SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEM OF MECHANICAL RECOVERY EFFICIENCY

As mentioned in previous post, the low efficiency of mechanical recovery devices causes high additional costs of decontamination and purification.

Among the factors that impact on mechanical recovery efficiency we have cited the weather conditions and the type of skimmer. Improving weather is not something that is in our hands but improve existing skimmers performance and create new recovery systems.

Skimmers

Several manufacturers of mechanical skimmers and recovery systems are making significant efforts in innovation to improve its products and propose new ones that improve the performance of the above. Unfortunately only a few manufacturers have chosen the path of innovation versus a majority stake by traditional products almost unchanged since its release.

At present research is focused on increasing skimmer efficiency working on material and geometry of the contact surface with the hydrocarbon; in the case of drum skimmers creating perimetral grooves that increase the capacity and broaden the spectrum of recoverable hydrocarbons. In the case of disk skimmers these grooves are lateral and increase only recovery capacity.

We have chosen these two types of skimmers because they are the ones that offer higher efficiency, but in contrast they are more limited when working with viscous fluids.

With regard to brush skimmers, more suitable for higher viscosity fluids as above, little has been achieved. Manufacturers usually change brush configuration that seems more focused on reducing costs than on increasing efficiency.

Finally, we refer to the weir skimmers, perhaps the most sold worldwide. Technological advances experienced by these skimmers have been throughout its history almost non existent.

Other recovery systems

To improve performance of skimmers we could also act on their working environment. Improve working conditions help to increase performance.

At present there are different systems that with the assistant of booms and barges allow to concentrate hydrocarbons near the skimmer creating a thicker layer enough to minimize the water content in the recovered substance.

Unfortunately, and although good skimmer and recovery systems builders insist weather ends up being decisive and minimizes progress in innovation. Their improvements are important but not enough.

At this point, what is left to do? Why not act on the pumping phase to minimize the presence of water?

ENERGY BALANCE OF MECHANICAL RECOVERY

Oil spill recovery operations have a huge energy cost as well as causing a secondary pollution caused by the use of polluting engines.

Besides the use of antediluvian technologies, the largest contribution to energy consumption growth during the recovery operations is caused by the decrease in the efficiency of skimmers, or what is the same, the increased volume of water in the recovered substance.

For example, a weir skimmer recovers a large amount of water in a range from 50% (layer thickness above 25 mm) and 90% (layer thicknesses between 1 and 8 mm), this means that if we are facing an oil spill of 1,000 m³ we will collect between 1,000 m³ and 9,000 m³ of water. Among other things, we are multiplying by 10 the time invested in recovery.

A selective skimmer (brushes, discs, drum) can work at a maximum efficiency of 95% (5% water in the recovered substance), that will be greatly harmed by the state of sea, to reduce it to 50%. In this case we will recover between 50 m³ and 1,000 m³ of water.

The consequence of skimmers inefficiency is an increase in energy cost of recovery operations broken down as follows:

1. Increase the operating time of  skimmers. In the case of a skimmer working at 50% efficiency we have to operate twice as long compared to an ideal situation (95-100% effectiveness). A selective skimmer working at 50% consumes 66 kWh compared to 35 kWh of a 95% efficient skimmer.
2. Increase in the transfer pump total consumption (between skimmers and temporary storage tanks). In the case of a weir skimmer working with a oil layer thickness exceeding from 25 mm, energy required to pump 1,000 m³ of spilled oil plus other 1,000 m³ of water is 1.120 kWh while in the case of thickness lower than one centimeter energy consumption soars to 5.600 kWh. In an ideal situation, considering an efficiency of 95%, energy consumption would be 590 kWh, between a 50% and a 90% lower than real cases.
3. Increase in the transfer pumps total consumption (between temporary storage tanks and oily water separator). We’ll be in a similar situation to point 2.
4. Energy cost of separation. In the working vessel we will separate most of the water from hydrocarbons by means of an oily water separator. This water should have a hydrocarbons content below 15 ppm. Energy cost of this operation amounts to 1.800 kWh in the first case and 16.200 kWh in the second one. If we had worked with a truly efficient skimmer (95%) we would have spent 100 kWh to 1.000 m³ of spilled oil.

The above calculations are extremely approximate and may suffer significant variations depending on many factors but they offer us a striking confirmation of the importance to improve methods of oil spill recovery, because we are not talking only about an economic cost but a higher cost in terms of operability, responsiveness and autonomy of the media displaced to the spill.

THE PROBLEM OF MECHANICAL RECOVERY EFFICIENCY (II)

Due to the limited efficiency of oil recovery systems in real conditions and in presence of waves the amount of water in the temporary tanks is too high.

Depending on the environment the negative consequences can be increased.

In an industrial environment the cost of treatment (separation / purification) of oil / fat increases proportionally to the amount of water as waste managers will charge us per cubic meter treated: the presence of water multiply the cost. Furthermore, if the recovered substance is treated in situ, operating costs will rise due to the increase of pumps consumption and worsening performance in addition to increasing the processing times.

