By Tim Nedwed and Michel Boufadel

The TurboBoom™ achieved a towing speed of 2.5 knots with no observable oil entrainment during testing at Ohmsett in Leonardo, New Jersey, during the week of October 18, 2026. The slightly modified prototype also successfully contained oil in 1–2 foot waves with no observable entrainment, providing further evidence of its potential to improve mechanical oil spill response in fast-moving waters.

The demonstrated towing speed of 2.5 knots is approximately 3.33 times the 0.75-knot speed at which oil entrainment typically begins for a conventional U-boom.

A successful visitor demonstration on Thursday, October 22, gave several visitors an opportunity to see the TurboBoom in operation. The demonstration complemented the week’s testing and provided an opportunity to discuss the technology and its potential applications.

The patent-pending TurboBoom uses a familiar U-boom configuration with proprietary design features intended to address the oil loss mechanisms that limit conventional booms. Developed collaboratively by LGM LLC and Parker Systems Inc., the technology builds on computational fluid dynamics modeling and successive prototype tests at Ohmsett. Its scalable design is intended to retain a broad collection swath while operating at higher towing speeds.

For responders, higher operating speeds could increase the rate at which a boom encounters oil and expand the conditions in which mechanical containment can be used, not only offshore but also in rivers and other high-current environments. The October tests demonstrated successful prototype performance at 2.5 knots and successful containment in waves.

We expect a commercial-ready version of the TurboBoom to be available in early 2027 for sale by Parker Systems Inc.

Thanks to Ed Levine for forwarding this.