Patent ID: 7374668

Claim:
An in-situ cleaning system for use in association with an oil-water separation apparatus having a separator tank and, within said separator tank, plural plates for effecting separation of oil from oily wastewater that is introduced into said separator tank, the cleaning system comprising: a mixer for mixing potable water and a cleaning agent to form a mixture, said mixer including a mixing tank for containing said mixture; an air sparging array, for situation within said separator tank and beneath said plates; a computer-automated effluent drainage valve, for regulating drainage of effluent from said separator tank; a first computer-automated water supply valve, for regulating supply of potable water from a potable water source to said mixing tank; a computer-automated mixture supply valve, for regulating supply of said mixture from said mixing tank to said separator tank; a second computer-automated water supply valve, for regulating supply of said potable water from said potable water source to said separator tank; a computer-automated air supply valve, for regulating supply of pressurized air from a pressurized air source to said air sparging array; a computer having resident in its memory a computer program product including a computer-useable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for enabling said computer to control a process of cleaning said plates, said computer program logic being configured to: transmit control signals to said computer-automated effluent drainage valve to drain effluent from said separator tank; transmit control signals to said first computer-automated water supply valve to fill a portion of said mixing tank with a quantity of said potable water for being mixed with a quantity of said cleaning agent to form a quantity of said mixture; transmit control signals to said computer-automated mixture supply valve to fill a portion of said separator tank with a quantity of said mixture; transmit control signals to said second computer-automated water supply valve to fill a portion of said separator tank with a quantity of said potable water; and transmit control signals to said computer-automated air supply valve to effect air sparging by said air sparging array during containment by said separator tank of a quantity of said mixture and a quantity of said potable water, said air sparging resulting in air bubbles for enhancing cleaning of said plates.