Oil-Water Separators

f o r s u r face runoff treatment

Guidelines f o r Design, Installation and Opera t i o n

Oldcastle

Flow-Ratings and Geometrical Data for Standard Configurations

The tables below may be used for guidance in choosing appropriate separa t o rs i zes.Models similar to those shown here, as well as custom models are ava i l a bl ef r o ma l l Oldcastle Precast manu facturing locations.Because of diffe ring requirements of customers in different regions, some va riations may ex i s t b e t ween the standard features of models indicated here and those provided at each Oldcastle manu facturi n gl o c a t i o n . A d d i t i o n a li n t e rmediate, larger and smaller sizes may also be ava i l a bl e.Contact yo u rl o c a l Oldcastle representativefor guidance.Oldcastle Precast Inc. reserve st h e right to make modifications without notice in the course of technological progress and in response to customers needs.

F l ow ratings are calculated on the basis of the prov i s i o no fh o ri zontal separation area according Hazens surface-loading theory and are in accordance with the American Petroleum Institutes pri n c i p l e s for separator sizing API Publ i c a t i o n4 2 1 , February 1990. F l ow ra t e si n excess of the maximum surge value given above c a nr e s u l ti ns t ripping of captured oil from coalescing plates.The pipe sizes given above are suitabl efo rf l owr ates up to the Standard Treatment flow ra t e for this model. F l ow ra t e si n ex c e s so ft h i sl evel may require larger pipes and hy d raulic analysis of downstream conditions to ensure that the outlet pipe can carry water at the maximum flow rate required without excessive head building up inside the separator chamber.

Flow-Ratings and Geometrical Data for Standard Configurations Understanding Separator Performance
How oil-remova le f fe c t i veness va ri e s Droplets in the 10-300 micron range Basic measures of separa t o rp e r fo rmance Effluent water quality standards

i n s i d ef r o n t cover

Horizontal Separation Area

Hazens pri n c i p l eo fS u r face Loading W hy hori zontal area (and not depth) Using Hazens pri n c i p l et os i ze a separa t o r

Rating and Sizing Separators

Selecting an appropri a t ep e r fo rmance Determining the design flow ra t e Determining the effe c t i ve hori zontal separation area required Hori zontal separation area of simple retention tanks and ponds Hori zontal separation area of a coalescing-plate separa t o r

Stokes Law
Determining cri t i c a lri s e ra t e s The Stokes Law equation How accurate is Stokes law? Using Stokes law

Example Calculations I n s t a l l a t i o n
Planning fo rs i t e d rainage and location of oil-water separa t o r Planning Installation Connection of pipe fittings

10 12

Operation and Maintenance

Note on Safe t y Role and Function of Separa t o r Inspection Servicing and Maintenance 10 Essentials for a successful and cost-effe c t i ve o i l p o l l u t i o np r evention plan fo rs u r face runoff

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inside rear cover

Oldcastle Precast Inc. 1996

Understanding Separator Performance

How oil-removal effectiveness varies
Manyfa c t o r sa f fect separa t o rp e r fo rmance.Large perfo rmance diff erences not only exist betwe e nd i f ferent separator designs and models,but also between identical separators that are used in diff erent environments and separators that are subjected to different incoming oil-water mixtures.T h eq u a n t i t yo fo i li nt h ei n f l u e n t ,i t s density (specific gr avity) and water temperature all influence the p e r fo rmance of gr avity separators. How eve r, though significant, t h e s e fa c t o r s a r e s t i l l n o t n e a rly as important as the phy s i c a l nature of the oil-wa t e rm i x t u r ei t s e l f : the degr e et ow h i c ht h eo i li s dispersed in the wa t e r:the size of the oil-droplets. I ti sc o nve n i e n tt od i v i d et h ed i f fe r e n t fo rms of oil-water mixtures i n t ot h e fo l l owing four main categori e s : . T h eo i li sas l i ck o rf i l mo nt h es u r face In this case it has already separated from the wa t e r . The oil is made up of relatively large drops greater than 300 microns in diameter (approximately) and globules dispersed throughout the wa t e r . The oil exists as small droplets (greater than 10 microns in diameter, less than ~300 microns in diameter) . The oi l ex i s t sa s extremely small particles (less than 10 microns) and emulsions Most oil-water mixtures in runoff will tend to be a combination of these fo rm s.T h ef i r s tt wo can be removed from water using the most rudimentaryfo rm of retention-vessel type oil-water separa t o r (sometimes refe r r e dt oa sa" s p i l l t ra p " ) . Although the quantity of o i li nt h i s fo rm can be substantial, its removal alone is seldom suff i c i e n t fo r s a feguarding todays more stringent effluent wa t e r quality standards fo r grease and oil. T h et h i r d fo rm droplets between 10 and 300 microns can make u pas i g n i f i c a n tq u a n t i t yo ft h eo i li n runoff and is more difficult to remove.I ti si nt h e i ra b i l i t yt or e m ove t h i so i lt h a ti n d i v i d u a ls e p ar a t o r sd i f fer most from each other. See next section below. The fourt h fo rm of oil-water mixture usually occurs significantly after intense mechanical mixing or when surfactants, s o l vents or detergents are present. S i g n i f i c a n tq u a n t i t i e so ft h i s fo rm o fo i l w ater mixture can be avoided by preventing the use of detergents and by not using devices such as centrifugal pumps upstream of the separa t o r.Otherwise more costly treatments may be necess a ry such as biofiltration or physio-chemical methods.

Figure 1:Comparison of oil-remova le f fe c t i veness of three separat o r s fo r t h r e e d i f ferent dispersions of oil. Note: the above data assumes influent oil with a specific gr avity of 0.88 at a concentration of 250 mg/liter and w ater at a temperature of 50F.

Droplets in the 10 - 300 micron range

As mentioned above, i ti si nt h e i ra b i l i t yt or e m ove droplets within t h i s range that oil-water separa t o r sd i f fer most from each other. Figure 1 (above) shows the concentra t i o no fo i lt ob e expected in the effluent from three different separators subjected to three diff erent influent oil dispersions.As the same oil volume is dispersed as smaller and smaller droplets, t h ee f fe c t i veness of each separator decreases.The oil remova lra t e si l l u s t rated are typical of separ ators ava i l a bl e today.Separa t o rp e r fo rmance is characteri zed by r i t i c a l o i l d r o p l e t r i s e r a t e (defined below ) . The High i t s c Pe r fo rmance separator above clearl yo f fers the best perfo rm ance and would therefore provide the greatest safeguard fo re f f l uent water quality standards.How eve r, when flow rates are ve ry large, t h i sl eve lo fp e r fo rmance may not be the most economical s o l u t i o n . See choosing the section entitled, Choosing a suitabl e cri t i c a lri s e rate value.
Oil concentration in water is best measured and quoted in mg/liter (milligr ams per l i t e r ) . The less precise term, parts per million, is frequently intended to mean the same thing. Environmental regulations use mg/liter. Oldcastle Precast Inc. 1996

A micron (or micrometer) is a unit of length equal to one thousandth of a mill i m e t e r.(There are 25400 microns in one inch. 50 microns is the approximate limit o fd e t e c t i o n for the human eye.

Understanding Separator Performance (continued) Basic measures of separator performance

A l l gr avity separators rely on the tendency of droplets of oil to ri s e i n water (because of their natura l buoyancy). They are "caught" either when they make contact with and adhere to the surface of a solid object (such as a coalescing plate) or when they e n t e ral aye r o fs t a t i o n a ry water at the top of the separator chamber.

