Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1950. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [158]-163).

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 1999. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains xvii, 246 p. : ill. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 244-246).

The purpose of this report was to investigate whether operators, in the municipality of Örnsköldsvik, comply to current regulations and guidelines regarding oil separator. In addition to this, the report also identify which standards the regulatory authority can demand of identified deficiencies, as well as an examination in how the status of oil separator are in other municipalities in Sweden. First a delimitation was made to only investigate environmentally hazardous activities such as haulage contractors. Inventories were made of a total of 12 haulage contractors, with questions from a previously made checklist. The results of the inventory indicated deficiencies in operators existing knowledge, regular self-inspection of oil separators, control frequency, record-keeping and documentation, lack of 5-year inspection and lack of oil- and sludge level alarm. This report also shows that regulatory authority can require the operators to rectify these deficiencies, in accordance with standards and established guidelines. The report also showed similar results when compared with similar surveys of operators' self-inspection of oil separator, in other municipalities in Sweden. The study suggests that regulatory authority should priority to oversight these environmentally hazardous activities with oil separators.

To prevent oil and light liquids from causing damage at wastewater treatment facilities and the environment, a functional oil separator is important. The purpose of this study is to examine which vehicle operations have an oil separator installed and how they supervise its functionality in Arvidsjaur municipality. A questionnaire was used at the interview with all the owners with an oil separator. For those not able to participate in the interview, the same questionnaire was sent by email. The study showed that 14 of the total 15 owners had oil separator at their property and the majority of those where older ones of gravimetric type. Only 31 % had a regular self-inspection of the oil separator, which include control frequency of alarms, oil- and sludge level. The majority of the oil separators had been emptied at least once a year. Further the interviews indicated deficiencies in the owners existing knowledge, record-keeping and documentation. None of the oil separators had been inspected in the last 5 years. 46 % said that the oil separator lacked oil- and sludge level alarms. Results from a survey of operators self-inspection of oil separators in other municipalities in north of Sweden showed similar results as this study. Finally, examples of actions in accordance with standards and established guidelines are presented, which the regulatory authority may require from the owners with insufficient oil separators.

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2006. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains ix, 64 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 63-64).

M. Tech. (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology), Vaal University of Technology. / The developed oil-water separation membranes used in membrane technology are currently inefficient due to their poor morphological and topographical properties during nanoparticle coating. Researchers have developed different wettable membrane surfaces using jet spray coating. Most of these developed membranes are inadequate due to poor morphological and topographical properties normally observed as clusters, creating a rougher membrane surface that hinders wettability. This has resulted in the existing membrane fouling and degradation during the oil/water separation process and again due to different responses to corrosion and rusting. In the current study, membrane clusters were minimised on the ceramic membranes to create a smoother surface, improving membrane wettability. These clusters were minmised at optimal coating force, optimal coating distance and optimal coating angle. Part one of the study was to model and simulate different parameters that decreased clusters using the jet-spray coating. A theoretical model was derived from the first principles and all the external and internal forces that impact membrane clusters were considered during the model derivation. These forces are the force due to applied pressure from the spray gun, the force of nano-particles, the force of viscosity, the upward force on solid wall due to nanoparticles, the downward force on solid wall due to nanoparticles and the reaction force on the solid wall due to nanoparticles. The tools of stochastic theory and the concept of fluid dynamics were used in the modelling process. The total coating force from the jet spray gun nozzle was increased from 0,2x107 kN to 2,4x107 kN, which gave optimal coating force. The coating distance from the jet spray gun nozzle to the membrane surface was increased from 10 mm to 24 mm, which gave optimal coating distance. The jet spray angle in the spray region was also increased from 1⁰ to 9⁰ with reference from the vertical axis to the membrane surface, which gave optimal coating angle. This lead to optimal spread of nanoparticles on the membrane surface thus resulting to optimal cluster minimisation during the coating process. This decreased cluster sizes during nanoparticle coating, resulting in a smooth membrane surface, thus leading to lowered surface energy on the membrane. Part two of the study was to fabricate the ceramic membrane with fewer clusters on the surface for improved wettability using the jet-spray coating. It was important to produce the ceramic membrane surfaces with minimised membrane clusters by considering the optimal parameters revealed to minimise these membrane clusters during coating. Nanoparticle coating was performed under a controlled laboratory environment, and the optimal parameters that were studied to minimise membrane clusters were revealed. These parameters are coating force, coating distance and coating angle. More coating rounds were applied on ceramic samples and clusters were minimised during these coating rounds. The coated samples were analyzed by a scanning electron microscope and the nanoparticles on the membrane surfaces were characterised for optimal performance during oil-water separation. The scattering, orientation, morphology, spatial distribution, surface roughness, surface smoothness, contact angles, surface density of the particles, pore size network, mean size of the coated nanoparticle on the membrane surface after different coating rounds were characterised and analysed to minimise membrane cluster during nanoparticle coating. It was shown that more clusters were observed in 1st LP, 2nd LP, 3rd LP and 4th LP coating rounds when compared to 1st HP, 2nd HP, 3rd HP and 4th HP coating rounds. It was also shown that material surface roughness increased the formation of clusters in membrane surface as more clusters were observed in rough membrane surface when compared to the smooth membrane surface. The microstructure revealed a smoother membrane surface where membrane clusters were minimised. Part three of the study was to compare the newly designed ceramic membrane with the previously designed ceramic membrane from previous the literature. The correlation was done on the experimental results obtained in this study with the experimental results obtained from the previous literature. Different coating rounds were performed from the current study and the previous literature to design nanostructured ceramic membranes with fewer clusters on the surface. The results in the last coating round in this study, revealed a smooth membrane with a homogeneous substrate with fewer clusters and small sizes compared to other coating rounds.

