US 4,072,614 A · Oil and water separators

Abstract

Oily water is introduced into the lower ends of outer vessels and flows upwardly in annular spaces between the outer vessels and inner separating vessels and into the inner vessels below inwardly spaced, shallowly cupped, annular separating discs. Larger particles of oil flow past the discs directly to the tops of caps on the outer vessels. The smaller particles of oil coalesce on and flow slowly along the bottoms of the discs to central openings in the discs, and up into the caps. The oil flows out of the caps when valves are opened by ultrasonic sensing probes actuated by accumulation of predetermined quantities of oil in the caps. The water flows out of outlets positioned near the bottoms of the inner vessels. In an alternate embodiment, a filter member of foam plastic is inclined to the flow toward the water outlet and coalesces any oil yet remaining in the water.

Claims16

Dependent claims

An oil and water separator,

a vertical vessel having imperforate walls and open at its top,
an outer container surrounding the vessel and forming an annular vertical passage surrounding the vertical vessel,
inlet means near the bottom of the container opening into the container but not the vessel,
a plurality of discs having central openings,
means mounting the discs at the top of the vessel in positions spaced from each other and defining vertically spaced fully annular passages,
means for flowing an oil-water mixture slowly into the inlet means, upwardly through the annular vertical passage and through the vertically spaced fully annular passages,
water outlet means for drawing water continuously from the lower portion of the vessel,
and oil retaining means for trapping and withdrawing oil flowing upwardly from the openings in the discs.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Oil and water separators

Life of this patent

Oil and water separators

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16