GB2279020A

GB2279020A - Separator

Info

Publication number: GB2279020A
Application number: GB9312458A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stephen P Dobson; Senior Paul
Original assignee: MARRAL CHEMICALS Ltd
Current assignee: MARRAL CHEMICALS Ltd
Priority date: 1993-06-17
Filing date: 1993-06-17
Publication date: 1994-12-21
Anticipated expiration: 2013-06-17
Also published as: GB2279020B; GB9312458D0

Abstract

A gravity or centrifugal separator, wherein a relatively light or heavy liquid separates from a liquid flow and accumulates in a region adjacent a discharge valve 6 therefor, is provided with electrodes 4, 5 which detect the presence of said liquid by monitoring its conductivity and open the valve automatically or warn an operator to do so.The valve may serve as one of the electrodes. In particular heavy dry cleaning fluid is separated from waste water. <IMAGE>

Description

SEPARATOR The invention relates to separators, and in particular to separation devices for detecting and separating a first substance from a second, fluid, substance.

Domestic and industrial processes often give rise to waste fluids which it is not desirable to discharge into waste water outflows.

An example of such an industrial process is that of dry cleaning of clothing. During the dry cleaning process, dry cleaning fluid may contaminate water. If such a mixture were to be simply discharged into the drains, then the mixture could cause a considerable environmental hazard. In addition, extra punitive charges may be imposed upon the dry cleaning store concerned by the local water company so as to discourage such discharges.

According to the present invention, a device is provided for detecting the presence of a first substance, having a first density, within a second, fluid, substance, having a second density, and separating the first substance from the second substance, the device comprising: a fluid inlet; a fluid outlet; a separation and detection chamber; a detector for detecting the presence of the first substance within the chamber; and a selectively operable drain connection, whereby the configuration of the inlet, outlet and chamber is such that the first substance, if present, will tend to gravitate towards the drain connection and its presence will be detected by the detector, whereafter operation of the drain connection is enabled so as to allow eggress of the first substance through the drain connection.

Preferably, the detector is a conductivity monitor and the first and second substances have different electrical conductivities.

Preferably, the conductivity monitor comprises at least first and second electrodes which extend into the chamber and are mounted adjacent to the drain connection.

The drain connection itself may form the first electrode.

Preferably, the drain connection comprises a valve through which the first substance may be drained or removed.

Preferably, the drain connection is automatically operated in response to presence of the first substance.

Alternatively, the detector may provide an indication to an operator if and when the first substance is detected, and the operator may then operate the drain connection.

Preferably, the density of the first substance is greater than that of the second substance and the separation and detection chamber extends to a level below that of both the inlet and outlet connections.

Preferably, the second substance is water and the device is plumbed into a water outflow such that waste water containing the first substance enters through the inlet connection, the first substance tends to be trapped within the separation and detection chamber and water containing substantially less of the first substance exits through the fluid outlet and, at least the main bulk of the first substance may be drained off through the drain connection.

The separation and detection chamber may be in the form of a conical cylinder, wherein: the point of the cone is positioned lowermost and connected to the drain connection, the fluid inlet is connected to the conical cylinder at some point above the drain connection, and the fluid outlet is positioned towards the top of the conical cylinder. Preferably, the inlet is positioned such that fluid entering the separation and detection chamber will enter substantially at a tangent to the inner face of the conical cylinder.

Providing such a conical arrangement having an appropriately positioned fluid inlet tends to promote swirl within the detection and separation chamber and aids separation of the first and second substances.

The invention includes industrial dry cleaning apparatus incorporating the device.

By way of example, a specific embodiment of the present invention will now be described, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a first embodiment of a device according to the present invention; and Figures 2 and 3 are respectively a schematic crosssectional and a schematic plan view of a second embodiment of device according to the present invention.

Referring now to Figure 1, a first embodiment of a detection and separating device is shown. The device comprises a fluid inlet 1, a fluid outlet 2, a separation and detection chamber 3, electrodes 4, 5 for connection to a conductivity monitor (not shown) and a drain valve 6.

In use, the device is plumbed into a waste outflow system, such as the outflow from a domestic dwelling or from an industrial plant.

In a typical application, waste fluids from an industrial outlet, such as a dry cleaning store flow into the inlet connection 1. Although the connecting pipe work is not shown in the Figure, it should be understood that the pipe work which connects to the inlet from the dry cleaning equipment is usually of a smaller diameter than that of the inlet 1. The reason for this is that the device of the present invention operates particularly effectively when fluid flow within the device is relatively slow.