M. Tech. (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology), Vaal University of Technology. / Presently, the current membrane technologies used in oil/water separation are inefficient with poor controllability and stability during oil/water separation. The has led to the current problem of membrane fouling and degradation during oil/water separation. Several approaches have been used to modify or design a better wettable surface with limited success since the current problem of membrane fouling is persisting. It is, therefore, necessary for scientists, engineers, and researchers to come up with a new membrane technology that will be more efficient with stable wettability and controllability during oil/water separation. Membranes are made up of nanoparticles on their surface, which are both random in nature. Furthermore, the collection of membrane particles to form mesh membranes are made of pores with further ransom spatial distribution. Thus, it was necessary to use the tools of stochastic processes to theoretically characterize these parameters. These parameters affect both internal and external factors as well as characteristics of random membrane particle and pores on wettability like surface tension and surface energy were established in the current project. Design and production of the membrane material according to established relationships was by both low and high-pressure spay jet coating in a controlled laboratory environment, and microscopic characterization performed using SEM. TEM, EDS, statistical analysis, and Image J particle analyzer. The spread, orientation, morphology, spatial distribution, inter-separation distances, surface roughness, surface smoothness, contact angles, surface density of the particle, mean size of the coated nanoparticle on the membrane surface after different coating rounds were analyzed so as to establish conditions for optimal wettability. The testing of produced membranes under the application of external and internal factors was done. A centrifugal pump was used to pump contaminated oil and water mixture through the membrane under a steady flow rate of 10 L/s with a gauge pressure of 180 kPa at room temperature conditions. The membrane materials from different coating rounds were tested for their abilities to produce pure collected water or oil particles in the collected water. The separated water was analyzed using oil and grease analysis US EPA method 1664B with the SPE-DEX 1000 oil and grease system. As revealed theoretically and validated experimentally, it was found that the random natures of nanoparticle size, the spatial distribution of membrane channels, and their morphology have impacts on surface energy-driven separability of oil and water mixture. It was also observed that the scattering of nanoparticles on the membrane surface during coating lowered surface energy, which enhanced oil/water separation. It was also revealed that there is an optimal nanoparticle size, scattering, morphology, and spatial distribution of membrane channels that offer better separation of water from oil. From the microscopy analysis, different microstructures were revealed for glass, ceramics, and sediment during LP and HP coating. The microstructure characterization showed different surface densities of nanoparticles, mean particle sizes, surface roughness or smoothness, and nanoparticles inter-separation distances. It was also revealed that the materials, which were more stable and efficient with more controlled wettability were glass, sediment, and ceramic HP 3rd rounds of coating. Clusters were observed on the membrane surface during HP and LP coating rounds with more clusters observed in LP coating when compared with HP coating. These clusters increased surface energy, which negatively affected oil/water separation. It was concluded that to improved the wettability surface. membrane clusters must be minimized during coating rounds. This thesis contributed new knowledge to existing body knowledge of membrane technology used in oil/water separation in a number of ways by: (1) Designing a new membrane surface with a more controlled, efficient, and stable wettability process during oil/water separation. (2) Applying the logic of surface energy-driven separability, which has not been previously used extensively to study membrane wettability. (3) Establishing a model for the optimal membrane pore sizes that offer optimal membrane wettability during oil/water separation. (4) Establishing a model for optimal nanoparticle coating that offers optimal membrane wettability during oil /water separation. (5) A great attempt was made in characterizing nanoparticle surface densities, spread, particle coating, and nanoparticles intensity on a wettable membrane surface.