Influencing Factors of Oil Droplets Accumulation on the Lower Surface of Corrugated Plate

ABSTRACT The corrugated plate is the core component of a corrugated plate oil–water separator, which significantly influences oil–water separation efficiency. To study the influencing factors of oil droplets floating and coalescing on the lower surface of the corrugated plate, numerical simulation and experiments were used to analyze the effects of wave ratio, lower plate surface contact angle, oil viscosity, and oil droplet diameter on the floating of oil droplets on the coalescence of oil droplets. The results show that a moderate wave height ratio, lower contact angle, lower oil phase viscosity, and larger oil droplet diameter have better oil droplet agglomeration and floating effect. In the set parameter range, when the wave height ratio of the plate is 0.5, the contact angle of the lower surface of the plate is 30°, the oil phase viscosity is 0.0048 Pa s, and the oil droplet diameter is 8 mm, the oil droplet coalesces and floating effect are the best.