Sampling Insights from the Great Ships Initiative Land- and Ship ...

Co-Authors• Mary Balcer, Lake Superior Research Institute• Euan Reavie, Natural Resources ResearchInstitute• Tyler Schwerdt, AMI Engineers• Kelsey Prihoda, Lake Superior ResearchInstitute• Nicole Mays, Northeast-Midwest Institute• Donald Reid, Consultant

Major Funders• U.S. Maritime Administration• U.S. Coast Guard Office of Research andDevelopment• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency• Great Lakes Protection Fund• Legislative Citizens Commission on MinnesotaResources• St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation• Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway Port Authorities

Validation of Sampling Methodsfor Ship-Board Use• In-Line Sampling Given AmbientAssemblages• Logistics of RepresentativeSampling in the ShipboardSituation

• ResearchApplications• Type Approval Testing• Planned Compliance MonitoringVariablesSample flow volume as proportion of totalSampling event duration as proportion of totalContinuity of sample event over course of subjectdischargeTypes of sample analysis

Validation of Sampling Methodsfor Ship-Board Use• In-Line Sampling Given AmbientAssemblages

GSI FacilityLay-Out

Sampling Station

Sampling for < 50 um Organisms

Given Natural Assemblages ...• Does the type of pitot matter?–Live Densities–Variability

Candidate In-Line Sampling Devices• In-Line Candidates• In-Tank CandidatesELBOWPORESCOOP

Given Natural Assemblages ...• Is In-Line Sampling As Representativeas In-Tank Sampling in Terms of:--Organism density?--Live density?

Experimental Set Up

Conclusions• Elbow Pitot is Most Reliable In-Line Design forMixed Assemblages• In-Line Sampling is At Least As Representativeas In-Tank Sampling for Mixed Assemblages

What About on an Operating Ship?

GSI Objectives• Design a Sampling System• Install on a Diverse Array of GL-relevant Ships(so far 6/12)• Trial on a Diverse Array of GL-relevant Ships• Assess, Critique and Improve System

Sample Port Location Requirements• A single location that services all tanks equally;• Long lengths of straight pipe preceding thesample port are preferred. (Analysis of BallastWater Sampling Port Designs UsingComputational Fluid Dynamics)• As close as possible to overboard• Adjacent space for one cubic meter open topbarrel, sample cooler and technician.• Available lighting, power, and potable rinse water

Central Manifold In Engine Room: Jackson

Distributed Manifold Throughout Ship: Niagara

Independent Ballast System Per Tank: Barker

Ideal Case: Edwin H. Gott• Keystone Shipping Company• 1004’ bulk taconite carrier• Great Lakes only• 74,100 ton capacity;• Beam and depth are 105’and 52’ respectively.• Tubular boom with 280’reach.

GOTT Sampling Port Location

GOTT: Ideal Location Available

Challenging Example: Indiana Harbor

RecommendedSample LocationFlowfromPair ofBallastPumps

Challenging, but it Can Be Done

SHIP BOARD SAMPLING SYSTEMIN PRACTICE

Sample Collection•Sample Pitot•Seep Sampler•Intake Pump•Two Flow Meters•Drive Control / DataLogger

Sample Processing /Return• 35 µm planktonnet and holdingtub• Level Transmitter• Return Pump• Return Port

Sample Collection•Sample Pitot•Seep Sampler•Intake Pump•Two Flow Meters•Drive Control / DataLogger

Shipboard Sampling Pitot

Sub-Isokinetic SamplingBenefits Over Super-IsokineticSuper-IsokineticSub-Isokinetic(Analysis of Ballast Water Sampling Port Designs Using Computational Fluid Dynamics - USCG 2008)

Sample Intake Impeller Pump

Ultrasonic Flow Meterfor Ship Discharge Line Flow

Magnetic Flow Meterfor Sample Line Flow

Sample Processing /Return• 35 µm planktonnet and holdingtub• Seep Sampler• Level Transmitter• Flexible ImpellerPump• Return Port

Sample Tub: The Ideal

What Works

Seep Sampler

Level Transmitter for Sampling Tub

Sample Water Return Impeller Pump

Local But Off-Ship Analysis

Packed Equipment for Ship Sampling

Time/Personnel• Set-up takes 1.5 hours with 4 people• Sampling takes 2 (of the four) people• Sampling Session TBD• Break down takes 1.5 hours and 4 people

Main Issue: Assessing Volume ofFlow Subject to Sampling• Ultrasonic Flow Meter is Unreliable in allInstances• Magnetic Flow Meter More Reliable butRequires Installation Effort• Ship Data on Discharge Rate and Tank LevelsReadily Available but Indirect and Unreliable• In Some Cases Treatment Systems Include aReliable Flow Meter in Installations• Not All Do

Conclusions: In-Line Sampling ofNatural Assemblages• Elbow pitot best in line approach;• In Line approach as good or better than best intank approach in terms of organism catch andlive densities

Conclusions: Shipboard SamplingSystem• Logistically feasible on board ship for plannedsampling events• Flow rate of discharge difficult to directly measurein all cases• Even for planned sampling events the processmust be adaptable– Plan for delays– Real-time documentation is critical• Assure location of analysis is quite close by, ideallywithin Port area

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