Abstract
Since the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, the world has been started to be careful in the construction and security of the oil platforms, althought the mechanisms to contain the oil are not prepared to avoid an oil spill as demonstrated in the Gulf of Mexico Accident. The absence of effective methods to control the oil plus the higher toxicity of remediative agents permited that 780 million liters of petroleum were spilled into ocean. A potential alternative to control this spot is to apply a mechanism that induces the oil to flow in the direction of a contention tubulation added with a biochemical compound, the biosurfactant produced by Candida guilliermondii (UCP 0992). According with a Central Composed Rotate Design (CCRD), this mechanism, that was denominated “The Oil Cage”, was built in different sizes of the diameter of cage and the height of tubes to apply the biosurfactant, as well as the flow of biosurfactant was varied progressively. Therefore, the biosurfactant was produced in a 50.0 L batch bioreactor, during 132 hours; the Oil Cages were constructed by the CCRD with 3 variables; the control logic was developed using an Arduino UNO R3 board, and the tubulation was applied using flow sensors and manual valves. Besides, the difference of turbidities was the mainly parameter to be the response surface. As the results, the diameter of 17.5 cm, the height of 13.7 cm, and the ratio between oil and biosurfactant of 0.300 were the best conditions to retrive the oil, and the total cost to build the system was € 368,00. Finally, the experiment should be scaled up to verify conditions more realistics, including other variables in the CCRD and foresseeing reasons to maintain the petroleum isolated from the ocean and to save the world.
