Mercer delivers enhanced-gravity separators engineered for the oily-water challenges unique to petroleum-fired generating stations from #2 fuel-oil drainage and boiler house sumps to turbine lube-oil, tank farm runoff, and emergency generator systems.
INDUSTRY INSIGHT
Petroleum-fired generation facilities manage a wide range of oily drainage streams: fuel-oil transfer areas, boiler and heater house sumps, turbine and generator lube-oil leakage, day tank overflows, pump seal drainage, washdowns, and outdoor containment runoff. These flows are often mixed with grit, fines, scale, sludge, and variable-viscosity hydrocarbons, making predictable separation difficult.
Many sites still rely on slotted-pipe skimmers, skim pits, CPI units, corrugated packs, or concrete vaults built for operating conditions decades out of date. When heavy fuel-oil, degraded hydrocarbons, or solids mixtures enter the system, these legacy units foul immediately. Oil/fuel layers collapse into the sludge, fuel residue emulsifies, and compliance at outfalls becomes increasingly difficult.
Mercer eliminates these weak points.
Our Compliance Master™ separators with Multi-Pack™ coalescer technology deliver automated, stable performance for fuel-oil facilities. Mercer systems capture smaller droplets, control flow geometry, remove product automatically, purge solids reliably, and keep emissions contained thus providing the reliability petroleum-fired plants need to stay compliant and avoid costly cleanouts.
Challenges
#2 fuel-oil, transformer oil, turbine oil, and aged fuel mixes resist traditional separation. CPI units cannot maintain rise paths under heavy oils.
Fuel residue, corrosion scale, gasket fragments, and suspended solids instantly blind coalescer plates in CPI units, collapsing efficiency.
Stormwater from tank farms carries sheens, fine solids, and emulsified fuel. This often overwhelms skim pits designed only for light oils.
Drips, spills, overflows, and washdowns cause erratic flows that legacy separators cannot control.
Open pits allow vapors and fuel odors to escape — unacceptable for worker safety and environmental compliance.
Solution
Mercer systems bring stability and automation to petroleum-fired power generation by controlling flow velocity, managing solids, and recovering oils before they degrade or sink.
Mercer separators maintain consistent droplet rise time even with high-viscosity hydrocarbons and mixed-fuel drainage.
Electromechanical skimming captures oils the moment they rise — preventing sinking, mixing with solids, and forming sludge mats.
Hopper-bottom purging removes sediment, degraded fuel sludge, scale, and debris automatically.
Airtight, gasketed lids prevent VOC seepage, eliminate odors, and protect operators, a growing concern at petroleum-fired sites.
Mercer can drop into existing pits or tight mechanical rooms without requiring major civil modifications.
APPLICATION AREAS
Capture spills, drips, and washdown water during fuel transfer or day tank replenishment.
Treat oily water mixed with solvents, chemical cleaners, and grit.
Manage drainage from diesel generators, day tanks, and associated lube-oil systems.
Stabilize varying flows and capture small droplets from rotating equipment.
Handle stormwater with sheens and suspended solids before NPDES discharge.
Treat mixed flows containing solvents, fuel remnants, and metal fines.
MERCER ADVANTAGE
Where CPI collapses under heavy oils or degraded fuels, Mercer maintains performance.
No manual skimming, no entering pits full of fuel sludge, no reactive maintenance cycles.
CPI units fail under viscosity, solids, and Mercer handles all three predictably.
Stable hydraulic control and sealed covers prevent bypass, odor, and emissions issues.
Reduced hauling, fewer shutdowns, minimized sludge buildup, and fewer replacement parts.
Mercer brings modern performance without rebuilding entire drainage systems.
Yes, controlled-flow geometry allows effective separation of heavy oils that CPI cannot manage.
Yes, small footprints and sealed covers make Mercer ideal for indoor locations.
No. Automated skimming removes oils continuously.
Absolutely — they handle diesel, lube-oil, and mixed hydrocarbon drainage.
Often yes. Multi-Pack™ modules upgrade old structures without major construction.
