Oil Spill Finite Difference Model
As long as oil is used, the risk of an oil spill exists. Rapid economic growth has caused a significant increase in fossil fuel consumption in recent decades. The world production of crude oil is about 3 billion tons per year and half of it is transported by sea. Exporting oil, especially via marine fleets and increasing development of petrochemical industry, marine system is exposed to severe environmental damages. The movement of oil spill, its diffusion and hydro-environmental effects have been simulated by developing a 2DH numerical model based on non-linear shallow water Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations using Finite Difference Method.The new model deploys the relevant formulations for oil spill processes. The solution method is based on the alternating direction implicit (ADI) scheme. Results from the numerical model are compared with measured values. Reasonable agreement is obtained between predicted and experimental nearshore circulation patterns.