Fluid separator device
AssigneeKort Industries, LLC
InventorGeorge R. King
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device for separating and extracting suspended solids and particles from a fluid is shown. The device can include a hydro-cyclonic process unit, a variable geometry vortex process unit, a reverse coalescence and flocculation process unit and a fixed geometry vortices separator process unit. The fluid to be treated can enter the device through a fluid inlet and travel and recirculate through the several process units. The process units can collectively induce vorticose separation of the fluid and separate suspended solids and particles within the fluid. The suspended solids and particles can then be extracted from the device via one or more extraction fluid outlets. After the desired amount of suspended solids and particles has been removed, the processed fluid can be discharged from the device.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- flowing an aqueous fluid containing suspended solids into a hydrocyclone using a tangential inlet;
- removing a portion of the suspended solids in the hydrocyclone to form a hydrocyclone exit fluid;
- forming a rotating emulsion from the hydrocyclone exit fluid in the hydrocyclone;
- reversing flow direction of the rotating emulsion at the hydrocyclone exit;
- routing the rotating emulsion into a spiral auger separator;
- injecting gas into the rotating emulsion as the rotating emulsion enters the spiral auger separator to form a liquid-gas mixture;
- injecting a flocculation agent into the rotating emulsion with the gas;
- forming the liquid-gas mixture into a vortex;
- extracting a solids component of the vortex;
- and
- recirculating a processed fluid component of the vortex to the hydrocyclone.
A method, comprising:
- flowing an aqueous fluid containing suspended solids into a hydrocyclone using a tangential inlet;
- removing a portion of the suspended solids in the hydrocyclone to form a hydrocyclone exit fluid;
- forming a rotating emulsion from the hydrocyclone exit fluid in the hydrocyclone;
- reversing flow direction of the rotating emulsion at the hydrocyclone exit;
- routing the rotating emulsion into a spiral auger separator;
- injecting gas into the rotating emulsion as the rotating emulsion enters the spiral auger separator to form a liquid-gas mixture;
- injecting a flocculation agent into the rotating emulsion with the gas;
- forming the liquid-gas mixture into a vortex having rotation along two perpendicular axes;
- extracting a solids component of the vortex;
- and
- recirculating a processed fluid component of the vortex to the hydrocyclone.
A method, comprising:
- flowing an aqueous fluid containing suspended solids into a hydrocyclone using a tangential inlet;
- removing a portion of the suspended solids in the hydrocyclone to form a hydrocyclone exit fluid;
- forming a rotating emulsion from the hydrocyclone exit fluid in the hydrocyclone;
- reversing flow direction of the rotating emulsion at the hydrocyclone exit by flowing the rotating emulsion through an adjustable volute;
- routing the rotating emulsion from the adjustable volute into a spiral auger separator;
- injecting gas into the spiral auger separator as the rotating emulsion exits the adjustable volute to form a liquid-gas mixture;
- flowing the liquid-gas mixture from the spiral auger separator into a domed chamber having extraction outlets positioned at fixed locations and oriented tangential to vortex rotation directions and a by-pass orifice providing a recycle pathway to the hydrocyclone;
- extracting a solids component of the vortex through the extraction outlets;
- and
- recirculating a processed fluid component of the vortex to the hydrocyclone through the bypass orifice.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.