Cross Flow Filtration Hydrocyclone for Liquid/Liquid Separation

A cross flow filtration hydrocyclone (CFFH) combines the desirable attributes of a vortex separator and a filter. By selecting a 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 may provide a practical means to mitigate three traditional problems associated with current hydrocyclone clarifiers: 1) the loss of separation performance due to core flow reversal; 2) the loss of separation performance due to entrained particles 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 for clarifying produced water. Computational fluid dynamic (CFD-) methods are used to identify a prototype design and operating characteristics. Preliminary results of an experimental evaluation of the concept will be presented.