Improved mechanical oil spill recovery using an optimized geometry for the skimmer surface

Abstract

The primary objective of this research was to improve the efficiency of mechanical oil spill response equipment by optimizing the geometry of the oleophilic skimmer recovery surface. Another objective of this work was to study the relation between the operational variables and the oil spill recovery efficiency in a full-scale oil spill recovery test, comparing novel and conventional oleophilic drum skimmer configurations. The study showed that using the new surface pattern in the recovery unit can increase the skimmer oil recovery efficiency up to three times. The improved surface pattern was found to be efficient on oils with a wide range of viscosities, including diesel oil, which is a challenging liquid to recover due to its low viscosity. The effect of the surface pattern dimensions on the recovery efficiency was explored. Guidelines for the design of a more efficient surface geometry tailored to the properties of the recovered oil were developed.