Dynamics of One-Dimensional Spills of Petroleum Products on Water

The process of quasi-one-dimensional spreading of petroleum product stains over the surface of water has been investigated experimentally and theoretically. The theoretical model is based on the approximate equation obtained using the laws of conservation of the mass of the spilled product and the total energy of the system. Approximate solutions of this equation and the results of experimental studies on the spreading of engine oil and crude oil in an extended narrow container are presented; their good agreement with the theory is shown. A comparison with the process of two-dimensional axisymmetric spreading of a stain of such petroleum products is made.