This invention describes the equipment and a method to recover starch from a dilute starch stream produced by manufacturing facilities which process the starch-containing materials, such as potato and corn. The process comprises feeding a dilute aqueous slurry of less than about 5% by weight starch to a classifier to concentrate the slurry by a factor of at least 5 and produce a concentrated slurry, wherein the classifier has at least one overflow exit and at least one underflow exit; drawing off the overflow and underflow from the classifier; feeding the concentrated slurry from the underflow exit of the classifier into a settling tank having at least one underflow exit and at least one overflow exit to produce an underflow layer of starch with a concentration of at least 40% starch proximate to the underflow exit and an aqueous overflow with a concentration of less than about 5% by weight starch proximate to the overflow exit; drawing off the overflow from the tank; and opening a orifice at the underflow exit of the tank to allow the distal most fraction of the underflow to exit the tank.

A separation sampling module for use within a bucket of a centrifuge for monitoring separation of a sample in a container includes a housing operable for supporting the container for containing the sample and removably positionable within the bucket of the centrifuge, at least one light source for illuminating the sample, at least one light detector for detecting light from the sample, an accelerometer for measuring acceleration of the housing, and at least one of a power source and a connector operably connectable to a power source for use in powering the at least one light source. Light from the at least one light source passing through the sample defines a light path disposed in a direction across the direction of a centrifugal force when the separation sampling module is disposed in the bucket and rotated in the centrifuge.

A system for removing contaminants from a pyrolysis fluid is provided. The system comprises a recirculation loop; and a bleed off line. The recirculation loop comprises a quenching vessel; separation apparatus; a recirculation line; and cooling apparatus. The quenching vessel has: a first inlet for receiving a supply of pyrolysis fluid; a second inlet arranged to receive a recirculated fluid; and an outlet for expelling quenched pyrolysis fluid. The separation apparatus is for removing contaminants from the quenched pyrolysis fluid to provide a clarified flow, the separation apparatus arranged to receive quenched pyrolysis fluid from the outlet. The recirculation line is arranged to receive at least a recirculation portion of the clarified flow and recirculate the recirculation portion to the second inlet. The cooling apparatus is arranged to cool fluid in the recirculation loop. The bleed-off line is for selectively bleeding-off a bleed-off portion of the clarified flow from the recirculation loop.

Sand separation systems and methods according to which one or more energy sensors are adapted to detect a response to energy imparted to a sand separator of a known type. One or more computers are adapted to communicate with the one or more energy sensors. The one or more computers and/or the one or more energy sensors are pre-tuned. The one or more computers are configured to determine the unknown sand level in the sand separator of the known type based on: the response detected by the one or more energy sensors, and the pre-tuning of the one or more energy sensors and/or the one or more computers.

A liquid solids separator includes a liquid receiving tank, a cascade tank, and a settling tank fluidically connected in series. Wastewater is recycled through the tanks beginning with the liquid receiving tank and contacted with hot gas in the cascade tank to concentrate the wastewater and remove solids that settle in the settling tank.

A brine separation system based on density. The system senses brine density and directs brine having a low density to a standard brine storage area and brine having a high density to a heavy brine storage area using a sensor and valves coupled to a processor-based controller.

An apparatus for treating a multiphase hydrocarbon-containing fluid in an oil and/or gas production facility, the apparatus comprising: (a) an inlet for a multiphase hydrocarbon-containing fluid, wherein the inlet comprises a first pipe network configured to be connectable to a plurality of oil well heads in an oil field; (b) a separation system comprising: (i) a solids separator in fluid communication with the inlet; (ii) a solids outlet connected to the solids separator; (iii) a fluid separator in fluid communication with the solids separator, the fluid separator being configured to separate the remaining multiphase hydrocarbon-containing fluid into an oil phase, a water phase and a gas phase; (iv) an oil outlet connected to the fluid separator; (v) a gas outlet connected to the fluid separator; and (vi) a water outlet connected to the fluid separator; (c) a solids cleaning system connected to the solids outlet, wherein the solids cleaning system is configured to clean deposits of residual oil from the solid particles separated by the solids separator to provide cleaned solid particles and first residual oil, the solids cleaning system having a first output for outputting the cleaned solid particles and a second output configured to output the first residual oil; and (d) a water cleaning and recycling system connected to the water outlet, wherein the water cleaning and recycling system is configured to clean residual oil from the water phase separated by the fluid separator, the water cleaning and recycling system comprising an oil filter for separating the residual oil from the water phase to provide cleaned water and second residual oil, the oil filter having a third output for recycling the cleaned water to at least one well head of the oil field, wherein the third output comprises a second pipe network configured to be connectable to the at least one well head of the oil field, and a fourth output configured to output the second residual oil. Also disclosed is a corresponding method.

A sand separation system includes one or more separators configured to receive a mixed fluid from one or more wells or wellheads and to separate solids from the mixed fluid to produce the solids and a separated fluid. The system also includes one or more chokes downstream from and in fluid communication with the one or more separators. Each of the one or more chokes is configured to receive the separated fluid from a corresponding one of the one or more separators and to control a flow rate of the separated fluid therethrough. The system also includes one or more multiphase meters downstream from and in fluid communication with the one or more chokes. Each of the multiphase meters is configured to measure one or more first properties of the separated fluid and to adjust the one or more chokes in response to the one or more first properties.

A non-biological wastewater treatment system comprising a water extraction unit having a forward osmosis water extraction unit and a draw recovery system that is connected to and configured to receive a diluted draw solution from the forward osmosis water extraction unit, wherein the non-biological wastewater treatment system comprises a phase separation and clarification tank, wherein the tank comprises an inlet connected to a first compartment and one or more additional compartments, wherein each compartment is separated from adjacent compartments by a separation wall provided with one or more openings wherein an outlet is provided at the outermost additional compartment.

An automated skimmer system includes a skimmer mouth comprising a conveyor ledge, a conveyor at least partially disposed under the conveyor ledge having a paddle wheel and a water-porous conveyor belt disposed about the paddle wheel, a conveyor debris collector disposed lower than the conveyor at a discharge end of the conveyor having a vacuum connection port, and a vacuum fluidly connected to the vacuum connection port. Water entering the skimmer mouth falls off the conveyor ledge, through the conveyor belt, onto the paddle wheel causing the paddle wheel to rotate and the conveyor belt to direct debris toward the conveyor debris collector for automated removal. The vacuum may be activated according to a predetermined interval, a predetermined schedule, or based on level sensor data to ensure that the automated skimmer system does not become clogged, without requiring manual intervention.