Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
iSTANG_P.001U
THE NEPTUNE UNIVERSAL SEPARATOR SYSTEM AND METHOD
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The following includes information that may be useful in
understanding the present
disclosure. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein
is prior art nor
material to the presently described or claimed inventions, nor that any
publication or document
that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates generally to the field of liquid
purification or separation
of existing art and more specifically relates to cyclonic, or centrifugal
liquid purification or
separation, via a neptune universal separator system.
RELATED ART
[0003] Separation of solids and oils from water is required in many
industries. Current
separation methods include: gravity separation, cyclones, filtration,
membranes and fabrics and
centrifuges. Separators can be designed to treat a variety of contaminants in
water including free
floating oil, emulsified oil, and suspended solids. Not all separator types
are capable of separating
both solids and oils. The most common performance parameters considered are:
oil and solid
separation efficiency and the discharge water quality desired.
[0004] Gravity separators require large holding tanks or ponds and also
require long holding
periods. Cyclones may perform well when there is significant density
difference between the solids
-1-
CA 3024237 2018-11-15
iSTANG_P.001U
and liquids. Filtration, membranes and fabrics may limit flow and often
require high levels of
maintenance. Centrifuges involve a high capital cost of investment since they
operate at high
rotating speeds, consume a large amount of energy. Thus, it is desirable to
have a reliable, cost-
effective, and safe means to separate the solids and oils from water.
-2-
CA 3024237 2018-11-15
iSTANG_P.001U
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known liquid
purification or
separation art, the present disclosure provides a novel neptune universal
separator system. The
general purpose of the present disclosure, which will be described
subsequently in greater detail,
is to provide an efficient and effective means for separation of solids and
oils from water in a
simultaneous fashion.
[0006] The Neptune Separator (neptune universal separator system) is a
device that provides
simultaneous separation of solids and oils (and even gases) from water. It has
applications in many
industries including the following: Sewage Treatment; Water Treatment; Oil &
Gas (produced
water, tailings ponds, SAGD, etc.); Mining; and Food processing. Furthermore,
the concept offers
virtually endless operating and geometric variations depending on the
application. The Neptune
employs various means of separation including coagulation, cyclonic
separation, recycling, heat,
electrostatic demulsification and oil floatation. It may offer significant
advantages over current
separation methods as follows: 1) Low initial investment; 2) Superior
performance; 3) Simple,
automatic operation and low maintenance; 4) Modular construction of
operational units; and 5)
Many additional advantages for various applications such as Sewage Treatment.
[0007] A neptune universal separator system is disclosed herein, in a
preferred embodiment
comprising: a vessel, an inlet flow chamber partially separated from the main
body of the vessel
with two inlet flow connections, and an underflow outlet at the bottom of the
unit connected to a
solids chamber. The system further comprises rotating baffles driven by a
shaft which passes
through the top of the unit, driven by an electric motor supported above the
vessel, a pipe heater
inserted in the central rotating shaft from above the unit; an oil separation
chamber with two
-3-
CA 3024237 2018-11-15
iSTANG_P.001U
circular electrostatic grids; tangential water and oil outlet connects;
connected control valves; an
inlet pump, a solids outlet pumps, bearings and stationary baffles. The
Neptune universal
separator, by use of cyclone separation, heat and electrostatic fields from
the electrostatic grids
(via a DC current generator), induced flow modification and an injected
polymer (or
polyelectrolyte) provide improved separation of solids and oils.
[0008] The neptune universal separator may be described as a modified
cyclone with the
following additional features intended to contribute to enhanced performance
for the separation of
oils and solids from water.
[0009] The first feature is an inlet zone where the inlet flow enters the
unit via two tangential
inlet connections 180 degrees apart. These connections reduce the turbulence
at the inlet and allow
the solids to migrate to the outer boundary layer of the cyclone prior to
entering the main body of
the cyclone. Boundary layer turbulence may be further reduced by a polymer
that is injected into
the flow prior to the liquid entering the unit. The polymer may also cause
solid particles to merge
and improve the settling of solids into a boundary layer (in accordance with
Stokes' Law).
