Last July, in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the X PRIZE Foundation launched the Wendy Schmidt Oil Cleanup X CHALLENGE.
As with previous X PRIZE competitions, this one was intended to
encourage private sector scientific research, by offering a cash prize
to whichever team could best meet a given challenge. In this case, teams
had to demonstrate a system of their own making, that could recover oil
from a sea water surface at the highest Oil Recovery Rate (ORR) above
2,500 US gallons (9,463.5 liters) per minute, with an Oil Recovery
Efficiency (ORE) of greater than 70 percent. Today, the winning teams
were announced.
Taking the US$1million first prize was Team Elastec/American Marine,
with an ORR of 4,670 gallons (17,678 liters) per minute and an ORE of
89.5 percent. The Illinois-based team used a unique grooved disc
skimmer, which is designed to be pulled alongside a boat. Elastec/American Marine is reportedly one of the largest manufacturers of oil spill equipment in North America.
Norway's Team NOFI took the $300,000 second prize, managing an ORR of
2,712 gallons (10,266 liters) per minute and an ORE of 83 percent.
NOFI's
Current Buster Technology incorporates a flexible V-shaped surface
boom, that is towed between two vessels or alongside one (via an
overhead arm). Oil is corralled down to the end of the V, where a
separator removes it from the water. The company claims that its system
can collect and separate oil at speeds of up to 5 knots.
