Patent ID: 8663472

Claim:
A hydroclone ( 10 ) comprising a tank ( 12 ) including a fluid inlet ( 14 ), a filtered fluid outlet ( 16 ), an effluent outlet ( 18 ), a process fluid outlet ( 20 ) and an inner peripheral wall ( 22 ) enclosing a plurality of vertically aligned chambers comprising: a vortex chamber ( 24 ) in fluid communication with the fluid inlet ( 14 ), a filter assembly ( 26 ) located within the vortex chamber ( 24 ) and enclosing a filtrate chamber ( 66 ), a fluid pathway ( 28 ) adapted for receiving incoming fluid and generating a vortex fluid flow about the filter assembly ( 26 ), wherein the filtrate chamber ( 66 ) is in fluid communication with the filtered fluid outlet ( 16 ) such that fluid passing through the filter assembly ( 26 ) enters the filtrate chamber ( 66 ) and exits the tank ( 12 ) by way of the filtered fluid outlet ( 16 ), an effluent separation chamber ( 30 ) located below and in fluid communication with the vortex chamber ( 24 ) which is adapted for receiving unfiltered fluid from the vortex chamber ( 24 ), a process fluid chamber ( 32 ) located below and in fluid communication with the effluent separation chamber, ( 30 ) which is adapted for receiving a process fluid from the effluent separation chamber ( 30 ) and wherein the process fluid chamber ( 32 ) is in fluid communication with the process fluid outlet ( 20 ) by which process fluid exits the tank ( 12 ), a vortex flow barrier ( 34 ) located between the vortex and effluent separation chambers ( 24 , 30 ) which disrupts vortex fluid flow ( 28 ) as fluid flows from the vortex chamber ( 24 ) to the effluent separation chamber ( 30 ), and an effluent barrier ( 36 ) located below the effluent separation chamber ( 30 ) which directs fluid flow from the effluent separation chamber ( 30 ) to the process fluid outlet ( 20 ), and wherein the effluent barrier ( 36 ) further comprises a centrally located effluent opening ( 38 ) in fluid communication with the effluent outlet ( 18 ) by which effluent exits the tank ( 12 ).