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UN adopts UAE University's innovative oil salvage idea
By Aftab Kazmi - Bureau Chief
2nd October 2003
Gulf News Online
The United Nations' Industrial Development Organisation has adopted an innovative idea of the UAE University (UAEU) to clean up the major oil spill off the cost of Karachi in Pakistan.
Considering it a major breakthrough for the university's Research Affairs Sector, a senior official said the organisation has initiated dialogue and proposed funding for using the idea in major oil spills. The tanker Tasman Spirit's recent disaster off the cost of Karachi is a good starting point.
The solution has been developed by a research team of the university's College of Engineering, and has already acquired a worldwide acclaim for aptness in recovering crude oil from major spills at sea.
Dr A.M.O. Mohamed, Director of the university's Unit of Research Support and Services, yesterday said the solution is based on the density difference between crude oil and water as well as the energy of injected air bubbles to move the crude oil spill towards a recovery unit.
The basic principles were published in the International Journal of Fuel in September 2002.
The finding also attracted the New Scientist magazine published from the UK. "Since the appearance of the article in the New Scientist magazine, the interest has grown worldwide," he said.
The basic science of this discovery was studied by Dr Omer Chaalal, Dr Mamdouh Ghannam, Engineer Samy Abdulla, and a team of senior undergraduate female students as part of their graduation project during the first semester of the academic year 2002-03.
Implementing the research and investigation, Dr Chaalal also designed a tanker for recovering the lost oil. Explaining the technique, Dr Chaalal said the recovery ship carries a large tank filled with seawater.
When the ship approaches an oil slick, it opens a series of holes in the bottom of the hull to connect the water in the tank to the water outside. Just like a glass full of water which is upturned in a filled sink.
The water in the tank does not flood out as long as the holes remain unchanged. As the ship moves along, its specially designed hull shape forces any oil it encounters underneath the boat past the holes.
"Because oil is less dense than seawater, it rises up through the holes to the top of the tank. As the oil builds up in the tank, it gradually displaces the seawater until it contains nothing but oil. The holes are closed and the ship returns to dock to unload its catch."
Dr Mohamed said Dr Chaalal also demonstrated the technique using a 60cm long scale model in a tank containing a one-litre 'slick' of crude oil. To simulate sea conditions, the tank was agitated. In only a couple of minutes, the boat recovered 99 per cent of the oil.
Dr Will Hendry, Operations Supervisor for Briggs Environmental Services, a counter-pollution specialist based in Aberdeen, Scotland, said the idea will certainly be welcomed by the oil industry.
"There are currently no methods for recovering oil without also collecting water. The basic principles haven't changed in the last 30 years," he said.
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