Other

John M Ehle

Dennis A Brunsell

A rotating filter apparatus (10) has a stack of porous filter disks (22) attached to a vertical, rotatable hollow shaft (24) and located within a chamber (32), the shaft (24) having a plurality of openings (26) therein to the hollow bore of the shaft (24). Unfiltered fluid is introduced to the chamber (32) under pressure in a tangential entry port (34) in the same direction as disk (22) rotation. Clarified fluid passes through the disks (22) to form a filtrate that flows down the shaft (24), while the unfiltered fluid and the solid particles, or sludge, descend in the chamber (32) to a tapered section (18). Non-fluid transfer and fluid transfer seal assemblies (14, 20) comprise bearings (54, 102, 108), seals, and associated parts upon which the shaft is properly aligned, balanced, and centered. The seal assemblies (14, 20) include seals positioned about the shaft (24) to form a boundary that isolates the bearings (54, 102, 108) from the unfiltered fluid or filtrate. A seal seal coolant is circulated within the non-fluid and fluid transmitting seal assemblies (14, 20) against the seals on the side of boundary opposing the unfiltered fluid, and the pressure of the coolant is maintained above that of the pressure of the fluid in the chamber (32) to prevent transfer of unfiltered fluid across the seal faces at any time. The drive shaft (24) has a coupling (190) which has a male (192) and female (194) interlock for ease of assembly. The tapered section (18) incorporates baffles (196, 198, 199) which promote settling of the sludge in the tapered section (18).

Centrifugal filter apparatus

An apparatus for multiple fluid phase separation (10) includes a housing (12) having a second chamber (21) positioned above a first chamber (19). A plurality of filter disks (22) are mounted upon a rotatable vertical shaft assembly (24) in spaced stacked relation within the first chamber (19). The shaft assembly (24) includes a first interior channel (30) and a second interior channel (32). A bulk solution including two immiscible phases is introducted, under pressure, into the first chamber (19) through an entry pipe (33). The heavier phase is filtrated through the disks (22), enters the first interior channel (30), and is channelled to an exit port (32). Bulk solution having a reduced proportion of heavier fluid phase flows through radial openings (96) in the shaft assembly (24) located between the disks (22) into the second interior channel (32) and up into the second chamber (21). An interface is formed in the second chamber (21) between the lighter fluid phase and the remaining heavier phase by coalescence. The heavier phase migrates back to the first chamber (19) and the lighter phase exits the system at an outlet (36) in the second chamber (21).

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Madison, WI, United States of America

John M Ehle