Liquid/Liquid Coalescer - Page 1

Horizontal Cross-Flow (HCF) Plate-Pack

1. Fundamental Concepts of the Horizontal Cross-Flow (HCF) Plate-Pack

The HCF is designed to remove additional amounts of oil from the bulk water phase. Two basic fluid dynamic principles, as well as innovative physical dimensioning, govern the HCF operation of separating liquid phases. Laminar, stable flow maintained between the HCF's corrugated plates (3/8" to 1" apart), allows convention settling (i.e. in accordance with Stoke's Law) to be much more efficient. Decreasing the travel distance to an interface (and subsequent removal) from a few feet (as in conventional settling tanks) to a shorter distance reduces the retention time required to effectively treat a given volume of water.

2. Physical Process

A circular framed 3-dimensional housing containing stacks of corrugated plates acts as the working media. Made of DION® Corr-Ress Vinyl Ester reinforced with fiberglass, each pack contains plates inclined at a 45º angle (see Figure 1) and spaced from 3/8" to 1" apart. Typical capacities are shown in Figure 2. As they impinge upon the plate above, coalescence of droplets takes place and the larger droplets which are formed migrate to the top of the Plate-Pack and are removed. The materials with specified gravities greater than water separated and fall to the bottom. The HCF Plate-Pack rests upon a perforated plate which acts as a collection point for the solids.

Coalescer Plate Pack