Page 10 - Opportunities in the Treatment of Water and Other Wast Streams

Oil and suspended solids.
Benefits:
• No pretreatment • Mobile units • Smaller footprint Limitations:
• High velocity abrasion • Higher relative cost compared to gravity separation technologies
Hydrocyclones
Use centrifugal force to separate and remove suspended solids. Water is pumped into the inlet tangential to the wall. The water’s spiral flow path causes particles to impact the walls of the separator. Heavier particles fall to the bottom; lighter particles may form a cake layer on the entrance wall and fall to the bottom in clumps. If oil is present, it is carried to the overflow exit. Water and sand or other heavy particles exit through the underflow. If the system is just for solids, then they are washed out through the underflow while treated water exits through the overflow. Depending on the design, both particulates and oil particles may be removed due to differing density from the main water stream.
InLine HydroCyclone Separator (FMC Technologies) Hydrocyclone Separator (CDE Global Inc.)
Application:
Why: Separate particles and other organic materials that are lighter than (or close to) the density of water.
Where: On-site treatment and recycling in containerized systems. Benefits:
• No pretreatment requirements • Mobile units available for pretreatment • Smaller footprint than sedimentation ponds • Effective removal of low density
Limitations:
• Operations at higher temperatures could be more difficult because the viscosity of water is less and oils and greases could become dissolved
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