Effects of geometrical parameters of an oil-water separator on the oil-recovery rate

As the economical and environmental damages due to the accidental oil-spills in marine environment increase gradually, more active countermeasure needs to be developed. In this respect, in the present study, we propose a new design of oil-water separation system and investigate the effects of several geometrical features on the oil-recovery rate, based on a two-dimensional numerical simulation. The working mechanism of current separator is to utilize the density difference between the oil and water, which is strengthened by adding momentum to the oil-water mixture flow through a “U-shaped” passage. Along the flow passage, we locate additional parts such as baffle plate, weir plate, and water outlet. While optimizing the conditions of these to maximize the oil recovery, it is found that the formation and stable retention of water layer between the water outlet and weir plate is critical to separate and store the above-layered oil. Finally, these findings are further confirmed with a basic experimental test with a three-dimensional oil-water separator model.