# US 2014/0190900 A1 · Apparatus for separating fluids and associated methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0190900 A1 - Document ID: US20140190900A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/127,717 - Filed: 2012-06-22 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2011-06-25 - Assignees: Rotech Group Limited - Inventors: Kenneth Roderick Stewart - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140190900A1 ## CPC - E02B 15/04: Devices for cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water from oil or like floating materials by separating or removing these materials ({stopping water-borne material in artificial water canals E02B5/085; stopping water-borne material at barrages or weirs E02B8/023}; other treatment of water, waste water or sewage C02F; materials for treating liquid pollutants, e.g. oil, gasoline, fat, C09K3/32 {; separation of oil in sewage conduits E03F5/16}) - C02F 1/38: by centrifugal separation - E02B 15/045: {Separating means for recovering oil floating on a surface of open water (E02B15/048 takes precedence; separation in general B01D)} - Y02A 20/204: Keeping clear the surface of open water from oil spills - E02B: HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING (ship-lifting E02C; dredging E02F) - C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes) - Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE ## 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a pollutant outlet for providing recovered pollutant(s) to further apparatus. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the apparatus is configured to be substantially underwater at a particular distance below the surface of water and/or the apparatus is configured for variable buoyancy. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the inlet is substantially surface facing in use. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a separation volume for separating pollutant(s) and water from contaminated water, the separation volume being in communication with the inlet. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) Apparatus according to claim 5 configured so as to impart a rotation on contaminated water such that contaminated water rotates within the separation volume, such as by using one or more vanes at the inlet. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the separation volume comprises an inner and an outer separation chamber, the inner separation chamber configured within the outer chamber. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the separation volume comprises a constricted region provided between the outer separation chamber and the inner separation chamber such that fluid is urged towards the inner chamber. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) Apparatus according to claim 7 comprising one or more channels connecting the outer separation chamber with the inner separation chamber, whereby the channel(s) are configured to impart a rotation on fluid moving from the outer chamber to the inner chamber. ### Claim 10 Apparatus according to 5 wherein the outer separation chamber comprises the water outlet. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) Apparatus according to 5 when depending upon claim 2, wherein the inner separation chamber comprises the pollutant outlet. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the pollutant outlet is configured to impart a rotation on fluid within the inner separation chamber by being configured to remove fluid tangentially from the inner separation chamber. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a suction pump, configured to draw contaminated water into the apparatus and to pump treated water from the apparatus. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) Apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the suction pump is provided at the water outlet of the apparatus. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) Apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the suction pump is configured as a mass flow pump, or mass flow means. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1 configured to draw in up to roughly 1,000 litres of contaminated water per second. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a pollutant extraction pump configured to remove pollutant(s) from the apparatus. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1 configured such that a volume flow rate is variable of one or more of: contaminated water volume flow rate; treated water volume flow rate; and recovered pollutant volume flow rate. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) Apparatus according to claim 18 configured to determine a ratio of water to pollutant in contaminated water entering the apparatus and to vary one or more of: contaminated water volume flow rate; treated water volume flow rate; and recovered pollutant volume flow rate using a determined water/pollutant ratio. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the water outlet is configured at a lower region of the apparatus, such as being configured below the inlet of the apparatus. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1 configured to provide for separating one or more hydrocarbon pollutant substances from water. ### Claim 22 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. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method according to claim 22 comprising separating one or more hydrocarbon pollutant substances from water. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) The method according to claim 22 wherein the step of returning treated water to the body of water means that the contaminated/treated water is not taken to a vessel, or the like, for separation. ### Claim 25 (depends on 22) The method according to claim 22 comprising providing recovered pollutant(s) to further apparatus. ### Claim 26 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. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) Apparatus according to claim 26 configured to draw in cumulatively up to roughly 1,000 litres of first and second fluid per second. ### Claim 28 (depends on 26) Apparatus according to claim 26 comprising a first outlet for providing a substantially separated first fluid to further apparatus and a second outlet for returning substantiality separated second fluid to a fluid source. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) Apparatus according to claim 28 wherein the first outlet is associated with the inner separation volume and the second outlet is associated with the outer separation volume. ### Claim 30 (depends on 26) Apparatus according to claim 26 comprising one or more channels connecting the outer separation chamber with the inner separation chamber, the channel(s) configured to impart a rotation on fluid moving from the outer chamber to the inner chamber. ### Claim 31 (depends on 26) Apparatus according to claim 26 configured for use in a body of water. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) Apparatus according to claim 31 wherein the inlet is substantially surface facing in use. ### Claim 33 (depends on 26) Apparatus according to claim 26 wherein the first fluid is a pollutant, or effluent, and the second fluid is water. ### Claim 34 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. ### Claim 35 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. ### Claim 36 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. ### Claim 37 (depends on 36) The method according to claim 36 comprising vary the volume flow rate of the inlet volume low rate and the first outlet volume flow rate based upon the amount of first fluid with respect to the amount of second fluid in the combined fluid.