Acoustophoretic devices and methods for separating biological cells (particularly T-cells) from other fluids/materials using multi-dimensional acoustic standing waves are disclosed. The devices include an inlet, at least two outlets, and a flow chamber having an ultrasonic transducer-reflector pair. Specifically, T cells, B cells, or NK cells can be separated from other blood components. A dual-pass acoustophoretic system including two acoustophoretic devices arranged in series and fluidly connected to one another is also illustrated. Means for pre-chilling the mixture prior to separation in the devices or system can be used to improve retention, concentration, and clarification and to prevent outgassing.

Disclosed is a fuel filter (10) for fuel, in particular diesel fuel, of an internal combustion engine, in particular of a motor vehicle, and to a filter element of such a fuel filter. A housing (12) has at least one fuel inlet (26) for the fuel to be cleaned, at least one fuel outlet (18) for cleaned fuel, and at least one water outlet (30) for water which has been separated from the fuel. The filter element (36) is arranged in the housing (12), said filter element sealingly separating the fuel inlet (26) from the fuel outlet (18). The filter element (36) has a filter medium (38) which is designed as a hollow body and which can be permeated from the inside to the outside or from the outside to the inside in order to filter the fuel. The filter element (36) has a coalescing medium (58) designed as a hollow body for separating water contained in the fuel. The coalescing medium (58) is arranged downstream of the filter medium (38) in the flow path (78) of the fuel, around said filter medium, or in the interior (45) delimited by the filter medium. The coalescing medium (58) includes at least one regenerated-fiber coalescing system consisting of a coalescing material (60) which is suitable for coalescing water and which has at least 20 wt. % of regenerated fibers, preferably at least 50 wt. %.

The group of inventions relates to the field of organic chemistry and can be used for cleaning water, industrial and domestic waste water or waste water sediment, and for the containment and recovery of petroleum and petroleum product spills in large bodies of water, rivers, lakes and seas. In the claimed group of inventions, aqueous solutions of polysaccharide microgels, having a molecular mass of 20000-200000 daltons and a particle size of 50-600 nm, are used as a substance for cleaning water of petroleum and petroleum products. Moreover, low concentrations of polysaccharide microgels in water, ranging from 0.1 to 20 g/l, are used. Said solutions are used as a surface modifier for a filter used in separating water-oil emulsions, as a sorbent for the containment and recovery of oil spills in an aqueous medium, and also as a coagulant for the cleaning of water polluted by petroleum and petroleum products. The technical result is in making it possible to recover a commercial product, recovered during the process of cleaning water of petroleum or petroleum products, and to recover the starting substance for the reuse thereof, while simultaneously simplifying the slurry utilization process.

A demulsifying additive comprising a branched aliphatic compound may be introduced to a stream containing mixtures of or emulsions of oil and water in an effective amount to separate water from the oil in the stream, such as separating oil from emulsified oil-in-water and/or separating water from emulsified water-in-oil in a production fluid. The branched aliphatic compound may be grafted with a polyether via a crosslinking reaction. Alternatively, branched aliphatic compounds may be crosslinked together.

A coalescing filter element provides an integrated filter element with a three stage design with a hydrophobic or hydrophilic coalescing layer. A coalescing filter element comprises: a) At least one particulate filtration layer; b) A coalescing layer promoting coalescing of water particles, wherein the coalescing layer is downstream of the at least one particulate filtration layer relative to the flow of fluid through the element; c) An annular coalescing space downstream of the coalescing layer; d) A sump in a lower portion of the filter element in fluid communication with the annular coalescing space; and e) A hydrophobic layer downstream of the annular coalescing space, wherein fluid being cleaned by the element flows through the hydrophobic layer. The coalescing layer may be a hydrophobic or a hydrophilic coalescing layer. A filter assembly will include the coalescing filter element of the present invention.

This disclosure generally relates to perforated filter media and coalescing filter elements utilizing perforated filter media. One example coalescing filter element is structured to separate a dispersed phase from a continuous phase of a mixture. The filter media includes a first coalescing layer. The first coalescing layer includes a first filter media. The first filter media has a plurality of pores and a first perforation. Each of the plurality of pores is smaller than the first perforation. The first perforation is formed in the first filter media and extends through the first filter media. The plurality of pores are structured to capture a portion of the dispersed phase. The first perforation is structured to facilitate the transmission of coalesced drops of the dispersed phase through the first coalescing layer such that the coalesced drops of the dispersed phase are separated from the portion of the dispersed phase captured in the first coalescing layer.

This disclosure generally relates to perforated filter media and coalescing filter elements utilizing perforated filter media. One example coalescing filter element is structured to separate a dispersed phase from a continuous phase of a mixture. The filter media includes a first coalescing layer. The first coalescing layer includes a first filter media. The first filter media has a plurality of pores and a first perforation. Each of the plurality of pores is smaller than the first perforation. The first perforation is formed in the first filter media and extends through the first filter media. The plurality of pores are structured to capture a portion of the dispersed phase. The first perforation is structured to facilitate the transmission of coalesced drops of the dispersed phase through the first coalescing layer such that the coalesced drops of the dispersed phase are separated from the portion of the dispersed phase captured in the first coalescing layer.

A demulsifying composition is disclosed for aiding extraction of an emulsified oil from an oil and water emulsion. The composition includes one or more non-ionic surfactants having a HLB value of 6 or greater, wherein the non-ionic surfactant is selected from the group consisting of alkoxylated plant oils, alkoxylated plant fats, alkoxylated animal oils, alkoxylated animal fats, alkyl polyglucosides, alkoxylated glycerols, and mixtures thereof. The composition may include silicon containing particles. A method for recovering oil from a corn to ethanol process is also disclosed. The method includes the steps of adding the composition to a process stream of the corn to ethanol process, and extracting oil from the process stream.

A system (1; 101) and a method for purification of oil, said system comprising:—at least one feed tank (3) comprising oil to be purified;—a separation aid dosing device(13);—at least one basic sedimentation tank (21a, 21b) comprising at least one inlet (23a, 23b) connected to the feed tank (3) and to the separation aid dosing device (13) for receiving oil to be purified and separation aid, said at least one basic sedimentation tank (21a, 21b) further comprising at least one sludge phase outlet (41a, 41b) provided in a bottom part (37a, 37b) of the basic sedimentation tank and at least one oil phase outlet (39a, 39b);—at least one advanced sedimentation tank (121) comprising at least one sludge phase inlet (122) connected to the at least one sludge phase outlet (41a, 41b) of the at least one basic sedimentation tank (21a, 21b), said advanced sedimentation tank (121) further comprising at least one sludge phase outlet (141; 141a, 141b) connected to a sludge tank (143) and at least one oil phase outlet (139a, 139b; 39), wherein said advanced sedimentation tank (121) further comprises at least one sensor (55; 55a, 55b, 55c) for detecting the presence of an oil phase or a sludge phase.

A method to remove oil from an oily water stream includes the step of pressure controlling a release of dissolved gases from the stream as the stream passes through two or more stages of gas flotation treatment. The operating pressure of the first stage of flotation treatment is purposefully reduced relative to that of an upstream unit so that a certain controlled percent volume of dissolved gases is released. The operating pressure of the second stage of flotation treatment is then purposefully reduced relative to that of the first stage so that another controlled percent volume of dissolved gases is released. Any subsequent flotation treatment stage is at a lower operating pressure than that of the previous stage so that the subsequent treatment stage releases a controlled percent volume of dissolved gases. By controlling the operating pressure in this way, overall separation performance is improved.