesea, especiallyafteranoilspill,is a complex process involving multiple techniques dependingontheseverityofthespill,thetypeofoil,and theenvironmentalconditions.
5.OIL REMOVING PROCESS
5.1Booms
Containment Booms Floating barriers used to contain thespreadofoilonthewater’ssurface. Theypreventthe oil from reaching shorelines or sensitive areas. AbsorbentBooms filledwithabsorbentmaterialtosoak upoilwhilefloatingonthewater.
5.2Skimmers
Skimmers are devices used to remove oil from the surface of the water. They work by separating the oil fromthewaterandcanbedeployedinvarioussizesand types,suchasweir,oleophilic,andvacuumskimmers.
5.3Dispersants
Chemical dispersants are sprayed over the oil spill to break the oil into smaller droplets. This makes it easier for natural microbial degradation to occur. However, dispersants can be controversial because they can also harmmarinelife
5.4 Manual Removal
Incertaincases,especiallynearshorelines,workersmay use shovels, rakes, and other tools to manually remove oil.Thiscanbelabor-intensiveandtime-consuming.
5.5 Natural process
Over time, natural processes like evaporation, sedimentation, and biodegradation can help reduce the impactofanoilspill.However,theseprocessesareslow and may not fully mitigate the environmental damage. Each of these methods has its advantages and limitations, and often, a combination of techniques is usedtoeffectivelymanageandcleanupanoilspill.
6. The process of removing oil from the sea after an oil spill
6.1 Containment and Booms
Booms: These are physical barriers placed on the water'ssurfacetopreventtheoilfromspreadingfurther. Theyfloatandareusuallymadeofflexiblematerialsthat allow them to follow the sea’s movements. Booms are anchoredortetheredtovesselstokeeptheminplace.
6.2 Types of Booms
Absorbent Booms: Thesearedesignedtoabsorbtheoil whilefloating.
International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN:2395-0056
Volume: 11 Issue: 09 | Sep 2024 www.irjet.net p-ISSN:2395-0072
Conventional Booms: These are designed only to contain the oil, not absorb it, so the oil can be removed byothermeans.
Uses: Booms are especially effective in calm waters, close to shorelines, or to protect sensitive areas such as harborsormarinehabitats.
6.3 Skimming
Skimmers: Skimmers are devices or vessels equipped with special tools to "skim" oil from the surface of the water. These systems collect oil by scraping, sucking, or pumpingitintostoragetanks.
Mechanical Skimmers:Devicesthatuseconveyorbelts, rotatingdrums,orsuctionpumpstoremoveoil.
Oleophilic Skimmers: These use materials that attract oil(butrepelwater),allowingthemtoefficientlyremove oilwithoutcollectingexcesswater.
Limitations: Skimming is most effective in calm waters andcanbelessefficientin rough seasorwhen theoilis dispersedormixedwithwater.
6.4Sorbents
Sorbent Materials: These are materials that absorb or adsorb(attachtothesurfaceof)theoil.Sorbentscanbe natural (like straw or peat moss) or synthetic (like polyurethanefoamorpolypropylene).
Application:Sorbentsarespreadoverthespillareaand allowed to soak up the oil, which can then be collected anddisposedof. They are oftenused in smaller spillsor afterinitialcontainmentefforts.
Challenges: Sorbentscanbelesseffectiveinlargerspills and may require large quantities of material, leading to secondarywastethatmustbehandledcarefully.
6.5 Dispersants
Chemical Dispersants: These are chemicals sprayed onto the oil to break it down into smaller droplets, allowing the oil to mix more easily with water. Dispersantshelpspeedupthenaturaldegradationofoil bymarinemicroorganisms.
Application:Dispersantsareusuallyappliedviaaircraft orboatstolargeareasofoilslick.
Considerations: While dispersants help reduce the visible oil slick, they can pose environmental risks to marine life, as the smaller oil particles can be harmful whendispersedinthewatercolumn.Thedecisiontouse dispersants is often weighed against the potential environmentalimpact.
6.6 In-Situ Burning
Controlled Burns: In-situ burning involves igniting the oilslickonthewater'ssurfacetoburnitoff.Thismethod can quickly remove large amounts of oil but is only feasibleundercertainconditions,suchaswhentheoilis thick enough and weather conditions allow for safe burning.
Advantages: In-situ burning can remove up to 90% of thespilledoil,reducingtheneedforphysicalrecovery.
Challenges: It produces thick black smoke and air pollution, and there are risks involved with maintaining control of the burn. It’s also not effective for spills close toshoreorinshallowwaters.
6.7 Bioremediation
Bioremediation: This process involves using microorganisms (such as bacteria or fungi) to break downtheoilintolessharmfulsubstances.Theprocessis often accelerated by adding fertilizers or nutrients to stimulatethegrowthofoil-degradingbacteria
7.CONCLUSION
Swarm robotics offers a promising approach to improving the monitoring, control, and cleanup of oil spills, enhancing both the speed and efficiency of response efforts while reducing risks to human operators.
Future advancements in autonomous navigation, communication, and sensor technologies will likely further enhance the capabilities and effectiveness of swarm robotics in this critical environmental application.
REFERENCES
[1] Aloui, K., Hammadi, M., Guizani, A., Soriano, T., & Haddar (2021).ModelingandSimulationofA Swarm Robot Application Using MBSE Method and Multi-Agent Technology: Monitoring Oil Spills. In International Workshop on Modelling and Simulation of Complex Systems for Sustainable Energy Efficiency (pp. 96-105).Cham:SpringerInternationalPublishing.
[2] Bella, S., Belalem, G., Belbachir, A., & Benfriha, H. (2021) HMDCS-UV:a concept study of Hybrid monitoring,detectionandcleaningsystemforunmanned vehicles.
[3] Len Calderone. (2013). Using Robots to Clean Oil Spills.
International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN:2395-0056
Volume: 11 Issue: 09 | Sep 2024 www.irjet.net p-ISSN:2395-0072
[4] Olaronke, I., Rhoda, I., Gambo, I., Ojerinde, O. A., & Janet,O.(2020).
[5] Cai, W., Liu, Z., Zhang, M., & Wang, C. (2023). CooperativeArtificialIntelligenceforunderwaterrobotic swarm.RoboticsandAutonomousSystems,164,104410.
[6]Kounte,M.R.,Raghavendra Kashyap,T.M.,Rahul,P., Ramyashree,M.K.,&Riya,J.
K. (2021). Oil Spill Detection and Confrontation Using Instance Segmentation and Swarm Intelligence. In CognitiveInformaticsandSoftComputing:Proceedingof CISC2020(pp.247-259).SpringerSingapore.
BIOGRAPHIES
I am pursuing B.E Final year Marine Engineering cadet atPSN College of Engineering & Technology, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu
I am pursuing B.E Final year Marine Engineering cadet at PSN College of Engineering & Technology, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu.
Project Guide cum Assistant Professor PSN College of Engineering & Technology, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu. Also having 15 years’ experience in Oil and Gas industries. Specialization in NDT and workedvariesGulfCountries.
Project Guide cum Assistant Professor PSN College of Engineering & Technology, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu. MEO Class-IV Marine Engineer and workedvariesCountries .