MRI RAPID: Development of a Submerged Oil Detector using Ultraviolet (UV) Fluorescence

这个核磁共振快速项目是对路易斯安那州墨西哥湾英国石油公司(BP)深水地平线石油钻井平台爆炸后发生的事件的回应。使用紫外线荧光(SODUF)的水下石油探测器(SODUF)可部署在6000英尺的可变深度，将按照快速资金要求及时组装、测试和部署在墨西哥湾。该项目分为六个阶段：1)改装紫外光荧光碳氢化合物探测器，以快速部署在墨西哥湾作业的有机会的船只上；2)将紫外光探测器集成到地球基准漂移器中；3)改装成用于墨西哥湾深水剖面的起伏拖体；4)将紫外线碳氢化合物探测器集成到深水起伏拖体中；5)改装紫外线碳氢化合物探测器，用于部署在自主水下机器人(AUV)上；6)将UV探测器集成到AUV中。第一阶段、第二阶段、第四阶段和第六阶段将涉及对墨西哥湾漏油事件中新组装的传感器/传感器平台进行现场规模测试，以确定该仪器在定位水下石油方面的有效性。其目标是利用快速核磁共振机制来检测和跟踪水下石油羽流，以实现SODUF的组装和现场测试。第三阶段和第五阶段将主要在我们位于德克萨斯州科珀斯克里斯蒂的海岸线环境研究设施(SERF)进行台架测试。

This MRI-RAPID project is in response to events subsequent to an explosion on the British Petroleum (BP) Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana. A Submerged Oil Detector using UV Fluorescence (SODUF) deployable at variable depths up to 6000 ft will be assembled, tested, and deployed in the Gulf in a timely manner consistent with RAPID funding requirements. The project has six phases: 1) modify a UV fluorescence hydrocarbon detector for rapid deployment on ships of opportunity operating in the Gulf of Mexico; 2) integrate the UV detector into a geo-referenced drifter; 3) retrofit an undulating tow-body for deepwater profiling in the Gulf; 4) integrate UV hydrocarbon detector into deepwater undulating tow-body; 5) modify UV hydrocarbon detector for deployment on autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV); 6) integrate UV detector into AUV. Phases 1, 2, 4, and 6 will involve field scale testing of the newly assembled sensor/sensor platform in the Gulf Oil spill to determine the efficacy of the instrument in locatingsubmerged oil. The goal is a solution to detection and tracking of submerged oil plumes using the RAPID MRI mechanism to enable the assembly and field testing of SODUF. Phases 3 and 5 will involve mostly bench testing at our Shoreline Environmental Research Facility (SERF) located in Corpus Christi, Texas.