US 5,030,357 AGranted

Oil/grease recovery method and apparatus

AssigneeLowe Engineering Company

InventorJohn G. Lowe

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Abstract

An apparatus and method for separating hydrophobic materials in liquid state from an aqueous liquid or hydrophilic liquid, for separating debris from such liquid, or for purifying hydrophobic materials in liquid state are disclosed. An improved strainer for such apparatus and method is also disclosed. The apparatus and method employ at least one rotatable disk to which hydrophobic materials are attracted and retained; scraper blades to scrape the hydrophobic materials from the disk into a discharge tube from which said materials flow to a pump situated in the apparatus. The pump pumps the materials out of the apparatus. The pump is preferably driven by the same motor which rotates the disk. The strainer has an upper mesh portion and a lower portion where the walls and bottom are solid. The strainer also has an internal diverter plate. Influent containing debris strikes the plate and debris settles in the strainer and is retained in the non-mesh portion thereof. Alternatively, the strainer can be a removable, flexible strainer which, when full of debris, is emptied.

Claims34

Dependent claims

An apparatus for separating hydrophobic materials in liquid state from an aqueous liquid or hydrophilic liquid, for separating debris from such liquids or for purifying hydrophobic materials in liquid state, comprising:

(a) a container having at least a strainer compartment and a recovery compartment, said container having an influent passageway into the strainer compartment, an effluent passageway leading from the recovery compartment, and fluid conducting means leading from the strainer compartment to the recovery compartment;
(b) at least one strainer disposed in said strainer compartment, and a flow means for carrying an influent flow of liquid to this strainer, said strainer including a mesh and being adapted to remove debris from said liquid and for the liquid to be strained by flowing through said mesh to said recovery compartment;
(c) at least one disk having at least one outer surface to which hydrophobic material is attracted and retained, a rotating shaft upon which said disk is mounted, said disk being disposed intermediate the end walls of the recovery compartment and disposed so that the disk is substantially normal to the surface of the liquid in said recovery compartment and as the disk is rotated it is partially immersed in said liquid, said attraction and retention being sufficient for said hydrophobic material to be lifted by said disk;
(d) at least one bridge member carried in said recovery compartment;
(e) at least one flexible scraper blade having an edge thereon and mountable on the bridge member, said scraper blade when in engagement with the sides of the disk being bent to provide a bias causing said edges to contact the disk and to scrape the attracted hydrophobic material from a side of the rotated disk after this disk emerges from the liquid and prior to the reentry of the rotated disk into the liquid;
(f) means for removably securing the scraper blade to the bridge member so that the blade contacts the disk as it is rotated,
(g) a self-priming pump functionally positioned to receive hydrophobic material from said recovery compartment, said pump being adapted to pump out of the apparatus hydrophobic material scraped from said disk by said scraper blades;
(h) at least one fluid conductor pipe positioned to receive the scrapings of hydrophobic material from a downward end of the blade and to carry said scrapings by gravity directly to said pump without a sump-collector and thereby provide said pump with positive head;
and,
(i) motive power means for rotating the disk at a desired speed and direction and for powering said pump.

7 more elements

A method for separating hydrophobic materials in liquid state from an aqueous liquid or hydrophilic liquid, for separating debris from such liquids, or for purifying hydrophobic materials in the liquid state comprising:

