Oil-Free Tank Wash Water with a Purpose-Built Oil Skimmer
During German Armed Forces tank exercises, heavy equipment becomes heavily contaminated and must be thoroughly cleaned in dedicated washing facilities.
Contamination is removed with wash water. Oil from chain lubrication is a particularly important source of pollution and is washed off together with dirt and grease. Oil also enters the wash water when other military vehicles are cleaned after demanding off-road exercises.
To prevent floating oil and grease from reaching the environment, the wash water first enters a settling tank. Solids settle to the bottom, while oil and grease rise and form a thin film on the surface. The clarified wash water can then be reused.
FRIESS S100 oil skimmers are installed in tank-wash-water settling tanks at three German Armed Forces sites. Long collection tubes sweep a large surface area and remove the floating oil film. Each skimmer is mounted on a swivel boom, with integrated piping that transfers the recovered oil to an underground collection tank for proper disposal.
Remote monitoring and control allow specialists in the control room to respond quickly without travelling to the installation.
German Armed Forces construction site in Klietz: an early construction phase of the enclosed settling tank close to the tank training area.
The FRIESS S100 oil skimmer was installed while the settling tank was under construction. The custom design includes a swivel boom carrying the S100. Integrated piping transports the recovered oil to an underground collection tank; its access point is visible in the foreground.
Underground collection tank with suction line. The tank is filled directly through the swivel boom.
Side view.
The oleophilic collection tube attracts the oil film effectively and ensures reliable removal even when there is a large height difference between the wash-water surface and the skimmer.
The S100 control cabinet integrates the following functions:
The completed settling tank with the FRIESS S100 oil skimmer in operation.
German Armed Forces Site in Altengrabow
After successful commissioning in Klietz, the same S100 solution—with swivel boom, collection tank and remote maintenance—was installed at two additional German Armed Forces sites.
German Armed Forces Site in Altenbrück
The third location uses an S100 oil skimmer with the same equipment as the other two sites.
FRIESS supported the planning and implementation of the German Armed Forces tank-washing system from start to finish. This made it possible to accommodate site-specific requirements, including the swivel boom connected to the collection tank and a control cabinet with remote-maintenance and remote-monitoring functions.
Following the successful first installation, two additional German Armed Forces sites were retrofitted with the same FRIESS S100 concept.
This project demonstrates the versatility of the high-capacity S100 oil skimmer, rated at up to 500 litres per hour and designed primarily for large industrial tanks. Its performance and the ability to implement custom engineering requirements make it an effective solution even for heavily contaminated tank wash water.