[0010] The second feature is a set of rotating baffles in the cylindrical
section of the unit to
improve the separation of solids and oils by creating a large rotating vortex
under the stationary
baffles and bearing support which may have the following effects: a) provides
a recycle flow
parallel to the inlet flow that pushes the inlet flow further down the cone
before rising up the center
of the unit, improving the separation of solids; b) causes the flow rising up
the center of the unit
to rotate at a higher speed pushing out fugitive particles to the recycle flow
as well as oils to
accumulate at the center of the rising flow; c) as the rotating flow rises up
and spreads out into the
bottom of the rotating baffles, most of the clear water moves to the perimeter
of the baffles into
-4-
CA 3024237 2018-11-15
iSTANG_P.001U
the clear water chamber; and d) oils and some water move up the center of the
unit along the central
axes for separation.
[0011] A third feature is electrical heat from an electrical pipe heater
inserted into the central
axle shaft from above the vessel. As the flow moves up the central chamber the
temperature
increases and the oil expands more rapidly than the water which causes the
upward oil flow to
accelerate upward in the mixture. Near the top of the central chamber part of
the water flows out
into a larger diameter chamber and then into the clear water chamber. The
balance of the oil-water
mixture rises to the top of the vessel and into an oil-water separation
chamber.
[0012] A fourth feature is the use of electrostatic oil-water separation.
The rotating flow
spirals out into the oil-water separation chambers chamber and passes through
two circular
electrostatic grids. The oil floats to the top of the unit and exits via a
tangential connection to a
dump valve activated by an oil-water interface level switch. The water exits
out of this chamber
through circular openings at the perimeter of a plate at the bottom of this
chamber. As an
alternative, the electrostatic grids may be replaced by three ultrasonic plate
transducers mounted
on the perimeter of the oil-water separation chamber at 120-degree intervals.
[0013] A method of use for the neptune universal separator system is also
described herein.
[0014] For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects,
advantages, and novel
features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood
that not necessarily all
such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular
embodiment of the
invention. Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that
achieves or
optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without
necessarily achieving
-5-
CA 3024237 2018-11-15
iSTANG_P.001U
other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. The features of the
invention which are
believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in
the concluding portion
of the specification. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the
present invention will
become better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed
description.
-6-
CA 3024237 2018-11-15
iSTANG_P.001U
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] The figures which accompany the written portion of this
specification illustrate
embodiments and methods of use for the present disclosure, a neptune universal
separator system
(Neptune Separator), constructed and operative according to the teachings of
the present
disclosure.
[0016] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the Neptune Separator during an 'in-
use' condition,
according to an embodiment of the disclosure.
[0017] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of controls of the Neptune Separator of
FIG. 1, according
to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0018] The various embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be
described in
conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like
elements.
-7-
CA 3024237 2018-11-15
iSTANG_P.001U
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0019] As discussed above, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to
liquid purification
or separation and more particularly to a Neptune Separator as used to improve
the separation of
solids and oils from water via a cyclone with an inserted rotating section
containing a pipe heater
in the axle and electrostatic grids. The 'Neptune' employs various means of
separation including
coagulation, cyclonic separation, recycling, demulsification by polymer
injection, heat and an
electrostatic field and oil floatation.
[0020] Generally referring now to the present invention as shown in FIG. 1:
1) Flow arrows
as shown indicate the directional movement of the rotating flow; and 2)
electric motors are
equipped with variable frequency drives to allow optimization of the unit's
performance.
[0021] Referring now more specifically to the drawings by numerals of
reference, there is
shown in FIGS. 1-2, various views of a neptune universal separator system 100.
[0022] FIG. 1 shows a neptune universal separator system 100, according to
an embodiment
of the present disclosure. Here, the neptune universal separator system 100
may be beneficial for
use by a user to promote the thorough separation of solids and oils from
water. As illustrated, the
neptune universal separator system 100 may include a neptune universal
separator as a vessel
having an inlet chamber; inlet connections; a central axle; a plurality of
baffles; and circular
electrostatic grids; wherein the neptune universal separator system functions
by use of heat created
by a pipe heater and an electric field created by the circular electrostatic
grids connected to a DC
current source. A polymer and alternately a polyelectrolyte is injected into
the liquid causing a
water-oil emulsion to demulsify and oil and water to separate. Those with
ordinary skill in the art
-8-
CA 3024237 2018-11-15
iSTANG_P.001U
will now appreciate that upon reading this specification and by their
understanding the art of use
of heat and electric fields, as described herein, and methods of liquid
separation will be understood
by those knowledgeable in such art.
