Liquid purification or separation – Processes – Separating
Patent
1989-05-25
1991-09-03
Dawson, Robert A.
Liquid purification or separation
Processes
Separating
55 52, 55460, 2105121, B01D 17038
Patent
active
050452185
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to cyclone separator devices (hereinafter called "hydrocyclones") capable of separating at least partially, if not to a substantial extent. predominantly fluid mixtures of two or more components or phases of differing densities.
This invention may find particular application in separation of fluid mixtures where at least one of the fluid components to be separated is sensitive to regions of high fluid shear, i.e. the interfacial properties being such that fluid mixtures may become further emulsified rather than separated into fluid velocity fields. For example, the fluid mixtures may be, or may contain, oil and water. The fluid mixtures may also contain some solids and/or dissolved or free gas. This invention also relates to methods of separating at least partially, if not substantially, fluid mixtures of two or more components as previously described.
PRIOR ART
Cyclone separators (normally called "cyclones"). but more importantly in relation to this invention. hydrocyclones, have been in use for some time. Their use and application to separating solids from gas and solids from liquids in particular is well documented. See for example "The Hydrocyclone" by D. Bradley (Pergamon Press. 1965) and "Hydrocyclones" by Svarvosky (Holt, 1984). The most typical form of cyclones used for these purposes is of a straight conical shape. However, a number of specialised designs exist to treat particular mixtures or derive special benefits. See for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,389,307, 2,982,409 and 2,849,930 as examples of hydrocyclones applied to pulp and paper separation.
The potential benefits to be derived by successfully applying hydrocyclones to liquid/liquid separation (e.g. oil/water) have long been recognized. However it has only been in recent times that hydrocyclone designs have been developed to an extent where they have achieved significant commercial acceptance for this particular task.
Earlier hydrocyclones were of a type and design developed substantially by reference to the knowledge and art of solid/liquid separation technology. These hydrocyclones performed comparatively poorly when applied to liquid/liquid separation.
As will be familiar to those skilled in the art relating to liquid/liquid hydrocyclones, those designs failed to take proper account of the major differences between the nature and behaviour of liquid/liquid and liquid/solid mixtures. These differences include: than the difference between solids and liquids. with mixtures where the interfacial properties of the mixture are unfavourable.
As these and other differences were considered more appropriately in the re-design of hydrocyclones for liquid/liquid separation very different high performance hydrocyclones were developed. Different designs can be applied to different fluid mixtures. In particular, hydrocyclone designs of one class have been developed for the problem of separating a small amount of less dense component/s from fluid mixtures and of another class for separating a small amount of a more dense component/s from fluid mixtures. Said small amounts of less dense and more dense component/s typically exist in particle form, but most typically in droplet form, in the fluid mixtures.
Hydrocyclones of the first type designed for the separation of a small amount of less dense component as described in the prior art are distinguishable from solid/liquid hydrocyclones by the inclusion of features such as flow smoothing inlet areas, or swirl chambers, and are relatively long.
Patent literature which describes the prior art includes the following: made up of two cylindrical sections with a flow smoothing taper included between the sections. The design as claimed is described by mathematical relationships between parameters such as inlet area, lengths and diameters of the inlet, outlets and cylindrical sections. portion and a second flow smoothing taper between the second and third cylindrical portions. outlet of diameter d.sub.o.
Based on the above three specifications, various applications for patent have been fil
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Prendergast Gagan J. J.
Webb David A.
Dawson Robert A.
Delawood Pty. Ltd.
Drodge Joseph
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