OIL SKIMMERS
An oil skimmer can be either stationary or moving, manual or mechanically operated units designed to collect the free-floating oil built up on the water top layer in any tank. Based on the application-industry type and amount of oil present in the effluent, tank dimensions, and mode of operation various types of oil skimmers are designed.
CHAIN AND FLIGHT SURFACE OIL SKIMMER
In a tank where floating thick oil/fat is present in the effluent and in cases where a larger tank length requires oil skimming, chain and flight skimmer mechanisms are suggested. The flight mechanism will be connected to the chain and is driven via the drive and driven shaft. This motor-driven oil skimmer mechanism will be a continuously operated design and the skimmed oil/fat will be scrapped off to a collection chute from where oil/fat can be collected by gravity.
SLOTTED PIPE OIL SKIMMER
As the name indicates, a slotted pipe oil skimmer is designed with a cut pipe and will have a welded steel plate on the outside to allow oil to accumulate in the pipe area. These types of slotted oil skimmers are stationary and will be installed at end of the tank covering the entire width of the tank to collect the top layer of free-floating oil built up in the tank. Oil will be pushed to the slotted pipe skimmer either by chain-type oil scrapper or will flow along with the effluent flow. The skimmer will either have a hand lever or geared shaft to rotate the pipe to move back and forth to facilitate oil movement into the skimmer.
BELT OIL SKIMMER
A Belt type of oil skimmer is designed with an oleophilic belt supported with a pulley and will be mounted on a metallic frame. The belt will be immersed vertically into the tank and when it rotates, the belt picks up the oil from the surface of the effluent in the tank. A wiper assembly made of Teflon scrapper will scrape off the oil adhering to the belt into the small collection tray, which is part of the belt skimmer frame. The belt skimmer is motor driven and will be mounted to one tank corner. The belt width and capacity of the skimmer will be chosen based on the oil contamination present in the effluent. Multiple belts can be provided in a single motor-driven unit to cover the maximum possible width of the tank.
FLOATING FUNNEL OIL SKIMMER
A floating funnel skimmer is designed based on the principle of buoyancy between the floating funnel frame and the outlet hose connected at the outlet of the funnel. This skimmer can cover the entire tank surface area collecting the surface floating oil into the funnel. The oil removal will be continuous in this skimmer design. The floating funnel skimmer is gravity operated and doesn’t require any external factor to run the skimmer around the tank. These skimmers are specifically designed where oil contamination is high and also require to cover larger oil skimming surface area.
FLOATING DRUM OIL SKIMMER
A floating drum oil design has a rotating drum that picks up the oil when it moves around the surface of the effluent. The oil picked up by these drum skimmers will be scrapped off by a wiper into an integrated oil collection tray. The drum oil skimmer is motor driven and is suitable where a larger tank surface area has to be covered to remove surface floating oil.