GB1047507A - - Google Patents

Abstract

1,047,507. Separating fluids from oil-continous emulsions; electrostatic separators. PETROLITE CORPORATION. April 7, 1965 [April 20, 1964], No. 14845/65. Headings B1D, B1M and B2J. In the treatment of oil-continous emulsions to remove gas and water therefrom, the emulsion is pretreated in a lower, gas and free-water, separation zone running substantially the length of the reaction container before subjecting the pre-treated emulsion to electric treatment in the upper interior of the container to coalesce the emulsified water. Emulsion to be treated is fed in through pipe 60 to flow longitudinally beneath an inverted trough baffle structure 45, gas separating out in the upper interior of the baffle structrue to form a gas/emulsion interface 62 and free water dropping to a emulsion/water interface 65. The pretreatment of the emulsion is aided by a U-shaped heater 55 provided within and extending the length of the baffle structure. The interface 65 is at the level of notches 70 in the side walls 51 of the baffle structure through which streams of emulsion droplets pass, and flow upwardly through the body 32 of water in the remainder of the container, being washed by the water before rising through the oil/water interface 30 to the treating space between electrodes 20 and 21. The interfaces are maintained at constant levels by means of floats and valved-draw off pipes. In an alternative embodiment (Figs 4-6 not shown) the baffle structure terminates short of one end wall of the container where it opens into a dwell chamber 85 divided by a partition 86 from the electrode zone. Also the sloping walls of the trough extend laterally to the internal side walls of the container.