Apparatus for continuously separating a mixture of fluids having different densities

A separator adapted for continuously separating a mixture of fluids having different densities into a high density fraction and a low density fraction, said separator comprising:

• a tank having a top, a bottom, an inlet end and a discharge end;
• a plurality of partitions dividing the interior of the tank into a plurality of chambers including a first separation chamber at the inlet end of the tank, a second separation chamber adjacent the first separation chamber, a last separation chamber at the discharge end of the tank, and a collection chamber at the discharge end of the tank, wherein each of said separation chambers has an upper portion for containing said low density fraction and a lower portion for containing said high density fraction, and wherein said second separation chamber is substantially larger than said first separation chamber, and said last separation chamber is substantially larger than said second separation chamber;
• first fluid communication means for serially connecting the upper portions of said first, second and last separation chambers and said collection chamber to define a first fluid flow path for said low density fraction, said first flow path extending from the inlet end of the tank to the collection chamber;
• inlet means for introducing the mixture of fluids of different densities into the lower portion of the first separation chamber to at least partially fill the first chamber, wherein said mixture begins to separate into a low density fraction contained in the upper portion of the first chamber and a high density fraction contained in the lower portion of the first chamber, said inlet means including an inlet line entering the first separation chamber and terminating within the lower portion of the first separation chamber, and an influent pump connected to the inlet line for delivering the mixture of fluids to the lower portion of the first separation chamber;
• fluid transfer means for transferring at least a portion of the mixture and the high density fraction contained in the lower portion of the first separation chamber to the bottom portion of the second separation chamber to at least partially fill the second chamber;
• second fluid communication means for serially connecting the lower portions of the separation chambers excluding the lower portions of said first and second separation chambers, said second fluid communication means and said fluid transfer means cooperating to define a second fluid flow path for the high density fraction, said second flow path extending from the inlet end of the tank to the lower portion of the last separation chamber at the discharge end of the tank;
• first discharge means for removing the high density fraction from the lower portion of the last separation chamber, including a drain line exiting the lower portion of the last separation chamber, and an effluent pump connect to the drain line for removing the heavy fraction from the lower portion of the last separation chamber;
• second discharge means for removing the low density fraction from the collection chamber;
• and
• control means for controlling the flow rates and levels of the mixture and the low and high density fractions in the chambers so that the mixture introduced into the first separation chamber is separated into a low density fraction and a high density fraction at the discharge end of the tank, including
• a first float assembly positioned in the last separation chamber, said first float assembly including:
• a. a first float, said first float having a specific gravity lower than that of the high density fraction contained in the lower portion of the last separation chamber and higher than that of the low density fraction contained in the upper portion of the last separation chamber, said first float having associated first activation means, wherein the first float activates the effluent pump when the high density fraction rises to a first predetermined level in the last separation chamber, and
• b. a second float, said second float having a specific gravity substantially the same as that of the first float and having associated first deactivation means wherein the second float deactivates the effluent pump when the pump has lowered the high density fraction to a second predetermined level in the last separation chamber;
• a second float assembly positioned in the last separation chamber, said second float assembly including:
• c. a third float having a specific gravity lower than that of the low density fraction contained in the upper portion of the last separation chamber, said third float having associated second activation means wherein the third float activates the influent pump when the effluent pump lowers the low density fraction to a third predetermined level in the last separation chamber, and
• d. a fourth float having a specific gravity substantially the same as that of the third float, said fourth float having associated second deactivation means wherein the fourth float deactivates the influent pump when the low density fraction rises to a fourth predetermined level in the last separation chamber, and
• a third float assembly positioned in the collection chamber, said third float assembly including:
• e. a fifth float, said fifth float having a specific gravity lower than that of the low density fraction contained in the collection chamber and having associated third deactivation means for deactivating the influent and effluent pumps when the low density fraction reaches a fifth predetermined level in the collection chamber.

A separator adapted for separating a mixture of fluids having different densities into a high density fraction and a low density fraction, comprising:

• a tank defining an inlet portion and a discharge portion, a first separation chamber adjacent the inlet portion, a second separation chamber coupled in fluid communication with the first separation chamber, a last separation chamber coupled in fluid communication with the second separation chamber, and a collection chamber coupled in fluid communication with the last separation chamber for receiving separated low density fraction;
• at least one first float member defined by a specific gravity less than the specific gravity of the high density fraction and suspended within the high density fraction and in a portion of the tank exclusive of the inlet portion and the first and second separation chambers;
• at least one second float member defined by a specific gravity less than the specific gravity of the low density fraction and suspended within the low density fraction and in a portion of the tank exclusive of the inlet portion and the first and second separation chambers;
• first means coupled in fluid communication with the first separation chamber and responsive to movement of the at least one second float member for controlling the introduction of the mixture of fluids into the first separation chamber;
• and
• second means coupled in fluid communication with the last separation chamber and responsive to movement of the at least one first float member for controlling removal of high density fraction from the last separation chamber.