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Dissolution of oil in water in the viscous-gravity stage of oil spreading

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Abstract

Spreading of oil on water significantly enhances the water–oil interfacial area. The increase in the interfacial area and the hydrodynamics induced by the viscous oil in the water column underneath the oil affect the dynamics of dissolution of oil in water. The mass transfer dynamics is investigated in the viscous-gravity spreading regime where gravity, promoting spreading, is resisted by the viscous force exerted by the water on the spreading oil. Both unidirectional and axisymmetric spreading cases are considered. A model is developed using an integral boundary layer approach based on fundamentals. The similarity solution provides the time dependent average mass transfer coefficient, concentration boundary layer thickness, and mass transfer coefficient profiles as functions of Schmidt number, geometry and time. Taking into account the typical large oil to water viscosity ratio, the results are discussed based on physical grounds in the light of boundary layer theory to interpret the difference in the asymptotic behavior of the solution near, and sufficiently far from the leading edge of the oil spill.

Article highlights

  • The dynamics of dissolution of oil in water is investigated based on fundamentals taking into account the impact of the oil spreading dynamics on mass transfer.

  • An integral boundary layer approach is adopted to solve the unidirectional and axisymmetric cases using a similarity solution.

  • The time dependent boundary layer thickness and mass transfer coefficient profiles are determined, and the asymptotic behaviors of the solution are discussed based on physical grounds.

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Acknowledgements

This research was funded by the American University of Sharjah. Grant/Fund Number: FRG19-S-98/EN2006

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  1. Chemical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, American University of Sharjah, P.O. Box 26666, Sharjah, UAE

    Rachid Chebbi

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  1. Rachid Chebbi
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Correspondence to Rachid Chebbi.

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Chebbi, R. Dissolution of oil in water in the viscous-gravity stage of oil spreading. Environ Fluid Mech 22, 189–202 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10652-022-09837-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10652-022-09837-6

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