New tools and techniques for controlled in-situ burning

Advantages and disadvantages of controlled burning of oil on water as one more oil spill response option has been studied for many years. This paper describes the recently-developed water-cooled fire boom as a major breakthrough in as much as the most rigorous tests thus far suggest that it can survive extreme temperatures of burning oil over very long periods of time. Combined with the Heli-Torch and the hand-held ignition system also described in this paper, the active, internally water-cooled fire boom provides a means for conducting controlled burning operations involving separate, multiple burns of several days or even weeks duration. The boom, self-cleaning and reliable, is also suitable for use for training purposes and it can be made in different sizes to accommodate both open-ocean and protected water environments. 14 refs., 8 figs