Gravity flow filtration of hydrocarbons from an oil-in-water emulsion
A polishing filter employed within a sump pump system for removing mineral oils, natural ester, and synthetic ester-based fluids from an emulsion is provided. The polishing filter is disposed within a sump pump barrier and is gravity-fed a synthetic ester and water based emulsion via a polishing filter conduit. The polishing filter removes excess synthetic ester-based fluids from a water/oil emulsion fluid flowing through a barrier canister disposed within the sump pump barrier above the polishing filter and releases a resultant filtered fluid. The polishing filter cartridge contains a filtration media with a hydrophilic composition for the capture of synthetic ester-based fluid having a surface tension dissimilar to water, and the hydrophilic composition of the media has a surface energy greater than or equal to 35 dynes per centimeter.
1. A gravity-fed system for the filtration of synthetic ester-based fluids from an emulsion, comprising:
a barrier ( 10 ′) having a sump pump barrier housing ( 12 ′) with an open top, the housing ( 12 ′) including:
an inlet ( 41 ′) extending through an upper side wall of the housing ( 12 ′) permitting ingress of fluid to be filtered into the interior of the housing ( 12 ′);
a barrier canister ( 20 ′) containing a hydrocarbon adsorption media capable of absorbing/adsorbing hydrocarbons/sheen present in fluids while simultaneously allowing water to pass therethrough, is disposed within the housing ( 12 ′);
a false bottom ( 31 ′) disposed beneath the barrier canister ( 20 ′) and within the housing ( 12 ′);
a polishing filter housing ( 30 ′) having a polishing filter cartridge ( 34 ) disposed therein is disposed within the false bottom ( 31 ′), the polishing filter cartridge ( 34 ) containing a hydrophilic composition capable of removing synthetic ester-based fluids having a surface tension dissimilar to water, the hydrophilic composition having a surface energy greater than or equal to 35 dynes per centimeter;
a polishing filter conduit ( 32 ′) in fluid communication with an interior volume of the housing ( 12 ′) beneath the barrier canister ( 20 ′) and an inlet of the polishing filter housing ( 30 ′); and
a first conduit ( 40 ′) for the introduction of a flow of fluid into the sump pump barrier housing is in fluid communication with the inlet ( 41 ′);
wherein, fluids passing through the barrier canister ( 20 ′) drain into polishing conduit ( 32 ′) and flow into and through the polishing filter housing ( 30 ′), accomplishing removal of synthetic ester/sheen from volumes of water and synthetic ester emulsions, by gravity, without an electric pump to push the fluid through the barrier ( 10 ′), such that filtered fluid exiting the polishing filter housing contains less than 5 ppm of said synthetic ester-based fluids.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein the composition contained within the polishing filter cartridge ( 34 ) includes polyether sulfone or a glass fiber media.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein the composition contained within the filter cartridge has a porosity measuring between 0.2-20 μm.
4. The system of claim 1 wherein the composition contained within the filter cartridge is a filter media having a surface energy greater than or equal to 45 dynes per centimeter.
5. The system of claim 1 further including a second conduit for the flow of overflowing fluid egressing from the sump pump barrier housing.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein the polishing filter cartridge is pre-wetted under forced pressure and has an initial flow rate exceeding 5 gallons per minute.
7. The system of claim 1 further including a pre-filter material disposed within the sump pump barrier housing on top of the barrier canister.
8. The system of claim 7 further including a sheen filter disposed within the sump pump barrier housing on top of the pre-filter material.
9. The system of claim 1 further including a cap ( 11 ′) disposed on a top surface of the housing ( 12 ′) covering the open top.