Shipboard Biomechanical Oil Water Separator

"Traditional Oil Water Separators (OWS) on ships have beenunreliable in processing emulsified oils in bilgewater.Oil/Water separation has become more difficult in recent years,with the newer generation of ships with drier bilges, and thus ahigher concentration of oil, detergents, and chemical wastes inthe bilgewater. The proposed biomechanical OWS must meet theU.S. Navy's requirements for discharge limits below 5 ppm, flowrates up to 10 GPM, and minimal crew interaction. EnSolve willconstruct an OWS based on the Phase I Option design that willmeet the pre-stated goals. The system will be fully automated,allowing 30 days of hands-free operation, and it will bethoroughly tested with actual shipboard bilgewater and shipboardchemicals. The system will effectively remove free-phase oils,and the biological chamber will consume the emulsifiedhydrocarbons and target organic chemicals.BENEFITS: The biomechanical OWS will reliably treat emulsified bilgewater, and will require minimal crew interface. OWS equipment meeting the U.S. Navy goals can be deployed across multiple platforms, addressing aneed in the commercial sector estimated to exceed $1 Billion. In addition, a biomechanical separator can destroy many environmentally harmful organic materials that would pass untreated through a conventional separator."