Abstract: The invention refers to a device for separation of two liquids in a common mixture from each other, said liquids having different densities and being non-soluble in each other. The device comprises a pressure-tight vessel, which contains a charge of a high-porous material, which is resistant to the mixed liquids to be separated and has a high surface ratio and small flow resistance. The liquid mixture is introduced under pressure through at least one inlet conduit into a chamber located within the charge in the vessel but free from the charge material, an outlet for the heavier liquid being disposed in the bottom of the vessel in order to bring said liquid to flow substantially vertically and downwardly through the vessel, after which the two liquids each are carried to an individual spillway.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method for the removal of oil from an oil in water emulsion by passing the emulsion through a fibrous structure comprising fibres having finely divided particles having an average size of one micron or less and which exhibit oleophilic and hydrophobic properties adhered to and penetrating their outer surfaces, and removing the coalesced oil droplets so formed.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for the removal of oil from an oil in water emulsion, the apparatus comprising a vessel, means for passing the emulsion in an upward direction through the vessel and means for draining the vessel, a coalescer located in the vessel, the coalescer having a first face and a second face, means for moving the coalescer from a first position in which its first face is on the underside of the coalescer to a second position in which the second face is on the underside of the coalescer and vice versa, outlet means for the treated emulsion and means for removing coalesced oil droplets from the treated emulsion.

Abstract: A tubular device for separating liquid-liquid systems, said device having at least one slot covered with a sheet structure permeable to only one of the liquids, a collecting means for the separated liquid and means for reinforcing the tubular device to prevent compression or collapse thereof.

Abstract: A separator suitable for the separation of a first liquid of relatively lower specific gravity and a second liquid of relatively higher specific gravity from a liquid mixture containing both liquids, the liquids being mutually immiscible, the separator comprising an inlet for introducing the mixture into a first separation zone so constructed and arranged as to promote the separation by gravity of a substantial part of the first liquid from the mixture, a first liquid outlet for the discharge of separated first liquid from the separator, a second liquid outlet for the discharge of separated second liquid from the separator, means for causing first liquid separated in the first separation zone to pass to the first liquid outlet, means for causing the remaining liquid mixture containing a minor proportion of the first liquid and a major proportion of the second liquid to pass towards the second liquid outlet along a flow path including a part extending downwardly through a second separation zone partially fille

Abstract: A method for the removal of oil from an oil in water emulsion by contacting the emulsion with a fibrous structure and removing the coalesced oil droplets so formed the improvement being that the fibrous structure comprises inorganic fibers which, in the emulsion, have a positive zeta potential.

Abstract: A filter cartridge for filtering fluids comprising: a cylindrical porous support tube which is permeable to the fluid to be filtered; at least one layer of boro-silicate glass filter paper being wrapped around the cylindrical support; a porous sleeve including a wall having a longitudinal slit therein to allow wrapping of the sleeve around the filter paper; and a zipper affixed to the wall which closes the slit and maintains the position of the glass filter paper without damage to the paper. Also disclosed is a method for manufacturing a filter cartridge having as a principle filtering element a boro-silicate glass paper which is very fragile and can be seriously degraded by crushing. The method comprises wrapping at least one layer of boro-silicate glass paper around a cylindrical porous support; wrapping a cylindrical porous sleeve including a wall having a longitudinal slit therein around the filter paper to secure and protect the filter paper; and closing the slit by closing a zipper attached to the wall.

Abstract: An oily-water separator comprises a single vessel having a partition wall dividing the interior of the vessel into an upper and a lower chamber, a filter device disposed coaxially within the vessel and extending into the both chamber, an oil-water mixture inlet opened at a lower portion of the upper chamber, a first oil outlet opened at a top portion of the upper chamber, a second oil outlet connected to a top of the filter device, a third oil outlet opened at an upper portion of the lower chamber and a water outlet opened at a lower portion of the lower chamber.

