Method and device for separating emulsions

Claim 2

In a method for separating emulsions containing water, an emulsifying agent, petroleum products and possible contaminants, such method including feeding an emulsion through an inlet into at least one separation chamber containing previously separated water and a layer floating thereon, said layer including previously separated petroleum products; allowing said emulsion to self-separate under the influence of gravity, so that the lighter components thereof aggregate toward said layer, the uppermost part of which is successively removed, and the water component thereof intermixes with the previously separated water, which is successively discharged through an outlet opening at the bottom portion of the separation chamber; the improvement comprising: feeding said emulsion through said inlet into said separation chamber under controlled horizontal laminar flow immediately below said layer; simultaneously controlling the temperature of said emulsion being fed into said chamber so as to exceed the temperature of the previously separated water, so as to provide a density difference therebetween sufficient to enable said emulsion to propagate freely and horizontally into a thin, continuous emulsion layer floating between said petroleum layer and said previously separated water; and intermittently discontinuing the feed of said emulsion for time periods sufficient to permit said emulsion layer to self-separate while being substantially stagnant.

Claim 3

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said inlet through which said emulsion is fed into said separation chamber comprises an inlet passage, the opening of which is horizontal and extends laterally relative to the direction of inlet flow.

Claim 4

A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the separated water is discharged from said separation chamber via an outlet passage situated below said inlet passage.

Claim 5

A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein said separated water is discharged via said outlet passage into an auxiliary separation chamber, from which the surface water and the bottom water are discharged via separate overflow outlets.

Claim 6

A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein said surface water in said auxiliary separation chamber is fed back and mixed with emulsion to be fed at said separation chamber.

Claim 7

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the feeding of said emulsion into said separation chamber is stopped at the latest when said emulsion layer reaches the nearest opposite wall of said separation chamber, whereby said emulsion layer is permitted to self-separate during a period of stagnation.

Claim 8

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said emulsion is simultaneously fed into a plurality of separation chambers arranged one on top of the other, a substantially equal amount of emulsion being fed into each separation chamber via separate feed pipes.

Claim 9

A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said emulsion is fed via said separate feed pipes from a common feed container placed above said separation chambers.

Claim 10

A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said emulsion is heated in said feed container.

Claim 11

A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said temperature of said emulsion in said feed container, by means of thermostatic control, is maintained within a temperature range such that the difference between the limits of said temperature range is less than the reduction of the temperature of said emulsion while being fed into and self-separating in said separation chambers.

Claim 12

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said emulsion is fed into said separation chamber under control, wherein each preset but adjustable feed period is followed by a preset but adjustable idle period.

Claim 13

In a device for separating emulsion containing water, an emulsifying agent, petroleum products and possible contaminants, said device being of the type including at least one separation chamber having an inlet; means for feeding through said inlet an emulsion containing water, an emulsifying agent, petroleum products and possible contaminants; said separation chamber having means for removal from said separation chamber of the uppermost part of a petroleum layer floating on previously separated water and receiving lighter components of said emulsion upon separation of the latter under the influence of gravity; and an outlet opening at the bottom portion of the separation chamber for successive removal of the previously separated water; the improvement comprising; said inlet of said separation chamber being situated immediately below the level of said means for removal of the uppermost part of said petroleum layer and comprising means for feeding said emulsion into said separation chamber under controlled horizontal laminar flow immediately below said layer; an inner space of said separation chamber at the level of said inlet being substantially free of obstruction; heating control means, associated with said feeding means, for controlling the temperature of said emulsion being fed into said separation chamber so as to exceed the temperature of the previously separated water, so as to provide a sufficient density difference therebetween to cause said emulsion flowing into said chamber to propagate freely and horizontally into a thin, continuous emulsion layer floating between the petroleum layer and the previously separated water; and means associated with said feeding means, for intermittently discontinuing the feed of said emulsion through said feeding means for time periods sufficient to permit said emulsion layer to self-separate while being substantially stagnant.

