Patent ID: 7803233

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a pipe separator having a separator body including a first end defining an inlet, a second end defining a terminal outlet, a bend or loop for maintaining a fluid level in the pipe separator, and a fluid outlet located upstream of the bend or loop the bend or loop being located at the terminal outlet of the pipe separator, wherein the separator body comprises an extended tubular body, and the separator body inlet and the separator body outlet have essentially the same diameter as the separator body; an outlet pipe connected to the fluid outlet for conducting fluid from the separator; a pump arranged on the outlet pipe; a reversing valve arranged on the outlet pipe; a return pipe connected to the reversing valve and communicating with the separator body at a location downstream of the bend or loop; and a flushing device comprising a plurality of nozzles arranged in the fluid outlet and a pipe loop connected to the outlet pipe, the flushing device being operable to return fluid from the fluid outlet to the nozzles to flush any particles accumulated in the outlet in a direction downstream of the outlet, wherein, by using the pump arranged on the outlet pipe, sand particles or other particulate materials that have accumulated at the fluid outlet upstream of the bend or loop can be returned together with fluid from the outlet to the separator body at a location downstream of the bend or loop via the reversing valve and the return pipe.