Separator vessel

An apparatus for separating a light liquid layer of relatively low density from a surface a body of water as a second liquid of relatively high density, comprising:

• a vessel;
• a vessel balance means on said vessel receiving means discharging water for adjusting a draft of the vessel for a successive takeup of a light liquid layer floating on a surface of an outer water;
• vessel skimmer means for guiding said light liquid layer into said vessel from outside upon the movement of the vessel, said skimmer means including a knife-like element provided with an outward surface extending beneath said light liquid layer in the outside water and an inward surface extending angularly upwardly and inwardly from said outer surface for directing the light liquid layer inside the vessel;
• a vessel storage tank on said vessel and formed with an interior for separating said light liquid layer from the outside water and provided with:
• at least on vessel inlet spaced inwardly from said outer surface and formed on said tank above said surface of the outer water and opening downwardly into said interior, said inner surface being adapted to terminate substantially at a level of said surface of the outer water and operatively connected with said tank thereby guiding said light liquid layer floated freely therealong into said inlet,
• at least one vessel dip well in flow communication with said inlet and extending downwardly from said inlet in said interior and terminating at another level lower than said level of the surface, and
• means forming a vessel flow opening below said other level for free flow of the outer water in and out of said interior, said balance means adjusting the draft so that said tank is filled with the outer water substantially at said level of the surface at the beginning of said takeup, said light liquid layer displacing the outer water in said tank downwardly to said other level while accumulating in said interior upon floating in from said dip tube substantially up to said level of said surface of the outer water;
• vessel collecting means in free flow communication with said tank for collecting said light liquid upon separation in said tank;
• and
• a mother vessel receiving said light liquid from said vessel collecting means and comprising:
• at least one receiving room,
• conveying means in flow communication with said vessel collecting means for conveying said light liquid layer from said collecting means, said conveying means including at least one dip pipe opening into said receiving room and extending downwardly at a respective level lower than said level of the surface,
• fine separating means for final separating of said light liquid mounted in said receiving room below said dip pipe, and
• means forming an aperture in a bottom of said receiving room below said fine separating means for free flow of the outer water in and out of said room, said receiving room being filled with the outer water up to said level of the surface of the outer water at beginning of said takeup, said light liquid layer displacing the outer water through said separating means and said aperture and filling said receiving room at a level higher than said level of the surface.