Effluent water quality standards

Effluent standards are quantitative limits placed on the amount of polluting substances allow ed in wa t e r.Alone, t h ey cannot be used to define separa t o rp e r fo rmance.This is because the perfo rmance o fa l ls e p a rators is dependent upon physical characteri s t i c so ft h e o i l water mixture going into a separa t o ra n dn o tj u s tt h e i rr e l a t i ve quantities. Most separa t o r s can produce an effluent that meets a water quality standard if the conditions are ri g h t . Unfo rtunately, i ti sa l s o t rue that no separator can guarantee that the effluent will neve r exceed stringent standards unless ve ry s t ri c tc o n t r o l over what goes into it can also be guaranteed. This is because it is impossible to predict what the nature of the influent oil-water mixture characteri s t i c sw i l la l ways be.What a good separator can do, h ow eve r, is reduce the probability of the effluent being out of compliance s i g n i f i c a n t l y.In order to judge how well a separa t o ri sl i ke l yt od o t h i s, b a s i cp e r fo rmance measures such as its c r i t i c a lr i s e r a t e( a s described above ) m ust be determined. Only these types of perf o rmance measures are independent of the environmental conditions of any part i c u l a ra p p l i c a t i o n .

The Critical (Oil-Droplet) Rise-Rate

The ri s e ra t eo fa no i l d r o p l e ti st h en a t u ral speed of ascent it has a si t rises the droplets terminal velocity. A separa t o r, a ta c e rt a i nf l ow ra t e, w i l l c a p t u r e a l l d r o p l e t s t h a t h ave ri s e rates above a cert a i n value.This va l u ei st h ec r i t i c a lr i s e r a t e of the sepa ra t o ra tt h a tf l ow ra t e.The cri t i c a l ri s e rate is a convenient perf o rmance measure for any gr avity separator - the way you descri b e the separators effe c t i veness at remov i n go i l . It is usually measu r e di n feet per minu t e.The low e ri ti s, the more effe c t i ve the sepa rator will be at removing oil and safeguarding a certain wa t e r quality standard. Note: The term surface loading is sometimes used to mean the same thing as the term cri t i c a l ri s e rate (or cri t i c a ls e t t l i n g r ate in the case of sedimentation). How eve r, t h et e rm surface loading is more usually a measure of the flow rate through a gr avity separation chamber divided by the chambers area (on p l a n ) . Though sometimes the same, t h e s e values are not necess a rily identical as will be seen in the section entitled Hazens Pri n c i p l eo fS u r face Loading.

Choosing a suitable c ri t i c a lri s e rate value

Cri t i c a l ri s e ra t e s for separators can be chosen with values rangi n gf r o ma sl i t t l ea s0 . 0 1 feet per minute to as much as half a fo o t per minu t e. The value you choose will depend on the intended function of the separator (as part o fas i t es u r face-wa t e rp o l l u t i o n preve n t i o ns t ra t e g y ) ,l i kely influent characteri s t i c s( o i lq u a l i t y a n d dispersion characteri s t i c s ) ,e f f l u e n t water quality standards and the sensitivity of the receiving environment. Values at the low er end of the scale (0.01 feet per minute) are best chosen when design flow rates can be kept reasonabl yl ow and where a ve ry high perfo rmance is desirabl e.The upper end of the s c a l e( 0 . 5 feet per minute) would only be appropriate where the emphasis is on prov i d i n g al ow c o s tu n i t fo ro c c a s i o n a ls p i l li n t e rception where the spilled oil is unlikely to be dispersed significantl y. More frequently, h ow eve r, the best approach has been to choose a ni n t e rmediate value to balance costs and benefits.Large retenr i t i c a l tion-tank separators in the past used to be designed with c rise-rates o ft h eo r d e ro f0 . 2 feet per minu t e.But the concentra t i o n of oil in the effluent from these devices has frequently been found not to meet todays more stringent standards.In applications that have to meet standards of the order of 10 mg/l, a value of 0.033 f eet per minu t e( t h e ri s e rate of a 60 Micron, 0.88 S. G . ,o i ld r o p l e t i n5 0o F water) has been found to be a suitable choice :removing a substantial port i o no fo i la n ds a feguarding effluent quality to meet these standards in almost eve ry case provided that proper c o n t r o li s exercised over the use of detergents and other problem substances.
W ashington State Department of Ecology recommends this va l u e for coalescingplate separators used in Storm water applications Stormwater Management Manual for the Puget Sound Basin, February 1992. The American Petroleum Institute also suggests 60 Microns as a typical design oil-droplet size i nt h e t r e a t m e n to fo i l r e f i n e ry waste-waters Design and Operation of Oil-Water Separators, API Publication 421, 1990.

The Design Flow-rate

The cri t i c a l ri s e rate changes as the flow rate of water though a separator is increased or decreased. Therefore, to be meaningfully applied to a particular separator design, a cri t i c a lri s e ra t e value m ust also be accompanied by a design flow rate ("maximum opera t i n gf l ow ra t e " ) va l u e for which it applies.When the flow through the separator is increased, the cri t i c a lri s e rate of the unit increase s( i . e.t h ep e r fo rmance decreases). Conve r s e l y : when the flowr ate is reduced, the cri t i c a l ri s e rate is reduced (i.e.the perfo rm ance increases).

The Effective Horizontal Separation Area

I fyou use a compatible set of units and divide the design flow ra t e of a separa t o r by its corresponding cri t i c a l ri s e ra t e you get an answ e rt h a th a su n i t so f area. This number represents the effect i ve hori zontal separation area of the separa t o r. This number is convenient because it changes little with flow ra t e. S oi ti se s s e n t i a l l yas i n g l e number that can be used to quantify the e f fe c t i veness of any separa t o r.Separators that provide the gr e a test amount of effe c t i ve hori zontal separation area genera l l yh ave the highest perfo rmance. Another advantage of the concept of e f fe c t i ve hori zontal separation area is that it may be estimated from the basic geometry o ft h eo i l water separation chamber and its components. Hori zontal separation area is covered later in more detail.

Horizontal Separation Area

Hazens Principle of Surface Loading
In 1904 Allen Haze nf i rmly establ i s h e dt h ep ri n c i p l eo fh ow the e f fe c t i veness of a sedimentation tank va ri e sd i r e c t l yw i t ht h e ra t e o ff l ow through it, divided by its plan area . This pri n c i p l ei sn o t only va l i d for sedimentation processes, bu ta p p l i e st oa l l l i q u i d gr avity-separation processes, i n c l u d i n go i l water separa t i o n .

Uniformly distributed, laminar flow

When the flow is laminar and unifo rm l yd i s t ri buted throughout the separation chamber cross-section (See figure 2), the c r i t i c a lr i s e r a t ei se q u a lt ot h ef l ow rate divided by the area of the separa t i o n p o o l . Figure 2: I l l u s t ra t i o n s o fu n i fo rm-laminar, n o n u n i fo rm laminar and turbu l e n tf l ow. where AH i st h eh o ri zontal separation area (in square feet) as described above, Q i st h ef l ow rate through the separa t o r( i nc u b i c f eet per minute) and V T i st h ec r i t i c a lr i s e r a t e( i nfeet per minu t e ) . Hence, t h ec ri t i c a l ri s e ra t e( o rs e t t l i n g ra t e ) for many separa t i o n devices is frequently taken as being equal to the surface loading. The surface loading on a gr avity separation chamber is (by d e fi n i t i o n )e q u a lt ot h ef l ow rate through the chamber divided by i t s area (on plan).

