Development of a Training Simulator for Oil Spill Response

The paper describes the development of a training simulator for boats used on Oil Spill response at sea. The simulator models the dynamics of tug boats pulling an oil boom under waves, wind and current. The boom is modeled as a flexible line connected by lumped masses and its flotation characteristics and loads are calculated by Morison equation. A simplified model is used to simulate the oil itself and its interface with the boom line. The verification process was applied and its outcomes are discussed. Also, some case study scenarios are presented and the results are used to evaluate the applicability of the simulator as a training system.Copyright © 2014 by ASME