A hydronic system separator has an air separator with a vent release mechanism to remove air from the fluid within a hydronic system. The separator includes a magnetic assembly for collecting ferrous particles from the fluid. One or more screens are used to remove other particles from the fluid. The separator housing includes a removable debris collection receptacle that has a drain assembly.

Acoustic perfusion devices for separating biological cells from other material in a fluid mixture are disclosed. The devices include an inlet port, an outlet port, and a collection port that are connected to an acoustic chamber. An ultrasonic transducer creates an acoustic standing wave in the acoustic chamber that permits a continuous flow of fluid to be recovered through the collection port while keeping the biological cells within the acoustic chamber to be returned to the bioreactor from which the fluid mixture is being drawn.

Acoustic perfusion devices for separating biological cells from other material in a fluid mixture are disclosed. The devices include an inlet port, an outlet port, and a collection port that are connected to an acoustic chamber. An ultrasonic transducer creates an acoustic standing wave in the acoustic chamber that permits a continuous flow of fluid to be recovered through the collection port while keeping the biological cells within the acoustic chamber to be returned to the bioreactor from which the fluid mixture is being drawn.

The present disclosure relates to the field of coalescing filter elements for separating a multi-phasic fluid. An aspect of the disclosure provides a coalescing filter element for separating a multi-phasic fluid comprising a first phase and a second phase, the filter element comprising: a first filter stage (102) for coalescing the first phase to provide an intermediate feed, a second filter stage (103) for coalescing the first phase from the intermediate feed, a selectively permeable barrier (104) which permits outflow of the second phase and inhibits outflow of the first phase, and a drain arranged between the second filter element and the selectively permeable barrier to allow outflow of the first phase.

A separation membrane, suitably for oil and water separation. The membrane including a porous substrate layer and an active layer arranged over at least a part of the substrate layer. The active layer includes a hydrophilic agent and a superhydrophilic agent. Also described is a method of producing the separation membrane and a drain valve comprising the membrane.

The invention proposes a system and a method for the selective extraction of viscous hydrocarbons from tanks and other containers. The system comprises the following components for heating the hydrocarbons: a steam ejector -3-, in which there takes place an eddy diffusion of its drive steam with the gases it aspirates by means of the Venturi effect, and a perimetric heating conduit -5- externally attached to the tank or container. The method comprises the following operations: heating a surface layer of hydrocarbons by means of the gases injected by the steam ejector, causing a selective flow of hot hydrocarbons to the perimetric conduit; localized heating of the hydrocarbons with the perimetric conduit, causing the precipitation of water and a selective flow of the hottest hydrocarbons to an extraction pump; and extracting the precipitated water and the hydrocarbons flowing selectively from the perimetric conduit by means of two pumps.

Coalescer plates, coalescer plate units, and coalescers, are provided. An exemplary embodiment provides a coalescer plate for separating a mixture of immiscible fluids. The coalescer plate comprises a pattern of wetting and non-wetting regions, wherein the pattern is based, at least in part, on phyllotaxis.

Quaternary ammonium compounds and methods of using such compounds to, for example, break oil-in-water emulsion treatment fluids are provided. In some embodiments, such methods include introducing a quaternary ammonium compound into an oil-in-water emulsion treatment fluid that comprises an oleaginous phase and an aqueous phase; and centrifuging at least the portion of the oil-in-water emulsion treatment fluid to separate at least a portion of the oil-in-water emulsion treatment fluid into an oleaginous fluid and an aqueous fluid.

A method for cleanup of circulated rolling oil including gravity separation followed by size separation. The method includes supplying the circulated roiling oil to a separation chamber of a rotating centrifugal rotor and separating water and solid debris from the circulated rolling oil by centrifugal force. Oil, oil-water emulsion, and some residual debris may be recovered and supplied to a ceramic membrane having a pore size of 1.5 micron or smaller. A purified oil sample is recovered from the membrane, along with a reject including the oil-water emulsion and residual debris. The reject may be further concentrated by gravity separation and recycled to the membrane to recover further amounts of oil.

A method of treating a contaminated oil comprising preparing a brine solution, adding ozone to the brine solution to produce ozonated brine solution, adding a volume of ozonated brine solution to a volume of the contaminated oil, mixing the volumes of contaminated oil and ozonated brine solution with coagulant and surfactant at a shear rate sufficiently high so as to cause formation of an emulsion of the contaminated oil and the brine solution, stopping the mixing, thereby causing the emulsion to separate into an aqueous brine liquid phase and an oil liquid phase, separating the brine liquid phase from the oil liquid phase, and separating at least one contaminant from the oil liquid phase to produce a volume of purified oil.