Industrial Applications of Gravity Skimmers

Oil skimmers are widely used to safeguard the environment and for an array of industrial applications. The oil skimmers are mainly categories into oleophilic and non-oleophilic. Today, we will learn about industrial applications of gravity skimmers, which are non-oleophilic.

A gravity skimmer can be called as overflow skimmer. An opening or slot is designed to allow the oily surface to flow into the gravity skimmer. Here, the skimmer opening or slot is positioned such that the top floating oil surface gets skimmed. The floating oil overflows into the skimmer thereby separating oil and water. These skimmers do not use any oleophilic material for separation. There are several types of overflow gravity skimmers that are used for various industrial applications. 

1. 1. Weir Skimmers: A weir skimmer mainly comprises floats to maintains the weir in a horizontal plan at all times. The opening skims the top oily surface, allowing it to flow into the weir. An onboard pump may be fitted to overcome friction loss along the transfer hose. 
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The floating weir skimmer is ideal for use in closed tanks, applications requiring constant skimming, and very deep wells. The weir skimmers prove to be beneficial in removing floating oils from a non-point source such as, mining, monitoring wells, API separators, water tower hygiene and in any still water surface. They are used in power plants for dewatering ash ponds. 

1. 2. Floating funnel skimmers: The floating funnel skimmer comprises two main components – a central funnel and floating body assembly. The skimmer funnel is positioned such that the free-floating oil layer travels towards and into the funnel. The oil drains from the bottom of the tank outlet. The floating funnel skimmers can be integrated with a fixed arm swivel joint, which can either be a single, double, or triple arm.
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With no electrical parts the skimmer is ideal for use in open environment, closed roof tanks and hazardous environment. The floating funnel is used in SBR, power plants, refineries, ATF tanks, etc.

1. 3. Slotted Pipe Skimmers: A slotted pipe skimmer typically consists of a slot with reinforced gaps. To skim the top surface, the pipe is rotated at an angle such that the slots face the direction of the flow, the floating contaminants fall into the pipe which is discharged by gravity from the open flange end. 
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The slotted pipe gravity skimmer spans across the width of the tank. It covers large surface area and consumes less time. Ideal for skimming oil and suspended solids from industrial wastewater produced at oil refineries, petrochemical plants, chemical plants, natural gas processing plants and other industrial oily water sources.

The non-oleophilic gravity skimmers are used in wastewater treatment, in various industrial applications and specifically in the oil and gas industry to remove free-floating oils, suspended solids and floating contaminants.

An automatic weir skimmer is used in skimming non-point source oil from the monitoring wells, deeps wells, etc. While, a slotted pipe oil skimmer is used to remove large scale oil from large basins and floating funnel skimmers are used in oil/fuel storage tanks.

Gravity skimmers are cost-effective and efficient. They are capable of separating oil from water without changing the properties of oils. They protect the equipment and ensures contaminant-free oil in storage tanks. The oil and gas industry handles an enormous amount of oil across its processes. Fast, efficient, cost-effective and continuous oil removal in certain applications is a must. The range of gravity skimmers along with PLC based controls make them a preferred choice in the oil and gas industry to achieve their business goals.