[0023] The neptune universal separator's mode of operation for the
separation of oils and solids
from water is described herein referring specifically to FIG. 1 with
references to FIG. 2.
[0024] Start Up Phase: Before water containing solid particles and oil is
introduced into the
neptune universal separator system 100, the unit is filled with clean water.
The electric motor at
the top of the unit starts turning the rotating section until it reaches a
predetermined rotating speed.
[0025] Polymer Injection Phase: After the rotation reaches operating speed,
the liquid to be
separated is pumped into the unit by a feed pump. Prior to the liquid entering
the unit, a chemical
agent such as a polymer or a polyelectrolyte is injected into the inlet flow
for the following
purposes: 1) it causes the merging of solid particles, making them easier to
separate (Stokes Law);
2) it contributes to drag reduction of boundary layers in the cyclone; 3) it
promotes demulsification
for oil separation.
[0026] Referring now to the Inlet flow as shown in FIG. 1. The water, oil
and solid mixture
enters the unit at two tangential inlet connections (la & lb located 180
degrees apart) in the
confined space of the inlet chamber 2, establishing a balanced, rotating
cyclone flow at the outer
wall of the unit.
[0027] From this cyclone flow, the liquid exits the bottom of the inlet
chamber 2 and enters
the cyclone chamber 3 where it spirals downward in a basic cyclone flow
pattern. At this point, a
-9-
CA 3024237 2018-11-15
iSTANG_P.001U
recycle flow formed from a second downward spiraling current from above flows
in a parallel
fashion inside of the inlet stream. This recycle flow from the second current
forms a layer between
the inlet flow and the turbulent flows at the center of the unit allowing the
solids-rich boundary
layer at the cone wall to move further down the cone undisturbed. The solids
slide to the bottom
and exit the cyclone chamber 3 to a solids chamber 4 below. The solid sludge
is then pumped out
of the solids chamber by a pump triggered by a level switch (as shown in FIG.
2).
[0028] After the liquid reaches the bottom of the cone it spirals up the
center of the cyclone 3.
The addition of the recycle flow described above to the inlet flow (increasing
the total flow) causes
the rising cyclonic flow to rotate at a higher speed and the oil and oil
emulsion in the mixture to
accumulate and rise up the center of the unit.
Flow Separation
[0029] The flow rises until it reaches rotating chamber 23 with a capped
central axle 5 and
four (4) rotating baffles 6 connected to it at ninety-degree angles. Note that
the central axle 5 is
driven by an electric motor mounted above the unit. The axle passes through a
seal 17 mounted on
the enclosing blind flange 18 on top of the unit. An electric pipe heater 7 is
inserted into the central
axle from above the unit. As liquid flow reaches the rotating baffles 6 it
separates into three
separate streams as follows:
Oil-Rich Stream (Stream 1)
[0030] The oil-rich stream flows upward along the heated central axle 5 of
the rotating
chamber 23. The central axle 5 and the inner portion of the rotating baffles 6
are coated with an
oleophilic material. The oils migrate toward the center and the water
gravitates outward. When
the flow reaches the top of the inner cylinder wall 9, a portion of the denser
water flows outward
through opening 10, then downward to opening 12 and out into the clear water
chamber 13.
-10-
CA 3024237 2018-11-15
iSTANG_P.001U
[0031] The remaining oil-water mixture flows up into the oil-water
separation chamber 14 due
to its lower density and the rotation of the baffles in this chamber. The
flows spirals outward
through two circular electrostatic grids 15. Note that the liquid passes
through the grids at a shallow
horizontal angle. As an alternative, the electrostatic grids 15 may be
replaced by three ultrasonic
plate transducers mounted on the perimeter of the oil-water separation chamber
at 120-degree
intervals.
