Liu Shufeng, deputy chief of a law enforcement team at the Dagang Maritime Office of the Qingdao Maritime Safety Administration in Shandong has successfully developed a wireless oil spill alarm, bridging a crucial gap in global ship fuel supply safety.

The alarm consists of antennas, an oil spill monitoring module, a transmitter, and a receiver, effectively preventing oil spills during ship refueling.

"Since being equipped with the alarms in September last year, our two oil supply vessels have refueled 454 large ships with a total of 340,000 metric tons of fuel," said Wang Baojia, captain of the ship China Gas 31.

"Our ship sails all over the world, and this is the first time we've seen such a device. It's fantastic!" Captain Richard B. Galon of the receiving ship United couldn't help but praise the wireless oil spill alarm after learning about it.

The wireless oil spill alarm invented by Liu Shufeng gains popularity as a way to increase the safety of ship refueling. [Photo/Dazhong News]

Liu Shufeng's invention was inspired by a near-accident during a ship inspection. Liu discovered that there were no such devices available anywhere in the world and decided to develop one herself. She conducted in-depth research at docks and anchorage areas, analyzed the causes of accidents, drew diagrams, and built models.

With the help of a retired shipyard engineer, Liu went through countless simulations and onboard tests, adjusting the device parameters until she successfully developed the alarm. Furthermore, she also installed a "black box" in the alarm device to record alarm information, providing data support for supervision.

The first-generation alarm could only issue reminders. Liu then developed a second-generation wireless oil spill automatic shut-off system, which can automatically stop the fuel supply, drastically reducing the risk of oil spills. The second-generation product was launched in August 2024, and has Liu filed a patent application.

The first-generation alarm has already been granted a patent, and it has been entrusted to a well-known Qingdao-based factory for mass production. It has been equipped on 13 fuel supply ships in Qingdao waters, safely refueling over a thousand large ships with a total of 726,000 tons of fuel.