A LITERATURE-REVIEW OF THE PHYSICS AND PREDICTIVE MODELING OF OIL-SPILL EVAPORATION

The literature on the physics and mathematical modelling of oil spill evaporation is reviewed. Two basic approaches to the mechanism of evaporation are proposed in the literature, first-order decay and boundary-layer limited. Several workers propose a first-order decay process which yields a logarithmic decrease in evaporation with time. Most workers use boundary-layer equations adapted from water evaporation work. These equations predict a constant evaporation mass transfer rate dependent on scale size and wind speed. The implementation of these equations in oil spill models is reviewed. Three primary approaches are adopted: use of a simplified logarithmic predictor, direct use of a boundary-layer model and use of a fractionated cut model. The last uses readily available distillation data and estimations of how each cut evaporates. A comparison of experimental data and prediction methods shows that the accuracy is very dependent on the particular oil properties.