# US 2013/0153672 A1 · Apparatus and methods for conveying a flow of oil-containing liquid into an oil separation skim tank, and skim tanks including the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0153672 A1 - Document ID: US20130153672A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/651,193 - Filed: 2012-10-12 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-16 - Assignees: FCCL Partnership - Inventors: Glenn Robert Price; Darwin Kiel; Marvin Weiss; Chad Larson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130153672A1 ## CPC - B01D 17/0208: {by sedimentation} - B01D 17/00: Separation of liquids, not provided for elsewhere, e.g. by thermal diffusion (devices for separating or removing fatty or oily substances or similar floating material from water, waste water, or sewage C02F1/40; cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water from oil or like materials E02B15/04; arrangements for separating lubricants from refrigerants F25B43/02) - B01D 21/2411: {having a tangential inlet} - B01D 21/2416: {Liquid distributors with a plurality of feed points} - B01D 21/2427: {The feed or discharge opening located at a distant position from the side walls} - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) ## Abstract Apparatus and methods for conveying a flow of oil-containing liquid into an oil separation skim tank, and a skim tank incorporating such apparatus and methods, are disclosed. One such apparatus includes at least one diffuser, the diffuser defining an intake opening configured to receive the flow of oil-containing liquid and an exhaust opening configured to convey the flow of oil-containing liquid into the skim tank. The diffuser is configured to cause the flow of oil-containing liquid to have a greater horizontal width at the exhaust opening than at the intake opening, while minimizing vertical divergence of the flow at the exhaust opening. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for conveying a flow of oil-containing liquid into an oil separation skim tank, the apparatus comprising: at least one diffuser, the diffuser defining an intake opening configured to receive the flow of oil-containing liquid and an exhaust opening configured to convey the flow of oil-containing liquid into the skim tank; wherein the diffuser is configured to cause the flow of oil-containing liquid to have a greater horizontal width at the exhaust opening than at the intake opening, while minimizing vertical divergence of the flow at the exhaust opening. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the diffuser comprises a planar diffuser comprising spaced apart opposed top and bottom surfaces substantially parallel to each other, and opposed first and second sides which diverge outwardly from the intake opening to the exhaust opening, such that in an operational orientation, the exhaust opening has a vertical height substantially equal to a vertical height of the intake opening, and the exhaust opening has a horizontal width greater than a horizontal width of the intake opening. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the diffuser is configured to cause the flow of oil-containing liquid to horizontally diverge while inhibiting separation of the flow from internal surfaces of the diffuser. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the diffuser is configured to cause the flow to horizontally diverge over an angular width less than a critical angle associated with separation of the flow from the internal surfaces of the diffuser. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the diffuser comprises a plurality of vanes configured to inhibit the separation of the flow from the internal surfaces of the diffuser by dividing the flow of oil-containing liquid into a plurality of diverging channels. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the plurality of vanes comprises at least two vanes configured to divide the flow into first and second outer channels and at least one inner channel. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6 wherein each of the first and second outer channels has an angular width less than that of any channel of the at least one inner channel. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the at least two vanes comprise two vanes, wherein the at least one inner channel comprises one inner channel and wherein each of the first and second outer channels has an angular width less than half of an angular width of the one inner channel. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8 wherein each of the first and second outer channels has an angular width less than one-quarter of the angular width of the one inner channel. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the one inner channel has an angular width of 28±5° and each of the first and second outer channels has an angular width of 6±2°. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one diffuser comprises a plurality of diffusers, and further comprising: a plurality of conduits, each of the conduits in fluid communication with the intake opening of a respective one of the plurality of diffusers; and an intake manifold in fluid communication with the plurality of conduits, the intake manifold configured to receive the flow of oil-containing liquid at an intake port thereof and to distribute the flow of oil-containing liquid from the intake manifold to the plurality of conduits, wherein the intake manifold is configured to cause a pressure rise in the intake manifold across each of the plurality of conduits to be substantially less than a pressure drop from an intake opening of each conduit to the exhaust opening of its respective diffuser. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the intake manifold is configured to cause the pressure drop to be at least five times greater than the pressure rise. