(62b) Cross Flow Filtration Hydrocyclones

A cross flow filtration hydrocyclone (CFFH) combines the desirable attributes of a vortex separator and a filter barrier. By selecting an appropriate hydrophilic filter medium, a CFFH clarifier has the potential to produce a filtrate phase with a low concentration of a dispersed organic phase in a single stage. The CFFH concept addresses three traditional problems associated with current hydrocyclone separators for oil/water separation: 1) the loss of separation performance due to core flow reversal; 2) the loss of separation performance due to entrained oil in the sidewall boundary layer; and, 3) the loss of separation performance due to hydraulic turndown. The paper will discuss the efficacy of using a forward-flow CFFH and a reverse-flow CFFH for clarifying produced water on offshore platforms and elsewhere. Computational fluid dynamic (CFD-) methods are used to identify practical prototype designs and operating characteristics.

“The Ubiquitous Hydrocyclone: Theory and Practice, C. A. Petty, AIChE Webinar, February 11, 2009, http://www.aiche.org/webinars.aspx.

C. A. Petty and S. M. Parks , 2001, "Flow Predictions within Hydrocyclones", Filtration+Separation, Volume 38, Number 6, 28-34.

Ali, S.K., K. Weispfennig, J.F. Foss, and C. A. Petty, 1992, “The Separation Performance of Long Hydrocyclones with an Annular Feed Entry”, BHRA 4^th Int’l Conf. on Hydrocyclones, Southampton, UK, 23-25 September 1992.

Dabir, B. and C. A. Petty, 1986, “Measurements of Mean Velocity Profiles in a Hydrocyclone Using Laser Doppler Anemometry”, Chem. Eng. Commun., 48, 377-388.

Bahram Dabir, 1983, “Mean Velocity Measurements in a 3”-Hydrocyclone Using Laser Doppler Anemometry, Michigan State University, Ph.D. Dissertation, 1983.

Knowles, S. R., D.R. Woods, and I.A. Feinstein, 1973, The Velocity Distribution within a Hydrocyclone Operating without an Air Core”, CAN J CHEM ENG, 51, no.3, pp.263-271.