PHASE SEPARATOR

Abstract: A wicking fiber for separating the phases of a two-phase fluid, and a method using the same, is described. The wicking fiber can be used to separate various two-phase fluids, especially those containing a hydrophilic liquid and a hydrophobic liquid. A plurality of the wicking fibers can be formed into sheet, membrane, array or the like, through which the two-phase fluid can be passed in order to separate one phase from the other.

Description: PHASE SEPARATOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Technical Field The present invention relates generally to phase separation technology, and more particularly to a wicking fiber that can selectively wick hydrophilic and hydrophobic materials from a two-phase fluid mixture. 2. Discussion With the recent focus on pollution prevention/remediation and resource recycling efforts, there has been increased interest in devices and processes that can separate harmful and/or useful substances from various aqueous-based fluids prior to the water being discharged back into the environment. Of particular interest, is the separation of hydrocarbon/water fluids, specifically oil or fuel and water fluids. Hydrocarbons, such as petroleum products (e.g., oil and fuel), are generally hydrophobic in nature and therefore do not mix well with water or other aqueous-based fluids, which, of course, are hydrophilic in nature. The reason for this interest in separation is two-fold: first, the oil or fuel can be re-used if the water can be removed from the fluid, and second, the water can be safely discharged into the environment if a sufficient amount of the oil or fuel can be removed from the fluid. One useful device for accomplishing this task has been the phase separator, specifically the oil/water separator. Conventional oil/water separators rely on the fact that oil and water have different specific gravities, i.e., the oil, being lighter or less dense than the water, will tend to rise to the top surface of the fluid, whereas water will tend to sink down to the bottom of the separator tank. After a specific residence time in the separator tank, the oil which has risen to the top surface will either spill over, be skimmed off, or otherwise removed from the separator tank. The oil is now available for immediate use or further processing. The remaining water will then be removed from the separator tank and discharged into the environment or used for some other purpose . A description of several conventional phase separators can be found in the following U.S. Patents: U.S. Patent No. 3,992,297 entitled "Oil Separator Device" and issued to Baughcom et al . ,- U.S. Patent No. 4,238,333 entitled "Waste Water-Oil Separator" and issued to Tidwell; U.S. Patent No. 4,272,359 entitled "Method And Apparatus For Re-Processing Waste Oil" and issued to Owen; U.S. Patent No. 4,296,810 entitled "Method Of Producing Oil From A Formation Fluid Containing Both Oil And Water" and issued to Price; U.S. Patent No. 4,396,508 entitled "Separator For Multi-Phase Liquids" and issued to Broughton; U.S. Patent No. 4,424,068 entitled "Separator And Method For Separation Of Oil, Gas And Water" and issued to McMillan; U.S. Patent No.. 4,581,134 entitled "Crude Oil Dehydrator/Desalter Control System" and issued to Richter, Jr. et al . ; U.S. Patent No. 4,624,763 entitled "Separation Of Dispersed Phase From Phase Mixture" and issued to Chimenti; U.S. Patent No. 4,911,850 entitled "Method And Apparatus For Separating Liquid Components From A Liquid Mixture" and issued to Kalnins; U.S. Patent No. 4,933,094 entitled "Method and Apparatus For Separating Liquid Components From A Liquid Mixture" and issued to Kalnins; U.S. Patent No. 5,028,333 entitled "Phase Separator Module" and issued to Wright et al.; U.S. Patent No. 5,093,006 entitled "Liquid Separator" and issued to Kalnins; U.S. Patent No. 5,173,195 entitled "Phase Separator Module" and issued to Wright et ' al.; U.S. Patent No. 5,350,527 entitled "Oily Water Separation And Water Reclamation System" and issued to Kitko; U.S. Patent No. 5,678,423 entitled "Method For Removing And Recovering Volatile Organic Components" and issued to Davies et al . ; U.S. Patent No. 5,707,427 entitled "Multiphase Fluid Separator System" and issued to Stockman et al . ; and U.S. Patent No. 5,935,449 entitled "Automated Separator Of Light Fluids By Specific Gravity" and issued to Buehler et al . , the entire specifications' of which are all incorporated herein by reference . Although conventional oil/water separators have aided somewhat in the recovery of useful amounts of oil and water, they suffer from several disadvantages. First, the oil/water fluid is typically slowly introduced into the separator in order to avoid any turbulence which would cause the respective phases to disperse within one another. Secondly, the oil/water fluid must generally remain in the separator for an extended residence time in order to allow the two phases to completely separate. Third, even when the two phases completely separate, there is usually a small amount of molecular level water remaining in the oil phase. Thus, the reclaimed oil is typically never 100% water-free, and must typically be further treated with a desiccant or drying agent, such as calcium chloride to completely remove the water contained therein. Another approach to overcoming this problem has involved the use of porous materials to absorb one of the liquids phases, either oil or water. However, these porous materials, upon being fully loaded by the liquid phase, must be removed from the separator apparatus and emptied and/or regenerated. Therefore, there exists a need for a device and method of using the same to quickly, continuously, inexpensively, and completely separate a two-phase fluid, especially those containing a hydrophilic fluid and a hydrophobic fluid, into its component phases. