Patent ID: 7485223

Claim:
Separator device ( 1 ) for separating a first liquid substance from a second substance, the two substances forming a mixture, the apparatus comprising: a vessel ( 2 ) with an inlet ( 3 ) for receiving the mixture, a first outlet ( 12 ) for discharge of a first fraction of the mixture, a second outlet ( 13 ) for discharge of a second fraction of the mixture, and a flow element ( 7 ) comprising a number of parallel tubular channels defining a flow path for the mixture, the channels having an inlet end ( 8 ) for receiving the mixture and an outlet end ( 9 ) for discharge of the first fraction, a length direction of the channels being inclined with respect to a horizontal direction, wherein in a transverse cross-section through the flow element, the channels form a two-dimensional array of closed cells ( 22 ), each cell defining a boundary of a flow channel, the cells being arranged in at least two rows (A 1 -A 3 , B 1 -B 3 ) each cell in a first row contacting with its perimeter a cell in the second row, wherein the separator device comprises a return duct ( 15 ) in fluid connection with the first outlet, and connected to the vessel ( 2 ) via a gas mixing device ( 17 ), an upper side of the flow channels being in fluid communication with the inlet ( 3 ) for forming a flow path for the mixture from the upper to a lower part of flow channels, the second outlet ( 13 ) is situated at an upper part of the separator device in fluid communication with the upper part of the flow channels, a flow path for gas and the second fraction of the mixture extending from a lower part to an upper part of the flow channels, the inlet ( 3 ) is situated in a side surface of vessel ( 2 ) for entering the mixture into the upper of the vessel ( 2 ) in a sideways direction, and an outlet of the gas mixing device is connected to the inlet ( 3 ) for mixing air into the mixture prior to the mixture entering into the vessel ( 2 ), a level sensor ( 25 ) being situated is an upper part of the separator device, the first outlet ( 12 ) being situated in a lower part of the separator device and comprising a controlled valve ( 26 ) which receives as an input a control signal generated by the level sensor ( 25 ).