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Adv. Eng. Tec. Appl. 7, No. ?, 1-?? (2013) 1
Advanced Engineering Technology and ApplicationAn International Journal
http://dx.doi.org/10.12785/aeta/paper
COMPUTER SIMULATION OF OIL DISPERSION INRIVERS IN BRAZIL FOLLOWING A SPILL: A case studyinvolving the Berigui and Iguau Rivers
Vincius Alexandre Sikora de Souza1 and Assed Naked Haddad2
1Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil2Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
Received: 7 Jun. 2012, Revised: 21 Sep. 2012, Accepted: 23 Sep. 2012Published online: 1 Jan. 2013
Abstract: This study analyzed the dispersion of oil leaked from the Presidente Getlio Vargas Refinery in 2000 into the Iguau andBerigui Rivers, both in the State of Paran, Brazil. We studied three (3) flow scenarios: the first with the values observed on the day ofthe accident, the second utilizing peak values and the third, using low flow. We used Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to simulatepropagation of the plume. The plume showed a greater spread during the maximum flow of water, while for less flow, less dispersionof oil occurred. These results show that in situations of low flow, adoption of measures aimed at mitigating environmental damage(containment and recovery of spilled oil) are easier than recovery of spilled oil dispersed in the plume at high flow.
Keywords: oil spill, dispersion, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
1 Introduction
Surface water sources have multiple uses, especiallysupply for human consumption [?,?]. Beyond this, otheruses also deserve mention because of their importance inagricultural and industrial use, primarily wateringlivestock and recreation. Water for each of these sectorsshould be available in quantity, but it is also essential thatquality characteristics are appropriate for the use[?].Environmental degradation of water resources haslimited the use of potential water sources.
The current commitment of resources, having utilizedwatercourses that drain urban centers has eliminatedsources with great potential to supply metropolitan areas[?]. Degradation of the quality aspects of these waterbodies occurs mainly by discharges of wastewater fromindustrial and diffuse sources [?].
Environmental accidents are also responsible for thedeterioration of water resources. The oil spill in thestream in Sardenha, discussed here, occurred in 2000 inthe metropolitan region of Curitiba. The spill of oil and itsderivatives into water bodies, in addition to causingpollution of these water resources, is responsible forenvironmental damage. As [?] discuss, oil has
characteristics harmful to exposed organisms and maycause chronic effects even in low concentration. Theseauthors also emphasize that the impact of oil spills is notnecessarily related to volume, as small leakages can resultin considerable damage to the contaminated areas andbodies of water exposed.
The recent problems of quantity and quality, mainlyobserved in surface waters, showed that availability is notinfinite and degradation capacity is limited [?]. Becauseof this problem, researchers recently have used models topredict degradation of water quality of rivers and lakesfrom point sources, and highlight problems involvingdomestic effluents. Although water quality models arecommon, simulation of the impacts of accidentaldischarges, such as oil spills, is undergoing development.Study of these models is highly relevant to predictdamage to aquatic fauna and water quality, and generateinformation simulating scenarios of environmentalpollution and the effect of mitigation measures on thequality of water resources.
This study evaluates the dispersion in the Berigui andIguau Rivers of 4000 m of crude oil (Cusiana - 41,American Petroleum Institute) for 2 hours in July 2000 in
∗ Corresponding author e-mail: [email protected]⃝ 2013 NSP
Natural Sciences Publishing Cor.
