Liquid purification or separation – Processes – Separating
Patent
1994-04-29
1995-12-26
Dawson, Robert A.
Liquid purification or separation
Processes
Separating
210295, 210299, 210313, 21033301, 210335, 2105121, 210304, 210787, 55337, 554591, 209719, 209721, 209727, 209732, B01D 2136, B01D 2600
Patent
active
054784840
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a separator for separating solid particles from water or other liquids.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
Hydrocyclone separators are well known for the separation of solids from a liquid such as water utilising centrifugal force to facilitate this separation on the basis of solid size and density. Efficient separation may be accomplished down to very small sizes eg. less than 5 micron with relatively dense solids eg. sand having a specific gravity of about 2.5. However the separation efficiency is reduced when hydrocyclone separators are used for separating solid particles having specific gravity less than 2.5. Thus for example, hydrocyclone separators may be used on oil production platforms to separate sand, scale and corrosion products from produced water effectively, but cannot be used as effectively for separating small organic matter and plankton from sea water. To separate such solids from sea water it is current practice to use mechanical strainers or filters consisting of mesh or slotted elements. Separated solid particles are backwashed from the elements periodically but during severe high solids loading (eg. in planktonic bloom conditions) the strainers or filters may need to be continuously backwashed. Elements used in such conditions are found to be difficult to clean because they need very high local backwashing velocities.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a separator which does not suffer from the above disadvantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the invention there is provided a separator for separating solid particles from a liquid comprising a tapered tube having a wide end and a narrow end, a tangential inlet at the wide end of the tube for feeding the liquid and particle mixture tangentially into the tube at sufficiently high velocity to cause the mixture to rotate and thereby form a vortex, an outlet at the narrow end of the tube for the removal of at least some of the solid particles, an outlet at the wide end of the tube for the removal of the liquid and the remaining solid particles, a housing having a tubular filter located therein and an exit, the filter being mounted coaxially with the tube at the wide end thereof, the outlet at the wide end of the tube comprising a cylindrical vortex finder provided coaxially with the tube for guiding liquid and remaining solid particles from the tapered tube to the filter, the housing exit being positioned to allow liquid which has passed through and been filtered by the filter to pass out of the housing, characterised in that the housing is provided with a further outlet which is operable to cause some liquid and remaining solid particles to pass axially and rotationally across the surface of the filter to detach trapped solid matter and then out of the housing through said further outlet.
The vortex finder may be constructed and arranged to guide liquid and remaining solid particles to either the interior or exterior of the filter, liquid then passing either outwards or inwards respectively through the filter to remove the remaining solid particles.
Preferably a chamber is provided in the vicinity of the outlet at the narrow end of the tube for collecting solid particles.
Preferably backwash means are provided for the tubular filter operable as required to remove solid particles trapped thereby. The backwash means may comprise an accumulator.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of separating solid particles from a liquid comprising feeding the liquid and solid particle mixture tangentially at sufficiently high velocity into the wide end of a tapered tube to cause the mixture to rotate and form a vortex, removing some of the solid particles from the narrow end of the tube, passing the liquid and remaining solid particles out of the tube through a cylindrical vortex finder coaxial with the tube at the wide end thereof into a housing containing a tubular filter mounted coaxially with and at the
REFERENCES:
patent: 2026834 (1936-01-01), Holly
patent: 3637079 (1972-01-01), Strub
patent: 4274968 (1981-06-01), Grutsch et al.
patent: 5112479 (1992-05-01), Srimongkolkul
Dawson Robert A.
Reifsnyder David
Serck Baker Limited
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