Boom Vane

Fast Water Oil Spill Control Technology for Rivers and Vessel Sweep Systems.

Oil spill response operations are notably difficult in rivers with strong current and river traffic. Considering typical response time margins allowed for river spills in relation to the mobilisation time and resources required for conventional land- or vessel-based boom systems, a timely response is not a logistic possibility – with the BoomVane it is. The BoomVane is constructed as a cascade of vertical wings mounted in a rectangular frame.

Powered by the current flow the BoomVane – held by a single mooring line only – swings out towards the opposite shore with the oil boom in tow. The BoomVane rides very stably in water speeds ranging from <1-5 knots, insensitive to ‘chop’ and fluctuations of the current. The BoomVane is a device for oil boom deployment in rivers and other waterways.
This powerful yet light and handy tool makes spill control and recovery possible without the need for boats, anchors or fixed installations of any kind. The BoomVane can be operated in waters with heavy traffic since the control rudder allows for fast and effortless system retrieval from mid-stream.
As a fast-water tool, the BoomVane works equally well when deployed off a vessel – in this mode of operation the vessel’s progress through the water powers the Boom Vane.

A versatile fast water booming tool, the BoomVane is used for both recovery and deflection modes of operation. It is completely self-trimming and requires no attendance once deployed. Cowens offer a complete spill response system for rivers based on the BoomVane, the River boom and the River skimmer. However, the BoomVane may be used with most types and makes of skimmers and oil booms, although shallow draught booms are preferred for both river and VOSS applications, to reduce drag. Typical river deployment In coastal and offshore sweep operations, the BoomVane offers important advantages compared to both a two-vessel U-sweep or a sweep vessel with rigid outrigger arms. The BoomVane’s highspeed and wave-action stability, coupled with the elasticity inherent in the system, allows for unparalleled sweep width and equipment durability in different vessel sweep modes. As the towing vessel requires no more than a sturdy cleat, the BoomVane is the ultimate boom deployment tool for Vessel of Opportunity Skimming Systems (VOSS).

BoomVane – technical specifications

(Subject to modification without prior notice)

Materials

Wings, frame, rudder & stabiliser: aluminium 6082-T6 [Int. AA]
Rudder arms: aluminium 6063-T6 [Int. AA]
Float: foam-filled GRP
Connector plate, pins, bolts & shackles: all stainless steel
Bridle line & blocks: Dyneema SK75 10mm, Rutgersson blocks
Mooring line: Dyneema SK75 12 mm x 150 m, breakload 7500 kgf Dyneema SK75 10mm* x 100 m, breakload 5100 kgf

Performance

water speed range: <1 – 5 knots
boom length: 300 – 500 (*300) feet river boom depending on type/size of boom and site characteristics
Draught: approx. 1.1 m (*0,55 m)
Overall dimensions & weight:
- wing unit: 1785 x 310 x 1010/*505mm = 0.56/*0.28 m3, 46/*35 kg
- float unit: 1400x205x800mm = 0.23 m3, 16 kg
- total: 0.79/*0.51 m3, 62/*51 kg