[0032] The oil-water separation chamber 14 is isolated from the clarified
water chamber by a
plate 19 that is supported at the perimeter and near the center by 4 posts
inserted through the top
flange 18 of the separator. The combination of the heat, the electric field
created by the grid (DC
current) and the polymer injected into the liquid causes the water-oil
emulsion to demulsify and
the oil and water to separate. The oil moves to the high temperature zone at
the top of the chamber
14 and the water descends to the cold surface 19 at the bottom. The oil exits
through a dump valve
at the tangential oil outlet 16 connection. The water flows down and outward
to equally spaced
openings 20 near the perimeter of the plate 19. This water then passes through
these openings to
the perimeter of the clear water chamber 13. The oils which pass into the
clear water chamber 13
will rise up the inner portion of this chamber to the oil trap 21 and are then
drawn into the oil-
water separation chamber 14 by rotating baffles 22 connected to the outer
cylinder 11 in the
chamber 14. Note that the outer surface of cylinder 11 and the surfaces at the
oil trap 21 will be
coated with an oleophilic material.
Clear Water (Stream 2)
[0033] The largest part of the flow that enters the rotating chamber 23 is
clear water that exits
from the perimeter of this chamber through opening 24 and flows into clear
water chamber 13.
-11-
CA 3024237 2018-11-15
iSTANG_P.001U
This water then spirals upward and flows out of the tangential water outlet
connection 25 which
has a back-pressure valve attached to it. The rotating baffles 6 are guided by
a bearing 26 which
has a half round shape 27 connected to it. This supports the rotating baffles
and allows the flow to
move smoothly above and below the bearing. The bearing is supported by angular
stationary
baffles 28.
Recycle Water (Stream 3)
[0034] The recycle water flow is made up of two separate flows that merge
at the outer surface
of the unit as follows: part of the clarified water that passes through
opening 24 is diverted through
stationary baffles 28 and flow downward into the cyclone chamber below.
[0035] Part of the water that reaches the rotating baffles 6 flows under
the bearing 26, merges
with the recycled water flowing through the stationary baffles 28 and recycles
back to the bottom
of the cyclone as described above. Note that any fugitive particles travelling
up the central rising
cyclone will also be captured by the recycle flow.
[0036] Referring generally now to FIG. 2 showing various views of the
controls of neptune
universal separator system 100 of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment of the
present disclosure.
Control Narrative:
[0037] Control of the separator of the neptune universal separator system
100 is completely
automatic as follows: The Liquid Feed Pump 1 sends a signal to the drive motor
2 on top of the
unit. The motor 2 starts and brings the rotating section up to a predetermined
speed. A permissive
signal is sent back to the Liquid Feed Pump 1 and it starts pumping liquid
into the unit. A self-
-12-
CA 3024237 2018-11-15
iSTANG_P.001U
contained back pressure valve 3 on the water outlet line controls the pressure
and the water flow
out of the unit. A dump valve 4 triggered by an oil-water interface level
switch (LS) dumps oil
from the top of the enclosed vessel. A solids pump 5 triggered by a level
switch (LS), pumps solids
out of a solids chamber 6 at the bottom of the unit. A temperature transmitter
(TT) on top of the
separator controls a pipe heater 7 inserted in the central rotating shaft to
provide the optimum
operating temperature for oil-water demulsification and separation. No other
controls are
necessary in preferred embodiments.
[0038] It should be noted that a portion of the steps may be optional
step(s) and may not be
implemented in all cases. It should also be noted that the steps described in
the method of use can
be carried out in many different orders according to user preference. The use
of "step of' should
not be interpreted as "step for", in the claims herein and is not intended to
invoke the provisions
of 35 U.S.C. 112(0. It should also be noted that, under appropriate
circumstances, considering
such issues as design preference, user preferences, marketing preferences,
cost, structural
requirements, available materials, technological advances, etc., other methods
for separation are
taught herein.
[0039] The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and
numerous
modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to
achieve substantially
equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit
and scope of the
invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the
U.S. Patent and
Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist,
engineers and practitioners
in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to
determine quickly from
a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the
application.
-13-
CA 3024237 2018-11-15