(a) straining said liquid wherein the strainer comprises:
a strainer for separating debris from liquid by having an influent flow of liquid flow into the strainer and an effluent flow of liquid flow out of the strainer after straining, said strainer comprising:
a flow means for carrying the influent flow of liquid to the strainer;
a hollow body;
and
a diverter plate;
said body having an upper portion, a lower portion, sidewalls, a top and a bottom, wherein the upper portion of said sidewalls is of mesh, the lower portion of said sidewalls and said bottom is solid, said flow means is positioned to carry the influent flow of liquid into the upper portion of the body, and said diverter plate is positioned in the hollow body at the upper portion of the body, and said diverter plate is positioned in the hollow body at the upper portion, a distance from said flow means and perpendicular to the flow means,
so that said influent flow flows into said strainer and strikes said diverter plate thereby causing debris to sink to the lower portion of the strainer and be retained thereat and the liquid after straining to flow through said mesh as the effluent flow of liquid,
(b) passing said effluent flow from said strainer to a recovery compartment, and
(c) subjecting said effluent flow in said recovery compartment to a means for separating and recovering hydrophobic liquid from hydrophilic liquid comprising:
(i) at least one disk having outer surfaces to which hydrophobic materials are attracted and retained said disk being mounted on a rotating shaft and disposed intermediate the end walls of the recovery compartment and disposed so that the disk is substantially normal to the surface of the liquid in said recovery compartment and as this disk is rotated it is partially immersed in said liquid, said attraction and retention being sufficient for said hydrophobic material to be lifted by said disk;
(ii) a bridge member carried in said recovery compartment;
(iii) at least one pair of flexible scraper blades mountable on the bridge member, each of said scraper blades when in engagement with the sides of the disk bent to provide a bias causing the disk engaging edges of said pair of blades to scrape the attracted hydrophobic material from the sides of the rotated disk after this disk emerges from the liquid and prior to the reentry of the rotated disk into the liquid, said scraper blades in a mounted condition adapted to engage the sides of the disk and to substantially equally restrain the rotating disk from unwanted movement;
(iv) means for removably securing the scraper blades to the bridge member so that the blades straddle the disk as it is rotated;
(v) a self-priming reciprocating pump disposed within said recovery compartment, said pump being for pumping out of the apparatus through a wall of the recovery compartment hydrophobic material scraped form said disk by said scraper blades;
(vi) at least one fluid conductor pipe adapted to receive the scrapings of hydrophobic material from a downward end of the blade and to carry said scrapings by gravity directly to said pump without a sump-collector and thereby provide said pump with positive head;
and,
(vii) motive power means for rotating the disk at a desired speed and direction and for powering said pump.

15 more elements

(a) straining said liquid wherein the strainer comprises:
a strainer for separating debris from liquid by having an influent flow of liquid flow into the strainer and an effluent flow of liquid flow out of the strainer after straining, said strainer comprising:
a flow means for carrying the influent flow of liquid to the strainer;
and, a hollow body comprising a removable, flexible strainer
(b) passing said effluent flow from said strainer to a recovery compartment, and
(c) subjecting said effluent flow in said recovery compartment to a means for separating and recovering hydrophobic liquid from hydrophilic liquid comprising:
(i) at least one disk having outer surfaces to which hydrophobic materials are attracted and retained said disk being mounted on a rotating shaft and disposed intermediate the end walls of the recovery compartment and disposed so that the disk is substantially normal to the surface of the liquid in said recovery compartment and as this disk is rotated it is partially immersed in said liquid, said attraction and retention being sufficient for said hydrophobic material to be lifted by said disk;
(ii) a bridge member carried in said recovery compartment;
(iii) at least one pair of flexible scraper blades mountable on the bridge member, each of said scraper blades when in engagement with the sides of the disk bent to provide a bias causing the disk engaging edges of said pair of blades to scrape the attracted hydrophobic material from the sides of the rotated disk after this disk emerges from the liquid and prior to the reentry of the rotated disk into the liquid, said scraper blades in a mounted condition adapted to engage the sides of the disk and to substantially equally restrain the rotating disk from unwanted movement;
(iv) means for removable securing the scraper blades to the bridge member so that the blades straddle the disk as it is rotated;
(v) a reciprocating self-priming pump disposed within said recovery compartment, said pump being for pumping out of the apparatus through a wall of the recovery compartment hydrophobic material scraped from said disk by said scraper blades;
(vi) at least one fluid conductor pipe adapted to receive the scrapings of hydrophobic material from a downward end of the blade and to carry said scrapings by gravity to said pump and thereby provide said pump with positive head;
and,
(vii)motive power means for rotating the disk at a desired speed and direction and for powering said pump.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.