Liquid purification or separation – Processes – Separating
Patent
1995-06-19
1997-10-21
Upton, Christopher
Liquid purification or separation
Processes
Separating
210800, 210122, 2102423, 210521, 210540, 210923, C02F 140
Patent
active
056792654
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to a method for the continuous separation of a floating layer of light material (upper flow), such as oil or material particles saturated with oil and/or covered in oil, with respect to a heavier liquid supporting layer (lower flow), such as water, on which the floating layer is situated, by making use of a difference in level, to be maintained, between the inflow side located at a higher level in a device for the separation, and the discharge side, located at a lower level on the said device, for the removal of the largely separated supporting material (lower flow), and by making use of an overflow unit for the material to be separated (upper flow) into the collection chamber for this, whereby the top side of this overflow unit extends no further below the common level of the liquids fed in than the minimum or more or less stable continuous thickness of the floating layer (upper flow), which can be removed from the collection chamber using means that are known per se. The invention also relates to a device for the application of the aforementioned method.
In connection with the increasing stringency of requirements set by national governments with regard to the discharging of waste substances into surface waters, various methods and devices had already been proposed, all with the purpose of purifying the waste water before it is discharged into surface waters. If intolerable pollution of surface waters would occur, e.g., shipping disasters or the like, the requirement is also set that the pollutor must immediately perform effective cleaning measures.
The method has the purpose of bringing about faster treatment and, with regard to the attainment of the optimum separation of the material flows (upper and lower flows) in the flow range of both of the material flows that are fed in from the said inflow side to the overflow unit, for example floating oil and water, it ensures that a mainly laminar flow pattern is maintained in one and the same direction of passage above and below the separation layer (of the upper and lower flow) of the liquids, while, up to a considerable distance below the overflow unit, by means of a baffle placed perpendicular to the main flow, the flow pattern in the vertical direction (lower flow) is deflected upwards and downwards, parallel to the baffle, at a relatively low flow speed, whereby, in downward direction, a small to considerable part of the main flow of the supporting material (lower flow) is able to flow away to the aforementioned discharge side with a reduced liquid level, through at least one relatively narrow passage opening, for example, in the form of a round or oval opening, or, for example, a passage gap and, furthermore, an increasing thickness of the floating layer is maintained behind the overflow unit, with a simultaneous choice between controlling the liquid flowing through the device, and/or the amount of the floating layer removed from the collection chamber per unit of time and/or the height of the overflow unit, and/or the size of the passage opening, e.g. of a gap, in order to attain the optimum stable flow pattern.
The active level difference employed by the invention may possibly be spread over a number of liquid-level steps, to which end a cascade-overflow system could be employed. According to the invention, this occurs because the liquid flows are carried along two or more baffles with each of the associated overflow units at different heights, all arranged in such a manner that the differences in liquid levels in front of and behind each baffle are each controlled to a stable flow pattern which gives rise to this cascade-overflow system.
When this method is applied on board of a ship and, e.g. a (crude) oil slick has to be tackled, it may first be necessary to ensure that the oil slick does not sink to the sea bottom during bad weather or, e.g., that undesired emulsification does not occur. In those cases it may first be effective to bind the oil (or tar) to a number of supporting particles, e.g., plastic-foam particles. In tha
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Lemacon Techniek B.V.
Upton Christopher
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