Portable skimming plant recovers oil spills

Journal Article · Mon Jan 11 04:00:00 EST 1971 · Oil Gas J.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5964262

Coastal Services of Houston recently demonstrated a Rheinwerft oil-removal device on the Houston Ship Channel. In addition to the oil film already on the water, intentionally spilled oil was skimmed from the surface in a short time. A boom, designed in Norway to take an 8-in, wave, encloses the oil at the spill site. Made of vinyl-coated nylon, the boom extends 1-ft above the water and projects 2-ft below the surface to contain oil in a limited area. The skimmer is lowered to the water from a barge. The portable skimming plant picks up the oil, separated it from the water, and pumps it into storage tanks for removal. The 45-gpm skimmer is to some extent, a hole in the water into which the oil floating on the water flows. When properly operated, pure oil can be pumped off without being mixed with water. The device consists of a basin held in the water by means of 3 floats, so that the top edge is a fraction of an inch below the water surface. Floating on the basin is a hollow ring whose buoyancy equals its weight. Water is continuously pumped out from the bottom of the basin, thus forming an artificial well. In this case, the water is sucked out by a centrifugal pump mounted on one of the floats. Due to the buoyancy diminishing as the water level in the well sinks, the hollow ring also sinks so that everything floating on the water flows into the well.

• OSTI ID: 5964262
• Journal Information: Oil Gas J.; (United States), Journal Name: Oil Gas J.; (United States) Vol. 69:2; ISSN OIGJA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020900* -- Petroleum-- Environmental Aspects
520200 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CLEANING
ENERGY SOURCES
EQUIPMENT
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
OIL SPILLS
PETROLEUM
POLLUTION
POLLUTION CONTROL EQUIPMENT
REMOVAL
SEPARATION EQUIPMENT
SKIMMERS
SURFACE WATERS
WATER POLLUTION