Oil spill remote monitoring by using remotely piloted aircraft

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to analyze the application of remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) for remote oil spill sensing. Design/methodology/approach This paper is an analysis of RPA strong points. Findings To increase the accuracy and eliminate potentially false contamination detection, which can be caused by external factors, an oil thickness measurement algorithm is used with the help of the multispectral imaging that provides high accuracy and is versatile for any areas of water and various meteorological and atmospheric conditions. Research limitations/implications SWOT analysis of implementation of RPA for remote sensing of oil spills. Practical implications The use of RPA will improve the remote sensing of oil spills. Social implications The concept of oil spills monitoring needs to be developed for quality data collection, oil pollution control and emergency response. Originality/value The research covers the development of a method and design of a device intended for taking samples and determining the presence of oil contamination in an aquatorium area; the procedure includes taking a sample from the water surface, preparing it for transportation and delivering the sample to a designated location by using the RPA. The objective is to carry out the analysis of remote oil spill sensing using RPA. The RPA provides a reliable sensing of oil pollution with significant advantages over other existing methods. The objective is to analyze the use of RPA employing all of their strong points. In this paper, technical aspects of sensors are analyzed, as well as their advantages and limitations.

Analysis of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Payload for Oil Spill Detection

“…This model presentation allows using weather criteria to optimize sensor selection for a mission with heavy weather conditions. The capacity to perform a particular task and work under certain environmental conditions (e.g., topography, weather) is sensor-dependent [5], [11]. Analysing oil pollution accident statistics, it has been that there is high that an accident happened in bad weather conditions.…”

“…Optical sensors, such as video cameras, are widely used in remote sensing for initial detection and surveillance of oil spills and, as candidates for inclusion in a selection set with other sensors, will maximize the detection probability and capability of a multi-sensor RPA payload. Video cameras are mainly used in conjunction with filters to improve contrast for the initial detection of a possible oil spill [5].…”

“…Taking into account that oil spills cannot be completely eliminated, the main objective is to develop multi-sensor RPA payloads for more efficient and sustainable water monitoring and management in line with the WFD 2000/60/EC requirements. The actual service can certainly be improved by integrating additional observations as well as new sensors and platforms, for example, RPA [5].…”

“…The afore-mentioned requirements and conditions require the development of a special multifunctional multi-sensor payload to perform various tasks, taking into account utility, physical characteristics, constraints of each sensor and mission specifics. Nowadays, the state of the oil spill monitoring can be improved due to the development of the new generation of low weight sensors with improved capability that gives the opportunity to maximize the utility of payloads for RPA by integrating different types of sensors [5]. Design and number of specific types of sensors of multi-sensor payload customized for the oil contamination surveillance mission depend on RPA physical characteristics, such as internal volume of the payload module, maximum carrying weight and mission objectives.…”

The Challenge of Oil Spill Monitoring and Control in Nigeria

“…It is this realization that has informed the establishment of effective monitoring and control systems by various countries, based on increasingly complex research effort. From the rudimentary visual inspection approach, there have been several technological developments such as acoustic emission sensoring, infrared sensoring, fibre optic sensoring [2], Satellite remote sensing [3] and remotely piloted aircraft [4,5]. These new technologies have been employed in such countries as Russia [6], Libya [7], Abu Dhabi [8], and the EU where spill response has been of considerable interest.…”