Skimmer and oil water separator process

• US 10,611,649 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2016
• Issued: 04/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Exactration, LLC
• Original Assignee: Exactration, LLC
• Inventors: Terrell, Brent D., Stockton, Howard Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Upton, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US15/530,141
• Publication Number:
  US 20180155216A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,218 Days
• Field of Search: 210122, 2102421, 2102423, 210521, 210540, 210776
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 15/02 with moving adsorbents
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/0202 by ab- or adsorption
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/0211 with baffles
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/0214 with removal of one of the phases
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/12 Auxiliary equipment particularly adapted for use with liquid-separating apparatus, e.g. control circuits
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/283 using coal, charred products, or inorganic mixtures containing them
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/40 Devices for separating or removing fatty or oily substances or similar floating material cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water from oil or like materials E02B15/04; devices in sewers for separating liquid or solid substances from sewage E03F5/14, e.g. for use in drains leading to the sewer E03F5/16
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2001/007 Processes including a sedimentation step
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2101/20 Heavy metals or heavy metal compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2301/022 Laminar
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 15/106 Overflow skimmers with suction heads; suction heads

Abstract

A skimmer for removing a layer of oil floating on a surface oil contaminated water which subsequently concentrated and separated in an oil water separator which removes tramp oils or other fluids, such as hydraulic oils, with specific gravity less than that of the operating fluid are required to be removed from operating fluid such as water, lubri-coolants or other liquids. The skimmer supplies concentrated oil water composite fluid to a separator apparatus designed for use in industrial applications in which unwanted tramp oils or other fluids, such as hydraulic oils, with specific gravity less than that of the operating fluid are required to be removed from operating fluid such as water, lubri-coolants or other liquids.

Claims

1. A skimmer for separating a lighter fluid floating on a denser fluid, comprising:

a stationary receiver box including means for slidably securing a weir plate to an outer surface of said stationary receiver box;

bracket means for supporting said stationary receiver box onto a interior surface of a tank containing a composite fluid comprising a lighter fluid floating on a denser fluid;

a slidable panel defining a weir plate including a central vertical slot therein in slidable engagement with said stationary receiver box means for movably securing said weir plate including a trough forming a weir extending across a selected width and depth of a top edge of said slidable panel;

said weir plate including a pair of spaced apart opposing side tabs extending from said weir plate in slidable cooperative engagement with a pair of floats removably secured to said tabs by a vertical side flanges including vertical slots therein for adjustably engaging means for securing each one of said vertical side flanges to a respective side tab of said weir plate;

said vertical flanges or said tabs including indicia for vertical adjustment of said floats with respect to said weir plate.

2. The skimmer of claim 1, wherein said lighter fluid comprises an oil.

3. The skimmer of claim 1, wherein said denser fluid comprises water.

4. The skimmer of claim 1, wherein at least one of said vertical side flanges includes at least one sight indicator pointing to a column of vertical indicia disposed on said bracket means for indicating the vertical adjustment of said pair of floats with respect to said weir plate.

5. The skimmer of claim 1, wherein each one of said pair of floats include a removable plug to adjust the depth.

6. The skimmer of claim 1, wherein said means for slidably securing a weir plate to an outer surface of said stationary receiver box comprises a single pin engaging said central vertical slot allowing said weir plate to pivot and minimize binding upon sliding engagement with said receiver box in accordance with movement of said pair of floats according to a level of said composite fluid.

7. A method for removing a first fluid having a first density floating on a second fluid having a greater density comprising the steps of:

pumping a mixture of said first fluid and said second fluid into a separation tank;

accumulating and concentrating said first fluid in a layer floating on said second fluid in said separation tank;

separating said first fluid from said second fluid by skimming said first fluid off of said second fluid in a skimmer comprising a stationary receiver box including a central vertical stationary receiver box slot therein, bracket means for supporting said stationary receiver box onto a interior surface of said separation tank, said skimmer including a vertically moveable weir plate including a central vertical slot therein in slidable engagement with a holding means attaching to said stationary receiver box, said weir plate including a horizontal weir extending across a selected width of the top thereof in fluid communication with said first fluid and said second fluid contained in said separation tank, said skimmer including a pair of floats having vertical side flanges with indicia disposed thereon removably and adjustably affixed to a weir plate side tab extending from each side of said weir plate cooperatively engaging said float flange, said float flanges including indicia for vertical adjustment of said floats with respect to said indicator on said side tab of said weir plate, and adjusting the level of said weir plate with respect to the level of said first fluid and said second fluid in said separation tank, said first fluid floating on said second fluid pouring over a top edge of said weir plate and flowing into said stationary receiver and through a conduit to a holding tank or fluid density separator unit; and

pumping said first fluid containing a portion of said second fluid from said skimmer from said holding tank or said skimmer to said fluid density separator comprising a chamber with a top and bottom surface, a wall surrounding the periphery of said chamber;

an inlet port in said top surface of said chamber;

an outlet port on said chamber;

a spiral plate, said spiral plate having an outer edge in sealing engagement with said wall of said chamber and said spiral plate formed in an upright funnel shape; and

a center spillway, extending from said inlet port to said bottom surface of said chamber separating said first fluid from said second fluid.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said first fluid comprises an oil.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said second fluid comprises water.

