US 5,656,173 AGranted

Method of removing dispersed oil from an oil in water emulsion employing aerated solutions within a coalescing media

AssigneeNational Tank Company

InventorsJames Michael Jordan, Thomas James Denton

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Abstract

A method of removing dispersed oil from an oil in water emulsion is accomplished by the steps of dissolving gas in water to form an aerated solution, introducing the emulsion and aerated solution into a treatment vessel in which is positioned a coalescing media formed by an assembly of closely spaced corrugated plates of oleophilic material, the emulsion and aerated solution passing in contact with the plates to cause oil droplets to coalescence on the plates and small gas bubbles carried with the aerated solution to adhere to the oil droplets to increase the buoyancy of the oil droplets so that the oil droplets more readily rise to the surface of the emulsion, accumulated oil being removed from the surface.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method of removing dispersed oil from an oil in water emulsion comprising the steps of:

(a) entraining gas in water to form an aerated mixture;
(b) introducing said emulsion into a treatment vessel having a divider therein extending upwardly from the bottom of the vessel separating the vessel into a first and second compartment, the emulsion passing into the first compartment in which is positioned a first assembly of closely spaced matrix plates formed of oleophilic material, the emulsion passing in contact with said matrix plates;
(c) introducing said aerated mixture into said treatment vessel to intermingle with said emulsion as the emulsion passes in contact with said matrix plates to cause oil droplets to coalesce on said matrix plates and small gas bubbles from said aerated mixture to adhere to said oil droplets to cause said oil droplets to more readily rise in said emulsion;
(d) maintaining a liquid level within said vessel, said oil droplets rising to the surface of the liquid;
(e) extracting oil that accumulates on the surface of the liquid from said vessel;
and
(f) removing water that flows over an upper edge of said divider into said second compartment of the vessel, and through a second assembly of matrix plates, the water being removed from said second compartment and having a substantial portion of the oil removed therefrom.

4 more elements

A system for removing dispersed oil from a water in oil emulsion comprising:

(1) aeration apparatus for entraining gas in water to provide an aerated mixture;
(2) a process vessel having having a divider therein extending upwardly from the vessel bottom separating the vessel into a first and second compartment, the emulsion passing through an emulsion inlet into the first compartment;
(3) a first matrix of closely spaced oleophilic plates positioned within said process vessel first compartment and arranged to receive a flow of emulsion introduced through said emulsion inlet and aerated mixture introduced through an aeration mixture inlet, the oleophilic plates serving to enhance the coalescence of oil droplets from said emulsion, gas bubbles from said aerated mixture adhering to the oil droplets to enhance the buoyancy thereof;
(4) means of maintaining a water level surface within said process vessel, said oil droplets migrating to the surface of the water level, water having at least a portion of the oil droplets removed therefrom flowing over said divider plate upper edge into said second compartment, the second compartment having a second matrix of closely spaced oleophilic plates therein;
(5) means of removing oil that accumulates on said water level surface;
and
(6) means of removing water from said second compartment, after the water has passed through said second matrix, the water being at least substantially free of the oil.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.