An apparatus for reducing the water content of waste water sludge includes a column for receiving waste water sludge, an outlet at a lower end of the column, a first closure for closing the outlet of the column, a controller for controlling the opening and closing of the closure. The controller is adapted to open and close the first closure to periodically discharge amounts of settled fines from the lower end of the column. A water outlet is adapted to receive water overflowing from an upper end of the column.

A system for automatically discharging sand from a sand separator. The system includes a first and second valves and a choke valve disposed in a discharge line from a sand separator. A pressure transducer measures pressure in the line between the first and second valves. A control panel operates the valves to initiate and terminate the discharge sequence. An emergency shutdown valve is positioned upstream of the sand separator and is operative to shut down the system if the pressure reading by the transducer exceeds a predetermined amount.

The invention relates to a tailings settling-dewatering-solidifying device and an experimental method thereof, which falls into the technical field of mine engineering and mine geotechnical engineering, comprising a tailings settling device including a water tank, charging barrels I and II, and a reaction tank made of a transparent material, a dewatering device including an intelligent type controller, a circular base, a gas cylinder, a permeable stone, a piston, a metal rod and a water return barrel, a solidifying device including a charging barrel III and a tailings barrel, a stirring system including a stirrer, a rotary shaft and an electric motor, a dynamic real-time monitoring system including a high-definition electronic camera and a computer, and a three-layer framework. Through integration of tailings settling-dewatering-solidifying, the device can effectively improve tailings treatment efficiency, facilitate data collection and analysis, adjust medicament concentration in real time, meet enterprises' requirements, and reduce enterprise cost.

A turbid matter separating apparatus extracts turbid matter and a supernatant liquid separately from a suspension. The invention is directed to a turbid matter separating apparatus which includes a liquid container which includes a sediment discharge port and a supernatant liquid discharge port and is filled with a suspension containing turbid matter, a sediment valve which is provided in the sediment discharge port, a supernatant liquid valve which is provided in the supernatant liquid discharge port, an ultrasonic irradiator which irradiates the suspension filled in the liquid container with ultrasound, and a control unit which controls the sediment valve, the supernatant liquid valve, and the ultrasonic irradiator, the control unit being configured to control the sediment valve to discharge a sediment and controls a supernatant liquid valve to discharge a supernatant liquid after a predetermined time elapses since the irradiation with ultrasound by the ultrasonic irradiator is stopped.

A system for removing sedimentary solids from a separator is provided. The separator is for separating components of well fluid produced by a well. The system includes an inlet for receiving motive fluid; a nozzle configured to introduce the motive fluid to the sedimentary solids in the separator, thereby fluidizing the sedimentary solids; and an outlet configured to allow the fluidized solids to exit the separator. The motive fluid includes well fluid produced from the well. A separator, method for removing sedimentary solids from a separator, and method of removing solids from well fluid produced by a well are also provided.

Sand separation systems and methods according to which one or more energy sensors are adapted to detect a response to energy imparted to a sand separator of a known type. One or more computers are adapted to communicate with the one or more energy sensors. The one or more computers and/or the one or more energy sensors are pre-tuned. The one or more computers are configured to determine the unknown sand level in the sand separator of the known type based on: the response detected by the one or more energy sensors, and the pre-tuning of the one or more energy sensors and/or the one or more computers.

A method and a system for purification of oil, said method comprising the steps of: -providing separation aid and oil to be purified to at least one sedimentation tank; -waiting for allowing a sludge phase to sediment to a bottom part of the sedimentation tank, said sludge phase comprising the separation aid together with impurities from the oil; -removing an oil phase not comprising said sludge phase from the at least one sedimentation tank; and -filtering said oil phase through a depth filter for removing any possible remaining separation aid and impurities.

A method and a system for purification of oil, said method comprising the steps of: -providing separation aid and oil to be purified to at least one sedimentation tank; -waiting for allowing a sludge phase to sediment to a bottom part of the sedimentation tank, said sludge phase comprising the separation aid together with impurities from the oil; -removing an oil phase not comprising said sludge phase from the at least one sedimentation tank; and -filtering said oil phase through a depth filter for removing any possible remaining separation aid and impurities.

Methods and systems for treating tailings at an elevated pH using lime are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the method comprises (i) providing a tailings stream comprising bicarbonates and a pH less than 9.0, (ii) adding a coagulant comprising calcium hydroxide to the tailings stream to form a mixture having a pH of at least 11.5 and a soluble calcium level no more than 800 mg/L, and (iii) dewatering the mixture to produce a product having a solids content of at least 40% by weight. In some embodiments, the pH and soluble calcium level of the mixture cause chemical modification of clay materials of the mixture via pozzolanic reactions. In some embodiments, the undrained shear strength of the product increases over a period of time of at least two days.

Methods and systems for treating tailings at an elevated pH using lime are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the method comprises (i) providing a tailings stream comprising bicarbonates and a pH less than 9.0, (ii) adding a coagulant comprising calcium hydroxide to the tailings stream to form a mixture having a pH of at least 11.5 and a soluble calcium level no more than 800 mg/L, and (iii) dewatering the mixture to produce a product having a solids content of at least 40% by weight. In some embodiments, the pH and soluble calcium level of the mixture cause chemical modification of clay materials of the mixture via pozzolanic reactions. In some embodiments, the undrained shear strength of the product increases over a period of time of at least two days.