Why horizontal area (and n o t depth)

Hazens principle has been experimentally va l i d a t e d .I ti sa l s o simple to deri ve analytically using basic hy d raulic equations of continu i t y.The fo l l owing is a deri vation of Hazens principle using a simple gr avity separa t i o nf l ow-model. Consider the illustration in Figure 3 of a simple rectangular oilw ater separation chamber.The separation pool volume is composed of two zones or laye r s : a stationary l i q u i d l ayer and a movi n gl i q u i dl aye r.Any water passing through the separa t o r fo rm s part of the mov i n gl i q u i dl aye r.The top laye ri s kept stationary by the presence of an oil-dam (or scum board) befo r et h eo u t l e to f the separa t o r.The depth, d, is the maximum distance an oil-droplet w i l lh ave t o rise in order to reach the boundary between the stat i o n a ry and the mov i n gl i q u i dl aye r.W e w i l ls e e, s h o rt l y, t h a ti ti s not necessary to know exactly what d is. Now, consider an oil-droplet moving through this separation chamber.This droplet has two velocity components as illustrated in Figure 3: a ve rtical componet and a hori zontal component. The ve rt i c a l velocity component is its natura l ri s e rate or terminal velocity. An oil-droplet natura l l y rises in water because of its buoyancy.Equations, such as Stoke s 'l aw, can be used to calcul a t et h e ri s e rate of any o i l d r o p l e to nt h eb a s i so fi t ss i ze and dens i t y, as well as other propert i e so ft h e wa t e r.The symbol, V T,i s used here to represent this velocity component. The hori zo n t a l velocity component of this droplet (represented by the symbol V H ) , is the same as the hori zo n t a l velocity of the surrounding wa t e rt h a t c a r ri e si ta l o n g . I ft h eo i l d r o p l e tc a n ri s ea s far as the boundary between the movi n gl i q u i dl ayer and the stationaryl aye r, it will be captured, because i t sh o ri zo n t a l ve l o c i t yw i l ld r o pt o zero to match the surrounding still wa t e ri nt h i sl aye r. B u ti ft h eo i l d r o p l e ti sn o tg i ven enough time, i tw i l lp a s so u to ft h es e p a ration chamber before it has a chance to reach this boundary and will not be caught. Another way o fs t a t i n g e s it h i si s :i ft h et i m er e q u i r e d for separa t i o ni s greater than the r dence time of the water in the separa t o r, t h ed r o p l e tw i l ln o tb e caught.
Oldcastle Precast Inc. 1996

Other flow regimes

F l ow i s ra r e l y p e r fe c t l y u n i fo rm although it is reasonabl et o assume it is in some instances.In other cases, h ow eve r, eddies and turbulence are significant, especially at higher opera t i n gf l owr ates.Such deviations from unifo rm, laminar flow serve t o reduce t h e e f f i c i e n c y o f gr avity separation processes substantially. I n order to account fo rt h i s, a d e s i g n factor, F, i si n c o rporated into Hazens equation:

where AH , Q and V T are the same as in the equation used above and F is a dimensionless factor (always greater than or equal to 1) to account for inefficiencies due to non-unifom flow. F cannot be less than 1 because the perfo rmance of a gr av i t ys e pa rator cannot be greater than that predicted by Hazens pri n c i p l e (which assumes ideal conditions). The American Petroleum Institute recommends different values between 1.2 and 1.75 fo r t raditional retention-tank (baffle-type) separators. Many coalescing-plate separators and separators designed to ensure optimal f l ow d i s t ri bution have near-ideal flow-conditions in the separa t o r chamber:s ot h a tFi st a ken as being equal to 1 (or is omitted e n t i r e l y ) . In the design of circular clari f i e r s( l i ke those used in m unicipal water-treatment projects), F can also be taken as being equal to 1, because the flow-regime is essentially unifo rm-ra d i a l .

A common error in sizing gr avity separation devices is to assume that perfo rmance i sd i r e c t l yp r o p o rt i o n a lt ot h e vessel volume or the residence time of liquid in the chamber.W h i l et ru e for some reaction vessels, i ti sn o ti nt h i sc a s e. API Publication 421 Design and Operation of Oil-Water Separators, 1990

Horizontal Separation Area (continued)

A separator must be designed so that even if the droplet comes into the chamber at the ve ry wo r s tl o c a t i o n( i . e.at the bottom of the separa t o r ) ,t h e r ew i l ls t i l lb ee n o u g h time f o ri tt ori s eu pt h ef u l ld i stance, d, to the boundary between the stationary and moving wa t e rl aye r.W e will call this the required time to ensure separa t i o n or simply the separation time (represented by ts ) . The amount of time ava i l a bl efo rt h ed r o p l e tt od ot h i si s called the residence time the time the water spends in the separator chamber (represented by tr ) . In other words, to ensure remova lo f this droplet, the separation time must be less than the residence time.W e can therefo r ec a l lt h e fo l l owing expression our first basic c o n d i t i o n for ensuring separa t i o no ft h i sd r o p l e t : Now we can wri t e :

Notice how the depth, d, now appears in both the numera t o r and the denominator of the left-hand-side expression. This means i t c a n c e l so u to ft h e expression show i n gt h a t the depth of the separation chamber is n o t critical to separator performance. Now, i ti se a s yt or e a r range the expression that remains to get Hazens pri n c i p l e.The hori zontal area of the separation chamber is equal to its length mu l t i p l i e d by i t sw i d t h :

So, we can use AH in our condition expression and get:

W e know the speeds in each direction and the maximum distances, d and L (See figure 3 below ) . W e also know t h a t , for motion i nas t ra i g h tl i n eat a constant speed, the time taken is simply the distance divided by the speed. So,

This was an analytical proof of Hazens pri n c i p l e.

Using Hazens principle to size a separator

So now we can wri t e : So sizing a separator requires that we f i r s ts e l e c taf l ow rate to be processed and, then, a c r i t i c a lr i s e rate based on our expectations f o rt h eo i l water mixture to be separated. D i v i d i n gt h ef i r s t by t h e second gives us the effective separation area needed:

W e can then rearrange this expression and wri t e

Now, t h eb a s i cp rinciple of conservation of matter (know ni nf l u i d A separator can, therefore, b es i zed to provide this separa t i o n u p e r f i c i a l area either as the plan area of its wa mechanics as the continu i t yp ri n c i p l e )t e l l su st h a tt h es t e rs u r face or much more hori zo n t a l ve l o c i t yo ft h e water (the actual hori zo n t a l ve l o c i t yi nu n i- efficiently as the sum of the plan-areas provided by stack so f zo n t a l l y extending coalescing plates.This is outlined in more f o rm l yd i s t ri bu t e df l ow) is equal to the volumetri cf l ow rate (Q) divid- hori d e t a i li nt h en ex ts e c t i o n . ed by the area of the ve rt i c a lf l ow cross-section:

In reality there will be some ve l o c i t y va riations with water depth in a separa t o r chamber and hence the tra j e c t o ry o f a ri s i n gd r o p l e tw i l ln o tb eas t ra i g h tl i n e,bu t a curve. Accounting fo rt h i s fact, how eve r, significantly increases the complex i t yo f the algebraic analysis needed, without altering the conclusions.The assumption that the hori zo n t a l velocity does not change with depth was therefore considered a reasonabl es i m p l i f i c a t i o n .

Figure 3

Model of a flow-through gr avity separation process

Oldcastle Precast Inc. 1996

Rating and Sizing Separators

Example: I no r d e rt os i ze a separa t o ri ti sf i r s tn e c e s s a ry to know what kind o fp e r fo rmance is necessary .The perfo rmance of a separa t o ri s Determine the design flow ra t e for a separator on the basis of a measured in terms of the ri s e ra t eo ft h es l ow e s t rising droplet the one-hour, h a l f i n c hd e s i g n ra i n fall intensity on a ha lf-acre paved separa t o ri sc e rtain to remove from wa t e rf l owing at the separa- area: tors maximum opera t i n g f l ow rate (or design flow ra t e ) . This value is known as the c r i t i c a lr i s e r a t e of the separa t o r.See the section entitled, Understanding Separator Pe r fo rmance, fo r more info rmation on this.