Abstract: An improved baffle for use in an oil-water separation tank including a perpendicular solid portion and an inclined slotted portion extending downwardly and inwardly in the direction of flow from the lower edge of the perpendicular solid portion, the slotted portion having at least three rows of downwardly spaced apart slots extending laterally across the slotted portion, the uppermost of said rows an averge of from 1/2 to 2 slots per lateral meter and each of the lower rows therefrom having at least 25% more slots than said uppermost row.

Abstract: Anthracite packed oil water coalescers are treated with certain polymers, e.g. polybutene polyamines to improve their performance when dealing with sea water - oil emulsions.

Abstract: This invention relates to the treatment of droplet dispersions employing a novel device which is a coalescer element consisting of a body of porous material having communicating porosity and two opposite faces, the pore size increasing progressively from a region at or adjacent one face of the body to the opposite face. In the treatment according to the invention the dispersion is passed through the coalescer element in a direction of increasing pore size and the disperse phase is coalesced by the element. The progressive increase in porosity of the novel coalescer is advantageous in that it provides a large target area at the inlet and hence a high collection efficiency for droplets of disperse phase below 100.mu.m in diameter, without the disadvantage of the high resistance to liquid flow normally associated with devices having a high target area.

Abstract: A filtering device for cleansing oil mist from an effluent flow includes a hollow casing containing a filtering media of packed particulate solids and channel means projecting into the media adapted to conduct an effluent flow to the media and disperse it therethrough whereby oil mist particles are retained in the media while the cleansed flow is admitted to the atmosphere. The particulate solids of the filtering media are of a material having an affinity for attracting and retaining oil and the material is disposed in successive layers such that the effluent must pass through a bed of graduated density whereby the filtering efficiency is enhanced.

Abstract: Oil and other contaminants are separated from aqueous effluents by a system which includes means for introducing the contaminated aqueous effluents into a separation zone where they are passed through the labyrinth course of a coalescing chamber to separate oil particles. The oil is removed by means of a skimmer and moved into an oil storage area. The aqueous effluents are then passed from the bottom of the separation zone to an extraction zone where they are passed through a bed of a material capable of adsorbing hydrocarbons and other pollutants. The effluent may then be discarded or may be moved through a fail safe system designed to assure that hydrocarbon removal is complete in all instances.

Abstract: A grease separating system includes four successive chambers. The heated, emulsified grease is passed through a solids retention box into an inlet chamber where cool water is sprayed onto the emulsified grease. This mixture is passed through a connecting chamber, and then over baffles at the entrance of a collection chamber. The grease having been separated from its emulsified state rises to the top of the mixture in the collection chamber, and the water passes into a discharge chamber and in to the connected sewer system. After successive operations, the floated grease is sensed when it reaches a predetermined level, and an alarm is sounded to indicate that the accumulated grease should be removed.

Abstract: An improved inside-to-outside flow filter tube and method of manufacturing the tube, which filter tube comprises: a plurality of nonwoven fibers having interstices therebetween to define the porosity of the filter tube, the tube containing a binding agent at the junction of the fiber crossovers to provide a self-supporting structure of a defined wall thickness and filter porosity; and an open scrim reinforcing sheet material within the wall of the filter tube extending generally the length of the tube and at least one overlapping revolution about the tube diameter, the fibers of the filter tube bonded integrally through the open scrim material, thereby permitting the use of the filter tube in applications requiring inside-to-outside fluid flow without the necessity for an external peripheral support.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to effect coalescence of a first liquid suspended as minute droplets in a second liquid of different specific gravity. An endless small-pore matrix having internal pore surfaces preferentially attractive to the first liquid, and having ingested a quantity of the mixture liquids is advanced through a transport interval to a point of discharge with quiescent conditions maintained within the pores for a sufficient time to permit gravitational settling and resultant coalescence of the droplets on the pore surfaces. Squeezing the resiliently compressible matrix at the end of such transport or pumping interval purges the second liquid and coalesced first liquid from the pores, and subsequent reexpansion of the matrix as it reenters the mixture causes ingestion of additional mixture to be processed, the process being repeated on a continuing cyclical basis.

