An onboard vacuum suction spilled oil recovery system

A vacuum suction oil skimming system has been studied. The system employs a high power vacuum blower for sucking high viscosity oil. Its applicability to an onboard oil recovery system has been experimentally investigated using small-size models as well as a large-size model. The suction performance has been measured and is given in terms of liquid suction rates, oil and water fraction, friction loss and liquid holdup in the riser pipe in various simulated conditions including wave and current. An emulsified heavy oil whose viscosity is as high as 300,000 mPa.s was used. The results shows that the vacuum suction is a suitable method for recovering the spilled oil on the sea surface since the system has better performance on a wavy surface than a calm water. This work also includes the system overview and a basic design strategy for a real-size onboard oil recovery system which will be installed on a new oil recovery vessel.