Selecting an appropriate performance

Determining the design flow-rate

The design flow-rate is the maximum operating f l ow ra t e fo rt h e separa t o r.I nrunoff applications, t h ef l ow rate through a separa t o r can be expected to va ry over time. It is common therefo r e t o design the separa t o r for the maximum possibl ef l ow ra t e.B u tt h i s is not necessarily appropri a t e.If the main source of wa ter is from w ashdown processes, the maximum flow rate can be equated to the maximum water supply ra t e.If the main source of wa ter is from r a i n fall, this cannot be done directly.

Determining the effective horizontal separation area required

Once suitabl e va l u e s for design flow rate and cri t i c a l ri s e ra t e have been selected, it is easy to calculate the effe c t i ve hori zo n t a l separation required. Ju s td i v i d et h ef i r s t by the second (making sure that their units are compatibl ef i r s t )a s fo l l ows: Example: What is the effe c t i ve separation area required to ensure the remova lo fd r o p l e t sw i t h ri s e rates of 0.033 feet/minute and greater a taf l ow rate of 100 gpm?

Stormwater Runoff
The most convenient method (known as the rational method), f o r c a l c u l a t i n gf l ow ra t e so fs t o rm runoff from small areas uses the fo ll owing simple equation. Q=CiA Qi st h ef l ow ra t e C is a dimensionless factor that accounts for the permeability and roughness of the surfaces (taken as 0.9 for paved areas) i i st h e design r a i n fa l li n t e n s i t y( u s u a l l y expressed as inches per hour A i st h ea r e ao ft h es i t e exposed to ra i n fa l l . Note: The design ra i n fa l li n t e n s i t y value is carefully selected on the basis o fl o c a l ra i n fall data (including times of concentration etc.) and also on the basis of providing the optimal economic design. A common method is to choose a ra i n fa l li n t e n s i t yt h a t wo u l da l l ow treatment of 90% or 95% of all the wa t e rl e av i n gt h es i t e. B e c a u s ei ti sc o s t l yt ot r e a tl a r g ef l ows of wa t e r, it is recommended that only those areas that are at risk of contamination from oil and grease should be allow e d t o d rain through the separa t o r. W ater quality devices are often designed fo rf l ow rates substant i a l l yl e s st h a nt h ef l ow rates assumed for rest of the conveyancing system. It is seldom necessary( o rfeasibl e )t ot r e a ta l lo ft h e wa t e r from ve ry h i g hi n t e n s i t y ra i n s t o rm s. This is especially va l i di n areas where the majori t yo fp o l l u t a n t sa r et ransported during the f i r s tf l u s h. Large wa t e rf l ows may be either detained upstream of t h eo i l water separa t o ro ra l l ow ed to by-pass it using suitabl ef l owsplitting and recombination structures. Local guidelines fo rs i z i n g should be consulted in any case.

I nt h i s example over 400 square fe e to fe f fe c t i ve separation area is required to provide a separator with a design ri s e rate of 0.033 f eet / minu t e .T h i si m p l i e st h a ti fat raditional retention vessel or pond is to be used, its area on plan will have to be of the order of 400 square fe e t .I fi ti sn o tp o s s i ble to properl yc o n t r o lc i r c u l a t i o n (non-unifo rm distri bu t i o no ff l ow through the unit), its area may have to be increased to more than five hundred square fe e tt o make u p fo rr e s u l t i n gi n e f f i c i e n c i e s.The other option is to use an efficient coalescing-plate oil-water separa t o r.
Oldcastle Precast Inc. 1996

Rating and Sizing Separators (continued) Horizontal separation area of simple retention tanks and ponds
I nt raditional retention-tank systems, ponds and clari f i e r s, t h eh o ri zontal separation area is closely related to the area of the separ ation chamber measured on plan as shown in Figure 4. The flow through a retention tank is often not unifo rm and a design factor is usually necessary (See Hazens Principle of surface loading page 5). Baffles and ve rt i c a lf l ow d i s t ri butors may be included in the design of such units to limit turbulence and non-unifo rm f l ow d i s t ri bu t i o n .

Figure 4

Note: vertical plates used for this purpose do not add to the amount of separation area in a separator chamber. Separation area can only be provided by continuous boundaries that project horizontally across the separator chamber.

The hori zontal separation area provided by a simple retention tank (baffle-type) separa t o r.

Horizontal separation area of a coalescing-plate separator

In a coalescing plate separator the entire cross-section of flow through the separation chamber is divided into many t h i n wa t e r l ayers by hori zo n t a l l y extending plates.Each one of these laye r s a c t sl i ke an individual separation chamber.The separation area of each of these layers is the same as the plan-areaof each plate as shown in Figure 5. The easiest way to c a l c u l a t et h et o t a la r e ai st od e t e rmine the horizontal separation-area density of the plate-stack f i r s t .T h i si st h e amount of hori zontal area (square fe e t ) found in one cubic fo o to f stack .I ft h e ave rage ve rtical spacing of the plates,sp is known in inches see figure 6 the hori zontal separation-area density,aH , can be found using the fo l l owing ru l e :

Figure 5

The hori zontal separation area provided by an inclined and corrugated plate

The ove ra l lh o ri zontal area, AH i st h e n found by measuring the t o t a l volume (based on its gross dimensions see Figure 7) of the submerged plate-stack and mu l t i p l y i n gi t by aH :

Figure 6

The ve rtical spacing of an inclined coalescingplates

In addition to providing a ve ry large amount of hori zontal separation area in a small volume, coalescing plate-stack s, when prope rly positioned, promote more eve n l yd i s t ri bu t e df l ow throughout af l ow chamber.It is usually assumed that the effe c t i ve hori zo n t a l area provided by coalescing plates is simply the sum of their planareas (or projected areas). In other words, a va l u e o f 1 . 0 i s assumed for the design factor, F (as explained on page 4).
Inclinations and corrugations give strength and rigidity to coalescing plates and make them easier to maintain. How eve r, while the plates themselves are neither f l a t n o rh o ri zo n t a l ,f l u i dc o n t i nuity and the incompressibility of water means that each one still creates a hori zontal separation area equivalent to the para l l e l -p r oj e c t i o n o fi t su n d e r s u r face area onto a hori zontal plane (its area on plan).

Figure 7

Gross dimensions of a stack of coalescing plates

Stokes' Law
Determining Critical Rise-rates
I ti sn o ta l ways necessary to do a Stoke s 'l aw calculation in order t os i ze a gr avity separa t o ro r ra t ei t sp e r fo rmance.Appropri a t ec r i ti c a l r i s e r a t e values may be obtained directly by experiment. A l t e rn a t i ve l y, i f s p e c i f i c d a t a a b o u t t h e l i ke l yo i l water mixtures entering the separator are unava i l a bl e, recommended values may be used. Experience and analysis can also determine the value chosen. Remember that the final choice of c r i t i c a l r i s e r a t e assumed for any design will not only determine the ultimate effect i veness of the separa t o r, bu ta l s oi t ss i ze and cost especially when flow rates through the separator are expected to be subs t a n t i a l . It is common to actually list oil characteristics (such as density, d r o p l e ts i ze etc.) when defining the perfo rmance of a separa t o r. This would seem a practical approach except that many more va ri ables controlling separa t o rp e r fo rmance now need to be quoted with them (e. g . w ater viscosity and cri t i c a ld r o p l e ts i ze ) . Unless a l l of these values are provided, the separa t o r cannot be assessed f o rp e r fo rmance. When they are provided, the equation known as r i t i c a lr i s e Stoke s 'l aw can used to conve rt t h e s e va ri a bl e si n t oa c r a t e value.This value is the same regardless of the oil-water mixture characteri s t i c s.I ti st h e value you can use to compare any t wo gr avity separators.

