Following extensive testing, the French Navy last year selected Foilex's TDS 200 sea skimmer systems for its six oil spill response vessels based around the country's coastline. The systems are based on Foilex's hydraulically-driven, twin disc screw pumps, with this particular model capable of pumping 70 cu m/hr of oil. Delivery of the units was taken in the latter part of the year. They were called into action very soon afterwards when in December the Maltese oil tanker, Erika, broke in two during rough weather 110 km south of Brest. - The new compact TDS150 system is designed for coastal and harbor work. The pump can be used alone for off-loading and will fit through a 12-in. Butterworth hatch.
The conditions were described as terrible - it was very cold with waves in excess of 5-6 meters at times. The oil spread rapidly and separated into small slicks of between 20-50 meters in diameter with an oil thickness of around 15cm. To make matters worse, the oil spilled was highly viscous, at 250,000 centiStokes. The Foilex systems were used for recovery of oil from the sea and also for off-loading the recovered oil from the naval vessels. They were the only units that proved to be effective under these extreme conditions. It was also notable that the skimming operations were possible without the need to steam heat the oil on the surface of the water - a not uncommon requirement during this kind of operation.
Also for transfer duties
The latest product from the company is a lightweight, small, compact pump, the TDS150 with an oil pumping rate of 30 cu m/hr per hour. Intended primarily for use in small portable skimming systems for harbor and coastal applications, the stainless steel pump can also be used on its own for transfer operations. One of the unit's principal advantages in this respect is the fact that it is small enough to fit through the standard 12-in. "Butterworth" hatch found in most oil tanks. To the company's knowledge, there is no other such screw pump available. The compact design is claimed to offer 50-70% higher capacity than traditional Archimedian screw pumps. Foilex's ultimate target is to come up with oil recovery systems capable of being used in almost any weather and sea conditions. ;
For more information contact Peter Sundbaum, Foilex. Tel: +46 31 222 525, Fax: +46 31 222 595, E-mail [email protected]
