The invention in at least one embodiment includes a system for treating water having an intake module, a vortex module, a disk-pack module, and a motor module where the intake module is above the vortex module, which is above the disk-pack module and the motor module. In a further embodiment, a housing is provided over at least the intake module and the vortex module and sits above the disk-pack module. In at least one further embodiment, the disk-pack module includes a disk-pack turbine having a plurality of disks having at least one waveform present on at least one of the disks.

The invention provides an apparatus for separating components of a fluid stream, the apparatus comprising: (a) a support structure on which is mounted a rotatable centrifugal separator chamber in which separation of the components of the fluid stream occurs; (b) a fluid inlet for introducing a pressurised source of the fluid stream to be separated into the centrifugal separator chamber; (c) a fluid outlet for collecting one or more separated components of the fluid stream; (d) a vortex-creating device which rotates in order to introduce a vortex to the fluid stream in the centrifugal separation chamber thereby to bring about centrifugal separation of the components of the fluid stream; and wherein the centrifugal separator chamber and vortex-creating device are configured to rotate independently of each other.The invention also provides a method for separating components of a suspension, the method comprising passing the suspension through an apparatus as described herein.

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.

A grit removal unit including a cylindrical grit removal chamber above a grit storage chamber, with an opening to the grit storage chamber through the grit removal chamber bottom. At least one layer plate is an inverted truncated cone around the center axis which is spaced from the grit removal chamber vertical wall to allow fluid flow therebetween. Concentric inverted truncated cone lamella plates are supported in the grit removal chamber above the layered plates, with the lamella plates radially spaced from one another relative to the center axis. An influent opening in the grit removal chamber vertical wall below the layered plates allows fluid and grit into the grit removal chamber, and an effluent opening in the grit removal chamber vertical wall above the lamella plates allows fluid to exit the grit removal chamber.

A method of concentrating sediment in a water tank involves attaching a vortex inducing device to an opening through the roof of the tank between the central vertical axis and the side walling of the tank. The device has a device inlet which narrows to a device outlet. The device outlet is orientated such that, water flowing out via the device outlet induces a vortex within the pooled water, thereby causing sediment to collect centrally on the floor of the tank.

This disclosure relates generally to mixing and separating phases of a mixture, and, more particularly, to an integrated apparatus for mixing and separating immiscible fluid phases and method therefor. The apparatus includes an inlet section, a mixing section, a separating section, and an outlet section. The mixing section includes multiple spiral turns for separately introducing the fluid phases of different specific gravity into the mixing section. Each of the spiral turns includes a helical channel followed by a counter-helical channel for enabling mixing of fluid phases. The counter-helical channel changes the direction of flow of fluid phases upon flow of said fluid phases from the helical channel to the counter-helical channel. The separating section extends from the mixing section separates the fluid phases based on specific gravity difference of fluid phases. The outlet section facilitates in separate withdrawal of fluid phases based on the specific gravity of said fluid phases.

A separator vessel has inlet, fluid outlet, and sand outlet ports. Each of the fluid and sand outlet ports are spaced below the inlet port. The separator has an enclosure between the inlet and fluid outlet ports. The enclosure redirects the fluid stream and defines an inner cavity above a lower edge of the enclosure, the lower edge defining a liquid flow area. The separator has one or more vanes extending along an outer surface of the enclosure which redirect the fluid stream along a curved flow path as the fluid stream flows toward the lower edge, and a plurality of apertures adjacent to the vanes, the apertures permitting fluid flow into the inner cavity of the enclosure. The fluid outlet port is disposed within the inner cavity above the lower edge of the enclosure and below one or more apertures.

Disclosed herein is a device for improving water quality, said device comprising: an inlet for inflow of liquid into the device; a hydraulic circuit for receiving liquid from the inlet, the hydraulic circuit comprising at least a first tank and a second tank, wherein the first tank is upstream of the second tank and wherein one of said first and second tanks is nested within the other of said first and second tanks; an outlet at a downstream end of the hydraulic circuit for discharge of liquid from the device; one or more contaminant separation elements in the hydraulic circuit for separation of contaminants from liquid passing therethrough using at least one of: gravitational separation; sized-based filtration; chemical separation; magnetic separation; electrolytic separation; and adsorption or attraction-based separation, wherein the first tank is a settlement tank for gravitational settlement of contaminants from the liquid.

A cyclonic inlet diverter for initiating the separation of a multi-phase inlet fluid flow comprises an enclosed tubular body mounted crosswise within a larger separator vessel. The inlet diverter includes a splitter plate positioned within a center portion of the tubular body and configured to split the inlet flow into a first stream and a second stream, and a swirl plate positioned on each side of the splitter plate with angled surfaces configured to increase the cyclonic motion of the first and second streams within the tubular body. The inlet diverter further includes elongate apertures formed through bottom sidewall portions of the tubular body on each side of the splitter plate, an axial aperture formed through opposing end caps of the tubular body, and at least one radial aperture formed through lateral sidewall portions of the tubular body proximate each opposing end cap.

A low-density suspended solid separation apparatus and method is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a separation tube adapted to receive pre-filtered wastewater and a vortex generator rotated to create a vortex in the separation tube such that the vortex separates low-density suspended solids having a density less than one (1) from the pre-filtered wastewater when the pre-filtered wastewater is passed through the vortex generator. An adjustable tube is inserted from the opposite end of the separation tube into the vortex wherein air inside the adjustable tube is at a pressure less than that of the separation tube causing the low density suspended solids to be removed from the vortex. Remaining water is then discharged from the separation tube.