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved phase separator device . It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved phase separator device for separating a hydrophilic fluid phase from a hydrophobic fluid phase, and vice verse, of a two-phase fluid. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved method of separating a first fluid phase from a second fluid phase of a two-phase fluid. It is yet still another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved method ' for separating a hydrophilic fluid phase from a hydrophobic fluid phase, and vice verse, of a two-phase fluid. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for separating a first fluid phase from a second fluid phase of a two-phase fluid is provided, comprising: a wicking fiber, wherein the wicking fiber is comprised of a material having an affinity, for at least one of the phases of the two-phase fluid. In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for separating a first fluid phase from a second fluid phase of a two-phase fluid is provided, comprising: a wicking fiber comprised of an elongated fiber having multiple lobes with a longitudinally extending internal cavity including an opening from the internal cavity to an outer fiber formed between adjacent lobes at least one container member; wherein the wicking fiber is comprised of a material having an affinity for at least one of the phases of the two-phase fluid. In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, a method for separating a first fluid phase from a second fluid phase of a two-phase fluid is provided, comprising: providing a wicking fiber, wherein the wicking fiber is comprised of a material having an affinity for at least one of the phases of the two-phase fluid; and passing a two-phase fluid through the wicking fiber; wherein the wicking fiber will retain one of the fluids of the two-phase fluid that the wicking fiber has an affinity for. A more complete appreciation of the present invention and its scope can be obtained from the following brief description of the drawings, detailed description of the invention, and the appended claims . BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The FIGURE is a perspective view of a wicking fiber can be used to selectively wick a fluid phase from a two-phase fluid. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention is primarily directed to a wicking fiber which can be used to separate various two- phase fluids (e.g., liquids/liquids and liquids/gases), especially those containing a hydrophilic liquid and a hydrophobic liquid. A plurality of the wicking fibers can be formed into sheet, membrane, array or the like, through which the two-phase liquid can be passed in order to separate one phase from the other. Examples of suitable wicking fibers include, without limitation, elongated fibers having multiple lobes with a longitudinally extending internal cavity including an opening from the internal cavity to the outer fiber formed between adj acent lobes . A description of several suitable wicking fibers can be found in the following U.S. Patents, the entire specifications of which are all incorporated herein by reference : U.S. Patent No. 5,057,368 entitled "Filaments Having Trilobal Or Quadrilobal Cross-Sections" and issued to Largman et al . describes a trilobal or quadrilobal fiber formed from thermoplastic polymers, the fiber having a cross-section comprised of a central core having three or four T-shaped lobes, the legs of each intersecting at the center of the core such that the angle between the legs of adjacent lobes is from about 80° to about 130°. U.S. Patent No. 5,704,966 entitled "Method And Apparatus ' For The Continuous Capturing And Removal Of Gas Molecules" and issued to Rohrbach et al . describes a filtration method and device which continuously removes several gas phase contaminants from an air stream through the use of partially hollow wicking fibers impregnated with a selected liquid which can capture the gas phase contaminants . U.S. Patent No. 5,713,971 entitled "Filtration Device Using Absorption For The Removal Of Gas Phase Contaminants" and issued to Rohrbach et al . describes a filter device and technique which rely on absorption rather than adsorption for the removal of gas phase contaminants . A filter media is composed of a plurality of wicking fibers each of which comprise a strand with a hollow region impregnated with any of a variety of liquid phase absorbing systems made from the combination of a carrier liquid and soluble complexing/degrading agent or agents. The filter media may be made from any of a variety of fibers which can rapidly transport a liquid phase by the nature of either their geometry or their chemical composition. Geometries may include multilobal cross-sectional configurations, porous hollow fibers, porous or striated fibers or tightly bundled microfibers,- all of which exhibit the property of wicking fluid from an external source . U.S. Patent Nos . 