One-Dimensional Spreading of Petroleum Products on the Surface of the Water

The process of quasi-one-dimensional spreading of oil product spots on the water surface is experimentally and theoretically investigated. The theoretical model is based on an approximate equation obtained using the laws of conservation of the mass of the decomposed 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 a narrow, extended container are presented, and their compliance with the theory is shown. A comparison is made with the process of two-dimensional axisymmetric spreading of a spot of the same petroleum products.