US 12,139,420 B2
Method and apparatus for separation of a substance from water
Steven Edward Phillips, Hornsby (AU); and David John Burns, Hornsby (AU)
Assigned to OPEC Remediation Technologies Pty Limited, (AU)
Appl. No. 16/771,199
Filed by Opec Remediation Technologies Pty Limited, Hornsby (AU)
PCT Filed Dec. 10, 2018, PCT No. PCT/IB2018/059830
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 9, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/111238, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 13, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 2017904954 (AU), filed on Dec. 9, 2017; and application No. 2018904046 (AU), filed on Oct. 25, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0300789 A1, Sep. 30, 2021
Int. Cl. C02F 1/24 (2023.01); C02F 101/36 (2006.01); C02F 103/06 (2006.01)
CPC C02F 1/24 (2013.01) [C02F 2101/36 (2013.01); C02F 2103/06 (2013.01); C02F 2209/38 (2013.01); C02F 2209/40 (2013.01); C02F 2209/42 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of separating an amount of a substance from water which is contaminated with the substance, the method comprising the steps of:
admitting an amount of the water, which includes an initial concentration of the substance, into a chamber via an inlet thereinto;
introducing a flow of gas into the chamber, wherein said introduced gas induces the water in the chamber to flow, and produces a froth layer which is formed at, and which rises above, an interface with the said flow of water and of introduced gas in the chamber, the froth layer including an amount of water and also a concentrated amount of the substance when compared with its initial concentration;
controlling the water content of the froth layer above the interface by use of a flow controller and an inlet valve to physically control the flow of said introduced gas into the chamber, along with use of a device for confining the cross-sectional flow path of the froth layer in the upper portion of the chamber, resulting in drainage of said froth layer, thereby influencing the concentration of the substance in said froth layer; and
removing at least some of the froth layer from an upper portion of the chamber,
wherein the froth layer is collapsed into a separate containment apparatus during said removal step from the upper portion of the chamber, and prior to undergoing a secondary treatment step for treating said collapsed froth layer including the concentrated substance, and
wherein said secondary treatment step comprises the introduction of a further quantity of gas into said separate containment apparatus to produce another froth layer comprising a further concentrated amount of the substance.