Figure 8: The curves represent the boundari e s( for wa t e r5 0 oF and 70 oF) below which Stoke s 'l aw is known to predict d r o p l e t ri s e rate with negligibl ee r r o r.

How accurate is Stokes Law?

Stoke s 'l aw is deri ved from Newtons laws of part i c l ea n df l u i d mechanics and it applies only to objects ri s i n go r fa l l i n gi naf l u i d under certain conditions known as Stokes flow conditions.These conditions are that the object must be spherical in shape, and sufficiently small and slow-moving so that microscopic turbulence and boundary l ayer effects do not come into play i nt h ev i c i n i t yo f t h e ri s i n go r fa l l i n go b j e c t . Fo rtunately, S t o ke s 'l aw is almost perfectly suited to the design of most gr av i t yo i l water separators.T h i si st ru e fo rt wo reasons.F i r s t , because of oils natura l hydrophobicity and the phenomenon of s u r face tension, small droplets of oil are spherical in shape. Second, although there may ex i s tas i g n i f i c a n tp o rt i o no fl a r g e r d r o p l e t s for which Stokes flow conditions w i l ln o tb es a t i s f i e da s t h eyri s e, t h es m a l l e ro i ld r o p l e t s that are most cri t i c a lt os e p a ra t o r p e r fo rmance nearl y a l way s l i e w i t h i n t h a t range for which Stokes law is known to be accura t e( a si l l u s t rated in Figure 8 above ) . Stokes law will only be useful in predicting the ri s e rates of d r o p l e t s ri s i n gi ns t i l l water or where the flow regime is laminar. Laminar flow is where the water moves as layers with no ve rt ic a l m i x i n g , c i r c u l a t i o n o r turbulence. The idea is simple. The droplet must be abl et o ri s e ve rtically from layer to layer w i t h o u t i n t e r ference. Turbulence and eddying simply undo the process of separa t i o n . Laminar flow is a prerequisite for any gr avi t ys e p a ration process. In summary ,i ft h eo i l d r o p l e ti nq u e s t i o ni sw i t h i nt h e range of s i zes and densities shown in the shaded port i o no ft h e gr aph in Figure 8, and the flow regime is laminar, S t o ke s 'l aw is accura t e and reliabl e.
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Stokes Law
The fo l l owing equation, often referred to as Stokes law, can be used to accurately calculate the ri s e rate (term i n a l ri s e ve l o c it y )o fad r o p l e to fo i lo fk n own density in water of known viscosi t y :

The symbols used in the equation represent values as fo l l ows: h e ri s e rate (or terminal ve l o c i t y )o ft h eo i l d r o p l e t VT = t (cm/s or ft/sec) g = the acceleration due to gr av i t y( i nc m / s2 o rf t / s e c2) 3 3 ro = t (g/cm o rl b m / f t) h ed e n s i t yo fo i l rw = the density of the water (g/cm3 o rl b m / f t3) d = the droplet diameter (in cm or ft) m is the absolute viscosity of the water (g/cm.sec or lbm/ft-sec). Note: Metric units have also been given here because they are commonly used for Stokes law calculations. You can use either metric (CGS) units or customary (FPS) units (but not both at the same time!). Unit Conversion: 1 cm = 10,000 Microns = 0.3937 in. Density of water (approximately) = 1 g/cm3 = 62.4 lbm/ft3 Density of oil = Specific Grav i t yo fo i l x Density of wa t e r Viscosity units: 1 g/cm.sec = 0.1 Pa.sec = 1 Poise = 100 cP 1 lbm/ft-sec = 14.88164 Poise = 1488.164 cP Acceleration due to gr avity = 981 cm/s2 o r3 2 . 2 feet per second per second.

Stokes' Law - continued Using Stokes Law

Stokes law is an equation of four va ri a bl e s.To calculate the ri s e r a t eo fa no i l d r o p l e t ,a l l you need to do is plug in appropri a t e va lu e s for each of the four va ri a bl e so nt h e right-hand side of the equation: the density of the oil, the density of the wa t e r, the diameter of the oil droplet (which we know to be a sphere) and the absolute viscosity of the wa t e r.Care needs to be taken to ensure correct values are chosen for each of these using the correct units. Viscosity: The va l u e for viscosity used in this version of Stoke s 'l aw i st h e absolute viscosity of the wa t e r.This is measured in poise, c e nt i p o i s e, g/cm.s (gr ams per centimeter-second), Pa.s (Pascal seconds) or lbm/ft-sec. Be careful with values given which are described as kinematic viscosities (measured in Stokes, centiStoke s o rs l u g s ) . These must be conve rted to the appropri ate absolute viscosity value befo r et h i s version of the Stokes l aw equation can be used. Va l u e s for the viscosity of water may be taken from Tabl e 1 fo r most conditions. Notice how the viscosity of water changes dramatically with temperature. At higher temperatures, wa t e r becomes less viscous and therefore provides less resistance to the motion of part i c l e s-s ot h a tt h ey separate more easily.

Table 1: Relationship between viscosity and tempera t u r eo f wa t e r Shortcut method: Figure 9 below was deri ved using Stokes law.It may be used to estimate the ri s e ra t eo fad r o p l e to fo i lo fag i ven size and density when the water is at a temperature of 50o F. For temperatures other than 50o F, t h ec o r r e c t ri s e ra t e value can be obtained by mu l t i p l y i n g values taken from Figure 9 by the appropriate correct i o n fa c t o rg i ve ni n Table 1 (above ) .

Figure 9:

Rise-ra t e versus droplet sizefo ro i l d r o p l e t so f va rious specific gr av i t i e si n wa t e r a t5 0

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Example Calculations
Example 3 Example 1 Calculate the ri s e rate of a 60 micron droplet of oil that has a spec i f i c gr avity of 0.888 in water at a temperature of 50 F. Solution: S i ze a suitable rectangular cross-sectioned retention tank (API o i l water separa t o r ) fo ra c r i t i c a lr i s e r a t eo f0 . 0 3 3f e e t / m i na ti t s operating flow-rate of 100 gallons per minute. What size circular unit would be required to provide the same separation effectiveness?

Example 2 Calculate the effe c t i ve hori zontal separation area required to capture all droplets with terminal ve l o c i t i e s greater than or equal to that of a 60 micron droplet of 0.888 specific gr av i t yo i li n wa t e r at a temperature of 50 F,f l owing at 100 gallons per minu t e. Solution:

Clearly both of these approaches invo l ve the creation of ve ry l a r g es t ructures:

This is similar to the design approach for this type of separator recommended by the American Petroleum Institute (Publication 421, 1990)

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Example Calculations (continued)

Example 4 Check i ft h e fo l l owing Oldcastle separator is adequate fo rt h e same perfo rmance requirements of example 3 (Ve rt i c a lp l a t e spacing = 18.5 per ve rt i c a lfo o t ) . Example 5 (continued)
T

Solution:

Example 6 If the concentra t i o no fo i le n t e ring the separator was known to be 250 mg / liter and info rmation about the droplet size d i s t ri bu t i o no f t h eo i le n t e ring the separa t o rr evealed that typically 2% of the oil by volume in Example 1 is less than 60 microns, what would be the concentration of oil in the effluent from a separator opera t i n gt o provide a design ri s e rate of 0.033 ft / min.? Solution:

