How Does an Oily Water Separator Operate?

How Does an Oily Water Separator Operate? An oily water separator, commonly known as OWS is a critical equipment of the shipping or marine industry. As the name says, an oily water separator is used to separate oil and water mixtures into their separate components. An oily water separator is commonly found on board ships where it is used to separate oil from oily wastewater before it is finally discharged into the ocean. A ship produces a mixture of oil and water on a daily basis which needs to be separated from each other before it is discharged into the ocean. Hence, there comes the need for an oily water separator that can separate the mixtures. It is important to separate the mixtures because some of the contaminants including fuel oil, rust, sewage, lubricating oil, etc. can prove harmful to the ocean environment. take look How Does an Oily Water Separator Operate? An oily water separator can be operated when the ship is sailing. This is because the oil content must be less than 15 ppm and the ship has to be in operation. In case there is a failure, the shop should be stopped. Unable to do so, the chief or 2^nd engineer can be imprisoned or the ship can be fined. This is the reason why an oily water separator should be operated with utmost precision in order to minimize the risks of marine pollution. To help you understand the working of an oily water separator, go for the reasons mentioned below:

The value of the OWS should be kept locked and with the chief engineer who will be responsible for opening the lock and overboard valve.
The desired bilge tank should be opened gently from where oily water mixture is to be discharged from OWS. If the control valves are air operated, open air.
The filter unit should be filled with fresh or sea water to clean up and prime the system till the water comes out from a vent of second stage.
The OCM should be observed for PPM value and the sounding of bilge tank should be checked from where OWS is taking suction.
After the operation, the power should be switched off and the keys are to be handed over to the chief engineer again.

Factors Affecting Separation in OWS There are a number of factors affecting separation in OWS. OWS is designed to work properly under certain conditions. Mentioned below are certain factors that can affect the separation in OWS. Bilge Management– Know what goes into your bilges and how it affects the performance of the bilge is an important factor to consider. Design Factors– The design factors include the basic working principle of the OWS and the enhancements made for marine context. Operational factors– Correct operational procedures and operational knowledge that are not equipment specific but generic. Crew attitude and aptitude– No matter the kind of equipment is fitted on board it needs the correct operation and some training to run optimally. House Keeping- Good housekeeping also plays a vital role in improving the performance of an OWS. The OWS for marine are optimized to be smaller in size due to space constraints. Several components may be fitted to help with the separation process but basic knowledge of the design is necessary. That was everything you need to know about an Oily water separator. If you are looking to buy marine equipment, ensure you visit the leading and reputed suppliers that can provide you with high-quality products and services. Aflex Ships Equipment is a leading name that supplies high-quality marine equipment such as hydrophore system, air compressor, oily water separator, etc. for various applications.]]>