Separator for low discharge applications

• US 8,915,380 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2010
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Goslyn General, LLC
• Original Assignee: Goslyn LP
• Inventors: Sowerby, John, Sowerby, Richard, Samuelson, Douglas F., Owen, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Upton, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US13/518,480
• Publication Number:
  US 20120312739A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,461 Days
• Field of Search: 210/744, 210/800, 210/801, 210/104, 210/521, 210/522, 210/532.1, 210/538, 210/540
• US Class Current: 210/521
• 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 2221/02 Small separation devices for domestic application, e.g. for canteens, industrial kitchen, washing machines
• 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: E03F 5/16 Devices for separating oil, water or grease from sewage in drains leading to the main sewer

Abstract

A separator 252 for immiscible liquids comprises a tank having an inlet, a separation chamber and an outlet chamber 262, with the inlet 12 feeding effluent into the separation chamber 28 at or below a maximum acceptable flow rate. The effluent is separated into a more dense and less dense fractions in the separation chamber 28. The separation chamber 28 is in communication with the outlet chamber 262, where the more dense fraction exits. An outlet 260 for the less dense fraction is in communication with the separation chamber 28 and has a lowermost exit level at which the less dense fluid exits. The more dense fluid cannot rise to the level of the lowermost level, and the height of the less dense fluid is such that it will exit through the outlet as the more dense fluid passes over the weir.

Claims

1. A separator for immiscible liquids, comprising:

a tank having an inlet, a separation chamber and an outlet chamber, with the inlet feeding an immiscible effluent into the separation chamber, the separation chamber in communication with the outlet chamber, wherein the immiscible effluent separates into a more dense liquid and a less dense liquid in the separation chamber, the less dense liquid exits the separation chamber via a first outlet, and the more dense liquid exits the outlet chamber via a second outlet;

the first outlet of the separation chamber having a lowermost exit level to which the less dense liquid must rise in order to exit through the first outlet, the less dense liquid flows from the separation chamber through the first outlet without being controlled by a valve mechanism that prevents the more dense liquid from flowing through the first outlet;

the outlet chamber including a weir having a top over which the more dense liquid flows prior to exiting the outlet chamber via the second outlet, said weir having a height that self-adjusts as a function of a flow of the more dense liquid thereover;

said weir comprising a lower fixed weir portion with an upper edge and an upper rotatable weir portion having an upper rounded edge over which the more dense liquid flows, said upper rotatable weir portion including an inverted v-shaped saddle member that rests on and rotates on the upper edge of said lower fixed weir portion; and

the greatest height of said self-adjusting weir is less than a height of the lowermost exit level of the first outlet of the separation chamber, whereby the more dense liquid exits the second outlet of the outlet chamber rather than the first outlet of the separation chamber.

2. The separator of claim 1, wherein the effluent flows at a varying rate, and wherein a relative distance between the top of the self-adjusting weir and the lowermost exit level of the first outlet varies in response to the rate of flow of the more dense liquid over the top of the upper rotatable weir portion in order to prevent the more dense liquid from rising above the lowermost exit level of the first outlet.

3. The separator of claim 2, wherein the relative distance between a height of the more dense liquid flowing over the upper rotatable weir portion and the lowermost exit level of the first outlet is less than four millimeters.

4. The separator of claim 1, wherein the height of the top of the upper rotatable weir portion rises and lowers in response to a flow rate of the effluent into the separator.

5. The separator of claim 1, wherein said upper rotatable weir portion is removable from said lower fixed weir portion by lifting said upper rotatable weir portion from the upper edge of said lower fixed weir portion.

6. The separator of claim 5, wherein said upper rotatable weir portion includes a counterweight that rotates said upper rotatable weir portion toward a position where said upper rounded edge is at a maximum height.

7. The separator of claim 1, wherein the inverted v-shaped saddle member of said upper rotating weir portion includes a downwardly depending hanger that engages said lower fixed weir portion to limit rotating movement of said upper rotating weir portion.

8. The separator of claim 1, wherein the lowermost exit level of the first outlet rises with increased flow of the more dense liquid over the weir.

9. The separator of claim 1, and further comprising a flow control mechanism to control the flow rate of the effluent into the separator such that the more dense liquid maintains a substantially static height when flowing over the self-adjusting weir.

10. The separator of claim 9, wherein the flow control mechanism includes a pump for controlling the flow of the effluent through the effluent inlet.

11. The separator of claim 10, wherein the flow control mechanism further comprises a holding tank for receiving the effluent, wherein the pump transfers the effluent from the holding tank to the effluent inlet of the separator tank.

12. The separator of claim 11, wherein the pump transfers the effluent from the holding tank to the effluent inlet after the effluent reaches a first threshold level in the holding tank, and stops after the effluent lowers to a second threshold level in the holding tank.

13. The separator of claim 1, wherein the upper edge of said lower fixed weir portion is level and straight.

14. A separator for separating immiscible liquids, comprising:

a separator tank with an effluent inlet;

a separation chamber for receiving an immiscible effluent from the effluent inlet, and for separating the immiscible effluent into a more dense liquid and a less dense liquid, the separation chamber having a first outlet;

an outlet chamber for receiving the more dense liquid separated from the immiscible effluent in the separation chamber, said outlet chamber having a weir with a top over which the more dense liquid flows to exit the outlet chamber via a second outlet; and

said weir comprising a lower fixed weir portion with an upper edge, and comprising an upper rotatable weir portion having an upper rounded edge over which the more dense liquid flows, said upper rotatable weir portion including an inverted v-shaped saddle member that rests on and rotates on the upper edge of said lower fixed weir portion, and said upper rotatable weir portion rotates as a function of a flow rate of the more dense fluid.

15. The separator of claim 14, wherein said upper rotatable weir portion is removable from said lower fixed weir portion by lifting said upper rotatable weir portion from the upper edge of said lower fixed weir portion.

16. The separator of claim 14, wherein said upper rotatable weir portion includes a counterweight that rotates said upper rotatable weir portion toward a position where said upper rounded edge is at a maximum height.

17. A separator for immiscible liquids, comprising:

a tank having an inlet, a separation chamber and an outlet chamber, with the inlet feeding an immiscible effluent into the separation chamber, the separation chamber in communication with the outlet chamber, wherein the immiscible effluent separates into a more dense liquid and a less dense liquid in the separation chamber, the less dense liquid exits the separation chamber via a first outlet, and the more dense liquid exits the outlet chamber via a second outlet;

the first outlet of the separation chamber having a lowermost exit level to which the less dense liquid must rise in order to exit through the first outlet, the less dense liquid flows from the separation chamber through the first outlet without being controlled by a valve mechanism that prevents the more dense liquid from flowing through the first outlet;

the outlet chamber including an adjustable height weir having a top over which the more dense liquid flows prior to exiting the outlet chamber via the second outlet;

said adjustable height weir includes a fixed portion and a pivoting portion, and said weir changes in height as the pivoting portion pivots, and said pivoting portion is attached to a spring; and

the top of the adjustable height weir having a height that is less than a height of the lowermost exit level of the first outlet of the separation chamber, whereby the more dense liquid exits the second outlet of the outlet chamber rather than the first outlet of the separation chamber.

18. The separator of claim 17, wherein the spring is a compression spring.

19. The separator of claim 17, wherein the spring is a tension spring.

20. The separator of claim 17, wherein the spring is a spring-loaded hinge.