New Device for Removing Oil Slicks from the Surface of Water

Abstract

ABSTRACT With the sponsorship of SEACLEAN S.A., Luxembourg, the Geneva Research Centre of Battelle carried out an analytical study on devices designed to remove oil slicks floating on water. The conclusion was that the majority of existing devices are not easily adaptable to marine operation. To overcome this disadvantage, Battelle has conceived a new device described in this paper. The system is composed of a rotating, multi-thread screw in a casing. The oil and water enter the system at a given speed and are trapped between the threads. As the pitch of the threads progressively diminishes, the oil thickens and is removed by a pump from a chamber situated at the end of the screw, while the water is removed through an aperture below the screw casing. Disordered motion of the waves is absorbed by the last stage of the screw and the whole device follows the movement of the swell. This paper also describes the related laboratory development work and data on the performance of the device. The research team comprised:S. Arieh, J. H. Asper, P. Bolli,G. Goertz, G. Senn and R. Strub