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the intake manifold is configured to cause the pressure drop to be at least eight times greater than the pressure rise. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the intake manifold is configured to cause the pressure drop to be at least ten times greater than the pressure rise. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11 wherein an inner diameter of the intake manifold is at least twice as large as an inner diameter of each of the conduits. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the inner diameter of the intake manifold is at least 2¼ times as large as the inner diameter of each of the conduits. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11 wherein a shape of the intake manifold is generally toroidal. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the shape of the intake manifold is a toroid segment spanning less than 360°. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the intake port of the intake manifold is diametrically opposite to a gap in the intake manifold. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the intake manifold and the conduits are configured to cause the flow of oil-containing liquid to travel horizontally through the intake manifold and to travel vertically into the conduits. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The apparatus of claim 20 further comprising a plurality of redirectors, each of the redirectors configured to cause the flow of oil-containing liquid to transition from a substantially vertical flow direction through each of the conduits to a substantially horizontal flow direction through each of the diffusers. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The apparatus of claim 21 wherein each of the redirectors is configured to cause the flow to transition from the substantially vertical flow direction to a direction in the range of 0° to 10° inclination above the horizontal plane. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the plurality of redirectors comprises a plurality of joints, each of the joints being in fluid communication with a respective one of the conduits and with a respective one of the diffusers. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The apparatus of claim 23 wherein each of the joints has an arc-shaped segment, wherein a ratio of a radius r of curvature of the arc-shaped segment to an inner diameter d of the elbow connector is in the range of 1.5≦(r/d)<5. ### Claim 25 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a plurality of planar flow guides, each of the planar flow guides being in fluid communication with a respective one of the conduits and with a respective one of the diffusers, each of the planar flow guides being configured to cause the flow of oil-containing liquid to transition from a circular cross-sectional flow through each of the conduits to a rectangular cross-sectional flow at the intake opening of each of the diffusers. ### Claim 26 (depends on 21) The apparatus of claim 21 further comprising a plurality of planar flow guides, each of the planar flow guides being in fluid communication with a respective one of the redirectors and with a respective one of the diffusers, each of the planar flow guides being configured to cause the flow of oil-containing liquid to transition from a circular cross-sectional flow through each of the redirectors to a rectangular cross-sectional flow at the intake opening of each of the diffusers. ### Claim 27 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising the skim tank, and wherein the intake manifold, the conduits and the diffusers are configured to cause the flow of oil-containing liquid to flow into the skim tank through the diffusers. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The apparatus of claim 27 further comprising a skimmer configured to remove oil from a surface of the liquid in the skim tank. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The apparatus of claim 28 further comprising an exhaust system wherein, after a volume of liquid in the skim tank has reached a desired volume, the exhaust system is configured to maintain the volume of liquid in the skim tank equal to the desired volume. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the exhaust system is configured to exhaust liquid from the skim tank at a rate equal to a difference between a rate at which the flow of oil-containing liquid enters the skim tank through the diffusers and a rate at which oil is removed from the surface of the liquid in the skim tank. ### Claim 31 (depends on 29) The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the exhaust system comprises: a first exhaust conduit having an intake port and an exhaust port, wherein the intake port is disposed in a lower region of the skim tank and is configured to admit liquid from the skim tank into the first exhaust conduit, and wherein the exhaust port is disposed at a desired liquid level height corresponding to the desired volume of liquid in the skim tank; a second exhaust conduit having an intake port and an exhaust port, wherein the intake port of the second exhaust conduit is in fluid communication with the exhaust port of the first exhaust conduit and is configured to allow liquid to flow from the exhaust port of the first exhaust conduit into the second exhaust conduit; and a siphon breaker configured to prevent the second exhaust conduit from siphoning liquid from the first exhaust conduit. