The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 05, 1996
Filed:
May. 25, 1994
Applicant:
Inventors:
Pin Y Huang, Bellaire, TX (US);
Yuh-Hwang Tsao, Houston, TX (US);
Assignee:
Exxon Production Research Company, Houston, TX (US);
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
C02F / ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
210748 ; 210702 ; 210704 ; 210708 ; 210767 ;
Abstract
A process for separating liquid hydrocarbons from a wastewater using acoustic energy below cavitation is disclosed. The wastewater containing the residual hydrocarbons is introduced into a vessel which has at least two groups of acoustic transducers attached to it. Acoustic energy is applied to the fluid at an intensity below cavitation level and sufficient to induce at least one standing wave in the fluid. The liquid hydrocarbons are allowed to coalesce within the vessel to a coalesced droplet size of about 20 microns. These coalesced hydrocarbons are then separated from the wastewater.