A separation system includes an elongated separator vessel having an inlet, a heating section which is located downstream of the inlet, an oil accumulation section which is located downstream of the heating section, and an oil outlet which is connected to the oil accumulation section. The heating section includes an immersed plate heater which is fluidly connected to a heating medium heater that is located externally of the separator vessel. In operation, a heating fluid which is heated in the heating medium heater is circulated through the immersed plate heater to heat the multiphase fluid.

A system for separating a multiphase well stream into a solids fraction, a water fraction, an oil fraction and a gas fraction includes a transportable support surface; a solids separator which is mounted on the support surface and is configured to receive the multiphase well stream and separate the well stream into a first heavy fraction primarily comprising the solids fraction and a first light fraction primarily comprising the gas, oil and water fractions; and a multiphase fluid separator which is mounted on the support surface and includes a first separator section and a second separator section which is positioned vertically below and connected directly to the first separator section. The first separator section is configured to receive the first light fraction and separate the first light fraction into a second light fraction primarily comprising the gas fraction and a second heavy fraction primarily comprising the oil and water fractions. The second separator section is configured to receive the second heavy fraction and separate the second heavy fraction into a third light fraction primarily comprising the oil fraction and a third heavy fraction primarily comprising the oil fraction.

The present invention discloses a microstructured discrimination device for separating hydrophobic-hydrophilic fluidic composites comprising particulate and/or fluids in a fluid flow. The discrimination is the result of surface energy gradients obtained by physically varying a textured surface and/or by varying surface chemical properties, both of which are spatially graded. Such surfaces discriminate and spatially separate particulate and/or fluids without external energy input. The device of the present invention comprises a platform having bifurcating microchannels arranged radially. The lumenal surfaces of the microchannels may have a surface energy gradient created by varying the periodicity of hierarchically arranged microstructures along a dimension. The surface energy gradient is varied in two regions. In one pre-bifurcation region the surface energy gradient generates a fluid flow. In the other post-bifurcation region, there is a difference in surface energy proximal to the bifurcation such that different flow fractions are divided into separate channels in response to different surface energy gradients in each of the post-bifurcation channels. Accordingly, fluids of different hydrophobicity and/or particulate of different hydrophobicity are driven into separate channels by a global minimization of the fluid system energy.

A nanocarbon immobilized membrane (NCIM) is disclosed. The nanocarbon immobilized membrane is sized to purify different organic-water mixtures. The nanocarbon immobilized membrane can be used to purify solvents, fuels, and other organic compounds. Data using heptane-water, octane-water, fuel-water, and paint thinner-water show 99.9% separation efficiency. High organic flux is also seen at relatively low pressure. This approach has numerous applications, including fuel purification, oil spills clean-up, separation of commercial emulsions, and solvent purification.

Systems and methods for the controlled release of a guest composition that is sequestered within a host composition made up of an anisotropic fluid are disclosed. The guest composition is immiscible in the host composition, thus forming an interface between the compositions upon which elastic repulsion forces act to prevent the release of the guest composition from the host composition. The disclosed systems and methods work by changing the elastic repulsion forces and/or introducing one or more counter forces such that the elastic repulsion forces are no longer sufficient to prevent release of the guest composition. Exemplary methods include mechanically changing the host material (e.g., changing its temperature) or inducing a chemical (e.g., electrostatic) attraction sufficient to overcome the elastic repulsion forces. The disclosed systems and methods can be used for a variety of applications requiring “on-demand” delivery of a chemical composition.

The present disclosure is directed to providing an oil-water separation filter structure including a base guide having a separated water outlet hole through which a fluid separated from a mixed fluid including an impurity exits, an oil-water separation filter disposed on the base guide to separate the impurity and the fluid included in the mixed liquid, and a top guide disposed on the oil-water separation filter, having at least one mixed fluid inlet hole through which the mixed fluid enters, and coupled to the base guide. According to the present disclosure, the oil-water separation filter structure includes a hydrophilic material to separate water and oil, and as opposed to the existing nonwoven fabric type filters, can be continuously used, thereby preventing environmental pollution problems.

An electrochemical separation device includes a first electrode, a second electrode, a cell stack including alternating depleting compartments and concentrating compartments disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, an inlet manifold configured to introduce a fluid to one of the depleting compartments or the concentrating compartments an outlet manifold, and one or more of a fluid flow director disposed within the inlet manifold and having a surface configured to alter a flow path of the fluid introduced into the inlet manifold and direct the fluid into the one of the depleting compartments or the concentrating compartments, and a second fluid flow director disposed within the outlet manifold and having a surface configured to alter a flow path of the fluid introduced into the outlet manifold via one of the depleting compartments or the concentrating compartments.

An apparatus for filtering water has a valve head and a filtration/purification canister removably mountable thereon. Connecting the canister to the valve head automatically opens a check valve in the valve head to permit water to flow from the valve head into and through the canister, and then back to and through the valve head to an outlet port. Disconnecting the canister from the valve head automatically closes the check valve, stopping the flow of water. A bypass valve is provided in the valve head to permit a sanitizing solution to flow through the valve head and along the lines of the water distribution system to sanitize the system, while bypassing the canister. The outlet port may be directly connected to an appliance that uses water, to eliminate possible contamination that may occur when water is brought indirectly from the outlet port to the appliance instead.

Devices and methods for electric field driven on-demand separation of liquid-liquid mixtures are provided. For example, methods for separating liquid-liquid mixtures, such as free oil and water, oil-in-water emulsions and water-in-oil emulsions, are provided that have separation efficiencies up to about 99.9%. The liquid-liquid mixture is contacted with a separator membrane assembly comprising a separator membrane formed of a porous oleophobic (or superoleophobic) material and an electrically conductive member. An electrical potential is applied across the porous oleophobic (or superoleophobic) material of the separator membrane to facilitate passage and separation of at least a portion of the first component through the separator membrane. Separation devices and such separator membrane assemblies are also provided.

A filter assembly for fluid filtration having a push-activated lock and release mechanism. A push filter design activates a filter key lock upon insertion and extraction, where the filter key may be used simultaneously as a lock and as an identifier for particular filter attributes. The filter housing assembly may be attached to, and removed from, a filter base by a push-actuated release. Upon insertion, the filter key shifts the filter lock longitudinally to receive interlocking segments. Upon extraction, the same axial push shifts the filter lock further to align the interlocking fingers within gaps that allow for easy extraction. The specific key lock design allows a user to identify and match certain filter configurations received by the mechanical support, and reject other filter configurations.