Abstract: In turbine engine systems liquid diesel fuel (more viscous than gasoline) s heretofore been purged of water impurity and solid impurity by a two stage system comprised of a disposable cartridge type depth filter and a water coalescer. The present invention modifies the conventional system by replacing the disposable cartridge type depth filter with an extended life cyclone; concentrated impurities are vented from the cyclone and coalescer to an additional separator mechanism. This additional separator mechanism returns purified fuel to the fuel tank; separated impurity is exhausted out of the system.

Abstract: A wash tank is provided for separating an oil-water mixture and utilizes a plurality of baffle sections to assist in separating oil and water. The baffle sections include solid perpendicular portions and sloping perforated portions arranged in a special configuration within the tank.

Abstract: Waste water containing finely divided oily materials and solid materials suspended therein can be clarified by (1) forwarding the waste water successively through a plurality of fibrous strata which are arranged along a path of the waste water and each of said strata is composed of a mass of hydrophilic organic polymer fibers compressed in such a manner that the closer the location of a fibrous stratum is to the supply source of the waste water, the greater the gaps on the average are formed between the fibers in the stratum, while allowing the particles of the finely divided oily materials to coarsen and to catch and collect finely divided solid materials into the coarsened particles; (2) after passing through each of the fibrous strata, introducing the waste water into a space in which the coarsened particles are allowed to float and form a separate layer of the oily materials containing the solid materials on the upper surface of the waste water in the space; (3) discharging the oily materials containing t

Abstract: An element for filtering and separating fluid mixtures, especially admixed or emulsified fluids and, in particular, mixtures and/or emulsions of oils, fuels and the like and water, in which the fluid to be are removed from the fluid by filtration, and the oil therein is coalesced and separated from the water.

Abstract: A droplet coalescence control element having materials of different surface energy levels. The control element can take the form of a composite surface exhibiting elemental areas of the material or of a perforate packing with such said junctions exposed in its interstitial passages.

Abstract: This invention provides vertically disposed fiber bed elements and separators containing the same wherein "bubble re-entrainment" of a collected liquid phase in a gas stream flowing through the fiber bed is substantially eliminated or reduced. "Bubble re-entrainment" refers to that re-entrainment of liquid which occurs at the bottom of the fiber bed where the cumulative drainage of the liquid is at its maximum. This is accomplished by providing at the bottom of the fiber bed a vertically disposed gas flow baffle means such as, e.g., a baffle plate, such that some portion of the fiber bed is disposed downstream of the baffle means and shielded by the lee side of said baffle means from the moving gas stream, said shielding being effective throughout the shielded portion of the fiber bed to reduce the bed velocity of any gas flowing therethrough to below a bubble re-entraining velocity.

Abstract: A marine vessel is provided with a closed tank for gravity separation of oil and water. A boom extending laterally from the vessel sweeps the surface of a body of water on which the vessel floats and a skimmer associated with the boom skims surface oil and some water into a conduit leading to a manifold extending around the upper inner periphery of the tank. The manifold discharges upwardly into the tank through a multiplicity of ports, the tank preferably being completely filled with oil and/or water. Separated water is withdrawn from the bottom of the tank through a plurality of coalescing filters having large exposed coalescer screens. Hoods over the coalescers direct flow thereto to ensure uniform distribution of water and oil globules over their surfaces and direct coalesced oil toward the upper region of the tank in a concentrated stream. A pump withdraws the water from the tank and discharges it into the ambient water. Flow produced by the pump can be reversed for backwashing the coalescers.

Abstract: The specification discloses a novel composite coalescing filter tube and the method of making the same. In contrast to previous coalescing filters, which had layers of filter material sandwiched between relatively rigid support members, the present invention provides for a completely unitary coalescing filter tube wherein the various layers of the filter are successively vacuum formed one over the other on a forming fixture which is submerged in an appropriate glass fiber slurry mix, with the various layers being air dried, epoxy dipped, and cured as needed for the particular application. Since, during the vacuum forming process, glass fibers from one layer will interlock with glass fibers from the previously formed layer, a completely unitary coalescing filter tube is formed, preventing the problems of filter layer separation, channeling, pressure collapse and vibration damage which have occurred in past coalescing filters.