In a marine environment, in response to an oil spill, in addition to the previous problems a deterioration and a significant increase of the complexity of the operating conditions may occur. Temporary tanks of oil spill response vessels present during recovery operations reduce their autonomy as an important part of the volume is water. To avoid this problem vessels are forced to be equipped with a oily water separation system so that the separated water can be returned to the sea. This separation system should be approved by international maritime authorities, fully certified for IMO MEPC and comply with international (as MARPOL 73/78) and local regulations, which may be more restrictive than the first ones.

In any case, as we shall see, separation time increases and makes operation and installation more expensive.

In summary, we found a series of problems caused by the ineffectiveness of the recovery means:

• Reduction of the autonomy of the cleaning systems
• Increased problem resolution time, as the process does not end with the pumping of the recovered substance from the skimmer to the storage tank.
• Increase in installation costs, as required further and complex separation systems.
• Increased operating costs, since the presence of water multiplies pumping energy consumption and separation systems operation.

THE PROBLEM OF MECHANICAL RECOVERY EFFICIENCY (I)

Mechanical recovery is the most commonly used oil spill response technique and it’s accomplished by devices called "skimmer" which recover hydrocarbons and fats floating on the water surface.

Several types of skimmer exist among which weir skimmers and oleophilic skimmers are widespread.

The first ones, thanks to an onboard pump, create an inlet flow through a tared floating ring that floats on the water but not on lighter fluids, as most hydrocarbons are; so the incoming fluid is, in theory, the spilled oil.

The second ones make a more accurate recovery thanks to the adhesion of oil to a rotating surface, to which water does not adhere. Different contact surfaces may be used such as brushes, disc, drum, mop

In all cases, after recovery, oil is pumped into temporary tanks while cleaning operations are developed.

Despite manufacturers' efforts to improve the effectiveness of their equipments, the reality is that Recovery Efficiency (RE = Recovery Efficiency,%) of skimmers is very lower than 100%. (The recovery efficiency is defined as the ratio between the volume of oil recovered and the volume of total fluid recovered by the skimmer, expressed as a percentage)

There are different reasons that justify variable and imperfect performance of skimmers:

• Type: Weir skimmers RE is lower than on oleophilic skimmers. Among the oleophilic skimmers considerable differences exist depending on the type.
• Construction materials: In the case of oleophilic skimmers different studies show strong differences on skimmer performance depending on the material used in the construction of the contact material (polypropylene, polyethylene, aluminum, pvc, stainless steel, ...).
• Operational Speed: Each type of skimmer presents an ideal operational speed (depending on the viscosity of the fluid recovered) beyond which water content in the recovered substance increase, thereby decreasing by the RE.
• Viscosity of spilled oil at the moment of the cleaning operations
• Sea state and weather: The worse the state of the sea and the higher the waves, the lower skimmer RE.

In short, if existing skimmer Recovery Efficiency (RE) in ideal conditions ranges between 50% and 85-90%, we can say that in real conditions it will hardly exceed 50%. Ideal conditions can only be given in cases of calm sea and in the presence of a high concentration of hydrocarbons, as well as in industrial facilities.

The consequence is that the solution to the spill causes a further problem: the presence of equal parts of water in the recovered substance and the need to purify it so that water can be returned to sea with acceptable / legal hydrocarbon concentrations.

CURRENT STATE OF TECHNOLOGY

New technologies are based on energy saving and the use of "clean" energy. Process heat recovery is being implemented on industrial and domestic applications with great success. In the same way the use of renewable energy and energy sources existing in the place of exploitation produce significant economic savings and significant environmental benefits.

By sector:

• Automotive Sector: electric and hybrid vehicles. We are experiencing the boom in electric vehicles and industry around it: vehicle manufacturers, charging systems development, evolution in batteries,...

• Nautical Sector: The eclosion of electric vehicles and related technologies is pushing other sectors such as yachting to develop new products with fully electric motor. Renewables are gaining importance applied directly as the main power source or secondary power source on traditional boats.

• Construction sector: Heat recovery from the exhaust air  or flue gas boilers and generators are producing significant economic benefits for users and. Renewable energies play an increasingly important role in the energy autonomy of the buildings.

• Industrial sector: The economic crisis has led, contrary to what one might think, to increased investment in improved techniques involving energy savings and thus reducing production costs. Also more and more rules and regulations require a greater control of waste generated and the adoption of treatment systems.

All sectors have experiensed a great technological leap in the last few years as far as energy management and respect for the environment is concerned.

OIL SPILL EQUIPMENT CURRENT STATE

Oil Spill Response sector has not properly received, in general terms, the message of today's society. Technological developments and the tendency to reduce overall energy consumption don’t get reflected in the available equipment for pollution control.

• Highly inefficient and polluting engines.

• Ineffective management of power units and energy waste during use.
• Total absence of energy recovery methods.
• Minimal presence of the electric motors, absence of use of renewable energy.
• Total lack of energy planning.
• Minimum electronic management for fear of failure.

• Antediluvian designs.
• Minimum level of technology, and especially,

• Lack of attention to the real effectiveness of their processes.