Fluid and solid material separator
AssigneeSchlumberger Technology Corporation
InventorRichard Bingham
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus includes a materials separator that includes a continuous filter belt disposed around a plurality of rollers. The apparatus also includes a pressure differential system operatively coupled to the separator and configured to adjust a pressure differential across the continuous filter belt. A vacuum is applied to the continuous filter belt and a fluid portion of the slurry on the continuous filter belt is drawn through the continuous filter belt. An apparatus includes a materials separator having a first deck with a first continuous filter belt and a second deck with a second continuous filter belt.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- rotating a continuous filter belt around a plurality of rollers of a materials separator;
- introducing a slurry to the materials separator through an inlet of the materials separator and onto the continuous filter belt;
- in an inclined region of the materials separator, advancing the continuous filter belt over a first collection pan disposed underneath the continuous filter belt;
- applying a constant vacuum to the first collection pan to draw a first fluid portion of the slurry through the continuous filter belt and into the first collection pan;
- in a horizontal region of the materials separator, advancing the continuous filter belt over a second collection pan disposed underneath the continuous filter belt;
- and
- applying an intermittent vacuum to the second collection pan to draw a second fluid portion of the slurry through the continuous filter belt and into the second collection pan.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.