Green box unit for the Georim oily water separator
An oily water separator is used to separate oily water mixtures into their separate components. These units are installed on vessels where they are used to separate oil from oily waste water such as bilge water before the waste water can be discharged overboard back into the environment. This waste water has to comply with the requirements according to Marpol 73/78. Bilge water is unavoidable and is generated as oil/water leaks from running machinery like air compressors, engines etc. To measure the waste water before it is discharged into the sea, The International Maritime Organization (IMO) published guide regulations through the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) in order to protect the environment for pollution.
These guidelines state that all oil content monitors measure the oil and water content, and should not permit the vessel to discharge water back into the environment where the water contains more than 15 parts per million (ppm) of oil. Below the 15 ppm level, water may be discharged into the sea. However, when the level exceeds the 15ppm level, an alarm will trip and will sound in the engine room, engine control room and on the bridge. Once the alarm has tripped, automatically the oil content meter will move a three-way valve that within a split second of time will recirculate the overboard discharge water to a holding tank and discharging to the sea will be immediately stopped.
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This 15ppm measuring unit has to be calibrated according to the manufacturers’ guidelines but is not permitted to exceed 5 years. This calibration should only be carried out by either the manufacturer or by an appointed/approved calibration company according to the IMO regulations. To have a more sophisticated measuring unit Georim developed the Green box unit. This unit is more reliable and accurate in the storing of data. The data that is stored is not only the times and dates of the discharge of water but also the GPS position of the vessel. This is important as this data will back up the manual entries which are made into the Oil Record Book.