Process and apparatus for the contact and separation of immiscible fluids
AssigneeCaribbean Properties Limited
InventorLeon I. Ross
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process and apparatus for the continuous contact and the subsequent separation from one another of immiscible fluids differing in density from one another, in which the entrainment of either fluid by the other is suppressed by obliging the less dense fluid to flow radially inward, from an annular passage between the interlapped walls of two coaxial conduits, through a generally continuous spinning ring of the denser fluid connecting the overlapped outlet of the inner conduit with the overlapping wall of the outer conduit, the two immiscible fluids separating centrifugally from one another with the less dense fluid being withdrawn from an inner space closer to the axis of spin than the surrounding denser fluid being separately withdrawn from the outer conduit.
Claims46
A process for the continuous contact of a denser fluid feed with a less dense fluid feed and the subsequent separation of a resultant denser fluid product from a less dense immiscible fluid product, the process comprising:
- (a) introducing the denser fluid feed into an inner conduit, having a generally circular transverse section surrounding a central longitudinal axis, the conduit being open at one end to provide an outlet with a generally circular rim, centered upon the longitudinal axis of the conduit,
- (b) directing the flow of the denser fluid feed through the inner conduit axially toward and through the outlet therefrom into a coaxial outer conduit, also having a generally circular transverse section, overlapping the inner conduit around and beyond the said circular rim, thus defining a generally annular section within the outer conduit where the inner conduit is overlapped thereby and a free section beyond the overlapped rim of the inner conduit, the said overlapped rim defining the outlet of the generally annular section,
- (c) spinning the denser fluid feed around the longitudinal axis of the inner conduit fast enough to form the denser fluid feed emerging from the outlet of the inner conduit into a spinning denser fluid ring connecting the overlapped rim of the inner conduit with the overlapping outer conduit, thereby curtaining off the outlet of the generally annular section from the free section of the outer conduit,
- (d) introducing the less dense fluid feed into and through the generally annular section of the outer conduit and thence into the free section thereof through the outlet of the generally annular section curtained off by the spinning denser fluid ring, whereby the less dense fluid feed must be intercepted by the spinning denser fluid ring, the fluid feeds consequently interacting with one another within the outer conduit to yield immiscible fluid products differing in density from one another, the spinning fluid products separating centrifugally from one another with the less dense fluid product flowing toward an inner space closer to the longitudinal axis than the surrounding denser fluid product,
- (e) withdrawing the less dense fluid product from the said inner space and
- (f) separately withdrawing the denser fluid product from the outer conduit.
An apparatus for the continuous contact of a denser fluid feed with a less dense fluid feed and the subsequent separation of a resultant denser fluid product from a less dense immiscible fluid product, the apparatus comprising:
- (a) an inner conduit, having a generally circular transverse section surrounding a central longitudinal axis, the conduit being open at one end to provide an outlet with a generally circular rim, centred upon the longitudinal axis of the conduit,
- (b) a coaxial outer conduit, also having a generally circular transverse section, overlapping the inner conduit around and beyond the said circular rim, thus defining a generally annular section within the outer conduit where the inner conduit is overlapped thereby and a free section beyond the overlapped rim of the inner conduit, the said overlapped rim defining the outlet of the generally annular section,
- (c) means for introducing the denser fluid feed into the inner conduit,
- (d) means for directing the flow of the denser fluid feed through the inner conduit axially toward and through the outlet therefrom into the overlapping outer conduit,
- (e) means for spinning the denser fluid feed around the longitudinal axis of the inner conduit fast enough to form the denser fluid feed emerging from the outlet of the inner conduit into a spinning denser fluid ring connecting the overlapped rim of the inner conduit with the overlapping outer conduit, thereby curtaining off the outlet of the generally annular section from the free section of the outer conduit,
- (f) means for introducing the less dense fluid feed into and through the generally annular section of the outer conduit and thence into the free section thereof through the outlet of the generally annular section curtained off by the spinning denser fluid ring,
- (g) an outlet for a resultant less dense fluid product from a location into which it is spun centripetally inward from the spinning fluid ring, and
- (h) a separate outlet for a resultant denser fluid product from the outer conduit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.