5,744,236 and 5,759,394 entitled "Hollow Fibers Impregnated With Solid Particles" and "Elongate Fiber Filter Mechanically Securing Solid Absorbent Particles Between Adjacent Multilobes", respectively, and both issued to Rohrbach et al . describe a non-woven filter media or mat formed from a plurality of elongated generally hollow fibers each having an internal cavity which has an opening, smaller than the cavity width, to the fiber surface and retaining within the internal cavity a large number of relatively small solid particles . U.S. Patent Nos . 5,902,384 and 5,951,744 entitled "Wicking Fiber With Solid Particulates For A High Surface Area Odor Removing Filter And Method Of Making" and "Multicomponent Depth Odor Control Filter And Method Of Manufacture", respectively, and both issued to Rohrbach et al . describe a filtration device which continuously removes gas phase contaminants from an air stream through the use of partially hollow wicking fibers impregnated with a fine solid carbon powder or zeolites and formed into a fiber filter with a selected chemisoptive liquid applied to one side of the fiber filter and large carbon particles applied to the other side of the fiber filter. The unique cross-sectional nature of the fibers (i.e., multilobal) allows for the internal wicking of a liquid through the fibers. By properly choosing the polymer that comprises the wicking fiber, one can design either a wicking array that will remove water (or any other type of hydrophilic liquid) from a water/oil liquid and/or a wicking array that will remove oil (or any other type of hydrophobic liquid) from a water/oil liquid. By way of a non-limiting example, a hydrophilic polymer such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or nylon will naturally wick a hydrophilic liquid of a hydrophilic/hydrophobic two-phase liquid, while a hydrophobic polymer like polypropylene or polyethylene will naturally prefer to wick the more hydrophobic liquid of the hydrophilic/hydrophobic two-phase liquid. Accordingly, the present invention can be employed to separate water or any other type of hydrophilic aqueous- based liquid from oil .or any other type of hydrophobic organic-based liquid. Furthermore, once the fluid or liquid is retained or wicked by the wicking fiber, it is very difficult to dislodge or force out . Additionally, because polypropylene and polyethylene wicking fibers are generally less expensive to produce than PET or nylon wicking fibers, a wicking fiber comprised of a base of polypropylene and/or polyethylene which is completely enveloped by a coating or layer of PET and/or nylon may be used to wick hydrophilic liquids. Therefore, the cost of producing the hydrophilic wicking fiber is reduced by using the less expensive hydrophobic wicking fiber materials as a base material . By incorporating various sorbent agents into the wicking fiber channels, one could enhance the absorption of one of the liquid phases of the two-phase liquid. These sorbent agents include both hydrophilic and hydrophobic materials that can be disposed on or impregnated into the wicking fibers of the present invention. In operation, the wicking fiber is preferred wetted first, in order to enhance the absorption kinetics of the wicking fiber. If the wicking fiber is not initially wetted, the respective liquid phase will adsorb to the wicking fiber and then will eventually be absorbed by the wicking fiber. The wicking fiber, which is preferably in the form of an array of a plurality of wicking fibers, then has a two-phase fluid passed through it. As a result, one of the phases, i.e., the hydrophilic or hydrophobic phase, is wicked by the wicking fibers. The fluid which passes through the wicking fiber array (i.e., not adsorbed or absorbed) is essentially purified in that it contains only one fluid phase. It should also be appreciated that the present invention can be practiced oh two-phase fluids, where one of the phases is a gas, as opposed to a liquid. By way of a non-limiting example, the present invention can be used to ameliorate foggy conditions. Fog basically consists of water droplets (i.e., a liquid phase) suspended in air (i.e., a gaseous phase) . The fog can be passed through an array of hydrophilic wicking fibers whereupon the water droplets will be adsorbed/absorbed, thus clarifying the air. This process would be especially beneficial to industries that produce large amounts of fog (e.g., paper mills, steam plants, and the like) . Referring now to the FIGURE, a generally hollow wicking fiber 10 which is suitable for practicing this invention is shown. The wicking fiber 10 has a cross- section with a central core 12 and three (or alternatively four) T-shaped lobes 14 that terminate on an external wall member 16. The legs of the lobes 14 intersect at the core 12 so that the angle between the legs of the adjacent lobes 14 is from about 80° to 130°. The thermoplastic polymer is typically a polyamide, a polyester, a polyolefin or a combination thereof. The wicking fiber 10 as illustrated in the FIGURE is formed as an extruded strand having three hollow interior longitudinally extending cavities 18 each of which communicates with the outer strand surface by way of longitudinally extending slots 20 which are defined between the outer ends of the T-shaped lobes 14. The optional sorbent agents 22 are applied in any number of conventional methods to at least a portion of one or more surfaces of the cavities 18. The foregoing description is considered illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Furthermore, because numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and process shown as described above. Accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents that may be resorted to that fall within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims that follow.

