How To Determine Whether The Coalescing Element of A Marine Oil-water Separation Device Needs To Be Replaced?

To determine whether the coalescing element of the marine oil-water separation equipment needs to be replaced, we can start from the following aspects:

�Observe the separation effect

≥Outlet water quality: This is an important indicator for judging the performance of the coalescing element. Through visual observation or using professional water quality testing equipment, if it is found that there are still obvious oil spots in the separated water layer, or the transparency of the water is significantly reduced and becomes turbid, this may be a sign of failure of the coalescing element. Because a normally working coalescing element can effectively coalesce and separate oil droplets, the outlet water quality is clear and the oil content meets the discharge standards.

≥Oil concentration detection: Use an oil concentration meter to regularly detect the oil concentration of the discharged water. If the oil concentration of the discharged water continues to exceed the design discharge standard of the equipment, such as more than 15ppm (some ships have stricter requirements), after excluding other factors that may affect the separation effect, such as improper equipment operation, sudden changes in the inlet water quality, etc., it is likely that the performance of the coalescing element has deteriorated, and the oil droplets cannot be fully coalesced and separated, resulting in excessive oil concentration.

�Check the appearance of the coalescing element

≥Color change: After long-term use, the color of the coalescing element usually changes significantly due to the absorption of a large amount of oil. For example, if it changes from the original light color to dark brown or black, it means that a lot of oil has been attached to the surface of the coalescing element, which may affect its coalescing performance.

≥Damage: Carefully check whether the coalescing element is damaged, cracked or deformed. These problems will cause the flow path of the oily wastewater in the coalescing element to change, and the coalescing separation process cannot be carried out normally. For example, when cracks appear in the coalescing element, the oily wastewater may flow directly through the cracks without undergoing coalescence, thereby reducing the separation effect.

≥Blockage: Check whether the pores of the coalescing element are blocked by oil, impurities, etc. The pressure changes during the operation of the equipment can be observed to assist in the judgment. If the pressure difference between the inlet and outlet increases significantly, it means that the coalescing element may be blocked, making it difficult for the oily and wastewater to pass through, affecting the separation efficiency.

�Reference use time and treated water volume

≥Use time: Each coalescing element has its approximate service life, and the equipment manufacturer usually gives a recommended replacement cycle in the product manual. Generally speaking, when the use of the coalescing element reaches or approaches this recommended cycle, even if there is no obvious sign of performance degradation for the time being, it should be considered for replacement to ensure the stable operation and separation effect of the equipment.

≥Treatment water volume: The treatment capacity of the coalescing element is limited. When the amount of oily sewage treated reaches a certain level, its performance will gradually decline. If the ship's oily sewage generation is large, and the equipment has treated a large amount of oily sewage, close to or exceeding the designed treatment water volume of the coalescing element, then it is necessary to pay attention to the performance of the coalescing element and consider whether it needs to be replaced.

In addition, when a ship operates under special working conditions, such as long-term sailing in severe sea conditions, frequent loading and unloading of oil, etc., the coalescing elements may be subjected to additional impact and pollution. Even if the above judgment criteria are not met, the inspection and evaluation of the coalescing elements should be strengthened, and they should be replaced in advance if necessary to ensure the normal operation of the ship's oil-water separation equipment.

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