A weir skimmer is an example of a suction skimmer. A rope mop skimmer is an example of an adhesion skimmer. Viscosity of the oil being recovered is a major determinant of skimmer effectiveness. The oil flows over the top of the weir and into the skimmer where it collects. The GT-185 Skimmer shown below and the Desmi Ocean Skimmer shown deployed from a vessel are examples of weir skimmers.
Oil enters the weirs and is pumped from the weirs via an oil tube to recovery tanks.
An example is the Vikoma 3-Weir Boom. Suction skimmers are similar to weir skimmers. Sometimes the skimmer simply consists of a simple suction head attached to the end of a vacuum hose. To view a drawing of a Vacuum System click here. You can also view a picture of a vacuum truck.