LED-based Spectrometer for In Situ Oil Slick Thickness Measurement

One of the key features impacting the effectiveness of the currently used oil spill cleaning techniques is knowing, in real-time, the actual thickness of oil films. Aiming to enhance the efficiency of the oil spill response, this paper presents the design, prototyping, and testing of a LED-based spectrometer instrument that measures the thickness of thin oil sheens floating on the water surface. The presented instrument is mounted on a free-floating buoy allowing it to provide oil thickness measurements at different locations within the spill area. Thickness measurements are sent wirelessly to a base station at near real-time rates. The main advantage of the proposed instrument over the prior art is its low cost, simple operation, and the ability to work in dynamic environments under varying lighting conditions. Operational testing was performed at the Ohmsett facility, under different static and dynamic conditions. The experimental results demonstrate the accuracy and repeatability of the proposed instrument.