Liquid purification or separation – Plural distinct separators – Filters
Patent
1990-03-14
1992-10-13
Dawson, Robert A.
Liquid purification or separation
Plural distinct separators
Filters
2105121, 2105122, 210787, 554591, 209211, 209144, B04C 528
Patent
active
051548267
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to cyclone separators (hereinafter called "cyclones") for separating two or more fluids, to the transport of overflow after said overflow has been discharged from one or more cyclones, to means for effecting said transport, and to means for structural support for one or more cyclones. For the purposes of this specification, and unless a contrary intention should appear, "cyclone" includes a cyclone as described in the specification accompanying International Patent Application Number PCT/AU87/00398.
PRIOR ART
It is known that a cyclone for separating two or more fluids may have inlet means for introducing the fluid mixture to be separated, outlet means for fluid having a substantial concentration of less dense component (said fluid hereinafter called "overflow") and outlet means for fluid having a substantial concentration of more dense component (said fluid hereinafter called "underflow").
Many means have been devised for supporting and mounting a plurality of cyclones, at least partially inside a containing vessel. This is often important in the case of cyclones designed for the treatment of mixtures of fluid such as oil and water, since the source of the feed mixtures is often at high pressure, for example 10,000 kPa, and the design of single units may become complex. One such multi-cyclone apparatus is disclosed in Australian Patent Specification 33,119/84. This specification describes a liquid separator apparatus where one or more cyclones are enclosed in a pressure retaining shell. In another form of this application cyclones are connected in series within the same pressure retaining shell, wherein in use the underflow from one cyclone is fed into the next cyclone in the series via the feed inlet of said next cyclone.
An alternative form of apparatus is described in PCT/AU86/00111. In this embodiment a plurality of cyclones are combined together inside a pressure retaining shell. One feature of this apparatus is that the cyclone overflow outlets are combined into one stream and exit the vessel via one outlet. The overflow outlets are combined in a series of galleries and ports as part of the cyclone body.
Other forms of apparatus are described in "The Hydrocyclone" by D. Bradley (Pergamon Press, 1965). In particular, FIG. 86 in that text shows a number of cyclones mounted in a tube sheet or support plate which is wafered between two flanges surrounded by a pressure retaining shell.
Other patent specifications which describe multiple cyclone apparatus include:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,148,721, U.S. Pat. No. 4,211,643, U.S. Pat. No. 3,261,467 and AU-33,952/78. In addition the literature emanating from various cyclone manufacturers shows various forms of apparatus consisting of numbers of cyclones contained in vessels.
BACKGROUND TO THIS INVENTION
As described in the prior art, to avoid the complexity of numerous interconnections when a plurality of cyclones are required to treat a mixture, said cyclones are often grouped together inside pressure retaining vessels. However, a number of difficulties exist in applying the prior art to, for example, the crude oil and gas production and process industry. A typical feed mixture might include fluid mixtures of two or more components or phases of differing densities with at least one predominant liquid component. For example, the feed mixture might consist of oil and water with a small amount of gas and solids.
Problems often encountered include: together as a permanent fixture. This means that it is often difficult to inspect, maintain, replace and service individual cyclone units. Furthermore, these cyclone assemblies are often very heavy; specially fabricated non-standard components. This increases the cost and complexity of designs; accessing the cyclones. Equipment serviceability and maintenance downtime are very important factors in, for example, offshore oil and gas production platforms; cleaning of the small overflow outlet parts.
DESCRIPTION OF THIS INVENTION
It is an object of this invention to alleviate substantially the probl
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Bradley, D., The Hydroclone, chapters 10 and 11, table of contents, and pp. 126, 152, 153, 162.
Black-Clawson 3" X-Clone (1985?).
Prendergast Gavin J. J.
Webb David A.
Dawson Robert A.
Delawood Pty. Ltd.
Reifsnyder David
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