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the intake port of the first exhaust conduit is configured to minimize a pressure differential between a pressure of the liquid inside the first exhaust conduit and a pressure of the liquid outside the first exhaust conduit. ### Claim 33 (depends on 32) The apparatus of claim 32 wherein the intake port of the first exhaust conduit comprises a plurality of slots defined in the first exhaust conduit. ### Claim 34 (depends on 31) The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the siphon breaker comprises a vent configured to vent the second exhaust conduit, wherein the vent is disposed at a height above the desired liquid level height. ### Claim 35 (depends on 31) The apparatus of claim 31 further comprising a diverter configured to increase residence time of the liquid in the tank by diverting the liquid away from straight-line paths between the exhaust openings of the diffusers and the intake port of the first exhaust conduit. ### Claim 36 (depends on 35) The apparatus of claim 35 wherein the diverter comprises a frustoconical diverter, wherein the first exhaust conduit extends along a central axis of the frustoconical diverter, and wherein the intake port of the first exhaust conduit is disposed below a height at which the frustoconical diverter is sealed against an outer surface of the first exhaust conduit. ### Claim 37 (depends on 35) The apparatus of claim 35 wherein the diverter comprises at least one vent configured to vent accumulated gas and oil from the diverter. ### Claim 38 An apparatus for conveying a flow of oil-containing liquid into an oil separation skim tank, the apparatus comprising: means for receiving the flow of oil-containing liquid; and means for conveying the flow of oil-containing liquid into the skim tank; wherein the means for conveying comprises means for causing the flow of oil-containing liquid to have a greater horizontal width at the exhaust opening than at the intake opening, while minimizing vertical divergence of the flow at the exhaust opening. ### Claim 39 A method of conveying a flow of oil-containing liquid into a separation skim tank, the method comprising: causing the flow of oil-containing liquid to have a greater horizontal width at an exhaust opening of a diffuser in fluid communication with the skim tank than at an intake opening of the diffuser, while minimizing vertical divergence of the flow at the exhaust opening. ### Claim 40 (depends on 39) The method of claim 39 wherein causing the flow to have a greater horizontal width at the exhaust opening comprises causing the flow to horizontally diverge while inhibiting separation of the flow from internal surfaces of the diffuser. ### Claim 41 (depends on 40) The method of claim 40 wherein causing the flow to horizontally diverge while inhibiting separation of the flow comprises causing the flow to horizontally diverge over an angular width less than a critical angle associated with separation of the flow from the internal surfaces of the diffuser. ### Claim 42 (depends on 40) The method of claim 40 wherein inhibiting separation comprises dividing the flow into a plurality of diverging channels. ### Claim 43 (depends on 42) The method of claim 42 wherein dividing comprises dividing the flow into first and second outer channels and at least one inner channel, and wherein each of the first and second outer channels has an angular width less than that of any channel of the at least one inner channel. ### Claim 44 (depends on 39) The method of claim 39 wherein causing comprises causing the flow of oil-containing liquid to have a greater horizontal width at each of a plurality of exhaust openings of a plurality of respective diffusers in fluid communication with the skim tank than at each of a plurality of respective intake openings of the diffusers, while minimizing vertical divergence of the flow at the exhaust openings, and further comprising: receiving the flow of oil-containing liquid at an intake port of an intake manifold in fluid communication with a plurality of conduits, each of the conduits in fluid communication with a respective one of the intake openings of a respective one of the plurality of diffusers; and distributing the flow of oil-containing liquid from the intake manifold to the plurality of conduits, wherein distributing comprises causing a pressure rise in the intake manifold across each of the plurality of conduits to be substantially less than a pressure drop from an intake opening of each conduit to the exhaust opening of its respective diffuser. ### Claim 45 (depends on 44) The method of claim 44 wherein causing the pressure rise to be substantially less than the pressure drop comprises causing the pressure drop to be at least five times greater than the pressure rise. ### Claim 46 (depends on 44) The method of claim 44 wherein causing the pressure rise to be substantially less than the pressure drop comprises causing the pressure drop to be at least eight times greater than the pressure rise. ### Claim 47 (depends on 44) The method of claim 44 wherein causing the pressure rise to be substantially less than the pressure drop comprises causing the pressure drop to be at least ten times greater than the pressure rise. ### Claim 48 (depends on 44) The method of claim 44 wherein causing the pressure rise to be substantially less than the pressure drop comprises causing a diameter of the flow in the intake manifold to be at least twice as large as a diameter of the flow in each of the conduits. ### Claim 49 (depends on 44) The method of claim 44 wherein causing the pressure rise to be substantially less than the pressure drop comprises causing a diameter of the flow in the intake manifold to be at least 2¼ times as large as a diameter of the flow in each of the conduits. ### Claim 50 (depends on 44) The method of claim 44 wherein causing the flow of oil-containing liquid to flow through the intake manifold into the plurality of conduits comprises causing the flow of oil-containing liquid to travel horizontally through the intake manifold and to travel vertically into the conduits. ### Claim 51 (depends on 50) The method of claim 50 further comprising causing the flow of oil-containing liquid to transition from a substantially vertical flow direction through each of the conduits