Liquid purification or separation – Gravitational separator – Material supply distributor
Patent
1994-04-18
1996-05-21
Dawson, Robert A.
Liquid purification or separation
Gravitational separator
Material supply distributor
210521, 2105321, 210533, 210534, 210538, 210539, 210540, B01D 4300
Patent
active
055186173
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to separators and, more particularly, to separators for removing contaminates from base liquids.
In this specification the term "base liquid" is intended to mean the liquid to be cleaned of contaminates, the term "light contaminates" is intended to mean a any solid, semi-solid, semi-liquid or liquid, having a specific gravity less than that of the base liquid and the term "heavy contaminates" is intended to mean any solid, semi-solid, semi-liquid or liquid, having a specific gravity greater than that of the base liquid.
Separators for separating contaminates from base liquids are well known in the art and generally comprise a cylindrical vessel, arranged with its axis substantially vertical, closed at the top by a flat roof and closed at its lower regions by a conical bottom, arranged such that its central regions are lower than the edge regions thereof. The vessel includes an inlet for the contaminated base liquid, an outlet for the heavy contaminates in the lower regions of the vessel, and/or an outlet for the light contaminates in the upper regions of the vessel, and an outlet in the upper regions for the decontaminated base liquid.
The separation of the heavy and/or light contaminates from the base liquid is effected by inducing circulating flows in the vessel, generally by introducing the contaminated base liquid tangentially into the vessel, whereby the circulating flows generate laminar flows within the base liquid, which assist the rise of light contaminates and/or the fall of the heavy contaminates through the base liquid under gravity.
As stated, separators of the type described above are well known in the art and are described in detail in, for example, British Patent Publications No. 2205512 and No. 2158741.
In all the separators of the type described above the tangential entry of the contaminated base liquid into the charged vessel causes the base liquid entering the vessel to flow adjacent the cylindrical wall of the vessel, the "drag" effected by the cylindrical side wall induces laminar flows in the circulating liquid and the heavier contaminates fall readily to the lower regions of the vessel whilst the lighter contaminates rise readily through the base liquid. In the lower regions of the vessel the frictional forces acting between the bottom of the cylinder and the circulating liquids induces laminar flows in the base liquid which assists in slowing down the circulating flows and, in said lower regions the flows are substantially slower than at the liquid inlet so that the heavy contaminates cannot rise within the liquid and, because of the conical bottom of the vessel, the heavy contaminates are carried to the heavy contaminates outlet.
Because of the laminar flows the rate of displacement of the circulating liquid reduces towards the central regions of the vessel and, with the continuous entry of contaminated liquid into the vessel, the decontaminated liquid in the upper central regions of the vessel are displaced upwardly towards and through the decontaminated liquid outlet.
It is important that in the upper regions of the vessel the circulating flows in the liquid be effectively damped, to allow any heavy contaminates carried over by the flows in the liquid to fall down through the relatively quiescent liquid in the upper regions of the vessel, and whilst so-called "flow-modification" elements may be positioned in the upper regions of the vessel to assist in reducing circulating flows, the friction between the roof and the liquid in the vessel plays a great part in achieving the desired damping.
Unfortunately, the known separators of the type described above and which inevitably include a flat roof suffer from irregular efficiency, which can cause contaminates to carry over to the decontaminated liquid outlet.
Further, when the decontaminated liquid outlet comprises an upwardly rising outlet pipe, the inlet pressure required to force the decontaminated liquid through the outlet pipe can often require the inlet liquid to be pumped, which can adversely affect the
REFERENCES:
patent: 2307154 (1943-01-01), Osuna
patent: 3965013 (1976-06-01), Jackson
VDI Zeitschrift, vol. 104, No. 4, 1 Feb. 1962, VDI Verlag GmbH (Dusseldorf, DE), E. Wolfel, p. 174.
Dawson Robert A.
Drucker William A.
Reifsnyder David A.
The Clean Water Company Limited
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