Patent ID: 8092692

Claim:
A separator apparatus for separating immiscible fluid components of different specific gravities, the separator apparatus comprising: a body comprising an internal flow channel for a mixture of fluid components to be separated, the flow channel having an inlet for receiving the fluid mixture and an outlet; a rotation generating device for bringing the fluid mixture to rotate about a longitudinal axis of the flow channel as the fluid mixture flows through the flow channel between the inlet and the outlet thereof so as to thereby make immiscible fluid components of different specific gravities included in the fluid mixture to migrate, under action of centrifugal forces, towards mutually different parts of the flow channel; a first extraction device for withdrawing, upstream of the outlet of the flow channel, a central part of the rotating fluid mixture flowing through the flow channel, a bubble introducer configured to introduce, upstream of the first extraction device and at a periphery of the flow channel, micro-sized gas bubbles into the fluid mixture flowing through the flow channel, upstream and/or downstream of the rotation generating device, and a second extraction device for withdrawing, upstream of a section of the flow channel where micro-sized gas bubbles are introduced by the bubble introducer, a peripheral part of the rotating fluid mixture flowing through the flow channel, so as to thereby enhance the separation of said immiscible fluid components of different specific gravities.