Claim 14

In a device for separating emulsion containing water, an emulsifying agent, petroleum products and possible contaminants, said device being of the type including at least one separation chamber having an inlet; means for feeding through said inlet an emulsion containing water, an emulsifying agent, petroleum products and possible contaminants; said separation chamber having means for removal from said separation chamber of the uppermost part of a petroleum layer floating on previously separated water and receiving lighter components of said emulsion upon separation of the latter under the influence of gravity; and an outlet opening at the bottom portion of the separation chamber for successive removal of the previously separated water; the improvement comprising; said inlet of said separation chamber being situated immediately below the level of said means for removal of the uppermost part of said petroleum layer and comprising means for feeding said emulsion into said separation chamber under controlled horizontal laminar flow immediately below said layer; an inner space of said separation chamber at the level of said inlet being substantially free of obstruction; heating control means, associated with said feeding means, for controlling the temperature of said emulsion being fed into said separation chamber so as to exceed the temperature of the previously separated water, so as to provide a sufficient density difference therebetween to cause said emulsion flowing into said chamber to propagate freely and horizontally into a thin, continuous emulsion layer floating between the petroleum layer and the previously separated water; and means associated with said feeding means, for intermittently discontinuing the feed of said emulsion through said feeding means for time periods sufficient to permit said emulsion layer to self-separate while being substantially stagnant.

Claim 15

A device as claimed in claim 12, further comprising a distribution chamber, said distribution chamber having a passage opening constituting said inlet, said passage opening being horizontal and extending laterally relative to the inlet flow direction.

Claim 16

A device as claimed in claim 13, wherein said distribution chamber is disposed adjacent to and extends along one side wall of said separation chamber.

Claim 17

A device as claimed in claim 14, wherein said inlet passage is situated at an upper portion of said distribution chamber and is formed as a slot extending parallel with and along the full length of said side wall.

Claim 18

A device as claimed in claim 15, wherein said outlet opening of said separation chamber for separated water is formed by a slot-like passage under a bottom wall of said distribution chamber, said outlet passage extending parallel with and substantially along the full length of said side wall.

Claim 19

A device as claimed in claim 16, wherein said outlet opening of said separation chamber communicates with an auxiliary separation chamber.

Claim 20

A device as claimed in claim 17, wherein said auxiliary separation chamber includes a first overflow outlet disposed slightly below the level of said removal means, said first overflow outlet of said auxiliary separation chamber being adapted for the discharge of an upper surface layer of water from said auxiliary separation chamber, and a lower outlet opening.

Claim 21

A device as claimed in claim 18, wherein said lower outlet opening of said auxiliary separation chamber communicates with a second overflow outlet disposed at the same level as said first overflow outlet of said auxiliary separation chamber.

Claim 22

A device as claimed in claim 19, comprising a plurality of separation chambers each having an associated distribution chamber and auxiliary separation chamber, arranged as box-like separation units one on top of the other, each of said units having a separate feed pipe and separate overflow outlets and removal means for separated water and separated petroleum, respectively.

Claim 23

A device as claimed in claim 20, wherein said separate feed pipes are connected to a common feed container positioned above said box-like separation unit and containing the emulsion to be separated.

Claim 24

A device as claimed in claim 21, wherein said feed pipes have open ends situated at the same level in said feed container; further comprising a time-controlled pump means for pumping said emulsion into said feed container during a preset but adjustable feed period, so that the emulsion surface rises above said level and flows freely into said feed pipes and thus into each of said separation units, and for stopping pumping thereafter until a preset but adjustable idle period is completed, said idle period corresponding essentially to the time period required for the respective layers of emulsion to self-separate.

Claim 25

A device as claimed in claim 22, wherein said heating means is positioned in said feed container.

Claim 26

A device as claimed in claim 23, wherein said heating means is thermostatically controlled in response to the temperature of the emulsion in said feed container, a temperature sensor member being situated slightly below said level of said open upper ends of said feed pipes.

Claim 27

A device as claimed in claim 24, wherein said pump means is thermostatically controlled so as to operate only when the temperature of the emulsion falls within a preset but adjustable temperature interval.

Claim 28

A device as claimed in claim 25, wherein said thermostatically controlled heating means is adapted to maintain the temperature of the emulsion in said feed container within a temperature range such that the difference between the limits of said range is less than the total reduction of the emulsion temperature while the emulsion is fed into and self-separates within the respective separation units.

Claim 29

A device as claimed in claim 12, further comprising at least one perforated plate horizontally disposed slightly below the level of said inlet adjacent at least one wall portion defining said separation chamber.

Claim 30

A device as claimed in claim 12, wherein said separation chamber is substantially parallelepipedic with greater horizontal than vertical dimension.