Development of Mathematical Model for Predicting the Efficiency of Oil-water Separation

Petroleum is vital to many industries and in the manufacture of a wide variety of materials. It also accounts for a large percentage of the world’s energy needs and thus it is a critical concern for many nations.

The study anchors on developing a mechanistic model for oil- water separation. Over the years, researchers have been working on how to improve the quality of produced water effluent, especially from oil and gas operations sent to the receiving waters. Despite the standard set for compliance by regulatory bodies like united nation agency, ministry, departments and other agencies both state and federal government including non-governmental agencies the problem of meeting stipulated benchmarks still persist. This study however looks into some variables perceived as being relative to improving or affecting produced water effluent from oil-water separator. Modelling of oil-water separation was based on the philosophy that a mathematical model can be established for the physical problems under investigation. These mathematical problems formulated were based on laws of conservation. The model under study, where the total mass and energy cannot be generated neither do they disappear, so that mass balance would give an ordinary differential equation. Solving the model equation analytically however, poses some problems. Hence they were solved by simulation using the computer software SIMULINK a graphical extension of MATLAB with positive outcomes since it can model non-linear systems. From the simulated analysis, increased flow rate creates turbulence in the system with resultant poor effluent quality. Whereas from the simulated analysis, gradual temperature increases improve oil- water separation from lower temperature of the fluid upstream thereby aiding improvement in effluent quality.