Abstract: A floatable oil sweep useful in controlling an oil spill on a moving body of water comprises an elongated web of oil sorbent adapted to float on the body of water with its large-area faces parallel to the waterline, and a weighted open-mesh netting attached to the web and adapted to be suspended below the floating web when the oil sweep is deployed. Use of the netting has been found to significantly extend the period of time before oil droplets are carried under the oil sweep by movement of the body of water.

Abstract: A conductive interface forms between the oil and water layers in a coalescer apparatus for treating slop oil. The presence of this interface is detected by (a) a capacitance probe and (b) extensions on the coalescer plates. Changes in the feed and discharge rates can then be made, assuring continuous operation.

Abstract: A system for removing oil from an oil-water dispersion such as in bilge water to form an effluent of high purity. At least one container for a coalescing medium (e.g., resin particles) is positioned in the interior of an upright reservoir wall and includes a liquid permeable lower wall in a frusto-conical shape in contact with water in the reservoir. The dispersion is directed through the coalescing medium wherein small oil droplets coalesce into larger ones which float to the surface of the aqueous reservoir to form a floating oil layer on the water. Purified water flows out from the lower portion of the reservoir in a radially outward direction from the coalescing medium container thereby reducing the water flow rate. Prior to flow through the coalescing medium, the dispersion is optionally passed into a holding tank wherein material heavier than water is settled for periodic removal of heavy contaminants. Pitch accommodating means is provided to adapt the system to ship board use.

Abstract: Phase disengagement between aqueous copper sulfate solutions and organic phases containing a liquid ionic change reagent is greatly facilitated when the dispersed medium from the mixture stage is contacted counter-currently to the direction of phase separation with a small amount of the respective separated phase having uniform appropriate droplet size.

Abstract: A process for removing oil from oily waste water streams, particularly from aqueous refinery streams wherein the oil is present as a stable oil-in-water emulsion, which comprises passing the stream over a particulate bed of an unprocessed, vinyl chloride containing polymer including PVC and its copolymers.

Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for separating a fluid including a plurality of fluid components of different viscosities. The fluid is centrifugally accelerated and contacts a solid viscosity differentiating adhesion means. The degree of adhesion of the different viscosity fluid components to the solid viscosity differentiating adhesion means varies proportionally with the viscosity of the fluid component. The trajectory of each fluid component on emerging from the solid viscosity differentiating adhesion means varies in accordance with the degree of adhesion of each fluid component to that adhesion means. The fluids are physically separated by placing between the trajectories of each of the fluid components a partition which defines a receptacle for collection of each of the component fluids.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to a method for filtering suspended oil contaminants from an aqueous-based liquid. The method includes flowing the contaminated liquid through a bed of granulated black walnut shells which have a relatively weak affinity for oil. The suspended oil is coalesced during flow through the filter bed to form globular oil particles that are large enough to become entrapped in the interstices of the filter bed. After a substantial quantity of oil has been accumulated in the filter bed, the bed is rejuvenated by flowing backwash liquid therethrough to provide a high velocity scrubbing to free at least a portion of the accumulated oil from the bed, the shells' weak affinity for oil facilitating such rejuvenation. Next, the bed is reformed and a subsequent filtration cycle is initiated.

Abstract: A method for coalescing oil from an oil in water dispersion by passing the dispersion through a granular bed of brominated monoolefin resin.

Abstract: A cell having a catalytic layer for coalescing oil droplets dispersed in a water emulsion including an elongated perforated core in which the emulsion is injected, a layer of emulsion breaking fibrous material wound about the core through which the emulsion passes, and a catalytic layer of porous material wound about the layer of fibrous material, the catalytic layer being formed of a porous flexible substrate having sprayed on particles of molten metal.

Abstract: Method and means for separating emulsified and entrained oils from water, machine coolants, and substantially any other liquid comprising initially directing a flow stream into an inlet trap for removing relatively large particles from the flow stream, passing the flow stream through a centrifuge for removing substantially all of the entrained solids in the flow stream, moving the flow stream through a de-emulsifier for coalescing of the emulsified oil into droplets sufficiently large for processing in a separator and for filtering any remaining solids from the flow stream, providing a backwash action from the de-emulsifier for recycling of said finally removed solids through the centrifuge, passing the flow stream through a separator for separation of the oil from the other liquid components of the flow stream whereby the separated oil and clean effluent may be removed from the system.

