Oil-water separator

Claim 1

An oil-water separator comprising: (a) a tank; (b) inlet means located in a lower portion of the tank and defining a flow path to direct an oil-water mixture into the tank; (c) diffusion baffle means in the inlet means, the diffusion baffle having a corrugated surface; (d) a coalescing pack comprising a plurality of substantially parallel generally planar oleophilic plates, each plate having a generally polygonal shape with a corner and being oriented such that first and second sides of each plate extending from the corner form acute angles with a generally horizontal plane passing through the corner, the plate pack located within the tank above the inlet means such that the oil-water mixture flows across the plates from the first side toward an opposite, third side through the plate pack between the plates causing the oil particles to separate from the water and to coalesce on the underside of the plates; (e) a plurality of substantially parallel corrugations formed on major surfaces of each plate extending generally transverse to the flow of oil-water mixture across the plates such that oil particles coalescing on the underside of each plate are directed to a fourth side of each plate; (f) means defining an oil relief channel in fluid communication with the fourth sides of the plates in the pack to direct the separated oil into an upper portion of the tank separate from the oil-water mixture flowing across the plates; (g) a clean water outlet; (h) water channel means to direct water from the plate pack to the clean water outlet; and (i) oil outlet means located in the upper portion of the tank to facilitate withdrawal of the separated oil therefrom.