RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PLAN
 
  When a major oil spill occurs, it is important to take response measures based on an appropriate contingency plan to minimize the damage. Petroleum Association of Japan (PAJ) has been promoting various research and development programs in order to provide necessary information to compile the contingency plan that enables to efficient use of equipments as well as human resources. PAJ is now promoting the improvement and maintenance of the diffusion/drifting simulation model of spilled oil, research and development of the use of oil dispersant, and development of the support tools for oil spill response based on our previous research activities.
　
1.Improvement and maintenance of the simulation model that predicts diffusion/drifting of spilled oil
PAJ has developed the diffusion/drifting simulation model of spilled oil which covers any Japanese coastal waters ranging from Hokkaido to Okinawa. This model contains the information concerning very sensitive coastal waters and shorelines across the country can use weather data throughout Japan in an on-line real time system Although this model has all necessary function, PAJ continues the maintenance of database, the improvement and expansions of necessary functions to increase its accuracy.
  To contribute to oil spill control effort, PAJ distribute this model at cost to those who wish to use it.

　

　         Example of the Simulation (Ise Bay)
　

 
2.Development of A Comprehensive OSR supporting tool
 Based on the achievement of the PAJ's researoh and development projects, we have compiled following tools to support OSR activities

 


Software of the simulation of change in properties of spilled oils
This simulation software is made based on the data obtained from the PAJ's "Research for changes of spilled oils by weathering processes" and can be easily used in forecasting the water content, viscosity, density, rate of vaporization and volume changes under any conditions by putting the factors into personal computer. The model is useful as OSR supporting tool because it can provide not only the data of changes in oil specifications or volume but image views and brief comments obtained from experimental data.

　

　

　

　

　 　Example of the Simulations
　

 

For people involved in oil pollution control "Visual oil knowledge"
This CD-ROM is created for the people involved in prevention and recovery of spilled oil based on the following details : What is oil? What are the essentlal characteristics of oil? How can we assume the behavior of spilled oil? How does mousse form? And how do we conduct oil spill prevention and recovery? It is also useful not only for OSR people but for use in training/education with a lot of photographs, illustrations, computer graphics and voices for easy understanding.

　

　

　

　

3.Resesrch of the recognition capability of oil slicks
   by SAR data

　Space satellite based monitoring of oil spill trajectory is important for open sea area. Space satellite's onborard Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is one of the most promising for oil spill detection at any weather conditions among the other methods. However, oil spill detection from only SAR imagery is difficult and still requires improving for rough or calm sea surface areas. PAJ has conducted a research and methodology which enables to detect oil slicks with high probability from SAR imagery in various sea surface conditions and had been obtained remarkable result.

 

 

 

 

4.PAJ-OSR Home page
Our home page includes the list of our equipment, procedure for lending, information on training, result of research and International Symposium.

　

      
http://www.pcs.gr.jp