Abstract: An oil-in-water monitor for monitoring the effluent of an oil-water separator. A pressure vessel coalesces oil from the effluent and gathers the oil in a collection section which is automatically emptied after an hour. If more than a predetermined amount of oil is gathered in the hour, an oil-sensing probe sends a signal to activate a warning light valve which permit pipes to return the effluent to the separator.If the effluent becomes too turbid, a turbidity senser activates an alarm and the valves which permit pipes to return the effluent to the separator.If the coalescer unit clogs, an indication is given by a differential pressure gauge.

Abstract: In a system for removing oil from oily water which employs an oil droplet coalescer, a ceramic dewaxer is inserted before the coalescer to remove waxes, asphalts, and similar materials which would otherwise quickly clog the fine holes of the coalescer. The "dirty" ceramic elements of the dewaxer may be easily and efficiently regenerated.

Abstract: A device for separating liquids of lower density than water, in particular oil, from water, comprises a pump and a separator receiving the liquids from the pump. The separator comprises a settling chamber and a filter pack arranged behind the latter. A line between the pump and the settling chamber feeds the liquids exclusively to the latter. The line includes a vent valve. An overflow opening device is provided between the settling chamber and the filter pack. A shut-off member is provided for closing the overflow opening in response to the thickness of the layer of liquid of lower density collected in the settling chamber.

Abstract: An improved device for soaking up water that is collected in the bottom of an oil tank, and removing the water therefrom; the device comprising a porous envelope lowered by a tethering line to the tank bottom, the envelope containing sinking weights and Sterculia Lychnophora Hance powder which is unaffected by oils but which readily absorbs water in great volume by being expandable to over fifteen times its original size when fully saturated, thus effectively removing the water when the device is lifted from the tank.

Abstract: A new separator that incorporates a new separator element is provided for removing a dispersed liquid phase from a continuous liquid phase. The new separator element comprises a plurality of discrete sections of coalescing and sorbing media interspersed in intimate contact with one another. The sections of coalescing media provide substantially continuous paths through the separator element for the liquid to be treated. As the liquid is conducted through the coalescing media, the dispersed liquid phase is sorbed from the coalescing media into the sorbing media, whereupon a cleaned continuous phase exits from the separator.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for separating fine oily particles from aqueous liquids at very high flow velocities by passing the mixture upwardly through an unconfined mass of oleophilic granules in a column with adequate velocity to separate and lift the individual granules into the upwardly flowing mixture within the column where movement of the individual granules serves to collect and coalesce the fine oily particles, and finally to release large oil drops back into the mainstream of the upwardly flowing mixture column. These large oil drops are then intercepted and extracted by a steeply inclined screen and caused to flow to storage in the form of a fine oil film propelled by the force of the flow of the aqueous liquid through the screen.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for separating oily particles from an emulsion thereof in an aqueous liquid. The emulsion is passed through a bed of oleophilic granules supported on a foraminous support, the oleophilic granules, by virtue of their density, pressing against the foraminous support and the bed is unconfined downstream thereof so that the granules in the bed are fluidized by the passage of liquid therethrough. The oily particles are removed from the emulsion by the oleophilic granules in the bed, and the oily material accumulates and agglomerates and is transported out of the bed by the passage of liquid therethrough. The movement of the liquid then carries the oily droplets which are formed in the bed and deposits them upon a screen positioned downstream of the bed, the aqueous liquid passing through the screen in purified form. The oil accumulates on the screen and is propelled by the moving liquid into an oil reservoir positioned downstream of the screen.

Abstract: A cell for coalescing oil droplets dispersed in a water emulsion including a perforated core into which the emulsion is injected, a layer of emulsion breaking fibrous material wound about the core through which the emulsion passes, and a helical wire wrapping on the outside of said fibrous material. The wire wrapping is of selected tension and spacing.