DEVELOPMENT AND PRELIMINARY DESIGN OF AN EXPERIMENTAL PROTOTYPE FREE VORTEX OIL SKIMMER

Scientific Associates, Inc. has performed a one-year development and preliminary design of an experimental prototype Free Vortex oil skimmer. Results indicate that the development of the Free Vortex oil has produced a skimmer system which possesses almost all of the performance characteristics usually considered desirable in an oil skimmer. The system is particularly applicable to the operating conditions of specific interest to the Coast Guard oil films 2-inch thick and less, operation while stationary and in currents up to 0.75 knots, and severe Sea State 4 waves. The utility of this concept is not limited to these particular conditions but includes many other situations and operating modes. The Free Vortex oil skimmer designed during this program with a maximum oil recovery rate of 250 to 300 gpm and fitted with a comminutor/macerator to process debris will weigh about 1300 pounds. The largest dimension will be 12 feet when deployed and can be collapsed to 6 feet for transportation. Objectives of the development portion of this program were to develop and improve (1) surface oil capture, (2) vortex generation and vortex-in-flow blending, and (3) recovery oil fraction. Results showed that upwell behavior can be easily eliminated, vortex generation was improved by blending the appropriate flow field more smoothly, and oil fraction was unexpectedly good; at a recovery rate of 120 gpm, about 100 percent oil was recovered at 1/4-inch and greater. (Author)

• Corporate Authors:

  Scientific Associates, Incorporated

  1807 Montana Avenue, Suite B
  Santa Monica, CA  United States  90403
• Authors:
  • Nebeker, E B
  • Rodriquez, S E
• Publication Date: 1975-6-30

Media Info

• Pagination: 95 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Oil spill cleanup; Oils; Separators; Water quality management
• Uncontrolled Terms: Oil separators
• Old TRIS Terms: Oil recovery systems; Oil skimmers
• Subject Areas: Environment; Marine Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00131853
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: USCG-D-152-75 Final Rpt.
• Contract Numbers: DOT-CG-42732-A
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 14 1976 12:00AM