What Is an Oil Skimmer?
An Oil Skimmer is a device that collects oil from the surface of a liquid.
It can effectively collect oil floating on the liquid from which oil is to be removed. Because of its functions such as cleaning and wastewater treatment, it is an indispensable device in industrial facilities where a lot of oil is discharged. Typical locations for installation include coolant tanks for cutting machine tools and drainage tanks in factories.
Oil collection methods vary by manufacturer, but the belt type, in which oil adheres to a steel belt, is the most common. When considering the installation of an Oil Skimmer, it is necessary to select the most suitable one, taking into account the nature of the liquid and the installation location.
Uses of Oil Skimmer
Oil Skimmers are widely used in industry. The following are some examples of applications of Oil Skimmers:
1. Cleaning Industrial Machinery and Equipment
Lubricating and cooling oils are used during operation of industrial machines and equipment. These oils adhere to the surfaces of the machines. Removing these oils with an Oil Skimmer facilitates machine maintenance and cleaning.
Typical machines that use Oil Skimmer are machine tools such as lathes and machining centers. Water-soluble coolant used in machine tools tends to corrode easily because it is inevitably mixed with hydraulic oil and lubricating oil in the same machine. Since rancid coolant can cause strange odors and malfunctions, frequent cleaning and coolant changes are essential.
Therefore, by removing unnecessary oil with an Oil Skimmer, coolant can be kept clean at all times, simplifying cleaning work and extending the life of the machine.
2. Oil and Gas Field Drilling
When drilling oil and gas wells, oil and gas gushes out of the ground. These liquids may mix with water and come to the surface. Oil Skimmer can be used to remove oil in such cases.
3. Marine Pollution Control
Oil spills and marine traffic accidents can cause pollution of the ocean. In such cases, Oil Skimmer may be used to recover oil.
Principle of Oil Skimmer
There are two typical types of oil skimmer systems for collecting floating oil: the belt type and the screw type.
1. Belt Type
A belt made of a material that easily adheres to oil is attached to the upper and lower wheels and rotated by a motor. When the belt sinks into the liquid, oil adheres to it and is scraped off by the scraper.
Metallic steel belts are commonly used as the belt material, but some manufacturers use belts made of special materials. By using different belts depending on the nature of the liquid, it is possible to handle a wide variety of liquids.
In addition, since the belt type often takes out the necessary liquid along with the oil, a specific gravity separation tank may be included to further separate the collected liquid by specific gravity difference.
2. Screw Type
The screw type collects oil by rotating a screw with a special helical structure. Since water-soluble liquids have low viscosity and flow down on their way up, only oil with high viscosity can be collected.
Compared to the belt type, the screw type takes out less liquid. Therefore, it is almost unnecessary to install a separation tank for the screw type.
On the other hand, the screw type has the disadvantage of easily entraining swarf and sludge. Care should be taken when using this type in adverse environments with a lot of contaminants, as it can cause malfunctions.
How to Select an Oil Skimmer
When selecting an Oil Skimmer, first consider the intended use. As explained in the Principle Section, there are a variety of products available with different operating principles and features. Selecting the right type for your intended use will ensure efficient oil removal.
Next, check the required processing capacity. The higher the processing capacity, the larger and more expensive the product is. It is important to select the appropriate size Oil Skimmer, taking into consideration the amount of liquid to be processed and the speed at which it is collected.
Ease of maintenance and price should also be considered. Since oil flows into Oil Skimmer, choosing an oil skimmer that can be easily disassembled will save time and effort in maintenance. The selection will be made in comparison to the selling price.