Claims: What is claimed is: 1. An apparatus for separating a first fluid phase from a second fluid phase of a two-phase fluid, comprising: a wicking fiber, wherein the wicking fiber is comprised of a material having an affinity for at least one of the phases of the two-phase fluid. 2. The invention according to claim 1, wherein the wicking fiber is comprised of an elongated fiber having multiple T-shaped lobes with a longitudinally extending internal cavity including an opening from the internal cavity to an outer fiber formed between adjacent lobes. 3. The invention according to claim 1, wherein the wicking fiber is comprised of an elongated fiber having multiple lobes with a longitudinally extending internal cavity including an opening from the internal cavity to an outer fiber formed between adjacent lobes. 4. The invention according to claim 1, wherein the wicking fiber is comprised of materials selected from the group consisting of hydrophilic materials, hydrophobic materials, and combinations thereof. 5. The invention according to claim 4, wherein the hydrophilic material is comprised of materials selected f-rom the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate, nylon, and combinations thereof, and the hydrophobic material is comprised of materials selected from the group consisting of- polypropylene, polyethylene, and combinations thereof. 6. The invention according to claim 1, wherein the wicking fiber further comprises a sorbent agent disposed on at least a portion of a surface thereof. 7. The invention according to claim 6, wherein the sorbent agent is comprised of materials selected from the group consisting of hydrophilic materials, hydrophobic materials, and combinations thereof. 8. An apparatus for separating a first fluid phase from a second fluid phase of a two-phase fluid, comprising: a wicking fiber comprised of an elongated fiber having multiple lobes with a longitudinally extending internal cavity including an opening from the internal cavity to an outer fiber formed between adjacent lobes at least one container member; wherein the wicking fiber is comprised of a material having an affinity for at least one of the phases of the two-phase fluid. 9. The invention according to claim 8, wherein the lobes are T-shaped. 10. The invention according to claim 9, wherein the wicking fiber is comprised of materials selected from the group consisting of hydrophilic materials, hydrophobic materials, and combinations thereof. 11. The invention according to claim 9, wherein the wicking fiber further comprises a sorbent agent disposed on at least a portion of a surface thereof. 12. A method for separating a first fluid phase from a second fluid phase of a two-phase fluid, comprising: providing a wicking fiber, wherein the wicking fiber is comprised of a material having an affinity for at least one of the phases of the two-phase fluid; and passing a two-phase fluid through the wicking fiber; wherein the wicking fiber will retain one of the fluids of the two-phase fluid that the wicking fiber has an affinity for. 13. The invention according to claim 12, wherein the wicking fiber is comprised of an elongated fiber having multiple T-shaped lobes with a longitudinally extending internal cavity including an opening from the internal cavity to an outer fiber formed between adjacent lobes.

Inventors: BAUSE DANIEL, JONES GORDON W, ROHRBACH RONALD P, UNGER PETER D, BAUSE, DANIEL, JONES, GORDON, W., ROHRBACH, RONALD, P., UNGER, PETER, D.
Applicants: HONEYWELL INT INC, HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
Application year: 2001
Main classification: B01D17
IPC codes: A61F13, A61L9, A61L15, B01D17, B01D39, B01J20, D01D5, D04H1, D06M11