Dynamic model for oil slick dispersion into a water column—A wind-driven wave tank experiment

A dynamic experiment for oil dispersion into a water column was performed with a 21 m long, 0.5 m wide, and 1 m high wind-driven wave tank. At wind velocity between 6–12 m/s and with the oil slick kept constant (about 1 μm), the rate of the oil content increase in the water column could be approximated from the difference between the dispersion rate (R) of the oil slick and the coagulation rate (R′) of the dispersed oil slick. Assuming the coagulation rate is directly proportional to the concentration of the water dispersed oil slick (i. e.R′-K ^*C), the integral form of the dynamic model can be expressed asC=R ^* 1−exp(−K ^*t)]/K and parametersR andK can be regressed with a computer. The relative deviation of model results from the experimental data was mainly less than 10%. The oil slick dispersion rate (R) had exponential relationship with the wind velocity (U), and can be fitted with a formulaR=A ^* (U+1) ^B . The fitted constant of the coagulation rate,K(0.8–3.0^* 10⁻³ min⁻¹) did not have significant relationship with the wind velocity.