McGrew, Jay L.;

Apparatus for coalescing

A method and apparatus to effect coalescence of a first liquid suspended as minute droplets in a second liquid of different specific gravity. An endless small-pore matrix having internal pore surfaces preferentially attractive to the first liquid, and having ingested a quantity of the mixture liquids is advanced through a transport interval to a point of discharge with quiescent conditions maintained within the pores for a sufficient time to permit gravitational settling and resultant coalescence of the droplets on the pore surfaces. Squeezing the resiliently compressible matrix at the end of such transport or pumping interval purges the second liquid and coalesced first liquid from the pores, and subsequent reexpansion of the matrix as it reenters the mixture causes ingestion of additional mixture to be processed, the process being repeated on a continuing cyclical basis.

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What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for coalescing emulsified oil in an emulsified oil/water mixture to produce coalesced oil/water mixture therefrom, comprising:

container means including a first compartment adapted to receive and hold emulsified oil/water mixture, a second compartment adapted to receive and hold coalesced oil/water mixture substantially at the level of mixture in the first compartment, and a mixture transfer compartment adapted to hold mixture at said level extending between said compartments and affording a mixture transfer path therebetween,

an elongated endless belt of resiliently compressible open-pore foam material having oleophilic, hydrophobic pore wall surfaces,

means guiding the belt in an endless generally horizontal path of motion passing recurringly and successively through said first and second compartments and said mixture transfer compartment while continuously immersed in mixture to such level,

means at a first station along said path in said first compartment operable on the belt to effect ingestion of emulsified oil/water mixture into the open pores of the belt material as it passes such station.

means at a second station along said path in said second compartment operable on the belt to force ingested mixture from the belt material as it passes said second station,

and drive means operable to advance the belt in said endless path at a controlled rate related to the path distance between said stations so as to afford time for emulsion particles of the oil in the ingested mixture to coalesce by gravity settling on said pore wall surfaces in the belt material while the same is advancing from said first station to said second station and through said mixture transfer compartment, whereby oil in the mixture forced from the belt at said second station is coalesced.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the means guiding the belt comprises a rotary drum mounted in the container means to turn on an upright axis therein, with the belt formed as a continuous jacket encircling the drum, and wherein the means at the second and first stations are respectively operable to compress the belt material against the drum and to release the belt material from compression against the drum.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 2 wherein the means at the first and second stations comprise roller means.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 2 wherein the respective means to compress the belt and to release it from compression comprise circumferentially adjacent surface areas of a single belt squeeze roller rotatable on an upright axis parallel to the drum's axis, and rotatable at substantially the same surface speed as the drum while in compressive contact with the belt material, coalesced oil/water mixture being forced from the belt material into the second compartment as such material enters the nip between the roller and drum and is compressed thereby, and emulsified oil/water mixture being ingested in the belt material as it leaves such nip and thereby expands resiliently in the first compartment.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 4 wherein the belt comprises a polyurethane reticulated foam.

6. The apparatus defined in claim 4 wherein the drum comprises a round cylinder having a polyvinylcloride jacket on its exterior peripheral surface, and wherein the belt comprises a polyurethane reticulated foam covering and is bonded to said latter jacket.

7. The apparatus defined in claim 4 wherein the belt comprises a polyurethane reticulated foam the open pores of which are of substantially uniform size.

8. The apparatus defined in claim 7 wherein the pore size is in the range between 60 and 100 pores per inch.

9. The apparatus defined in claim 4 wherein the container means comprises an outer enclosure wall surrounding and spaced radially outwardly from the rotary drum to form space therebetween for said first and second compartments, first and second partition means segmenting said space into said first and second compartments extending in arcuate succession about said drum, first partitioning means including an element in sealing engagement with the belt, said second partition means comprising said roller and means in sealing engagement with said roller.