Ultrasonic detonation rotational flow microbubble flotation device

By using an ultrasonic detonation cyclone microbubble flotation device, which combines ultrasonic cavitation and cyclone centrifugation technologies, the problem of unstable bubble generation in existing devices under high temperature and high pressure environments has been solved, achieving efficient capture and separation of fine particles, and making it suitable for complex separation scenarios.

CN121372702APending Publication Date: 2026-01-23ZHUHAI JUTAL OFFSHORE OIL SERVICES CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202511762946.6
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2025-11-27
Publication Date
2026-01-23

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing cyclone bubble flotation devices have poor sealing performance under high temperature, high pressure or corrosive environments, unstable bubble generation, and uneven bubble size, making it difficult to effectively capture fine particles. In particular, the removal rate of microplastics and oil droplets <10µm is low, and the efficiency bottleneck of traditional devices is obvious.

Method used

An ultrasonic detonation cyclone microbubble flotation device is adopted, which generates nanoscale bubbles through ultrasonic detonation and combines them with a cyclone centrifugal force field to achieve rapid collection and energy-saving separation of fine particles. The device has a vertical structure and an inner and outer stepped double barrel design. It includes an ultrasonic detonator, a gas-water mixer, an oil-collecting umbrella component and a surrounding demulsification and coalescence packing, integrating ultrasonic cavitation, cyclone centrifugation, micro-nano bubbles and physical demulsification technologies.

Benefits of technology

It achieves high-precision separation of fine particles, and the generated nanoscale bubbles can capture tiny oil droplets and suspended particles <10µm, expanding the application range, suitable for complex separation scenarios, reducing energy consumption, extending equipment operation cycle, and has wide applicability.

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Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of oil-gas-water separation equipment, and discloses an ultrasonic detonation rotational flow microbubble flotation device which comprises a vertical container tank with inner and outer stepped double-barrel design and a separation inner barrel, an oil gathering umbrella is arranged on the upper portion of the interior, an oil discharge connector is arranged on the outer wall of one side, and surrounding physical demulsification coalescence filler is arranged on the upper portion of the area between the tank and the inner barrel. And the lower part of the separation inner cylinder is provided with a reverse symmetrical double-tangential rotational flow inlet, the bottom of the separation inner cylinder is externally provided with a purified backflow water inlet and is communicated with the purified water diversion outlet in a process manner, and the bottom of the separation inner cylinder is internally provided with a gas-water mixer and an ultrasonic knocker. By combining ultrasonic cavitation, rotational flow centrifugation, micro-nano bubbles and physical coalescence demulsification technologies, the diameter of the bubbles is reduced by 15 microns or below through the ultrasonic detonation cavitation effect, fine oil drops and suspended particles which are difficult to treat through traditional flotation and are 10 microns or below can be captured, the method is suitable for multi-phase separation of discrete high-concentration fine pollutants, and the flotation efficiency is improved. Complex separation scenes such as oily sewage, micro-plastics and mineral flotation can be treated.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of oil-gas-water separation equipment technology, specifically to an ultrasonic detonation cyclone microbubble flotation device. Background Technology

[0002] Cyclone bubble flotation technology is a separation technology that combines centrifugal force field with micro- and nano-bubbles. It mainly consists of a flotation column that generates cyclone and a generator that generates microbubbles. It utilizes the centrifugal force generated by the cyclone to enhance the collision and adhesion between microbubbles and target particles, and to separate the adhering particles from the waste in reverse. It is applied in mineral processing, coal washing, petrochemical and oilfield production water treatment to improve separation accuracy and recovery rate. At the same time, it is used to remove suspended solids and grease in the treatment of various emulsified oily wastewater.

[0003] In existing cyclone bubble flotation devices, microbubble generation generally relies on mechanical stirring or the Venturi effect. Mechanical bubble generators are easily limited by sealing conditions, making them difficult to adapt to high-temperature, high-pressure, or corrosive environments, and the stability of the generated bubbles is poor. Devices utilizing the Venturi effect release bubbles by dissolving gas under high pressure and then depressurizing, but they suffer from problems such as uneven bubble size, insufficient gas-liquid ratio, and poor bubble stability. Bubbles are prone to coalescence or adsorption, limiting reaction efficiency and resulting in high energy consumption over long periods of operation. With the increasingly complex demands for treating industrial wastewater, oily wastewater, and micro-pollutants, the bubble particle size distribution released by traditional flotation technology is uneven, typically at the micrometer level, resulting in limited capture capacity for ultrafine particles. This leads to efficiency bottlenecks when treating fine particles such as microplastics and emulsified oil. Conventional flotation devices are effective for particles larger than 50µm, but have low removal rates for smaller particles such as microplastics and oil droplets <10µm, making it difficult to meet effluent standards.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop cyclone bubble flotation technology and equipment with higher precision and stronger separation capabilities. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the problems and shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention discloses an ultrasonic detonation cyclone microbubble flotation device. By generating nanoscale bubbles through ultrasonic detonation and combining it with a cyclone centrifugal force field to enhance the flotation process, it achieves rapid collection and energy-saving separation of fine particles. It is suitable for the separation of fine particles in metal ores, non-metal ores, and wastewater treatment.