to a substantially horizontal flow direction through each of the diffusers. ### Claim 52 (depends on 51) The method of claim 51 wherein causing the flow to transition from the substantially vertical flow direction to the substantially horizontal flow direction comprises causing the flow to transition to a direction in the range of 0° to 10° inclination above the horizontal plane. ### Claim 53 (depends on 51) The method of claim 51 wherein causing the flow to transition from the substantially vertical flow direction to the substantially horizontal flow direction comprises causing the flow of oil-containing liquid to travel through an elbow connector having an arc-shaped segment, wherein a ratio of a radius r of curvature of the arc-shaped segment to an inner diameter d of the elbow connector is in the range of 1.5≦(r/d)<5. ### Claim 54 (depends on 51) The method of claim 51 further comprising causing the flow of oil-containing liquid to transition from a circular cross-sectional flow through each of the conduits to a rectangular cross-sectional flow at the intake opening of each of the diffusers. ### Claim 55 (depends on 44) The method of claim 44 wherein distributing comprises causing the flow of oil-containing liquid to flow into the skim tank through the diffusers. ### Claim 56 (depends on 55) The method of claim 55 further comprising removing oil from a surface of the liquid in the skim tank. ### Claim 57 (depends on 56) The method of claim 56 further comprising, after a volume of liquid in the skim tank has reached a desired volume, maintaining the volume of liquid in the skim tank equal to the desired volume. ### Claim 58 (depends on 57) The method of claim 57 wherein maintaining comprises exhausting liquid from the skim tank at a rate equal to a difference between a rate at which the flow of oil-containing liquid enters the skim tank through the diffusers and a rate at which oil is removed from the surface of the liquid in the skim tank. ### Claim 59 (depends on 58) The method of claim 58 wherein exhausting comprises: admitting liquid from the skim tank into an intake port of a first exhaust conduit, the intake port of the first exhaust conduit being disposed in a lower region of the skim tank; allowing the liquid to flow from an exhaust port of the first exhaust conduit into an intake port of a second exhaust conduit, the exhaust port of the first exhaust conduit being disposed at a desired liquid level height corresponding to the desired volume of liquid in the skim tank; and preventing the second exhaust conduit from siphoning liquid from the first exhaust conduit. ### Claim 60 (depends on 59) The method of claim 59 wherein admitting liquid from the skim tank into the intake port of the first exhaust conduit comprises minimizing a pressure differential between a pressure of the liquid inside the first exhaust conduit and a pressure of the liquid outside the first exhaust conduit. ### Claim 61 (depends on 59) The method of claim 59 wherein preventing comprises venting the second exhaust conduit at a height above the desired liquid level height. ### Claim 62 (depends on 59) The method of claim 59 wherein admitting liquid from the skim tank into the intake port of the first exhaust conduit comprises increasing residence time of the liquid in the tank by diverting the liquid away from straight-line paths between the exhaust openings of the diffusers and the intake port of the first exhaust conduit. ### Claim 63 (depends on 62) The method of claim 62 further comprising venting accumulated gas and oil from a diverter configured to divert the liquid away from the straight-line paths. ### Claim 64 An apparatus for conveying a flow of oil-containing liquid into an oil separation skim tank, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of diffusers; a plurality of conduits, each of the conduits in fluid communication with an intake opening of a respective one of the plurality of diffusers; and an intake manifold in fluid communication with the plurality of conduits, the intake manifold configured to receive the flow of oil-containing liquid at an intake port thereof and to distribute the flow of oil-containing liquid from the intake manifold to the plurality of conduits, wherein the intake manifold is configured to cause a pressure rise in the intake manifold across each of the plurality of conduits to be substantially less than a pressure drop from an intake opening of each conduit to an exhaust opening of its respective diffuser. ### Claim 65 An apparatus for conveying a flow of oil-containing liquid into an oil separation skim tank, the apparatus comprising: means for receiving the flow of oil-containing liquid; and means for distributing the flow of oil-containing liquid to a plurality of conduits, each of the conduits in fluid communication with a respective one of a plurality of diffusers, wherein the means for distributing comprises means for causing a pressure rise in the means for distributing across each of the plurality of conduits to be substantially less than a pressure drop from an intake opening of each conduit to an exhaust opening of its respective diffuser. ### Claim 66 A method of conveying a flow of oil-containing liquid into an oil separation skim tank, the method comprising: receiving the flow of oil-containing liquid at an intake port of an intake manifold in fluid communication with a plurality of conduits, each of the conduits in fluid communication with a respective intake opening of a respective one of a plurality of diffusers; and distributing the flow of oil-containing liquid from the intake manifold to the plurality of conduits, wherein distributing comprises causing a pressure rise in the intake manifold across each of the plurality of conduits to be substantially less than a pressure drop from an intake opening of each conduit to an exhaust opening of its respective diffuser.