Settling devices for separating particles from a bulk fluid with applications in numerous fields. The particle settling devices include a first stack of cones with a small opening oriented upwardly or downwardly. Optionally, the settling devices may include a second stack of cones with a small opening oriented downwardly or upwardly. The cones may be concave or convex. These devices are useful for separating small (millimeter or micron sized) particles from a bulk fluid with applications in numerous fields, such as biological (microbial, mammalian, plant, insect or algal) cell cultures, solid catalyst particle separation from a liquid or gas and waste water treatment.

An apparatus for gas and solids separation from down-hole fluids having an inner tube and an outer tube disposed about the inner tube. The annular region between the tubes contain a plurality of chambers, separated by fluid barriers. The chambers include an intake chamber to receive fluids from outside of the outer tube through an orifice, and processing chambers. Fluid communication between the intake and processing chambers is restricted to fluid flow through sets of tubes. Fluid communication between a lowermost processing chamber below the intake chamber and a lower processing chamber above the intake chamber is restricted to fluid flow through the inner tube. A block restricts fluid communication within the inner tube to other chambers above the intake chamber. Orifices in the inner tube of the processing chambers on either side of the block provide fluid communication across the block.

Various systems, methods, and devices are provided for focusing particles suspended within a moving fluid into one or more localized stream lines. The system can include a substrate and at least one channel provided on the substrate having an inlet and an outlet. The system can further include a fluid moving along the channel in a laminar flow having suspended particles and a pumping element driving the laminar flow of the fluid. The fluid, the channel, and the pumping element can be configured to cause inertial forces to act on the particles and to focus the particles into one or more stream lines.

A means to exploit the Dean Vortices for dynamic filtering on a macro scale intended for application in utility and industrial processes is disclosed. This method relies on an apparatus of computed construction to optimize the centripetal force and minimize the effect of gravity on the separation and effectiveness of the Dean Vortices. The method is also supported by an apparatus of construction which results in an optimized elliptical flow channel that enhances the formation and persistence of the Dean Vortices.

A separator unit includes a tank defining an internal volume and having an inlet and an outlet. An insert is provided within the tank, the insert including a down cylinder substantially centrally disposed within the tank and a baffle assembly at an external side of the down cylinder. The baffle assembly defines first and second inlet flumes for flowing incoming water from an external side of the down cylinder to an internal volume within the down cylinder. Inward ends of the first and second inlet flumes are positioned and oriented to create first and second vortex flows that progress downward within the internal volume, wherein a rotational direction of the first vortex flow is opposite a rotational direction of the second vortex flow in top plan view.

An improved apparatus for filtration has a fluid mixture feed comprising light and heavy fractions fed into the workspace between counter-rotating disk impellers within a tank, thereby forming vortices in the workspace. A static radial exhaust array is located axially in the workspace, comprising exhaust channels, each of which has a peripheral end facing the workspace and an inner end communicating with an axial exhaust drain. An axial pump produces low pressure in the axial exhaust drain, thereby drawing in and anchoring the vortices to the peripheral ends of the exhaust channels so that the exhaust channels can extract the contents of the vortex cores. Vanes can be incorporated into the workspace surface of each disk impeller so that the opposed vanes pass in close proximity, forming vortices along a plurality of radial lanes of intersection, with the peripheral openings of each of the exhaust channels aligned with at least one of the lanes of intersection in the workspace. The feed can be a peripheral feed which enters the workspace radially inward through the periphery of the workspace, or the feed can enter the workspace radially outward through a static axial feed array.

A system and method are provided for producing from a first fluid having particles of a substance suspended or dissolved therein with a first concentration of the substance, a second fluid having a second concentration of the substance lower than the first concentration and a separated-fluid product, in which concentration of the substance is greater than that in the first fluid. The system comprises a pre-treatment module for processing the first fluid to produce aggregates from the substance and at least one separation duct in fluid communication with an outlet of the pre-treatment module, the duct having at least one bay portion having such design as to cause aggregates to accumulate along a pre-determined wall of the bay portion, thereby facilitating separation between the second fluid and the separated fluid product.

This disclosure relates generally to phase separation, and more particularly, to a apparatus and a method for phase separation. In one example, the apparatus includes a spiral shaped body, split outlets and an adjustable splitter. The spiral shaped body includes an inlet portion to receive a mixture of phases associated with distinct effective masses, an outlet portion, and multiple helical turns stacked between the inlet and outlet portion. A portion of helical turns are twisted to form a twisted portion having opposite walls of a preceding helical turn turned relative to one another in opposite directions. The split outlets are configured at walls of the preceding helical turn to withdraw the phases based on an effective mass of said phases. The adjustable splitter is movably configured at least a portion of a cross section of the spiral shaped body to facilitate separate withdrawal of the one or more phases of the mixture.

A system useful for cleaning solid and liquid contaminants from fluid run-off under varying flow rate conditions has an inlet enclosure; a main separation enclosure comprising an intake, an outlet, and an interior wall; and a foil attached to the interior wall of the main separation enclosure, the foil configured to smooth laminar flow of fluid in the main separation enclosure.

One illustrative system disclosed herein includes a separator vessel that is adapted to separate solids particles from a flow of a multi-phase fluid, a differential pressure sensing system that is adapted to measure a differential pressure of a column of the multi-phase fluid in the separator vessel and a control system that is adapted to determine at least one of a level, volume or weight of the separated solids particles within the separator vessel based upon at least the measured differential pressure of the column of the multi-phase fluid in the separator vessel.