Example 5 What is the design ri s e rate of the Oldcastle separator in Example 4 at 100 gallons per minute? What size oil-droplet does this correspond to (oil specific gr avity = 0.888, water temperature = 50F ) ? What is the maximum flow rate that can be put through this separa t o r for a design ri s e ra t eo f 0.033 ft/min.? Solution:

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I n s t a l l a t i o n
Planning for site-drainage and oil-water separat o rl o c a t i o n
The Drainage Plan
Careful planning of paved areas and their drainage can significantly contri bute to successful control of pollutants.See figure 10. Consider the fo l l owing: . Vehicles, equipment and storage vessels and activities that pose a risk of oil-discharge should be limited to a single location i fp o s s i b l e . Drainage from roofs and green areas that are unlikely to have the same pollution problems should be routed separately This reduces flow rates and treatment costs for contaminated wa t e r. . If occasional excessive flows of water are unavoidable, allow for by-passing of excess water to prevent flows from exceeding the maximum surge capacity of the separator unit and other treatment system components By-passing can be achieved with the help of detention structures and limited surface flooding as i l l u s t rated in Figure 13. A l t e rn a t i ve l yaf l ow-diversion and recomb i n a t i o ns t ructure can be constructed. Your local Oldcastle manu facturer may be abl et op r ovide a custom solution fo r yo u , such as a separator with integr ated by p a s s i n g features, a s i l l u s t rated in Figure 11. Figure 10: Example of site-drainage plan fo rru n o f ft r e a tment (The area shaded in gr ey is identified where runoff from the pavement has the potential to be contaminated).

Location of separator
When planning a suitabl el o c a t i o n fo rt h eo i l water separa t o r,keep t h e fo l l owing in mind . The top of the separator should be located at a ridge or crown in the pavement Risers can be provided to create tops to any gr ade level desired (See Figure 12). . When planning for on-site detention (controlled, limited flooding), the flow constriction must be placed upstream of the oilwater separator Do not position flow-constri c t i o n d evices downstream of the separa t o ro rp l a n for any back u po ff l ow i n the separator chamber (See Figure 13.) . Make sure that there is room for access by maintenance vehicles to the separator To enable convenient, regular maintenance as necessary . Locate the separator where it may be conveniently accessed by personnel Where it is unlikely to become permanently covered by stored materi a l s,vehicles or machinery
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Figure 11: Oldcastle Separator with integr ated by-pass.

Figure12:

Locate the separa t o ra tac r own in the pavement.

Note:

The information presented here is for guidance purposes only and is not intended as a detailed instruction manual. It is the responsibility of the owner or contractor to ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state and local codes and regulations.

Installation (continued)
Planning the Installation of separator
Oldcastle oil water separators require the same care with installation as any s i m i l a rr e i n forced-concrete environmental structure. Contact your local Oldcastle representativefor specific guidelines and equipment required to install a particular model. In any case, you should comply with applicable codes and regulations.Things to plan ahead fo ra r e : . Excavation In deep excavations, i ti si m p o rt a n tt h a tt h e excava t i o ni s ke p t properly shored. Clearance is required to allow for projecting pipe f i t t i n g sa s well as the concrete vault (See figure14). . Proper bedding preparation The installed separator unit must ultimately be supported by undisturbed or well-compacted soil that is unlike l yt os e t t l es i gn i f i c a n t l y.Care needs to be taken to ensure that the bedding materi a li sp r o p e rly screeded and compacted to prov i d eaf i rm, l eve lfoundation for separa t o r va u l t . . Use of proper lifting equipment Smaller Oldcastle units are installed by boom truck operators from your local Oldcastle Precast manu facturi n g fa c i l i t y.Larger s i ze sw i l lr e q u i r eac ra n et ol ow e rt h eu n i ti np l a c e. . Correct positioning of vault with respect to incoming and outgoing pipes Your Oldcastle Precast representative can advise you on suitabl ep i p e s i zes and arrangements . Correct placement of gaskets between vault base, top-section and riser-sections Your local Oldcastle Precast manu facturer can recommend a durabl e, wa t e r -a n do i l t i g h tj o i n ti fn e c e s s a ryfo r your applicat i o n . Special care needs to be taken in areas that are prone to high water-tabl e st op r eve n ti n f i l t ra t i o n o f water into the separ ator chamber.The joint between riser sections in a concrete vault must be clean before application of any gaske t . Gaske t s m ust be resistant to oil and hydrocarbon compounds. Check with the manu facturer to ensure that the gaske t i ss u i t a bl efo r the application. Ask your Oldcastle representativefor advice in mounting gaskets between concrete sections. . Even backfilling before filling with water Note: . Protection of internal components during construction work on the surface Duri n gs i t ec o n s t ruction wo rk, sediments and debris should be kept out of the separa t o r . Sealing of pipe connections at all points in the drainage system Durabl e, non-corrosive water-tight seals are essential to the functioning of separators. Some special guidelines are given ove rl e a f. Proper installation is critical to the long-term safety, integrity and d u r a b i l i t yo fa no i l w a t e rs e p a r a t o r .I ti sn o td i f f i c u l tt od ow i t ht h e right tools and equipment. Ensure that you comply with appropriate engineering specifications as well as the recommenda tions of your Oldcastle Precast representative. Figure 14: Planning separa t o ri n s t a l l a t i o n

Figure 13:

Surface detention to control flow rates

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Installation (continued)
Connection of Pipe fittings:
P i p ef i t t i n g s fo ro i l water separators must be oil- and wa t e r -t i g h t . Where possibl e, Oldcastle Precast prefers to ship separators with tee-sections and pipes already installed and sealed, so that all the owner or contractor has to do is provide the ex t e rnal coupling to the outside drainage system. Occasions do ari s e, h ow eve r, when it is necessary t ol e ave t h ei n s t a l l a t i o no fp i p e su n t i la f t e rt h eu n i t has been installed. In this case the separator is shipped with cored or cast-in holes.In this case, i ti st h er e s p o n s i b i l i t yo ft h e customer or contractor to provide an adequate seal that is both durabl ea n df l ex i ble enough to function properl yfo rt h ef u l l range o f a l l ow ed constru c t i o n t o l e rances. Ask your local Oldcastle Precast representativefor advice on this issue.

Pipe to Wall Seals

When installing pipes and tees into the separa t o r va u l t ,i ti si m p o rt a n tt op r ovide a good seal to reduce ri s k so fl i q u i di n f l ow or outf l ow at the pipe-wa l ls e a l . There are va riety of methods fo ri n s u ri n g a durabl e, well-sealed connection. Figure 15 shows two suitabl e w ay st od oi t . Whatever method used, the integr ity and dura b i l i t yo f the seal depends on the quality of preparation, wo rkmanship, t h e dura b i l i t yo ft h em a t e rials used as we l la st h ep r ov i s i o no f a ri g i d f oundation under the va u l t s t ructure and piping.

Figure 15: Typical pipe-wa l ls e a l s for PVC pipe: (a) using a non-shri n k grout and (b) using a propri e t a ry boot system. In both cases careful prepara t i o no fs u r faces of pipes and concrete and the choice of suitable adhesives and p rimers for each materi a li se s s e n t i a lt ot h ec r e a t i o no fa good seal.

Pipe-to-Pipe Seals
See Figure 16. Most pipe manu facturers have t h e i r own recommendations for how best to achieve pipe-to-pipe seals.Again, the key to achieving a good durabl es e a ll i e sw i t ht h eq u a l i t yo fs u r face preparation, wo rkmanship, t h ed u ra b i l i t yo fm a t e rials used and the provision of proper bedding materi a lfo rt h e va u l t s t ructure and pipes.When you use propri e t a ry methods, check with the manuf acturer to make sure that the seal is durable and can withstand hydrocarbons and wa t e r.Fo l l ow the pipe-manu fa c t u r e r si n s t ructions when using propri e t a ry products.

