Gas-water separator for emulsions

Claim 1

A GAS-WATER SEPARATOR FOR OIL-CONTINUOUS EMULSIONS CONTAINING GASES AND A DISPERSED WATER PHASE, SAID SEPARATOR INCLUDING IN COMBINATION: A CLOSED HORIZONTALLY-ELONGATED CONTAINER PRIVING A LONG MAIN TREATING CHAMBER IN THE UPPER INTERIOR THEREOF OCCUPYING A MAJOR PORTION OF THE LENGTH THEREOF; MEANS FOR ESTABLISHING A HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELD SUBSTANTIALLY THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH OF SID MAIN TREATING CHAMBER, SAID FIELD-ESTABLISHING MEANS INCLUDING A LONG ELECTRODE MEANS AND MEANS FOR ELECTRICALLY INSULATING SAME FROM SAID CONTAINERF A BAFFLE STRUCTURE EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID CONTAINER BELOW SAID ELECTRODE MEANS THROUGHOUT SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF SAID MAIN TREATING CHAMBER, THE SPACE WITHIN SAID CONTAINER BELOW SAID BAFFLE STRUCTURE FORMING AN INLET CHAMBER, SAID BAFFLE STRUCTURE PROVIDING A PRETREATING CHAMBER OPENING DOWNWARDLY ON THE LOWER INTERIOR OF SAID CHAMBER; CONDUIT MEANS FOR DELIVERING A PRESSURED STREAM OF SAID EMULSION DIRECTLY TO SAID INLET CHAMBER; CONDUIT MEANS OPEINING ON SAID INLET CHAMBER FOR WITHDRAWING SEPARATED GAS THEREFROM; MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID CONTAINER WATER SEPARATING IN SAID INLET CHAMBER AND SAID MAIN TREATING CHAMBER; AND MEANS FOR DELIVERING TO SAID ELECTRIC FIELD EMULSION FROM SAID INLET CHAMBER FROM WHICH GAS AND FREE WATER HAVE SEPARATED.