Rprakash Ramanathan, Lokman Abdullah, Muhammad Hafidz Fazli Md Fauadi, Muhammad Syafiq Syed Mohamed, Ruzaidi Zamri, Rahimah Abdul Hamid, Zamberi Jamaludin, Mohd Shahrieel Mohd Aras

Safety Enhancement of Portable Oil Spill Skimmer (POSS) via Computational Fluid Dynamics for Liquid Sloshing Analysis

Introduction

Safety enhancement of portable oil spill skimmer (poss) via computational fluid dynamics for liquid sloshing analysis. Improve POSS safety and stability through CFD. Liquid sloshing analysis demonstrates how baffles significantly reduce tank instability, enhancing oil spill response and recovery.

Abstract

The Portable Oil Spill Skimmer (POSS) was designed and developed due to several disadvantages of the current methods of Oil Spill Response and Recovery (OSRR). The POSS was designed as a complementary method to aid the OSRR tasks. However, during the POSS maneuverability testing, the POSS experiences instability when moving in different directions. The imbalance occurs when there is the presence of oil in the oil tank. Based on the literature study, the liquid sloshing effect was the reason why the POSS experiences instability. Thus, this research aims to analyse the impact of liquid sloshing in an oil tank and the implementation of baffles to reduce the effect. The analysis was conducted using SolidWorks Flow Simulation to simulate the liquid sloshing in the oil tank. The simulation was conducted in two situations, with and without baffles, to compare the results. According to the obtained results, with the implementation of 3 baffles, the sloshing effect was reduced to 392 N of torque force from 1195.43 N without baffles. The reduction was significant as the sloshing effect cannot be eliminated, thus the torque force of 392 N was enough to minimise the stability issue of the POSS. ABSTRAK: Penapis Tumpahan Minyak Mudah Alih (POSS) telah direka bentuk dan difabrikasi kerana terdapat beberapa kelemahan kaedah semasa iaitu Tindak Balas dan Pemulihan Tumpahan Minyak (OSRR). POSS direka bentuk sebagai kaedah pelengkap bagi membantu operasi OSRR. Walau bagaimanapun, semasa ujian kebolehgerakan POSS, ia mengalami ketidakstabilan gerakan arah berbeza. Ketidakseimbangan ini berlaku apabila terdapat minyak dalam tangki minyak. Berdasarkan kajian, POSS mengalami ketidakstabilan disebabkan oleh kesan percikan cecair (liquid sloshing). Oleh itu, kajian ini bertujuan bagi menganalisis kesan percikan minyak (oil sloshing) dalam tangki minyak dan mengkaji keberkesanan pelaksanaan penyekat dalaman (baffles) bagi mengurangkan kesan percikan. Analisis dijalankan dengan menggunakan Perisian Simulasi Aliran SolidWorks bagi mensimulasikan percikan cecair dalam tangki minyak. Simulasi dijalankan dalam dua keadaan, dengan dan tanpa penyekat dalaman bagi membandingkan keputusan. Dapatan kajian mendapati melalui pelaksanaan 3 penyekat dalaman (baffles), kesan percikan telah berjaya dikurangkan kepada 392 N daya kilas (torque force) berbanding 1195.43 N tanpa menggunakan penyekat dalaman. Pengurangan ini adalah ketara kerana kesan percikan tidak dapat dihapuskan sepenuhnya. Oleh itu, daya kilas 392 N adalah cukup bagi meminimumkan isu kestabilan POSS.

Review

This paper presents a focused study on enhancing the safety and stability of a novel Portable Oil Spill Skimmer (POSS), designed to complement existing Oil Spill Response and Recovery (OSRR) methods. The core problem addressed is the observed instability of the POSS during maneuverability, which is attributed to liquid sloshing within its oil tank. This research capably identifies a critical operational challenge for the POSS, which, if unaddressed, would significantly hinder its effectiveness and deployment. The aim to analyze the impact of sloshing and explore the implementation of baffles for mitigation is clearly articulated and highly relevant to the practical deployment of such equipment. The methodology employed leverages Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) using SolidWorks Flow Simulation, a suitable approach for investigating complex fluid dynamics phenomena like sloshing without the need for extensive physical prototyping in the initial stages. The study directly compares two critical scenarios: the oil tank without baffles versus with the implementation of three baffles. The results demonstrate a significant quantitative improvement, with the "torque force" – presumably an indicator of the overturning moment caused by sloshing – reduced dramatically from 1195.43 N to 392 N. This reduction is presented as sufficient to minimize stability issues, highlighting a practical and effective engineering solution derived from the simulation. While the abstract clearly demonstrates a valuable contribution to the safety enhancement of the POSS, further details would strengthen the presented findings. Specifically, elaborating on the type, dimensions, and placement of the three baffles would provide greater insight into the optimal design. Additionally, the specific sloshing conditions simulated, such as the initial fill level of the tank, the amplitude and frequency of motion, and the assumed properties of the oil, are crucial for replication and comprehensive understanding. Future work could also benefit from experimental validation of the CFD model, which would significantly bolster the confidence in the simulation results and the claim that the reduced "torque force" is indeed "enough to minimise the stability issue." Clarification regarding the term "torque force" (N) would also be beneficial, as torque is typically expressed in N.m. Nevertheless, this research provides a promising direction for improving the operational safety of portable oil spill recovery devices.

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