A filter device may include a filter housing and a filter element defining a longitudinal axis disposed in the filter housing. The filter element may be configured to be penetrated by a fluid flow in a radial direction from a raw end to a pure end of the filter element. A water separator may be disposed at the pure end of the filter element and arranged axially spaced from the same. The water separator may have a hydrophobic and annular diaphragm extending in an axial direction of the filter element configured to be penetrated by the fluid flow from a raw end of the water separator in a radially outward to a radially inward direction with respect to the longitudinal axis to separate water from the fluid flow.

A distillation system and method. The system includes a recirculation pump and a separation system for receiving a multi-media fluidic solution and operating at a temperature different than ambient temperature and at a pressure different than ambient pressure. The system further includes a separator for separating heavier particles from the multi-media fluidic solution. The separator separates heavier particles from the multi-media fluidic solution at the temperature and pressure of the separation system.

An improved contactor/separator process is presented where one or more stages of contact and separation is achieved by providing one or more shroud and disengagement device combinations within a vessel, where the disengagement device is connected to the top of the shroud that contains vertically hanging fibers. A liquid admixture of immiscible fluids is directed co-currently upward through the shroud at flooding velocity or greater, where all of the admixture exits the disengagement device through a coalescing material. Tray supports are used to stack additional shroud and disengagement combinations vertically within the vessel. Each tray allows less dense liquids exiting one disengagement device from a lower shroud and disengagement device combination to enter the bottom of a shroud of a shroud and disengagement device combination position vertically above the lower shroud and disengagement device combination.

An apparatus for separating water from a water-in-oil mixture having an elongated inlet vessel with a lower outlet end and an upper inlet end, the length thereof being a multiple of the largest vessel cross-sectional dimension. A separation vessel having an oil outlet and a divergent water outlet has an inlet passageway in communication with the inlet vessel lower outlet end. At least one electrode is positioned within the inlet vessel by which a mixture flowing therethrough is subjected to an electric field.

A method of removing entrained salt containing water from an inlet crude oil stream includes the steps of applying an electrical energy to at least one electrode of a plurality of horizontally oriented, spaced-apart electrodes (12, 14, 16) housed within an elongated desalting vessel (10) and distributing an inlet crude oil stream between the electrodes. Each electrode in the plurality of electrodes is housed in an upper portion of the desalting vessel and may be in communication with a first, second and third transformer (42, 44, 46), respectively. The electrical energy may be at a single frequency and voltage or at a modulated voltage. Or, the electrical energy may be a modulated frequency at a single or modulated voltage. Fresh water may be mixed with the inlet crude oil stream either exteriorly or interiorly of the vessel.

A system and method for enhancing separation of a denser phase liquid from a lighter phase liquid within a multiphase stream. In one example, a cyclonic coalescer has a tubular housing and a plurality of coaxial flow chambers extending in the axial direction of the housing. A swirling element is associated with each of the plurality of coaxial flow chambers. The swirling elements are constructed and arranged to impart a tangential velocity of the stream flowing through the associated flow chamber.

The invention relates to a method for aggregating and separating an organic material mixture which is provided in a dissolved form in an aqueous emulsion. The method is characterized by the following steps: a) providing an aqueous emulsion with organic compounds which are provided in the emulsion in a dissolved form, said organic compounds being carboxylic acids, phospholipids, glycolipids, glyceroglycolipids, phenols, sterols, chlorophyll, and/or sinapines, b) mixing the emulsion from step a) with an aqueous solution containing copper(II) ions and/or calcium ions until an aggregate formation is achieved, and c) separating the aggregates from step b) by means of a sedimentation, filtration, or centrifugation process after achieving an aggregated phase of the organic compounds from step b).

Embodiments of the present disclosure include a method of separating an oil-in-water emulsion formed during crude oil production into a water phase and an oil phase that includes adding 1 part-per-million (ppm) to 10000 ppm of an N-vinylpyrrolidone based cationic copolymer to the oil-in-water emulsion, based on the total volume of the oil-in-water emulsion, to form a water phase and an oil phase, and separating the water phase from the oil phase.

A demulsifier includes the reaction product of a) alkoxylated castor oil, b) an acid having at least two carboxyl groups, a full or partial ester thereof, an anhydride thereof and combinations thereof, and optionally c) a fatty acid, a fatty acid ester and combinations thereof. A method of demulsifying a water-in-oil or oil-in-water emulsion includes adding the demulsifier to the emulsion and separating the emulsion into an oil phase and a water phase.

Various example embodiments relate to an automatic drain system for use with a fluid water separator. The automatic drain system includes a liquid-in-fuel sensor configured to detect a liquid level in a water sump. A pump includes an inlet in fluid communication with the water sump and an outlet in fluid communication with the inlet. The pump has an active state and an inactive state. The active state causes the pump to draw liquid in from the inlet and direct liquid toward the outlet. A battery is configured to power the pump. A circuit board is operably connected to the pump and battery. The circuit board includes at least one circuit having a first state and a second state. The first state prevents power flow from the battery to the pump. The second state facilitates power flow from the battery to the pump, transitioning the pump from inactive to active.