NUMERICAL MODELING OF OIL-WATER MULTIPHASE FLOW CONTAINED BY AN OIL SPILL BARRIER

To enhance the understanding of hydrodynamics of oil spill containment booms, numerical simulations of different booms were carried out using the state-of-the-art Computational Fluid Dynamics program, FLUENT. Single and double barriers containing oil over water surface were modeled and the flow characteristics in the vicinity of rigid and flexible barriers with different drafts were studied. The numerical results were compared with experimental observations and measurements. The simulated velocity field was in good agreement with precise experimental measurements. The extension of turbulence wake was discussed for single and double barriers. Finally, using a multiphase flow model the effect of oil on flow pattern was studied.