Patent ID: 9527012
Filing Date: 2016-12-27
CPC Classification: B01D,B04B,C02F

Claim Text:
1. An apparatus comprising: a separator operating to separate out at least one first liquid from at least one second liquid; the separator, comprising a first outlet and a second outlet as paths for exit of liquidous materials from the separator during operation; the separator, characterized during operation by rotation, wherein an extreme innermost radius of a light species is proximate the first outlet and an outermost radius of a heavy species is proximate the second outlet, where the heavy species is selected from the at least one first liquid and the at least one second liquid, and the light species is selected from the other of the at least one first liquid and at least one second liquid; the separator, characterized by an inlet receiving an input having an input volumetric flow rate corresponding to an input mass flow rate, the input constituting a mixture of the at least one first liquid and the at least one second liquid; the separator, characterized by a dispersion band therein positioned between a bulk flow of the at least one first liquid and a bulk flow of the at least one second liquid; the separator, characterized by the first outlet discharging the at least one first liquid, the second outlet discharging the at least one second liquid, and a cut representing a proportion of the input currently flowing through either the first outlet or the second outlet; a control system operably connected to the separator and positioning the dispersion band within the chamber based on a proportion of the first and second liquids in the input; and wherein the apparatus is configured to have a first settling distance that droplets of the at least one second liquid migrate through the at least one first fluid, the first settling distance being a first function of the composition of the inlet flow; the apparatus is configured to have a second settling distance that droplets of the at least one second liquid migrate through the at least one first fluid, the second settling distance being a second function of the composition of the inlet flow; the control system is programmed to position the dispersion band at a position defining a radius causing the first settling distance to equal the second settling distance; and the control system is programmed to position the dispersion band based on a measurement of the cut resulting from the inlet flow arriving at the apparatus.