Treater for resolving dispersions

Claim 1

A treater for resolving a dispersion containing immiscible external and internal liquid phases, said treater including in combination; a. a closed container having an upright flow axis; b. effluent removing means opening into the upper and lower ends of said container; c. dispersion inlet means opening into the container; and d. flow straightening means providing fluid communication in a dispersion treating zone residing between said dispersion inlet means and the upper end of said container, said flow straightening means including a plurality of vertically aligned elongated cells within said container forming side-by-side open-ended and unobstructed flow channels occupying substantially the entire horizontal cross-sectional area of said container, said vertical cells at their upper ends engaging an impermeable header in substantially fluid tight relationship, said header dividing the interior of said container into fluid-isolated, vertically opposed upper and lower zones, and flow equalizing means including orifices in said header forming the sole fluid communication between said vertical cells and said upper zone, and said flow straightening means thereby providing substantially uniform flow conditions in said vertical cells whereby fluid flows upwardly and continuously at uniform rates in each vertical cell throughout all fluid flowing in said dispersion treating zone from said dispersion inlet means toward the upper end of said container.