On wave damping due to oil films

Numerical analysis of wave damping due to oil films of finite thickness was performed. The influence of physical parameters of oil films (volume, surface and interfacial viscosity, surface and interfacial tension and elasticity) on the wave damping and the wave number values was analysed in the frame of the model of two fluid layers. The results were applied to describe the data of previous laboratory experiments on wave damping due to crude oil films. The physical parameters of oil films were estimated when tuning the film parameters to fit theory to experimental dependencies of the damping coefficient on film thickness. It is obtained that crude oil films can be characterized by a complex viscoelasticity coefficient with comparably low real elasticity and high surface viscosity. The estimated parameters can satisfactory describe results of field experiments with crude oil films.