Facilities
Welcome to the oil spill research page. Please navigate through the facilities below.
Emulsification of oil by mechanical mixing
It is commonly believed that emulsification of oil slicks after a couple of days renders the use of dispersant Details »
Emulsification of oil by breaking waves
Complementing the study of emulsification by mechanical mixing, our laboratory Details »
Large Scale Plume
Oil and methane were ejected from the Macondo well blowout and formed a rising plume. Details »
Shear Layer
A jet or plume of oil released in the ocean will experience shear at its boundaries as it moves through the water. If the shear is great enough, the interface will become unstable, and mixing of water and oil will occur. Details »
Towing Tank
Subsea oil well blowouts, such as the IXTOC I and Deepwater Horizon accidents, can cause extensive environmental, economic, and public health damage. The magnitude and type of damage largely depends on the fate of the discharged oil. Details »
Turbulence Tank
Oil droplets in the ocean will experience turbulence. Turbulence acts to break up these droplets. Details »
Wave Tank
Oil spilled at sea forms thin slicks, which are subsequently broken up into droplets by breaking waves. Details »
Bubble Bursting
Breaking waves entrain air, resulting in the formation of subsurface bubbles. Details »
Lung Cell Exposure Chamber
Aerosolization of oil by wave splashing on crude oil slicks may pose a respiratory health threat to oil-spill workers and communities nearby. Details »