Figure 16: Pipe to pipe seals outside separator and for connecti n gi n t e rnal tees and extensions: (a) using propri e t a ry bell ends or pipes and (b) a typical sleeve coupling a r rangement.

Tees and Pipe-extensions inside vault

The tee-sections and pipe extensions play import a n tr o l e si nt h e functioning of the separa t o r.They a l l ow proper venting of incoming f l ow and controlled turbulence dissipation in the inlet chamber as we l l a s p r oviding additional containment for oil that becomes t rapped in the separa t o r.I ti si m p o rt a n t ,t h e r e fore, t h a tt h ey are attached using properly sealed, bonded (or mechanically joined) connections just like the ex t e rnal pipe fitting connections.They m ust be installed so that they extend to the correct elevations, p r oviding sufficient freeboard and baffling of wa t e rf l owing out of the separa t o r.See Figure 17

Figure 17: Tee-sections required at inlet and outlet

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Operation and Maintenance

Note on Safety
Always exercise caution when dealing with underground installations, oil and other hazardous substances. The details of all necessary safety precautions cannot be covered in detail here. Remember, however, that the following may be necessary:
. Precautions when handling oils and other substances Some oils are potentially hazardous substances . Fire-prevention measures around oil . Measures to avoid accidents when inspecting or entering underground installations Seek advice from a health and safe t y experti fyou are in doubt about correct safety procedures . Compliance with local, state and federal safety regulations

Inspection
Regular inspection is the key to ensuring that an o i l-water separator does its job we l l . The internals of Oldcastles separators are e a s i l yv i ew ed simply by opening the large access doors and looking inside.Doing so, in most cases, t a kes only a minu t e. The inspection frequency required for separators va ries from application to application. It depends on the quantities of oil released at the site.Duri n gt h ef i r s t few months of opera t i o n ,i ti s advisable to inspect the separator once a week to determine the r ate of accumulation of solid materi a la n do i li nt h eu n i t .I ft h ea c t i vity on the paved area which drains through the separa t o ri s fa i rl y consistent, then the frequency of inspection can be reduced to as l i t t l ea so n c e eve ry three months. 1 . Oil Buildup Measure the thickness of the laye ro fo i lt h a th a s bu i l tu po nt h e s u r face of the separa t o r.It should be removed before it reaches a depth of two inches. 2 . Solids Accumu l a t i o n Use a long pole to determine sludge build-up on the bottom judged by the resistance felt when you attempt to push the pole to the bottom of the separator chamber.If more than six inches of sludge has accumulated at the bottom of the unit, it requires cleaning out. 3 . Presence of debris and floatable materials in the inlet chamber The inlet chamber must be kept clear.This chamber and its openings are import a n t fo r d i s s i p a t i n gt u r bulence and distri bu ti n gt h ef l ow of water through the separa t o r.The inlet chamber a l s o a c t s a s a l a s t l i n e o f d e fense for the separator against heavy gr i t ,f l o a t i n ga n ds e t t l i n gd e b ri s.Excessive amounts of these in the separator is an indication of problems with the system upstream that should screen out these materi a l s. 4 . W ater Leve li nt h eu n i t Check that the wa t e rl eve lh a sn o t risen excessively inside the u n i t . The wa t e rl evel inside the separator should neve rrise more than twe l ve inches above i t ss t a n d i n gl evel (unless the separator has been designed to allow fo ra d d i t i o n a l freeboard) . The s t a t i c wa t e rl evel should be the same as the leve lo ft h ei nve rto f the outlet pipe (or outlet weir if one is present). An excessive r i s ei n wa t e rl eve ld u ring operation is an indication of bl o ckage either downstream of the separator or within the coalescing plates themselves. 5 . The Whole System Inspect catch-basins, other units and drained areas upstream of separa t o r.The level of the top of solid material in the base of gr t i chambers and catchbasins should be we l lb e l ow the leve lo ft h e i n v e r t of the pipe leaving the catch basin. Make sure that paved

Role and function of a separator

Oldcastles oil-water separator may be thought of simply as a h i g h l ye f f i c i e n t gr avity-separation dev i c e, t h a ti sc a p a ble of removi n g extremely small droplets of oil that would otherwise be carri e d on through the drainage system. The separator does not destroy the oil or other pollutants it captures.I tt raps and provides tempor a ry s t o rage for them. The use of an oil-water separator is recognized by the EPA ,s t a t e and local environmental agencies as a Best Management Practice (BMP). The separa t o rw i l ls e rve i t sp u rpose best when seen as a component of a larger strategy to protect runoff wa t e rq u a l i t y.An o i l water separa t o ri sap a rt o ft h es i t ed rainage system and will only do its job we l li ft h eo t h e rp a rt s( i . e.catchbasins,gr it-chambers, p i p e se t c . )a r ep e r fo rming their functions properl yt o o. Though a separa t o r for the most part r e q u i r e sl i t t l eh u m a ni n t e rvention to wo rk, it does need periodic inspection, cleaning and preve n t i ve maintenance.The amount of maintenance required will va ry with each application. I ti st h er e s p o n s i b i l i t yo ft h es e p a ra t o r owner to ensure that his separator inspection and maintenance plan suits the application requirements and that this plan is prope rl yc a r ried through. The owner can reduce maintenance costs by making changes to wo rk p ractices that generate excessive quantities of sediments and oil releases.

Fig 19:Grav i t y( o r buoyancy) causes droplets of oil dispersed in the wa t e rt o rise up and separate from wa t e r. T h ef i l mo fo i l that develops on the surface must be removed peri o d i c a l l y.

Operation and maintenance (continued)

Inspection (continued)
areas draining to the catchbasins are free of large quantities of sand and dirt and other materi a l st h a tc o u l di n t e r fere with the system such as detergents, s o l vents, and antifreeze agents. These substances cause oils to become more thoroughly mixed with water so that greater quantities of the oil are dispersed as extremely small droplets (< 10 Microns), emulsions and even solutions.While in this state, o i l sh ave little tendency to separ a t e.

Maintaining the coalescing plates

The coalescing plates in an Oldcastle separator are designed to opera t e for long periods without requiring maintenance. Inclinations and channels in the plate stacks enabl es o l i dp a rt i c l e s to settle out of the system and oil to gr a d u a l l yf l ow to the wa t e rs u rf ace. I nt h e event of the separator receiving a heav ys i l tl o a d ,i tm ay be necessary to clear the plate-stacks of this material with a hose (high-pressure if necessary ) . This can be accomplished without m oving the plate-stack s.It is not necessary to completely clean t h ep l a t e si no r d e r for them to wo rk properl y.

Servicing and Maintenance

Pe riodic cleaning and preve n t i ve maintenance is essential to the proper functioning of oil-water separators.

Oil Removal from the surface

Oil that is removed from a separator should be stored separa t e l y as a potentially hazardous materi a l .I fp o s s i bl e, s t o r ei ts a fe l yw i t h other used oils and recycle it. Oil can be removed from the surface of the wa t e ri no i l water separators by a number of means: . Wet vacuuming This is the quickest and most convenient method fo rf r e q u e n to i l removal from a separa t o r.Most industri a l we t / d ry vacuum cleaners are suitabl efo rt h i s.Entry into the separator is not necessary and special extensions and skimming attachments are ava i l a bl e f or doing this job. . Using skimming devices Many skimmer devices are ava i l a bl e t h a t h ave l ow energy requirements.The simplest is a rope or belt skimmer where an adsorbent belt (or looped rope) is fed continuously through the o i l / wa t e rs u r face in the separa t o r.Skimmers are useful only in situations where there is constant oil-buildup in the separa t o r. They a r e s l ow and require frequent inspection and maintenance. . Bulk pumping of the entire separator contents In some cases (especially after an accidental bu l ks p i l lo fo i l ) ,i t is best to obtain the services of a professional tank cleaning company, who usually removes a separators entire contents ( o i l , water and solids) using special vacuum truck s.This materi a li st h e nd e l i vered to a licensed treatment fa c i l i t yw h e r et h eo i l s, solids and classifiable materials can be ex t racted and recycled o rs a fely stored.

