Oil—water separator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9284705-B2
Application number	US-201113700179-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 25, 2011
Priority date	May 28, 2010
Publication date	Mar 15, 2016
Grant date	Mar 15, 2016

Abstract

A separator is disclosed that may be used to separate oil from water in situ in the ocean or other water body. The difference in density between oil and water causes them to separate between two limbs of the apparatus, and to exit from different ports at different heights. The input may contain oil:water in essentially any ratio. The apparatus may be placed within a boat or ship, or it may be mounted on pontoons or other floatation gear and towed behind a boat or ship.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. Apparatus for separating a mixture of oil and water into two fractions: an oil fraction comprising primarily oil, and a water fraction comprising primarily water; wherein the oil fraction may optionally comprise one or more minor components in addition to oil, and wherein the water fraction may optionally comprise one or more minor components in addition to water; wherein said apparatus comprises:
(a) a first chamber and a second chamber, wherein said first and second chambers are fluidly connected to one another only at or near the bottoms of said first and second chambers;
(b) an inlet adapted to transport a mixture of oil and water from an external source into said first chamber;
(c) a low-shear or non-emulsifying pump adapted to transport the mixture of oil and water from the external source, through said inlet, and into said first chamber;
(d) an oil outlet adapted to transport the separated oil fraction from said first chamber; and
(e) a water outlet adapted to transport the separated water fraction from said second chamber;

wherein:
(f) said oil outlet has a higher elevation than said water outlet;
(g) the respective elevations of said oil and water outlets above the fluid connection between said first and second chambers, and the dimensions of said first chamber are such that said apparatus is adapted to operate as follows:
(i) said pump transports the mixture of oil and water from an external source, through said inlet, and into said first chamber; (ii) within said first chamber, the turbulence and velocity of fluid flow are sufficiently low that the mixture separates by density into an lighter, upper, oil fraction and a denser, lower, water fraction; (iii) the continued inflow of liquid forces liquid in the denser, lower, water fraction—but not liquid in the lighter, upper, oil fraction—to flow from said first chamber through the fluid connection into said second chamber, thereby separating a water fraction; (iv) the continued inflow of liquid forces liquid in the separated water fraction in said second chamber through said water outlet; (v) the continued inflow of liquid forces liquid in the separated oil fraction in said first chamber through said oil outlet; and (vi) the difference in elevation between said oil and water outlets, together with the difference in densities between the separated oil and water fractions, and the presence of the fluid connection between said first and second chambers ensure that essentially none of the water fraction reaches said oil outlet;

(h) a portion of said first chamber adjacent to said inlet is substantially wider than other portions of said first chamber; wherein the dimensions of the wider portion of said first chamber are sufficiently large to inhibit the development of turbulence within said first chamber; and wherein the narrower portions of said first chamber are at least sufficiently wide not to substantially impede the flow of liquid through said first chamber;
(i) said first and second chambers are dimensioned so that, when said apparatus is placed in a body of water, the center of gravity of said apparatus lies below the surface of the body of water, and so that the wider portion of said first chamber lies fully or partially below the surface of the body of water;
(j) said apparatus is adapted to be mounted in a ship or a boat, or is adapted to be towed in the water behind a ship or a boat; and
(k) said apparatus is adapted to operate, as described in limitation (g) above, in situ, to separate a mixture of oil and water while said apparatus is moving on a body of water, without any necessity to first transport the mixture of oil and water onshore or to a stationary location before the oil fraction and water fraction are separated from one another.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein said inlet is adapted to transport a mixture of gas, oil, and water; and wherein said apparatus additionally comprises a vent with said first chamber or prior to said first chamber, wherein said vent is adapted to transport gas from the oil and the water, so that the presence of gas does not interfere with the separation of oil from water.

3. Apparatus as in claim 1 , additionally comprising a vent within said first chamber and adapted to vent gases from liquids within said first chamber.

4. Apparatus as in claim 1 , additionally comprising a vent connected to said inlet and adapted to vent gases from liquids within said inlet.

5. Apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein said inlet is adapted to transport liquid into said first chamber in a direction tangent to the side of said first chamber, and wherein the shape of said first chamber is adapted to cause liquid entering said first chamber at velocity to go into a vortex, wherein the vortex assists in the separation of oil from water by density.

6. Apparatus as in claim 1 , additionally comprising a coalescer within said first chamber adapted to enhance the aggregation of small oil droplets.

7. Apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein said pump is adapted to transport the mixture of oil and water into said first chamber as a laminar flow with a Reynolds number less than about 2100.

8. Apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein the vertical height of said first chamber is substantially greater than the horizontal width of said first chamber; wherein the vertical height of said second chamber is substantially greater than the horizontal width of said second chamber; and wherein said first chamber, said second chamber, and the fluid connection between said first and second chambers have a configuration generally of a U tube.

9. A combination device comprising the apparatus of claim 1 , and pontoons or other floatation gear, wherein said apparatus is mounted on said pontoons or other floatation gear.

Assignees

• Theegala Chandra S
• Univ Louisiana State

Inventors

• Theegala Chandra S

Classifications

• B01D17/0208 Primary

  by sedimentation · CPC title

• C02F1/48

  with magnetic or electric fields (C02F1/46 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C02F2101/32

  Hydrocarbons, e.g. oil · CPC title

• B01D17/0214

  with removal of one of the phases · CPC title

• C02F1/40

  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 title