Liquid purification or separation – Flow – fluid pressure or material level – responsive – Diverse sensing means
Patent
1985-01-28
1987-04-21
Fisher, Richard V.
Liquid purification or separation
Flow, fluid pressure or material level, responsive
Diverse sensing means
210137, 2105122, 209211, B04C 304
Patent
active
046594612
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to liquid separating apparatus particularly but not exclusively for separating oil from oily water.
Liquid separators, particularly cyclone separators, are sensitive to volumetric flow therethrough in that variation in such flow may cause loss of separator efficiency. An object of the invention is to provide separating apparatus adaptable to provide a variable liquid throughput whilst tending to maintain flow conditions suitable for efficient separation.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention there is provided liquid separating apparatus comprising a receptacle for liquid to be separated, and a plurality of liquid separators wherein regulating means is provided for effective selective variation of the delivery rate through said plurality of separators in accordance with the quantity of liquid in said receptacle. More particularly, it is preferred that means is provided for sensing said liquid level whereby to increase the said delivery rate on increase in said level. Said sensing means may comprise, for example, a plurality of sensors at different positions in said receptacle. Preferably the apparatus includes a pump for pumping liquid from said receptacle to said plurality of separators and said regulating means is effective to vary the pumping rate of the pump to increase the pumping rate on increase in said level as detected by said sensors. Said means may also operate to control valves between the said pump and the said plurality of separators whereby to effect said variation in delivery rate by controlling the number of separators to which the liquid is pumped from said pump. Said means may also comprise variable restriction means operable to selectively vary the restriction offered to flow from one or more of said separators to effect said variation. The separators may comprise cyclone separators.
The invention is further described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 2 is a partly sectioned perspective view of a cyclone separator incorporated into the apparatus of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic cross sectional view of the arrangement of a choke in a outlet line from a bank of cyclone separators included in the apparatus of FIG. 1.
The apparatus of FIG. 1 comprises a header tank 50 having a lower oily water inlet 52. A lower outlet pipe 54 from tank 50 communicates with a strainer device 56. Strainer device 56 has an outlet communicating via a pipe 58 with a piston pump 60. The outlet of the pump 60 is connected to the inlet of a bank 62 of cyclone separators by means of a pipe 61. A branch pipe 63 communicating with pipe 61 provides communication from the outlet of pump 60 to a second bank 64 of cyclone separators. A control valve 66 is positioned in pipe 63 and is selectively operable, for a purpose described later, to a condition at which free flow can occur through pipe 63 from pump 60 to bank 64 and to a condition at which such flow is precluded. Outlet pipes 68, 70 from the respective banks 62, 64 have variable flow restricting chokes 72, 74 positioned therewithin and provide flow communication to a pipe 76 which in turn provides fluid flow communication to a control valve 80. Valve 80 is controllable to allow flow from pipe 76 to an outlet 82 of the apparatus or, alternatively to prevent such flow and to divert the flow from pipe 76 through a return pipe 84 in fluid flow communication with tank 50 at a lower location therein.
A pipe 90 provides communication from separated oil outlets of the separator banks 62, 64 to an oil pump 92 operable to pump such separated oil to an oil outlet 94 of pump 92. Pump 92 also provides communication via a pipe line 96 with a skimmer device 100 positioned in tank 50 and operable to retrieve surface oil in the oily water in the tank. Such retrieved oil is pumped by pump 92 to outlet 94.
In normal operation, the pump 60 pumps oily water from tank 50 through device 56 to either or both of the separator banks 62, 64 such th
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Fisher Richard V.
Millard Wanda L.
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