Abstract
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began operation of a test facility in Leonardo, N.J., in 1974 to evaluate or develop spill cleanup methods and equipment without endangering the environment. This report describes, for spill-control equipment users and designers, a unique test facility providing reproducible, simulated environmental conditions where the 21 advancing oil skimmers examined for inclusion in this paper have been evaluated during the 4 years of the facility's operation. The mean throughput efficiency for those skimmers observed is 23 percent, for operations between zero and 3 m/s (6.0 kt) advancing speeds in 0.6 m (2 ft) sea conditions when collecting low viscosity oils similar to No. 2 fuel oil. Performance improves with lower seas and heavier oils. The tables and charts of this paper do not include data from tests that developed unusually low results due to high tow speeds or severe sea conditions.
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