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System for Breaking Oil-in-Water Emulsion

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Navy
Contract: N00024-04-C-4118
Agency Tracking Number: N032-0312
Amount: $69,994.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: N03-206
Solicitation Number: 2003.2
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2003
Award Year: 2004
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2003-11-20
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2004-05-18
Small Business Information
Photonic Division, 20600 Gramercy Place, Bldg 100
Torrance, CA 90501
United States
DUNS: 153865951
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Michael Reznikov
 Senior Research Scientist
 (310) 320-3088
 sutama@poc.com
Business Contact
 Gordon Drew
Title: Chief Financial Officer
Phone: (310) 320-3088
Email: gdrew@poc.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

The U.S. Navy has a critical need for technology to break oil-in-water emulsions in ship bilge water. This technology must have low requirements for logistic support, maintenance, and power. Conventional technologies for breaking emulsions use either a coagulant/flocculent or pH-changing chemical (acid/caustic), both technologies that require a supply and inventory of chemicals. To meet the Navy need, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a new System for breaking Oil-in-Water Emulsion (SOW). The proposed SOW system will polarize oil droplets in a high-frequency electric field so the induced dipoles move in the non-uniform electrical field (dielectrophoresis). SOW will create a spatial distribution of the electrical potential in the heterogeneous media that is bilge water. In Phase I, POC will develop a theoretical model of the SOW, identify the governing parameters for the coalescence of oil droplets, formulate the qualitative relationship between the energy required and the mass of oil to be removed from the water, and develop and bench-test a preliminary SOW system. In Phase II, POC will develop and demonstrate a fieldable SOW prototype and test it in accordance with established testing protocols.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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