Immiscible liquids separation apparatus and method

1. An immiscible liquids separation apparatus ( 50 ) comprising:

a vessel comprising a first separation chamber ( 66 ) and a second separation chamber ( 72 ) being in a first fluid communication with the first separation chamber ( 66 ), the first separation chamber ( 66 ) being situated above the second separation chamber ( 72 );

an inlet ( 52 ) arranged at the first separation chamber ( 66 ) to allow a liquid to flow into the vessel;

a low-density liquid outlet ( 78 ) arranged on the second separation chamber ( 72 ) to allow low-density liquid separated from the liquid to be removed therefrom;

a high-density liquid outlet ( 60 ) arranged at a high-density liquid release chamber ( 80 ) to allow high-density liquid separated from the liquid to flow out of the vessel, wherein the high-density liquid release chamber ( 80 ) comprises a vertical release shaft ( 86 ), the vertical release shaft ( 86 ) comprises a weir plate ( 82 ) having an overflow edge ( 85 ), the overflow edge ( 85 ) being the same height as a zero waste-water flowrate level ( 74 ) in the first separation chamber ( 66 ); and

a vertical low-density liquid gap ( 75 ) arranged between the first separation chamber ( 66 ) and the second separation chamber ( 72 ) to allow the first fluid communication, the vertical low-density liquid gap ( 75 ) adapted to increase agglomeration of droplets of the low-density liquid.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the high-density liquid release chamber ( 80 ) is in a second fluid communication with the second separation chamber ( 72 ).

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the vertical release shaft ( 86 ) is designed to allow the high-density liquid flowing out of the vessel to take fine silt comprised in the liquid out of the vessel.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the vessel further comprises a valve arranged at the low-density liquid outlet ( 78 ) to enable or disable flow of the low-density liquid out of the vessel.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the valve is a floating-ball valve ( 78 ) comprising a floating member configured to disable the flow of the low-density liquid in case the high-density liquid raises the floating member to a predetermined height.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: a container ( 58 ) arranged to collect the low-density liquid removed from the second separation chamber ( 72 ).

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the inlet ( 52 ) is configured as a rotatable inlet.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first separation chamber ( 66 ) comprises a sloped bottom.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the sloped bottom comprises at least one hole ( 70 ) arranged at a low end of the sloped bottom to allow the first fluid communication at a first flow rate of the liquid.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the vertical low-density liquid gap ( 75 ) arranged between the first separation chamber ( 66 ) and the second separation chamber ( 72 ) allows the first fluid communication at a second flow rate of the liquid, the second flow rate being higher than the first flow rate of the liquid.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the vertical low-density liquid gap ( 75 ) comprises a coalescent filter or removable coalescent filter ( 88 ) to increase agglomeration of droplets of the low-density liquid.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the vessel further comprises a sloped plate ( 68 ) arranged to form a sloped bottom of the first separation chamber ( 66 ) or to form a sloped ceiling of the second separation chamber ( 72 ).

13. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first separation chamber ( 66 ) further comprises a perforated plate ( 63 ) that extends across the full width of a coarse filtration chamber ( 62 ).

14. An immiscible liquids separation method comprising:

providing a vessel comprising a first separation chamber ( 66 ) and a second separation chamber ( 72 ) being in a first fluid communication with the first separation chamber ( 66 ), the first separation chamber ( 66 ) being situated above the second separation chamber ( 72 ), a vertical low-density liquid gap ( 75 ) arranged between the first separation chamber ( 66 ) and the second separation chamber ( 72 ) to allow the first fluid communication, the vertical low-density liquid gap ( 75 ) adapted to increase agglomeration of droplets of a low-density liquid, and the second separation chamber ( 72 ) further comprising a high-density liquid release chamber ( 80 ) being in a second fluid communication with the second separation chamber ( 72 ); and a high-density liquid outlet ( 60 ) is arranged at the high-density liquid release chamber ( 80 ), wherein the high-density liquid release chamber ( 80 ) comprises a vertical release shaft ( 86 ), the vertical release shaft ( 86 ) comprises a weir plate ( 82 ) having an overflow edge ( 85 ), the overflow edge ( 85 ) being the same height as a zero waste-water flowrate level ( 74 ) in the first separation chamber ( 66 );

through an inlet ( 52 ) arranged at the first separation chamber ( 66 ), allowing a liquid to flow into the vessel and into the first separation chamber ( 66 ), the liquid flowing out of the first separation chamber ( 66 ) and through the vertical low-density liquid gap ( 75 ) to enter the second separation chamber ( 72 );

through a low-density liquid outlet ( 78 ) arranged on the second separation chamber ( 72 ), allowing a low-density liquid separated from the liquid to be removed therefrom; and

through a high-density liquid outlet ( 60 ) arranged at the vessel, allowing as high-density liquid separated from the liquid to flow out of the vessel through the vertical release shaft ( 86 ).

15. The immiscible liquids separation method of claim 14 , wherein the first separation chamber ( 66 ) further comprises a coarse filtration chamber ( 62 ) and the liquid flowing into the first separation chamber ( 66 ) flow into the coarse filtration chamber ( 62 ) before flowing into a coalescent filter or removable coalescent filter ( 88 ) in the vertical low-density liquid gap ( 75 ).

16. An immiscible liquids separation apparatus ( 50 ) comprising:

a vessel comprising a first separation chamber ( 66 ) and a second separation chamber ( 72 ) being in a first fluid communication with the first separation chamber ( 66 ), the first separation chamber ( 66 ), the first separation chamber ( 66 ) comprises at least one open hole ( 70 ) arranged at a bottom of the first separation chamber ( 66 ) to allow the first fluid communication at a first flow rate of the liquid;

an inlet ( 52 ) arranged at the first separation chamber ( 66 ) to allow a liquid to flow into the vessel;

a low-density liquid outlet ( 78 ) arranged on the second separation chamber ( 72 ) to allow low-density liquid separated from the liquid to be removed therefrom;

a high-density liquid outlet ( 60 ) arranged at the vessel to allow high-density liquid separated from the liquid to flow out of the vessel;

a vertical low-density liquid gap ( 75 ) arranged between the first separation chamber ( 66 ) and the second separation chamber ( 72 ) to allow the first fluid communication at a second flow rate of the liquid, the second flow rate being higher than the first flow rate of the liquid, and the vertical low-density liquid gap adapted to increase agglomeration of droplets of the low-density liquid; and

a high-density liquid release chamber ( 80 ) being in a second fluid communication with the second separation chamber ( 72 ), the high-density liquid outlet ( 60 ) is arranged at the high-density liquid release chamber ( 80 ), the high-density liquid release chamber ( 80 ) comprises a vertical release shaft ( 86 ) designed to allow the high-density liquid flowing out of the vessel to take fine silt comprised in the liquid out of the vessel.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the vertical low-density liquid gap ( 75 ) comprises a coalescent filter or removable coalescent filter ( 88 ) to increase agglomeration of droplets of the low-density liquid.