Once the fluid is within the device, it continues to flow towards the outlet connection 2. Upon reaching the detection and separation chamber, heavier substances which are being swept along with the general water flow will tend to sink towards the drainage valve 6.

The conductivity monitor continuously samples the conductivity level between the two electrodes 4, 5. The monitor is pre-calibrated such that the heavier substances, in this example dry cleaning fluid, will have a detectably different electrical conductivity to that of water. Once sufficient amounts of dry cleaning fluid are trapped within the separation and detection chamber, a signal can be given to the drainage valve to open so that the dry cleaning fluids can be drained off without them entering the main water outlet.

Operation of the drainage valve 6 may be effected automatically by the conductivity monitor once a sufficiently high level of dry cleaning fluid is detected as being present within the chamber 3.

Figures 3 and 4 show an alternative arrangement of device.

The figures show an inverted conical cylinder 7 which forms the detection and separation chamber 3. The device has an inlet connection 1, which is connected in similar manner to the inlet connection 1 of Figure 1, and which leads into the separation and detection chamber 3 such that fluid entering into the chamber enters at a tangent to the inner wall of the conical cylinder 7. The outlet is positioned at a point on the conical cylinder higher than the inlet and heavier substances settle towards the bottom of the chamber 3.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 2 and 3, separation of dry cleaning fluid from the water is assisted by the swirling affect which will naturally take place when fluids enter into the chamber 3. In other respects, this device operates in the same manner as that of Figure 1.

It can be seen from Figure 2, that one of the electrodes 5 of the conductivity monitor is formed by the drainage valve 6. This is relatively easy to accomplish, as long as the drainage valve 6 is made of a conducting material.

Whilst in the two embodiments shown, separation of the dry cleaning fluid from waste water is achieved by virtue of the fact that the dry cleaning fluid has a relative density greater than 1, simple modifications could be made to the device so that it operated in a similar manner for fluids which had a relative density less than 1.

The simplest example of such a modification would be to turn the device upside down so that the relevant fluid would settle at the top of the chamber 3 from which it could be drained.

The present invention is not restricted to the separation of substances from water.

The principle of operation of the separator device of the present invention can be extended to the detection and separation of many different types of fluid and, for instance, extends to the detection and separation of solids held in suspension in a fluid.

The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims

CLAINS

1. A separation device specially adapted to detect the presence of a first substance, having a first density, within a second, fluid, substance, having a second density, and separating the first substance from the second substance, the device comprising: a fluid inlet; a fluid outlet; a chamber; a detector for detecting the presence of the first substance within the chamber; and a selectively operable drain connection, whereby the configuration of the inlet, outlet and chamber is such that the first substance, if present, will tend to gravitate towards the drain connection and its presence will be detected by the detector, whereafter operation of the drain connection is enabled so as to allow egress of the first substance through the drain connection.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the detector is a conductivity monitor and the first and second substances have different electrical conductivities.

3. A device according to claim 2, wherein the conductivity monitor comprises at least first and second electrodes which extend into the chamber.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the electrodes is located adjacent to the drain connection.

5. A device according to claim 4, wherein the drain connection forms the first electrode.

6. A device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the drain connection comprises a valve through which the first substance may be drained or removed.

7. A device according to claim 6, wherein the drain connection is automatically operated in response to presence of the first substance within the chamber.

8. A device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the detector provides an indication to the operator if and when the first substance is detected.

9. A device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the density of the first substance is greater than that of the second substance and the chamber extends to a level below that of the inlet and outlet connections.

10. A device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the second substance is water and the device is plumbed into a water outflow such that waste water containing the first substance enters through the inlet connection, this first substance tends to be trapped within the chamber and water containing substantially less of the first substance exits through the fluid outlet.

11. A device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the chamber is in the form of a conical cylinder and wherein the point of the cone is positioned lowermost and connected to the drain connection, the fluid inlet is connected to the conical cylinder at some point above the drain connection, and the fluid outlet is positioned towards the top of the conical cylinder.

12. A device according to claim 11, wherein the inlet is positioned such that fluid entering the chamber will enter substantially at a tangent to an inner face of the conical cylinder.

13. A device substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 1 or Figures 2 and 3 of the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

14. Industrial dry cleaning apparatus incorporating a device according to any of the preceding claims.