These are machines that eliminate oil from water. They are mostly used when there is an occurrence of oil spillage that threatens the environment, although they are also used in industrial processes. 

Various applications require diverse kinds of oil skimmers. The choice of oil skimmer will depend on how much oil you want to recover and the oil density. The state of the water that has oil spillage is also a determining factor on the oil skimmer to apply, that is, flowing or stagnant water.

Types of Oil Skimmers

Drum Skimmers

They are manufactured from polyethene drums, and they are oleophilic in nature, to draw oil. They function by revolving in the water where the oil sticks on the drum as it rotates. After collecting enough oil, it is scraped off the drum and put in a gathering trough from where it is pumped for disposal or recycling. Drum skimmers are reliable as they collect little amounts of water, about 3%, in the process or oil removal. 

Drum skimmers are useful in various applications. They can function in little amounts of water such as 75mm where they can are customised to skimming rates of 5,000-180,000 litres in an hour. The drum skimmer can have built-in steam coils to enhance the thickness of the extracted oil to pump it smoothly.

Self-Launching Skimmers

The skimmers utilise grooved disc technology in combination with a uniquely designed initiation system to function in open water bodies. The discs, which areattached to the skimmer,extract oil from water at 95% efficiency – they can recover 150,000 litres of oil in an hour. As a result of the high rates of recovery and their efficiency, these types of skimmers are most suitable for the recovery of oil in offshore conditions.

Weir Skimmers

These skimmers have a weir that is connected to a storage unit,to address anyoil that floats on a water surface. The extracted filtrate is then pumped out of the hopper; the depth of the cut is determined by the volume of oil removed per hour.

Weir skimmers are inexpensive and can remove large amounts of oil and water. They work well in large water bodies such as lakes, lagoons, rivers, and the ocean. Their recovery rates go as high as 300,000 litres in an hour hence making them suitable for recovery of large spills. Weir skimmers quickly removelarge amounts of oil on the water surface which is the reason why they are the first option when large spills occur as they make a significant impact in a short duration.

Suction Skimmers

Suction skimmers function using the same mechanism as a vacuum cleaner when water. The skimmers have an advantage over other types of skimmers in that they work in exceptionally shallow water; they are mostly used on the edges of lakes or dams.

They are fitted with a standard hose and are lightweight. The standard hose makes it possible to connect the suction skimmer a vacuum system. Deployment of the suction skimmer is east since it is flexible.

In conclusion, oil skimmers are a useful component of environmental conservation. They help in removing oil spills from water bodies that supply water for human consumption and farming. In case such a spill occurs in your area, you can look for an oil skimmer, and you will prevent a catastrophe such as the death of marine life.