Process and apparatus for separation by coalescence of emulsions

Claim 1

A process for treating organic emulsions including separating by coalescence the disperse phase from the dispersion phase of the emulsion, said process comprising: providing within a single enclosed chamber a lower destabilizing area, a central filtering and coalescence area containing therein coalescence material, and an upper flotation and separation area; conducting a coalescence treatment operation comprising: introducing an emulsion to be treated into said lower destabilizing area and therein imparting turbulence to said emulsion and destabilizing all of said emulsion to form a destabilized emulsion while imparting a laminar and uniform upward flow to said destabilized emulsion; passing all of said destabilized emulsion upwardly into said filtering and coalescence area and therein causing the disperse phase of said emulsion to be attracted to said coalescence material in the form of droplets, and continuing to pass all of said emulsion upwardly through said filtering and coalescence area such that said droplets of disperse phase grow in size by coalescene during such upward passage, said coalescene material filtering out matter in suspension from said emulsion during such upward passage, to thereby form a filtered and coalesced emulsion including a filtered dispersion phase and coalesced droplets of said disperse phase; passing all of said filtered and coalesced emulsion upwardly into said upper flotation and separation area and therein causing said filtered dispersion phase and said coalesced disperse phase to separate by flotation, said flotation and separation area including a separation area including a separation device comprising a lower convergent portion in the form of a hollow truncated cone and an upper divergent portion in the form of a hollow truncated cone, said filtered and coalesced emulsion passing upwardly through said separation device, and said coalesced disperse phase separating from and floating on top of said filtered dispersion phase within said upper divergent portion; and separately withdrawing from said chamber the thus separated filtered dispersion phase and coalesced disperse phase; determining the pressure difference between the lower and upper sides of said coalescence material as an indication of the degree of retention of said matter in suspension within said coalescence material; and terminating said coalescence treatment operation and commencing a coalescence material washing operation upon the determination of a predetermined pressure difference representative of clogging of said coalescence material, said washing operation comprising: injecting a washing liquid and a gas into said destabilizing area and then upwardly through said coalescence material in said filtering and coalescence area; thereafter injecting a washing liquid only, as a rinsing liquid, into said destabilizing area and then upwardly through said coalescence material; thereby removing matter insuspension from said coalescence material; and withdrawing said washing liquid, with said removed matter in suspension, from said chamber at a position above the upper level of said coalescence material but below the level of entrance into said upper flotation and separation area.

Claim 12

An apparatus for treating organic emulsions by separating by coalescence the disperse phase from the dispersion phase of the emulsion, said apparatus comprising: a single enclosed chamber having therein a lower destabilizing area, a central filtering and coalescence area, and an upper flotation and separation area; means for introducing an emulsion to be treated into said lower destabilizing area such that all of said emulsion passes successively upwardly through said destabilizing area, said filtering and coalescence area and said flotation and separation area; destabilizing means, positioned in said destabilizing area, for imparting turbulence to said emulsion and destabilizing said emulsion and causing said emulsion to flow in a laminar and uniform manner toward said filtering and coalescence area; a layer of granular filtering and coalescence material, positioned within said filtering and coalescence area, for filtering out matter in suspension from said emulsion and for attracting the disperse phase of said emulsion in droplet form such that the droplets grow in size by coalescence during upward passage of said emulsion through said filtering and coalescence area; separation means positioned within said flotation and separation area, for causing the coalesced droplets of disperse phase to separate by flotation from the dispersion phase of said emulsion, said separation means comprising a separation device including a lower convergent portion in the form of a hollow truncated cone, and an upper divergent portion in the form of a hollow truncated cone, said coalesced disperse phase separating from and floating on top of said dispersion phase within said upper divergent portion; first withdrawal means for withdrawing said coalesced disperse phase from said chamber; second withdrawal means, separate from said first withdrawal means, for withdrawing said dispersion phase from said chamber; means for determining the pressure difference between the lower and upper sides of said filtering and coalescence material as an indication of the degree of retention of said matter in suspension within said filtering and coalescence material; means, responsive to the determination of a predetermined pressure difference representative of clogging of said filtering and coalescence material, for initiating a washing operation including injecting first a washing liquid and a gas, and then a washing liquid only as a rinsing liquid, into said destabilizing area and then upwardly through said filtering and coalescence material to remove therefrom said matter in suspension; and means, located at a position above the upper level of said filtering and coalescence material but below the level of entrance into said upper flotation and separation area, for removing said washing liquid, with said removed matter in suspension therein.

Claim 13

An apparatus for treating organic emulsions by separating by coalescence the disperse phase from the dispersion phase of the emulsion, said apparatus comprising: a single enclosed chamber having therein a lower destabilizing area, a central filtering and coalescence area, and an upper flotation and separation area; means for introducing an emulsion to be treated into said lower destabilizing area such that all of said emulsion passes successively upwardly through said destabilizing area, said filtering and coalescence area and said flotation and separation area; destabilizing means, positioned in said destabilizing area, for imparting turbulence to said emulsion and destabilizing said emulsion and causing said emulsion to flow in a laminar and uniform manner toward said filtering and coalescence area; a layer of granular filtering and coalescence material, positioned within said filtering and coalescence area, for filtering out matter in suspension from said emulsion and for attracting the disperse phase of said emulsion in droplet form such that the droplets grow in size by coalescence during upward passage of said emulsion through said filtering and coalescence area; separation means positioned within said flotation and separation area, for causing the coalesced droplets of disperse phase to separate by flotation from the dispersion phase of said emulsion, said separation means comprising a separation device including a lower convergent portion in the form of a hollow truncated cone, and an upper divergent portion in the form of a hollow truncated cone, said coalesced disperse phase separating from and floating on top of said dispersion phase within said upper divergent portion; first withdrawal means for withdrawing said coalesced disperse phase from said chamber; second withdrawal means, separate from said first withdrawal means, for withdrawing said dispersion phase from said chamber; means for determining the pressure difference between the lower and upper sides of said filtering and coalescence material as an indication of the degree of retention of said matter in suspension within said filtering and coalescence material; means, responsive to the determination of a predetermined pressure difference representative of clogging of said filtering and coalescence material, for initiating a washing operation including injecting first a washing liquid and a gas, and then a washing liquid only as a rinsing liquid, into said destabilizing area and then upwardly through said filtering and coalescence material to remove therefrom said matter in suspension; and means, located at a position above the upper level of said filtering and coalescence material but below the level of entrance into said upper flotation and separation area, for removing said washing liquid, with said removed matter in suspension therein.