Mathematical modeling and experimental validation of oily water separation in horizontal tubes and gravity separators: A comparative analysis
2025
Sabrina Dahmani | Nejib Benali | Mehrez Romdhane | Adnane Mouffak | Melouka Bellil
This study presents a comparative analysis of two complementary configurations for oily water separation: the horizontal tube and the cylindrical gravity separator. A physically grounded mathematical model was developed, implemented in MATLAB (student license no41233678), and experimentally validated. This unified framework provides new insights into the evolution of stratified layers, hydrodynamic interactions, and separation performance.The study evaluated the influence of key parameters. For the horizontal tube: the hindered sedimentation coefficient (Ch), asymmetry parameter (rv), and average inlet velocity (um). For the gravity separator: droplet size distribution and sedimentation velocity. The tube exhibited complex hydrodynamic behavior, where shear and multiphase interactions contribute to layer stabilization. Conversely, the gravity separator exhibited greater efficiency due to dominant coalescence and gravity-driven settling.Simulation results showed strong agreement with experiments, with MAEs below 5 mm, low RMSEs, and relative errors under 5% for the stratified layers. The model also captured the impact of droplet size and velocity on coalescence dynamics.This work is original in dual-configuration modeling and validation approach, linking theoretical predictions to experimental evidence. It provides robust predictive tools for optimizing the performance and informing the design of efficient oily water separation systems, with potential for industrial and digital twin frameworks.
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