Patent US4257895A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4257895A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Low gravity crude oil and water separator
Assignee: MURDOCK F LEE JR
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Filing: 1979-05-08
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Granted: 1981-03-24
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Expires: 1999-05-08
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus for separating oil and water from an emulsion including a horizontal vessel having an emulsion inlet at the inlet end and an upper oil outlet and a lower water at the discharge end. Baffles within the vessel cause the emulsion to flow vertically through an electric grid system, subjecting the emulsion to an electric field, and a plurality of spaced apart paralleled separator screens between the baffles and the discharge end of the vessels, each separator screen being a planar foraminous reticulum of integrally formed small width and small thickness strands of which are longitudinally downwardly inclined which carry separated water to the bottom of the vessel.
Inventors
- 👤 Forrest L. Murdock
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 04:08
CPC Classifications
E; E21; E21B; E21B43/00; E21B43/34; B; B01; B01D; B01D17/00; B01D17/02; B01D17/0208; B01D17/0211; B01D17/04; B01D17/045; B01D17/06; B03; B03C; B03C11/00; C; C10; C10G; C10G33/00; C10G33/02; B03C2201/00; B03C2201/02; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S210/00; Y10S210/05
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
295 words
An apparatus for separating oil and water from an emulsion comprising: a horizontal vessel having an emulsion inlet adjacent the first end and an upper oil outlet and a lower water outlet adjacent the second end; means of maintaining a level of water of selected depth in the vessel; a first vertical baffle in the vessel intermediate the ends; a second vertical baffle in the vessel parallel to and spaced from the first baffle in the direction towards the vessel second end, the baffles being arranged so that emulsion flowing from the first towards the second end of the vessel flows vertically between the baffles, the area of the vessel between the first end and the first baffle forming a quiescent zone, and the areas of the vessel between the second baffle and the vessel second end forming a separating zone; an electric grid system traversing the areas between said baffles, the grid system including electric grids spaced in horizontal layers and arranged such that emulsion passing between said baffle passes vertically through successive horizontal layers of the grid system; means of imparting an electric potential to said grid system whereby an electric field is established through which emulsion flows as it passes from said quiescent zone to said treating zone; a plurality of spaced apart paralleled metal separator screens positioned within said vessel treating zone arranged such that fluid flowing through the treating section towards said oil outlet flows through said screens, each separator screen being a planar foraminous reticulum of integrally formed relatively small width and small thickness strands all of which are longitudinally downwardly inclined providing a multiplicity of continuous uninterrupted downwardly inclined paths on which water components may travel towards the bottom of the vessel for discharge out said water outlet.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
295 words
An apparatus for separating oil and water from an emulsion comprising: a horizontal vessel having an emulsion inlet adjacent the first end and an upper oil outlet and a lower water outlet adjacent the second end; means of maintaining a level of water of selected depth in the vessel; a first vertical baffle in the vessel intermediate the ends; a second vertical baffle in the vessel parallel to and spaced from the first baffle in the direction towards the vessel second end, the baffles being arranged so that emulsion flowing from the first towards the second end of the vessel flows vertically between the baffles, the area of the vessel between the first end and the first baffle forming a quiescent zone, and the areas of the vessel between the second baffle and the vessel second end forming a separating zone; an electric grid system traversing the areas between said baffles, the grid system including electric grids spaced in horizontal layers and arranged such that emulsion passing between said baffle passes vertically through successive horizontal layers of the grid system; means of imparting an electric potential to said grid system whereby an electric field is established through which emulsion flows as it passes from said quiescent zone to said treating zone; a plurality of spaced apart paralleled metal separator screens positioned within said vessel treating zone arranged such that fluid flowing through the treating section towards said oil outlet flows through said screens, each separator screen being a planar foraminous reticulum of integrally formed relatively small width and small thickness strands all of which are longitudinally downwardly inclined providing a multiplicity of continuous uninterrupted downwardly inclined paths on which water components may travel towards the bottom of the vessel for discharge out said water outlet.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
A water-oil separator according to claim 1 including: a gas separator opening in the upper portion of said vessel intermediate the ends.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
44 words
A water-oil separator according to claim 2 wherein said gas separator includes: an upright cylinder, the lower end of which communicates with an opening in the vessel upper portion intermediate the vessel ends, the cylinder having a gas outlet opening in the upper end.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
79 words
A water-oil separator according to claim 3 wherein said opening in said vessel upper portion communicates with said vessel quiescent chamber and including: a gas conduit extending through said baffles, one end of the conduit communicating with the upper portion of said treating zone and the other end communicating with said upright cylinder upper portion whereby gas from said quiescent zone passes directly into said cylinder and gas from said treating zone passes through the conduit to said cylinder.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
100 words
A water-oil separator according to claim 1 wherein said first baffle upper end is of a height less than the full interior height of the vessel providing a flow passageway thereabove and the lower end terminates above the vessel bottom but below said water level, and wherein said second baffle connects with the vessel upper interior and the lower end terminates above said water level providing a flow passageway below the second baffle lower end and said water level, whereby emulsion flowing through said vessel flows downwardly through the area between said baffles and thereby downwardly through said grid system.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
104 words
A water-oil separator according to claim 1 wherein said first baffle connects with the vessel interior at the upper end thereof and the bottom terminates above said water level providing a flow passageway between the first baffle lower end and said water level and said second baffle upper end is of a height less than the interior height of the vessel providing a flow passageway thereabove, and the lower end is above the vessel bottom but below said water level, whereby emulsion flowing through the vessel flows upwardly between said first and second baffle and thereby the emulsion flows upwardly through said grid system.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
101 words
A water-oil separator according to claim 6 including a third vertical baffle within said vessel positioned between said second baffle and said treating zone, said third baffle being parallel to and spaced from said second baffle and the upper end connecting with the vessel upper interior, the lower end of the third baffle terminating above said water level providing a flow passageway below the baffle bottom and the water level whereby emulsion flowing over the upper end of the second baffle flows downwardly in the area between said second and third baffles and beneath the third baffle into said treating zone.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
91 words
A water-oil separator according to claim 1 including: a plurality of spaced apart paralleled separator screens positioned within said vessel quiescent zone arranged such that fluid flowing through the treating section towards said oil outlet flows through said screens, each separator screen being a planar foraminous reticulum of integrally formed relatively small width and small thickness strands, all of which are longitudinally downwardly inclined providing a multiplicity of continuous uninterrupted downwardly inclined paths on which water components may travel towards the bottom of the vessel for discharge out said water outlet.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
GB941887A
Cited
US3664093A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1984-03-23 | 1984-09-22 | 1985-03-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1988-03-23 | 1988-09-22 | 1989-03-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1992-03-23 | 1992-09-22 | 1993-03-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |