Evaporation rates of liquid hydrocarbon spills on land and water

TLDR

The more complex problem of estimating evaporation rates of hydrocarbon mixtures is discussed briefly. The study describes mass and heat transfer processes during evaporation of liquid hydrocarbon spills on land and water and develops equations to predict liquid temperature and evaporation rate. The authors performed experiments on cumene, water, and gasoline evaporation, describing mass and heat transfer processes and correlating the evaporation mass transfer coefficient with wind speed, liquid pool size, and vapour phase Schmidt number. Experimental and computed cumene temperatures and evaporation rates agree well, and the correlation aligns satisfactorily with flat‑plate mass transfer models, indicating turbulent transfer enhanced by liquid surface roughness.

Abstract

Abstract The mass and heat transfer processes occurring during the evaporation of liquid hydrocarbon spills on land and water are described and equations developed to enable the liquid temperature and evaporation rate to be predicted. Experiments on the evaporation of cumene, water and gasoline are described and the evaporation mass transfer coefficient correlated with the wind‐speed, liquid pool size and the vapour phase Schmidt Number. Good agreement is obtained between experimental and computed cumene temperature and evaporation rates. Comparison of the correlation with flat plate mass transfer correlations shows satisfactory agreement and suggests that turbulent transfer occurs, the rate being enhanced by the liquid surface roughness. The more complex problem of estimating evaporation rates of hydrocarbon mixtures is discussed briefly.