Patent ID: 8070965

Claim:
A dynamic phase separator for separation of a multi phase mixture influent, comprising; a housing defining a chamber divided into two regions by a non-porous inner wall disposed radially inward relative to an outer wall, a gross separation region defined between the inner wall and the outer wall, a fine separation region inside an area defined by the inner wall and a top of the chamber, an inlet defined in the outer wall for receiving in the gross separation region the multi-phase mixture influent to be separated; a rotatable shaft disposed within the fine separation region, the shaft having a channel defined through at least a portion thereof; and a plurality of porous disks disposed only in the fine separation region and mounted to the rotatable shaft, the disks being in fluid communication with the channel in the shaft, the disks having a substantially smooth surface to minimize turbulence during rotation and relief holes defined therein proximate the rotatable shaft; wherein the outer and inner walls are connected so that a top end of the gross separation region is closed to prevent the flow of the multi-phase mixture influent to be separated from the gross separation region to the fine separation region; at an opposite lower end of the gross separation region the outer and inner walls remain unbounded thereby permitting gross separated influent to pass freely from the gross separation region into the fine separation region; wherein the chamber has a first gross separated discharge outlet and a second gross separated discharge outlet each in fluid communication with the gross separation region, the first gross separated discharge outlet disposed proximate the top end of the gross separation region while the second gross separated discharge outlet being disposed proximate the opposite lower end of the gross separation region, gross separated lighter phase being expelled through the first gross separated discharge outlet and gross separated heavier phase being expelled via the second gross separated discharge outlet; and the chamber has a first fine separated discharge outlet and a second fine separated discharge outlet each in fluid communication with the fine separation region, the first fine separated discharge outlet being disposed proximate the top of the chamber and in fluid communication with the passageway and relief holes, while the second fine separated discharge outlet being disposed at its opposite end, fine separated lighter phase being expelled through the first fine separated discharge outlet and fine separated heavier phase being expelled via the second fine serrated discharge outlet; wherein the fine separation region terminates in a funnel turned inside out so that its stem is disposed within the fine separation region, an opening defined in the stem of the inside out funnel provides the only fluid communication passageway between the gross separation region and the fine separation region.