Patent ID: 7828965

Claim:
An apparatus for separating mud from water of an air-mud-water mixture, comprising: a water tank defining a water reservoir and having a water tank inlet and a first water tank outlet in an upper portion thereof and a second water tank outlet in a bottom portion thereof; a separation device defining a mud-water reservoir and coupled to and disposed at least partially within the water tank and extending into the water tank so that the water tank at least partially surrounds the separation device, the water and mud-water reservoirs being separated by at least one wall of the separation device to prevent direct fluid communication between the water and mud-water reservoirs, and having a separation device inlet with a first end configured to be in fluid communication with a mud tank and a second end configured to be in fluid communication with the separation device in an upper portion of the separation device such that an air-mud-water mixture being pumped through the separation device inlet enters the separation device with mud and water in the air-mud-water mixture settling into the mud-water reservoir and air from the air-mud-water mixture being pumped through an outlet in a top portion of the separation device and into the water reservoir; and a water ring pump coupled between and in fluid communication with the outlet of the separation device and the water tank inlet for pumping air from the separation device and air entrained water droplets into the water tank; wherein the water tank inlet is oriented approximately tangentially to an outer wall of the water tank to cause cyclonic separation of the air entrained water droplets from the air, allowing the resulting water to collect in the water tank and the air to exit through the first water tank outlet.