Liquid purification or separation – Processes – Making an insoluble substance or accreting suspended...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-09
2001-03-27
Popovics, Robert J. (Department: 1723)
Liquid purification or separation
Processes
Making an insoluble substance or accreting suspended...
C210S799000, C210S801000, C210S320000, C210S521000, C210S540000, C210SDIG005
Reexamination Certificate
active
06207061
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for filtration of hydrocarbon contaminated water for separation and recovery of contaminants and recirculation of the water.
The invention also relates to an apparatus for carrying out this method.
The invention may be utilized, for example, in connection with operations of the type relating to metal working, where lubricating oil is added in small amounts to the cooling water to clean the outflow from the processing site, or to separate oil from the waste water discharged, for example, from automobile repair shops with associated motor wash facilities.
One can also conceive of other operations, however, where oil in small amounts is used in water for various purposes.
2. Description of the Related Art
In separating oil from water it is usually relatively simple to remove the most predominant part of the oil in relatively simple separation steps; the difficulties arise with the last, marginal removal of oil.
Filters and other devices have been tried, but in quite numerous cases the complexity and costs related to such systems have been prohibitive and have prevented their installation in smaller factories/facilities.
The objective of the present invention is to provide a technology that is easy to install, that requires very little space, and that may be installed with simple auxiliary agents in connection with the vast majority of operations where there is a need for separation of small amounts of oil, for example, from relatively large quantities of a carrier fluid, in most cases water.
Brief Summary of the Invention
The invention is based on the recognition that a compact body of oil is capable of functioning as a filter for finely dispersed or suspended oil drops in a stream of water while the water stream is permitted to pass through the body.
The apparatus that is described according to the invention will hereafter be referred to as a “cascade,” since it describes a cascade of successive oil bodies or cushions in connection with successive underflows and overflows out of and into them.
Through the use in this way of a plurality of oil bodies as filters in a cascade, one will by adapting the number of cascade stages to the registered contamination load obtain water of a considerably improved quality, which may be emitted without risk into public drains.
In accordance therewith, the present invention relates to a method for filtering hydrocarbon contaminated water for separation and recovery of the contaminants and recirculation of the water, and the method is characterized in that the water contaminated by hydrocarbons is, in a series of successive stages, caused to flow down through a cushion of a filtering hydrocarbon that floats on a defined surface of a water body and is permitted to flow via an underflow into the free portion of the water body prior to transfer via an overflow to the next stage, and where, in a final stage, approximately anhydrous hydrocarbon is drawn off as overflow while hydrocarbon-free water is removed as underflow.
As mentioned above, the invention also relates to an apparatus for carrying out this method, and the apparatus is characterized in that, in operable state, it comprises a series of successive basins separated by walls, filled with water, where an upper part of each basin is bounded by means of fixed partition walls projecting downward in the water and is filled with a filtering hydrocarbon, where the final cushion of filtering hydrocarbon downsteam is bordered by a vertically displaceable outlet bin for the contamination enriched hydrocarbon, and further comprising a water outlet comprising two successive horizontal watercourses, having a declining ceiling in the direction of flow, and thereafter a vertical S-pipe having an outlet.
As construction this apparatus is characterized in that it comprises a series of successive basins separated by walls, where the upper part of each basin is bounded by means of fixed partition walls projecting downward and where the final basin downstream has a vertically displaceable outlet bin and further comprises a water outlet comprising two successive horizontal courses having a declining ceiling in the direction of flow, and thereafter a vertical S-pipe having an outlet.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2284737 (1942-06-01), Hirshstein
patent: 3862040 (1975-01-01), Preus et al.
patent: 4132652 (1979-01-01), Anderson et al.
patent: 5132010 (1992-07-01), Ossenkop
patent: 5679265 (1997-10-01), Van Schie
Pedersen Helge
Pedersen Jan Erik
Abelman ,Frayne & Schwab
Popovics Robert J.
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