Oil skimmers can be classified in various ways based on factors such as structure, operating principle, and mobility. Common types include steel-belt oil skimmers, drum-type oil skimmers (or floating drum skimmers), vortex oil collectors, mobile oil skimmers, and pontoon-style offshore recovery units. Regarding mobility, they are categorized as either stationary or mobile; mobile units are often equipped with swivel casters for easy relocation. In terms of drive mechanism, they can be electric or pneumatic, with pneumatic models powered by air motors.
The core structure typically comprises a drive unit (e.g., electric motor, air motor); components for adsorbing or collecting surface oil (e.g., oleophilic steel belts, drums, or floating suction inlets); separation devices to enhance oil purity and achieve oil-water separation (e.g., secondary separation tanks, inclined-tube separators, or vortex separation chambers); transfer components for moving the collected oil (e.g., electric diaphragm pumps, peristaltic pumps, piping); and a control system that enables automatic operation and timed oil discharge.
The equipment is commonly manufactured using corrosion-resistant materials, such as 304 stainless steel or ABS engineering plastics.
