Method and apparatus for separating liquid components from a liquid mixture

Claim 1

A method of separating a mixture of oil and water, in which the oil is present in droplet form as a disperse phase and the water is present as a continuous phase, by providing a cyclone separator having a single continuous taper change possibly with portions of constant diameter interposed therewithin or at either or both ends which can separate oil-water mixtures substantially as effectively as a cyclone separator including three separately defined portions, subjecting the mixture to centrifugal action in said cyclone separator of the kind having an elongate axially extending separating chamber defined as a surface of revolution about the axis thereof, the separator having at least one inlet for inlet of said mixture to be separated, with a tangential component of motion about said axis, an overflow outlet for outlet of separated oil, and an underflow outlet for outlet of separated water, the method comprising admitting the mixture to said separating chamber via said inlet to cause the mixture to undergo centrifugal action and to direct at least a substantial part of said oil to said overflow outlet and of said water to said underflow outlet, the mixture having therein said oil in the form of droplets the mean droplet size of which lies in the range 22 to 50 micron and said cyclone separator being characterised in that `S` is greater than 12.5, where S is the swirl coefficient of the cyclone separator.

Claim 2

A method of separating a mixture of oil and water, in which the oil is present in droplet form as a disperse phase and the water is present as a continuous phase, by providing a cyclone separator having a single continuous taper change possibly with portions of constant diameter interposed therewithin or at either or both ends which can separate oil-water mixtures substantially as effectively as a cyclone separator including three separately defined portions, subjecting the mixture to centrifugal action in said cyclone separator of the kind having an elongate axially extending separating chamber defined as a surface of revolution about the axis thereof, the separator having at least one inlet for inlet of said mixture to be separated, with a tangential component of motion about said axis, an overflow outlet for outlet of separated oil, and an underflow outlet for outlet of separated water, the method comprising admitting the mixture to said separating chamber via said inlet to cause the mixture to undergo centrifugal action and to direct at least a substantial part of said oil to said overflow outlet and of said water to said underflow outlet, the mixture having therein said oil in the form of droplets the mean droplet size of which lies in the range 22 to 50 micron and said cyclone separator being characterised in that `S` is greater than 12.5, where S is the swirl coefficient of the cyclone separator.

Claim 13

A method of separating a mixture of oil and water in which the oil is present in droplet form as a disperse phase and the water is present as a continuous phase, by providing a cyclone separator having a single continuous taper change possibly with portions of constant diameter interposed therewithin or at either or both ends which can separate oil-water mixtures substantially as effectively as a cyclone separator including three separately defined portions, subjecting the mixture to centrifugal action in said cyclone separator of the kind having an elongate axially extending separating chamber defined as a surface of revolution about the axis thereof, the separator having at least one inlet for inlet of said mixture to be separated, with a tangential component of motion about said axis, an overflow outlet for outlet of separated oil, and an underflow outlet for outlet of separated water, the method comprising admitting the mixture to said separating chamber via said inlet to cause the mixture to undergo centrifugal action and to direct at least a substantial part of said oil to said overflow outlet and of said water to said underflow outlet, the mixture having therein said oil in the form of droplets the mean droplet size of which lies in the range 28 to 42 micron and said cyclone separator being characterized in that 8≦S≦25, where `S` is the swirl coefficient of the cyclone separator.

Claim 14

A method of separating a mixture of oil and water in which the oil is present in droplet form as a disperse phase and the water is present as a continuous phase, by providing a cyclone separator having a single continuous taper change possibly with portions of constant diameter interposed therewithin or at either or both ends which can separate oil-water mixtures substantially as effectively as a cyclone separator including three separately defined portions, subjecting the mixture to centrifugal action in said cyclone separator of the kind having an elongate axially extending separating chamber defined as a surface of revolution about the axis thereof, the separator having at least one inlet for inlet of said mixture to be separated, with a tangential component of motion about said axis, an overflow outlet for outlet of separated oil, and an underflow outlet for outlet of separated water, the method comprising admitting the mixture to said separating chamber via said inlet to cause the mixture to undergo centrifugal action and to direct at least a substantial part of said oil to said overflow outlet and of said water to said underflow outlet, the mixture having therein said oil in the form of droplets the mean droplet size of which lies in the range 28 to 42 micron and said cyclone separator being characterized in that 8≦S≦25, where `S` is the swirl coefficient of the cyclone separator.

Claim 19

A method of separating a mixture of oil and water, in which the oil is present in droplet form as a disperse phase and the water is present as a continuous phase, by providing a cyclone separator having a single continuous taper change possibly with portions of constant diameter interposed therewithin or at either or both ends which can separate oil-water mixtures substantially as effectively as a cyclone separator including three separately defined portions, subjecting the mixture to centrifugal action in said cyclone separator of the kind having an elongate axially extending separating chamber defined as a surface of revolution about the axis thereof, the separator having at least one inlet for inlet of said mixture to be separated, with a tangential component of motion about said axis, an overflow outlet for outlet of separated oil, and an underflow outlet for outlet of separated water, the method comprising admitting the mixture to said separating chamber via said inlet to cause the mixture to undergo centrifugal action and to direct at least a substantial part of said oil to said overflow outlet and of said water to said underflow outlet, the mixture having therein said oil in the form of droplets the mean droplet size of which lies in the range 33 to 38 micron and said cyclone separator being characterised in that 8≦S≦28, where `S` is the swirl coefficient of the cyclone separator.

