Midwater Oil Sampler

Inventors: Amy Kukulya, Daniel Gomez-Ibanez, Abhimanyu Belani

Intellectual Property: Pending

Overview: Hydrocarbons are organic compounds containing carbon and hydrogen found in crude oil and natural gas. Oil discharges to the marine environment may occur from natural seeps ocean-based and land-based sources. During the event of an oil spill, the main goal is to be able to characterize spilled oil in the ocean rapidly. However, hydrocarbon leaks can be difficult to track as they can come from multiple or even unknown places. Additionally, there are a limited number of platforms available due to limiting sit access and cost and environmental constraints. 

Technology: The Midwater Oil Sampler advanced autonomy in oil spill management. The sampler utilizes new autonomous vehicle behaviors, developed by the inventors to support rapid response management. The newly developed glass sample bottles provide a clean sample, reducing contaminations. As an agnostic system, the behaviors and samplers are adaptable for AUVs, gliders, and other underwater vehicles.