Fluid separation apparatus

Apparatus for separating low density fluid from high density fluid and particles comprising:

• a. a fluid impervious hollow elongated chamber closed at one end by cup means;
• b. a fluid inlet passage extending into said chamber intermediate the ends thereof and having a tubular portion with a free end extending toward said cup means along the axis of elongation of said chamber;
• c. a fluid impervious funnel member surrounding said tubular portion of said inlet passage in close spaced relation to the outer surface thereof, the apex of said funnel member extending toward said cup member and the outer periphery of said funnel member forming a fluid-tight annular joint with the inner wall of said chamber;
• d. a deflector turbine means mounted at the free end of said tubular portion of said inlet passage to receive fluid from said inlet passage and urge said fluid to move in generally annular paths about the axis of elongation of said chamber, said deflector turbine means including a frusto-conical fluid impervious surface spaced from the free end of said tubular portion of said inlet passage having helical flutes therein and extending across said chamber with the apex thereof adjacent said free end of said tubular portion of said inlet passage and the periphery of the base thereof in close spaced relation to the inner surface of said chamber, said periphery of the base of said frusto-conical fluid impervious surface having a plurality of protuberances spaced from each other thereabout with each of said protuberances being located between a different pair of flutes on said frusto-conical surface and extending into contact with the inner surface of said chamber, and a frusto-conical member having an aperture at its apex communicating with said free end of said tubular portion of said inlet passage and having an inner frusto-conical surface mating with said fluted frusto-conical fluid impervious surface in close spaced relation thereto and an outer frusto-conical surface substantially parallel to said inner frusto-conical surface;
• e. an outlet passage extending out of said chamber intermediate its ends and having a tubular portion extending away from said cup means along the axis of elongation of said chamber;
• f. a tubular filter element more pervious to said low density fluid than said high density fluid surrounding said tubular portion of said outlet passage in spaced relation thereto, the outer surface of said tubular filter element being spaced from the inner surface of said chamber;
• g. fluid impervious wall means extending outwardly from the outer surface of said tubular portion of said outlet passage and across the inner end of said tubular filter element, said wall means forming fluid-tight joints with said outer surface of said tubular portion of said outlet passage and with the inner end of said tubular filter element and having its outer periphery in close spaced relation to the inner surface of said chamber;
• and
• h. fluid impervious cap means closing the other end of said chamber.