Removing and Installing Coalescing-Plates Sometimes it is desirable to completely remove the plate-stacks f or closer inspection of the chamber or intensive maintenance if nuisance substances were introduced into the separa t o ro ri ft h e plates become damaged. The plate-stacks Oldcastle uses are modular and may be lifted easily through the separator access doors.Take care to ensure that they are replaced correctly with the proper components securing them in place in their correct posit i o n sl i ke those shown in Figure 19 below.

Solids Removal from separator chambers Bulk pumping of sludge that collects at the bottom of the oil wa t e r separator is recommended if the leve lo fs o l i d s buildup inside the separator chamber exceeds six inches.This is best achieved using the services of a professional tank cleaning company .This type of cleaning should not be expected to be necessary more than once a year.I fexcessive sludge buildup is a problem, it may be due to problems with catchbasins and gr it-chambers upstream of the separa t o r

Figure 19:

I n t e rnal components need to be properl y positioned in the separation chamber

Oldcastle Precast Inc. 1996

10 essentials for a successful and cost-effective oil-pollution prevention plan for surface runoff from your site
1 . Start now Dont wait until a neighbor or environmental official raises their concerns with yo u .I nvestigate your wo rk p ractices.As time goes on people are becoming less and less tolera n to f avoidabl erunoff pollution and p e n a l t i e s for non-compliance are becoming more and more severe. Install an oil-water separator which provides reliabl e, measurabl ep e r fo rmance, maintainability and dura b i l i t y Create a contingency plan for dealing with small and large releases of oils and polluting substances You can startby looking up local tank-cleaning companies and enquiring about their services and how quicko u rp r i o r i t y l yt h ey can respond. When a spill or accident occurs that poses a potentially hazardous situation, y is to minimize damage.Implement a suitable cleanup procedure promptly and document the incident. Chances a r e yo uw i l lh ave completely ave rt e dt h e ri s ko fa ny s e rious environmental damage.Instead of seeing the incident as a disaster, take p ride in the success of your contingency clean-up plan. Get tough on all liquids and materials that could be carried into your drainage system Maintain a clean shop. Ke e pl i t t e r, s a n d ,s o i l ,e t c .o f fp aved areas.Also,keep a close wa t c h fo rt h e fo l l owing liquids that can damage antifreeze agents, degreasers, detergents, alcohols and solvents. the functioning of an oil-water separa t o r:a Pay attention to your oil-water separator and the rest of the drainage system and clean and maintain it promptly when necessary Inspect yo u ro i l water separator regularl y( i ts h o u l do n l yt a ke a minu t e ) . Also check your catchbasins and other structures.Find the safest, most convenient method you can use to clean them out as needed. Service your drainage system promptly Do not wa i tu n t i lt h es y s t e mi sf u l lo fo i lo rs o l i d s.Oil should be removed before it reaches a level of 2 inches.Do not use a separator or any other part o ft h ed rainage system as a receptacle fo ru s e do i l . Do not leave the separator or other part so ft h ed rainage system full of large quan. t i t i e so fo i l for long periods of time Store used oil and oil removed from separator together in a safe, well contained location for hazardous wastes and have it sent to a licensed recycling facility In parts of the country, people are profiting from the sale of wa s t eo i l . There may be similar opport u n i t i e si n your area. Inspect your machinery and liquid storage regularly and undertake preventive measures for early detection and prevention of leaks from corroded or worn parts Preve n t i ve maintenance of your vehicles equipment saves you money by reducing costly repairs and downtime.It also reduces the cost of maintaining yo u r ru n o f ft r e a tment system and enhances its reliability. Reduce risks that help you reduce costs When more environmentally sound wo rk p ractices and source control measures are adopted, the separator and other components of your treatment system require less and less maintenance.Regular separa t o rs e rvicing should not be a time-consuming or costly activity.Maintaining your separa t o rt h i s way reduces the need for more costly and intensive overhaul at a later stage.

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1 0 . Take responsibility for your own effluent No-one else has the pow e r you have t oc o n t r o l runoff pollution from yo u rs i t e. S oi ti s your responsibility.Oldcastles oil-water separator represents the state of the art i n gr av i t y o o l to help you control your wa t e rq u a l i t y.There is no technology that can separator design, bu ti ti ss t i l lo n l ya t automatically take c a r eo fa l lo f your water quality wo r ri e s.Avo i d ove r r e l i a n c eo no i l l evel sensors and alarm s, leak detection equipment etc. Such devices may be unreliabl ei nt h el o n g run and may prov i d e yo uw i t h a false sense of securi t y.There is no substitute for visually inspecting yo u r d rainage system on a regular basis (which should only take a minute anyway ) .

Storing large quantities of oil and other potentially hazardous liquids in an open hy d raulic system is strongly discouraged and illegal in many parts of the country.As o t constitute secondary conw ell as creating a fire and safety hazard, environmental risks remain. Double-walled containment of oil-water separator chambers does n tainment of liquids because the system is open. Oil and other materials can be re-entrained into the effluent as a result of bl o ckage-induced surge or turbulence, t h e accidental release of interfe ring substances (e. g . detergents) into the separator and the occurence of other unpredictabl ep hysical, chemical or microbiological react i o n sa tt h eo i l wa t e ri n t e r face.

Applications Vehicle maintenance facilities Truck stops Petroleum marketing facilities Auto recycling and repair yards Railway maintenance yards Industrial plants Refineries Waste disposal and transfer depots Vehicle / equipment washdown sites Airfields and aircraft maintenance Marine repair yards Vehicle and equipment storage pools

Manufacturing plants are located throughout the country

info@oldcastleprecast.com

888-232-6274
Oldcastle Precast Inc. 2000

oldcastle-precast.com

Some models supplied may differ from illustrations shown in this manual. Oldcastle reserves the right to make changes without notice in the course of technical progress and in response to customers requests.

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Oil-Water Separators

Flow-Ratings and Geometrical Data for Standard Configurations

The tables below may be used for guidance in choosing appropriate separator sizes. Models similar to those shown here, as well as custom models are available from all Oldcastle Precast manufacturing locations. Because of differing requirements of customers in different regions, some variations may exist between the standard features of models indicated here and those provided at each Oldcastle manufacturing location. Additional intermediate, larger and smaller sizes may also be available. Contact your local Oldcastle representative for guidance. Oldcastle Precast Inc. reserves the right to make modifications without notice in the course of technological progress and in response to customers needs.

PostScriptPicture 48C42W.EPS from CorelDRAW!

PostScriptPicture 61264W.EPS from CorelDRAW!

PostScriptPicture 81686W.EPS from CorelDRAW!

Flow ratings are calculated on the basis of the provision of horizontal separation area according Hazens surface-loading theory and are in accordance with the American Petroleum Institutes principles for separator sizing API Publication 421, February 1990. Flow-rates in excess of the maximum surge value given above can result in stripping of captured oil from coalescing plates. The pipe sizes given above are suitable for flowrates up to the Standard Treatment flow-rate for this model. Flow-rates in excess of this level may require larger pipes and hydraulic analysis of downstream conditions to ensure that the outlet pipe can carry water at the maximum flow-rate required without excessive head building up inside the separator chamber. Oldcastle Precast Inc. 1996