A literature review of the physics and predictive modelling of oil spill evaporation

Abstract The literature on the physics and mathematical modelling of oil spill evaporation is reviewed. Two basic approaches to the mechanism of evaporation are proposed in the literature, first-order decay and boundary-layer limited. Several workers propose a first-order decay process which yields a logarithmic decrease in evaporation with time. Most workers use boundary-layer equations adapted from water evaporation work. These equations predict a constant evaporation mass transfer rate dependent on scale size and wind speed. The implementation of these equations in oil spill models is reviewed. Three primary approaches are adopted: use of a simplified logarithmic predictor, direct use of a boundary-layer model and use of a fractionated cut model. The last uses readily available distillation data and estimations of how each cut evaporates. A comparison of experimental data and prediction methods shows that the accuracy is very dependent on the particular oil properties.