Development and Calibration of an Oil Spill Behavior Model.

• Main Authors: Mackay,Donald, Shiu,Wan Ying, Hossain,Khon, Stiver,Warren, McCurdy,Diane
• Other Authors: TORONTO UNIV (ONTARIO) DEPT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING AND APPLIED CHEMISTRY
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1982
• Subjects: Physical Chemistry; Fuels; *OIL SPILLS; ARCTIC REGIONS; ARCTIC OCEAN; COLD WEATHER; DENSITY; VISCOSITY; SOLUBILITY; FLASH POINT; SURFACE TENSION; COMPUTER PROGRAMS; CRUDE OIL; FUEL OIL; WEATHERING; COLD WEATHER TESTS; Arctic; Arctic Ocean; Fire Point; Mousse; Prudhoe Bay
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA133693; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA133693

An oil spill behavior model has been developed which describes the changing area, thickness and physical properties of spills of Prudhoe Bay Crude Oil, No. 2 fuel (home heating) oil and No. 4 (heavy) fuel oil under Arctic marine conditions. The oil properties calculated are density, viscosity, pour point, aqueous solubility, flash point, fire point and interfacial tension. The model calculations include spreading into thin (sheen) and thick slicks, drift, evaporation, dispersion, and formation of water-in-oil emulsions (mousse formation). The model was calibrated by fitting the model equations to data obtained from outdoor weathering experiments conducted at the Coast Guard R&D Center, Groton, Connecticut, during the Winters of 1979/80 and 1980/81 in which arctic spring conditions were simulated. A comprehensive sampling program yielded data on the changing oil properties. The model successfully described the rate of evaporation and the physical properties under these test conditions, with the exception that interfacial tensions were not well predicted. This exception is probably due to the formation of surface active compounds by oil oxidation, and water-in-oil emulsion formation induced by rainfall. It is believed that the model provides the capability of predicting, with acceptable accuracy, the behavior and properties of the three oils when spilled under arctic marine conditions. (Author)