Multi-stage apparatus for separating immiscible fluids
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A separator for removing an immiscible fluid from a fluid denser than the immiscible fluid, said separator comprising:
- a. a fluid inlet upstream from an outlet, said separator providing a path for flow of said fluid through said separator from said inlet to said outlet;
b. a toroidal separation chamber in said path downstream from said inlet said separation chamber having a tangentially disposed inlet for causing said fluid to swirl within said separation chamber;
c. a pump in said path, said pump having a suction port and a discharge port, said suction port in fluid communication with and downstream from said separation chamber; and
d. a bed of buoyant oleophilic plastic beads in said path and downstream from said separation chamber.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A compact multi-stage oil-water separator which has application in removing oily contaminants from bilge water in ships is disclosed. The oil-water separator has two toroidal mechanical separation stages on the suction side of a feed pump, and a cyclone separation stage and a filtration stage on the output side of the pump. The cyclone separation and filtration stages are located inside the mechanical separation stages for compactness. The oil-water separator has built-in fail-safe operation to prevent the accidental discharge of water in the case of contaminated sensors.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A separator for removing an immiscible fluid from a fluid denser than the immiscible fluid, said separator comprising:
-
a. a fluid inlet upstream from an outlet, said separator providing a path for flow of said fluid through said separator from said inlet to said outlet; b. a toroidal separation chamber in said path downstream from said inlet said separation chamber having a tangentially disposed inlet for causing said fluid to swirl within said separation chamber; c. a pump in said path, said pump having a suction port and a discharge port, said suction port in fluid communication with and downstream from said separation chamber; and d. a bed of buoyant oleophilic plastic beads in said path and downstream from said separation chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. An oil water separator comprising:
-
a) a first toroidal separation chamber having a tangentially disposed fluid inlet on an outer wall thereof an oil collection zone above said fluid inlet and an annular outlet at a lower end thereof; b) a second toroidal chamber generally coaxial with and inside said first toroidal separation chamber, said second toroidal chamber having a second oil collection zone at an upper end thereof an outwardly inclined perforated plate at a lower end thereof, and a toroidal bed of polyethylene beads floating between said perforated plate and a fluid permeable member above said plate; c) a settling chamber in fluid communication with said second toroidal chamber; d) a pump having a suction port in fluid communication with said settling chamber and a discharge port; e) a hydrocyclone chamber disposed generally coaxially inside said second toroidal chamber, said hydrocyclone chamber having a larger diameter end and a smaller diameter end, a tangential fluid inlet in fluid communication with said pump discharge port at said larger diameter end, a tube axially disposed within said chamber, said tube having a perforated wall in a region toward said larger diameter end of said hydrocyclone chamber an annular outlet at said smaller diameter end of said hydrocyclone chamber and a diffuser plate extending outwardly from said tube and spaced apart from said annular outlet; f) an oil collection area above said diffuser and above an upper end of said tube; g) a conduit extending from said oil collection area to said second oil collection zone; h) a third chamber below said diffuser plate extending around said hydrocyclone; i) a conduit for carrying fluid from said third chamber to a filter in a filter chamber; j) a conduit extending from an upper region in said filter chamber to said second oil collection zone; and k) an effluent outlet in said filter chamber. - View Dependent Claims (20)
-
Specification