Method for the separation from each other of the components of a mixture of water, oil and dirt (sludge) as well as apparatus for performing said method

Claim 1

Apparatus for separating the components of a mixture of water, oil and sludge on the basis of their differing physical properties, comprising a container, a conduit for the supply of the mixture to be treated, a conduit for the discharge of oil separated in the upper part of the container and a conduit for the discharge of water separated from and collected below the oil, the container being divided into a first chamber and a second chamber positioned generally below said first chamber, the bottom of the first chamber being provided with one or more upwardly widening separating chambers into each of which a supply conduit debouches for the mixture to be separated and a discharge conduit for heavy sludge being connected to the narrow part of said one or more upwardly widening separating chambers, said discharge conduit being dimensioned to have a flow capacity corresponding to the sludge volume supply, whereas one or more conduits are provided connecting the first chamber and the second chamber, said conduit or conduits having upper inlets positioned above the level of the mouthes of the supply conduits for the transfer of light fractions of the mixture from the first chamber to the second chamber and upper side of a filter disc or package formed by a plurality of filter discs, said second chamber having conduits for the discharge of separated oil from the upper side of the filter disc or discs, for the discharge of cleaned water and for the discharge of sludge adjacent to the lower side of said filter disc or discs.