Apparatus for separating fluids and associated methods
AssigneeRotech Group Limited
InventorKenneth Roderick Stewart
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for treating contaminated water and may include an inlet, configured to receive contaminated water from a body of water. The contaminated water may include one or more pollutants (such as oil), and the apparatus may be configured to provide for separating those pollutant(s) from water to provide recovered pollutant(s) (e.g. recovered oil) and treated water. The apparatus may also include a water outlet for returning treated water to a body of water. In some examples, the apparatus comprises a separation volume, having inner and outer chamber, which can be used to separate rotating contaminated water.
Claims37
Underwater apparatus for treating contaminated water, the apparatus comprising an inlet configured to receive contaminated water from a body of water, such contaminated water comprising water and one or more pollutants, and wherein the apparatus is configured to provide for separating pollutant(s) from water to provide recovered pollutant(s) and treated water, wherein the apparatus comprises a water outlet for returning treated water to a body of water.
Apparatus according to 5 wherein the outer separation chamber comprises the water outlet.
A method for treating contaminated water, the method comprising:
- receiving contaminated water from a body of water, such contaminated water comprising water and one or more pollutants;
- separating underwater the pollutant(s) from the water to provide recovered pollutant(s) and treated water;
- and
- returning the treated water to the body of water.
Apparatus for separating fluids, the apparatus comprising an inlet for receiving first and second fluids from a fluid source, such a second fluid being denser than a first fluid, wherein the inlet is in communication with a separation volume comprising an inner separation chamber and an outer separation chamber, and wherein the apparatus is configured such that a first fluid rotating in the separation volume is urged to the inner separation chamber and a second fluid is urged to the outer separation chamber.
A method for separating fluids, the method comprising
- receiving first and second fluids from a fluid source, the second fluid being denser than the first fluid,
- communicating first and second fluids to a separation volume comprising an inner separation chamber and an outer separation chamber, and
- rotating the fluids in the separation volume such that the first fluid is urged to the inner separation chamber and the second fluid is urged to the outer separation chamber.
Apparatus for providing for separating fluids, the apparatus comprising:
- an inlet configured to receive a combined fluid comprising at least a first and second fluid;
- a first outlet for providing a separated first fluid;
- and
- a second outlet for providing a separated second fluid;
- and wherein
- the apparatus is configured to vary the volume flow rate of one or more of:
- a combined fluid at the inlet;
- a separated first fluid phase at the first outlet, or a separated second fluid phase at the second outlet, based upon the amount of a first fluid with respect to the amount of a second fluid in a combined fluid.
A method for providing for separating fluids, the method comprising:
- receiving, at an inlet, a combined fluid at a particular inlet volume low rate, the combined fluid comprising at least a first and second fluid;
- outletting a separated first fluid at a particular first outlet volume flow rate;
- and
- outletting a separated second fluid at a particular second outlet volume flow rate;
- and wherein
- the method comprises vary the volume flow rate of one or more of:
- inlet volume low rate;
- first outlet volume flow rate, or second outlet volume flow rate, based upon the amount of first fluid with respect to the amount of second fluid in the combined fluid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.