INVESTIGATION OF THE USE OF A VORTEX FLOW TO SEPARATE OIL FROM AN OILWATER MIXTURE

A study was conducted to investigate the feasibility of using a vortex separator as a component of an oil spill clean-up system. This device separates the oil from an oil-water mixture in a continuous manner and provides individual outlets for the oil and the water. The study reported herein consisted of two parts: (1) an experimental investigation of a laboratory-scale model vortex separator to determine its performance throughout a variety of geometric and flow conditions, and (2) an analytic evaluation of a full-scale vortex separator including the necessary pumps and prime movers. The results of the tests showed that it is possible to capture greater than 85 percent of the injected oil and that the captured oil can contain less than 15 percent water. Degradation in the vortex separator performance occurs whenever attempts are made to remove the oil at flow rates greater or less than the injected oil flow rate. Based on average residence time, criteria are given for design of a full-scale vortex separator. The analytic evaluation of full-scale vortex separators included studies to determine the sizes, weights, and costs of separators, pumps and motors (or other prime movers) for volume flow rates between 1000 and 100,000 gpm. The results of these studies showed that the components necessary are all commercially available. (Author)

• Corporate Authors:

  United Aircraft Corporation

  Research Labs
  Hartford, CT  United States 
• Authors:
  • Mensing, Arthur E
  • Stoeffler, Richard C
  • Davison, W Richard
  • Hoover, Thomas E
• Publication Date: 1970-11

Media Info

• Pagination: 92 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Oil spill cleanup; Oil spills; Oils; Separators
• Uncontrolled Terms: Oil separators
• Subject Areas: Environment; Marine Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00015320
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: UACRL-J911014-2, USCG-7141031A1001
• Contract Numbers: DOT-CG-00546-A
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 13 1973 12:00AM