Claim 20

A method of separating a mixture of oil and water, in which the oil is present in droplet form as a disperse phase and the water is present as a continuous phase, by providing a cyclone separator having a single continuous taper change possibly with portions of constant diameter interposed therewithin or at either or both ends which can separate oil-water mixtures substantially as effectively as a cyclone separator including three separately defined portions, subjecting the mixture to centrifugal action in said cyclone separator of the kind having an elongate axially extending separating chamber defined as a surface of revolution about the axis thereof, the separator having at least one inlet for inlet of said mixture to be separated, with a tangential component of motion about said axis, an overflow outlet for outlet of separated oil, and an underflow outlet for outlet of separated water, the method comprising admitting the mixture to said separating chamber via said inlet to cause the mixture to undergo centrifugal action and to direct at least a substantial part of said oil to said overflow outlet and of said water to said underflow outlet, the mixture having therein said oil in the form of droplets the mean droplet size of which lies in the range 33 to 38 micron and said cyclone separator being characterised in that 8≦S≦28, where `S` is the swirl coefficient of the cyclone separator.

Claim 22

A method of separating a mixture of oil and water, in which the oil is present in droplet form as a disperse phase and the water is present as a continuous phase, by providing a cyclone separator having a single continuous taper change possibly with portions of constant diameter interposed therewithin or at either or both ends which can separate oil-water mixtures substantially as effectively as a cyclone separator including three separately defined portions, subjecting the mixture to centrifugal action in a cyclone separator of the kind having an elongate axially extending separating chamber defined as a surface of revolution about the axis thereof, the separator having at least one inlet axis thereof, the separator having at least one inlet for inlet of said mixture to be separated, with a tangential component of motion about said axis, an overflow outlet for outlet of separated oil, and an underflow outlet for outlet of separated water, the method comprising admitting the mixture to said separating chamber via said inlet to cause the mixture to undergo centrifugal action and to direct at least a substantial part of said oil to said overflow outlet and of said water to said underflow outlet, the mixture having therein said oil in the form of droplets the mean droplet size of which is substantially 35 micron and said separator is characterised in that 8≦S≦30.

Claim 23

A method of separating a mixture of oil and water, in which the oil is present in droplet form as a disperse phase and the water is present as a continuous phase, by providing a cyclone separator having a single continuous taper change possibly with portions of constant diameter interposed therewithin or at either or both ends which can separate oil-water mixtures substantially as effectively as a cyclone separator including three separately defined portions, subjecting the mixture to centrifugal action in a cyclone separator of the kind having an elongate axially extending separating chamber defined as a surface of revolution about the axis thereof, the separator having at least one inlet axis thereof, the separator having at least one inlet for inlet of said mixture to be separated, with a tangential component of motion about said axis, an overflow outlet for outlet of separated oil, and an underflow outlet for outlet of separated water, the method comprising admitting the mixture to said separating chamber via said inlet to cause the mixture to undergo centrifugal action and to direct at least a substantial part of said oil to said overflow outlet and of said water to said underflow outlet, the mixture having therein said oil in the form of droplets the mean droplet size of which is substantially 35 micron and said separator is characterised in that 8≦S≦30.

Claim 25

A method of separating a mixture of oil and water, in which the oil is present in droplet form as a disperse phase and the water is present as a continuous phase, by providing a cyclone separator having a single continuous taper change possibly with portions of constant diameter interposed therewithin or at either or both ends which can separate oil-water mixtures substantially as effectively as a cyclone separator including three separately defined portions, subjecting the mixture to centrifugal action in a cyclone separator of the kind having an elongate axially extending separating chamber defined as a surface of revolution about the axis thereof, the separator having at least one inlet for inlet of said mixture to be separated, with a overflow outlet for outlet of separated oil, and an underflow outlet for outlet of separated water, the method comprising admitting the mixture to said separating chamber via said inlet to cause the mixture to undergo centrifugal action and to direct at least a substantial part of said oil said overflow outlet and of said water to said underflow outlet, the mixture having therein said oil in the form of droplets the mean droplet size of which is in the range 22 to 50 micron and said separator is characterised in that 8≦S≦17.

Claim 26

A method of separating a mixture of oil and water, in which the oil is present in droplet form as a disperse phase and the water is present as a continuous phase, by providing a cyclone separator having a single continuous taper change possibly with portions of constant diameter interposed therewithin or at either or both ends which can separate oil-water mixtures substantially as effectively as a cyclone separator including three separately defined portions, subjecting the mixture to centrifugal action in a cyclone separator of the kind having an elongate axially extending separating chamber defined as a surface of revolution about the axis thereof, the separator having at least one inlet for inlet of said mixture to be separated, with a overflow outlet for outlet of separated oil, and an underflow outlet for outlet of separated water, the method comprising admitting the mixture to said separating chamber via said inlet to cause the mixture to undergo centrifugal action and to direct at least a substantial part of said oil said overflow outlet and of said water to said underflow outlet, the mixture having therein said oil in the form of droplets the mean droplet size of which is in the range 22 to 50 micron and said separator is characterised in that 8≦S≦17.