Method and apparatus for electrical separation of emulsions

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING WATER-IN-OIL EMULSIONS COMPRISING A TREATING TANK OF ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL CONNECTED TO ONE TERMINAL OF A SOURCE OF ALTERNATING CURRENT, AN INLET FOR AN EMULSION TO BE SEPARATED AT ONE END OF THE TANK, A PARTITION MEMBER EXTENDING ACROSS THE TANK AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE DIRECTION OF FLOW OF THE EMULSION THROUGH THE TANK AND FORMING THEREWITH SUCCESSIVE TREATING ZONES, SAID PARTITION MEMBER EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID TANK TO A POSITION BELOW THE UPPER EDGE OF THE TANK SIDE WALLS, MEANS FOR SUCCESSIVELY SUBJECTING A WATER-IN-OIL EMULSION PASSING THROUGH EACH OF THE TREATING ZONES IN THE TANK TO A HIGH POTENTIAL ALTERNATING CURRENT FIELD AND A HIGH POTENTIAL UNIDIRECTIONAL CURRENT FIELD SAID MEANS INCLUDING A FIRST SET OF ELECTRODES ADJACENT THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID EMULSION AND SPACED FROM THE WALLS OF THE TANK AND SAID PARATION MEMBER AND CONNECTED TO THE OTHER TERMINAL OF THE SOURCE OF ALTERNATING CURRENT, A SECOND SET OF ELECTRODES POSITIONED ABOVE THE PARALLEL TO SAID PARTITION MEMBER AND SPACED FROM SAID FIRST SET OF ELECTRODES AND THE WELLS OF THE TANK, ALTERNATING CURRENT RECTIFIER MEANS CONNECTED TO THE SOURCE OF ALTERNATING CURRENT, AND ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR MEANS CONNECTING THE OUTPUT OF THE RECIFINER MEANS TO THE SECOND SET OF ELECTRODES, FIRST OUTLET MEANS AT THE OTHER END OF THE TANK FOR REMOVING THE UPPER LAYER OPF THE LIQUID PASSING THROUGH THE TANK, AND SECOND OUTLET MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK FOR REMOVING THE LAYER OF LIQUID PASSING THROUGH THE TANK.