10. An oil and water separator and skimmer apparatus, comprising:

a) skimmer for separating oil from an oil and water composite fluid, comprising;

a stationary receiver box including means for slidably securing a weir plate to an outer surface of said stationary receiver box;

bracket means for supporting said stationary receiver box onto a interior surface of a tank containing water having oil floating of a surface thereof;

a slidable panel defining a weir plate including a central vertical slot therein in slidable engagement with said stationary receiver box means for movably securing said weir plate including a trough forming a weir extending across a selected width and depth of a top edge of said slidable panel;

said weir plate including a pair of spaced apart opposing side tabs extending from said weir plate in slidable cooperative engagement with a pair of floats removably secured to said tabs by a vertical side flanges including vertical slots therein for adjustably engaging means for securing each one of said vertical side flanges to a respective side tab of said weir plate;

said vertical flanges or said tabs including indicia for vertical adjustment of said floats with respect to said weir plate; and

b) an oil water composite fluid separator in flow communication with said skimmer receiving oil and water composite fluid therefrom, said oil water composite fluid separator, comprising;

a frame supporting a tank having opposing sidewalls connecting to a first end wall and a second end wall which join a pair of inclined bottom panels, and said tank including a selected level with a fluid comprising a major amount of water and a minor amount of oil defining a water reservoir;

a pump for transporting an oil water composite fluid from a source to an oil water composite fluid inlet;

a coalescing chamber in fluid communication with said oil water composite fluid inlet, said coalescing chamber including means for evacuating said coalescing chamber defining a drain, and an opening;

said coalescing chamber including an inclined cover extending from a top edge of said second end wall inwardly over a selected portion of said coalescing chamber at a selected obtuse angle, said inclined cover including a top surface and a bottom surface and an edge therebetween extending between said opposing sidewalls and defining a weir for separating a major amount of an oil and a minor amount of said oil water composite fluid from said oil water composite fluid when said coalescing chamber is filled to a selected level and the overflow of the oil water composite fluid spills over said edge and said top surface of said inclined cover defining a liquid conveyor;

a mechanical oil separation chamber in fluid communication with said coalescing chamber is disposed between said opposing end walls and said coalescing chamber second end wall and a baffle end wall of a concentrate product chamber at a selected depth within said reservoir for accumulation of said major amount of oil and said minor amount of oil water composite fluid from said liquid conveyor;

a rotating drum assembly including a frame supporting a rotating drum having a bottom portion in fluid communication with said major amount of oil and said minor amount of oil water composite fluid contained in said mechanical oil separation chamber rotating at a selected speed by a motor whereby a concentrate product comprising a majority of said oil removably adheres, absorbs, or adsorbs to a surface of said rotating drum;

a wiper assembly comprising a blade extending across at least a portion of said rotating drum cooperatively engaging said surface of said rotating drum at a selected angle removing at least a portion of said concentrate product therefrom;

said blade is in fluid communication with said concentrate product chamber disposed between said opposing side walls and a reservoir end wall and said rotating drum at a selected depth, said baffle end wall extending upward adjacent said rotating drum at a height above the level of the concentrate product and above the level of the major amount of oil and minor amount of oil water composite fluid, said concentrate product chamber including a discharge port for removal of said concentrate product;

a purge oil chamber comprises an inner purge oil chamber baffle extends from said bottom panel of said coalescing chamber between said opposing side walls from a first end wall of said coalescing chamber inwardly and upward a selected distance above the level of the oil water composite fluid and an outer purge oil chamber baffle extending upward from said bottom panel of said tank and between said opposing side walls and spaced apart from said first end wall of said coalescing chamber and said first end wall of said tank a selected distance below the level of the oil water composite fluid;

a clean solution chamber is disposed a selected distance above said tank floor panel and said oil purge chamber baffle extending vertically from a bottom of said clean solution chamber; and

a clean solution chamber in fluid communication with said oil purge chamber is disposed between said opposing side walls above said tank floor adjacent said first tank wall and in fluid communication with an adjustable outlet pipe in fluid communication with a clean water discharge port.

11. The skimmer of claim 10, wherein at least one of said vertical side flanges includes at least one sight indicator pointing to a column of vertical indicia disposed on said bracket means for indicating the vertical adjustment of said pair of floats with respect to said weir plate.

12. The skimmer of claim 10, wherein each one of said pair of floats include a removable plug to adjust the depth.

13. The skimmer of claim 10, wherein said means for slidably securing a weir plate to an outer surface of said stationary receiver box comprises a single pin engaging said central vertical slot allowing said weir plate to pivot and minimize binding upon sliding engagement with said receiver box in accordance with movement of said pair of floats according to a level of said composite fluid.