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A US coal fired plant’s application was wrecking havoc on its tube oil skimmer from Abanaki. The coal dust the plant was producing was getting everywhere and was extremely abrasive. The abrasive grit was eating away at the plastic rollers that help guide the tubing of the Oil Viper Tube Skimmer. The company contacted Abanaki for a solution to the abrasive problem. Engineers and Abanaki made a mock set up of the application at the company warehouse to see the problem at hand, in order to better understand how to fix it. After a few trials they found a solution. Abanaki engineers created ceramic holders that will help guide the tube in 3 spots on the Oil Viper tube oil skimmer. The ceramic holders are far more durable than the plastic rollers and will be able to stand up to the abrasive grit the company produces. Abanaki will manufacture plastic brackets with a 3D printer to fasten the ceramic holders to the Oil Viper.

The Abanaki Oil Viper tube oil skimmer is a surface oil skimmer that effectively removes floating surface oils by means of an oleophilic (oil attracting) 3/4 inch diameter continuous looped tube. The tube extends out over the surface of the tank or pit and collects the free floating oils. The Oil Viper has a specially designed method for removing the oil from the tube. It has a unique wiper combination attached to the tube itself in addition to the ceramic wiper on the skimmer. The result is a virtually oil free tube as it leaves the surface oil skimmer for quicker oil removal. Removal rates can be as high as one hundred gallons per hour.

After the customized parts to the Oil Viper were put in place, the company reported that the ceramic holders were standing up to the abrasive grit with ease, and the previous problems in the application were gone. For more information on the Oil Viper tube oil skimmer, click the photo below.