Apparatus for reducing and separating emulsions and homgeneous components from contaminated water

Abstract

A system for the reduction and separation of highly emulsified and/or immiscible components mixed in a fluid, particularly useful for treating waste water contaminated with oils and oily emulsions, as from depleted oil wells, vehicle washing stations, and meat rendering plants. The system is operative for reducing the amount of organic and inorganic contaminants, and is particularly suitable for reducing the amount of oil, with oil-consuming microorganisms, and separating oil that is not consumed within the system from the water so that the oil may be recycled and the water discharged into wetlands or sanitary sewers without further treatment. The system comprises a multi-stage, recirculating series of treatment tanks. In a first stage, the fluid is recirculated through a treatment loop where the fluid is aerated and then passed through a coalescer. Organic metabolizing microorganisms that contribute to de-emulsification and contaminant reduction within the system are introduced, together with a superoxygenated catalyst containing microorganism nutrients. The coalescer is preferably a horizontal stack of evenly spaced apart polypropylene plates with sinusoidal corrugations running along the plane of the plates. In subsequent treatment stages, the fluid is recirculated through filters prior to discharge from the system.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.