A method and apparatus for separating two fluids, one lighter in specific gravity than the other, including the steps of providing a single vessel, having a primary separation chamber and a gas flotation chamber; separating fluids in the primary separation chamber to allow for free and suspended solids along with free oil and grease and gas to be removed from the fluids in the primary separation chamber; flowing the fluids into the gas flotation chamber portion; providing a first induced gas flow; combining a second gas flow of micro-bubbles with the first gas flow; and introducing the combined gas flow into the gas flotation chamber portion to provide a source of micro-sized dispersed bubbles in the fluid to accelerate the lift necessary for separation of fine oil droplets, emulsified oil droplets, from the water flowing in the flotation chamber portion. The apparatus for introducing the micro-bubbles to be comingled with the first induced gas flow includes a static mixer, a DGF pump, eductor and a series of globe valves which can be part of the gas flotation system or retrofitted to an existing gas flotation system.

A method of using dissolved air flotation in a flotation cell to filter water is provided. The method involves creating first and second air-water mixtures and discharging the first air-water mixture with a current in the flotation cell and the second air-water mixture countercurrent to the direction of flow in the flotation cell. The bubbles created when the air is released separate solids out of the water.

A method of removing metal particles from a contaminated metalworking fluid comprising emulsion droplets and metal particles includes pressurizing a first clean metalworking fluid with gas to provide an aerated metalworking fluid; releasing the pressure of the aerated metalworking fluid to form a plurality of bubbles; applying a shear force to the contaminated metalworking fluid to separate the emulsion droplets from the metal particles; flowing the contaminated metalworking fluid with the aerated metalworking fluid in a laminar flow to form a combined fluid, wherein the flowing occurs during the formation of the plurality of bubbles and while the emulsion droplets are separated from the metal particles, and wherein the laminar flow lasts for a time sufficient for the plurality of bubbles to attach to the metal particles; releasing the combined fluid into a flotation tank; and removing the metal particles to form a second clean metalworking fluid.

A method of removing metal particles from a contaminated metalworking fluid comprising emulsion droplets and metal particles includes pressurizing a first clean metalworking fluid with gas to provide an aerated metalworking fluid; releasing the pressure of the aerated metalworking fluid to form a plurality of bubbles; applying a shear force to the contaminated metalworking fluid to separate the emulsion droplets from the metal particles; flowing the contaminated metalworking fluid with the aerated metalworking fluid in a laminar flow to form a combined fluid, wherein the flowing occurs during the formation of the plurality of bubbles and while the emulsion droplets are separated from the metal particles, and wherein the laminar flow lasts for a time sufficient for the plurality of bubbles to attach to the metal particles; releasing the combined fluid into a flotation tank; and removing the metal particles to form a second clean metalworking fluid.

A plant for treatment of a waste water stream comprising fat includes pre-treatment apparatus for removal of liquid oil and gross contaminants, a flow-through assembly for electrocoagulation treatment of a liquid, a floc-separation apparatus arranged for removal of a flocculated fat-containing layer from the aqueous dispersion to provide clarified aqueous solution for disposal and a controller arranged to control voltage and/or current across the electrodes and the flow of the waste water stream through the components of the plant. Also disclosed are methods for using the plant to provide efficient separation with minimized power consumption as flow and contaminant level vary.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing a potassium compound and a method of recovering a potassium compound from a brine, and provides the apparatus for manufacturing the potassium compound, including: a continuous pre-treatment apparatus including a crushing portion, a pulverization portion, and a particle size separation portion for processing a mixed raw material salt obtained after lithium, magnesium, and calcium are extracted from a brine to have a particle size for easy separation and sorting; a continuous potassium compound lump recovering apparatus continuously separating and recovering the potassium compound from the pre-treated mixed raw material salt; a continuous potassium compound separating and sorting apparatus continuously separating and sorting potassium chloride and a glaserite (Na.sub.2SO.sub.4.3K.sub.2SO.sub.4) from the recovered potassium compound; and a continuous potassium sulfate conversion apparatus extracting potassium sulfate from the separated glaserite.

A process and apparatus for recovering crude tall oil are disclosed. Acidulation of a crude tall oil soap stream generates a spent acid stream that comprises lignin and entrained crude tall oil. By subjecting the spent acid stream to dissolved gas flotation, a lignin phase comprising entrained crude tall oil can be recovered and causticized, resulting in recovery of most of the crude tall oil that was present in the spent acid stream. A clarified spent acid stream is also generated, which can be treated with caustic and utilized for a soap washing process that integrates easily into the overall CTO recovery process. The apparatus comprises a crude tall oil acidulation unit, a dissolved gas flotation unit, a causticizing unit, and a soap separation unit. The inventive process marries dissolved gas flotation, a well-known water treatment process, with causticization of a recovered lignin phase, a step known from batch acidulation, to improve overall tall oil recovery from a continuous process.

A microflotation system comprises a flotation tank with a dispersion water feed line in which an expansion valve arrangement is disposed. An adjusting apparatus is configured to adjust a flow rate of the expansion valve arrangement and an electronic control is connected to the adjusting apparatus. A measuring apparatus is disposed downstream from the expansion valve arrangement for detecting a size distribution of gas bubbles and the electronic control is configured to set the flow rate depending on a size distribution detected with the measuring apparatus.

Introduced here are systems for treating a wastewater stream to produce an effluent stream. A treatment system can include a sensor for measuring a characteristic of the wastewater stream and/or the effluent stream, a pump for supplying a chemical additive to the wastewater stream, and a controller for varying the flow rate of the chemical additive based on real-time analysis of measurements generated by the sensor. The characteristic could be, for example, turbidity, pH, total suspended solids (TSS), etc. Some embodiments of the treatment system further include a flow meter for measuring flow of the wastewater stream. In such embodiments, the controller may vary the flow rate of the chemical additive based on the measurements generated by the sensor and the flow meter.

A dissolved gas flotation system including a flotation cell having an inlet and an outlet defining a direction of flow along a longitudinal axis extending from the inlet to the outlet. The flotation cell has a top and a bottom to define a cell depth extending from the top of the flotation cell to the bottom of the flotation cell in a direction of a transverse axis transvers to the longitudinal axis. A first means discharges a first dissolved gas and bubble mix in a first direction adjacent the inlet; and a second means discharge a second dissolved gas and bubble mix in a second direction adjacent the outlet counter-current to the first direction.