[0006] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows: An ultrasonic detonation cyclone microbubble flotation device includes a container tank and a separation inner cylinder. The container tank is sealed at the top, while the separation inner cylinder is open at the top, with its upper part located inside the container tank and its lower part extending out of the container tank, the interface being sealed, and its bottom being conical. An oil-collecting umbrella assembly is provided in the region above the separation inner cylinder within the container tank. An oil discharge interface assembly is provided on the outer wall of the container tank on one side below the oil-collecting umbrella assembly. A surrounding demulsification and coalescence packing is provided in the upper part of the annular region between the container tank and the separation inner cylinder. The tank body has a purified water outlet assembly on one outer wall at the lower part of the annular area, and a purified water diversion outlet assembly on the other outer wall; the lower part of the separating inner cylinder extending out of the container tank body has a double tangential vortex inlet assembly; the outer side of the conical bottom of the separating inner cylinder has a purified return water inlet assembly, which is connected to the purified water diversion outlet assembly via a pipe; a gas-water mixer is located inside the conical bottom of the separating inner cylinder, connected to the purified return water inlet assembly; an ultrasonic detonator is located above the gas-water mixer.

[0007] The device of this invention has a vertical structure and a double-barrel design with inner and outer tiers. It includes a container body, i.e., a pressure vessel, and a separation inner cylinder, which provides an integrated fusion separation zone incorporating centrifugal vortex, micro-nano bubbles, and ultrasonic detonation. It has a small footprint and can effectively utilize vertical space.

[0008] The dual tangential vortex inlet assembly at the bottom of the inner cylinder serves as the inlet for the fluid to be separated to vortex into the tank. The oil discharge interface assembly at the top of the tank serves as the outlet for sludge, foam, and scum. The purified water outlet assembly on one side of the bottom of the tank allows the treated purified water to be discharged downstream for discharge or reinjection. The purified water outlet assembly on the other side of the bottom of the tank diverts a portion of the purified water out of the tank, which is then connected to the purified return water inlet assembly at the conical bottom of the inner cylinder via a pipeline and a circulation booster pump installed in the middle of the pipeline. This purified water is then used by the gas-water mixer and circulated back into the inner cylinder.

[0009] The specific structure of the device of the present invention is as follows: The dual-tangential swirl inlet assembly includes two tangential swirl inlets, which are in a reverse symmetrical dual-tangential inlet form with an outer circle and an inner square, ensuring a stable laminar swirl field and strong swirl centrifugal force.

[0010] The gas-water mixer includes a support with several through slots at the top and a nozzle at the bottom. The nozzle is hollow and bullet-shaped, conical at the top and cylindrical at the bottom. The lower outer wall has several swirling guide vanes, one on each side with a symmetrical bidirectional air inlet. A bull-nose aerator is located at the top, with bull-nose-shaped air outlets on both sides. The air inlets connect to an air inlet pipe outside the inner separator cylinder, and the air outlets connect to the internal cavity of the inner separator cylinder. The function of the gas-water mixer is to generate bubbles through gas-liquid mixing and impact. Water enters from the purified return water inlet assembly, forming a swirling flow along the swirling guide vanes. Simultaneously, airflow enters from the air inlets on both sides of the gas-water mixer, forming an internal swirling flow. As the airflow enters the conical inner cavity, the pressure increases, and the airflow exits from the air outlets on both sides of the bull-nose aerator, impacting the swirling liquid in the inner separator cylinder, forming surge waves, and generating a large number of dispersed bubbles.

[0011] The ultrasonic detonator is fixed above the gas-water mixer via a flange. The cavity material of the ultrasonic detonator is silicon carbide ceramic, and it contains a built-in high-frequency ultrasonic transducer in a three-stage stepped, progressively stacked structure, including a first-stage detonator, a second-stage detonator, and a third-stage detonator arranged sequentially upwards. The ultrasonic transducer is driven by the synergistic effect of the piezoelectric effect generated by the built-in AC electric field and mechanical resonance. Each stage of the ultrasonic detonator is designed with different ultrasonic amplitudes and frequencies to ensure that the gas-liquid mixture is fully atomized and undergoes high-frequency Brownian motion under the excitation of various ultrasonic waves, thereby increasing the frequency and speed of inertial collisions between bubbles and oil droplets.

[0012] The oil-collecting umbrella assembly is a stepped inverted cone shape composed of an oil-loving and water-blocking ring-shaped separation screen, which can increase the oil filtration area and facilitate the upward floating and discharge of sludge, foam, and scum.

[0013] The surrounding demulsifying and coalescing packing is composed of a porous tubular skeleton interlocking woven fiber mesh. The surface of the mesh is made of polypropylene fiber with oleophilic and hydrophobic properties mixed with metal mesh, which realizes physical demulsification and adsorption of coarse oil, gas and water for deep coalescing and separation.

[0014] The device of the present invention is provided with a horizontal manhole cover at the top for disassembly and assembly of internal components and personnel access; a safety valve interface assembly is provided below the horizontal manhole cover for container pressure safety protection; a liquid level gauge interface assembly is provided on the outer wall of the container tank on the other side opposite to the oil drain interface assembly for monitoring the liquid level inside the tank.

[0015] Furthermore, the purified water flow outlet component is multi-functional, serving as both a purified water flow outlet and an inlet for aeration and backwashing of porous tubular combined fiber-encircled demulsifying and coalescing packing. The corresponding function can be switched via an external three-way control valve.

[0016] Based on an ultrasonic detonation cyclone microbubble flotation device, this invention provides an ultrasonic detonation cyclone microbubble flotation method, comprising the following steps: In step S1, the oil-water mixture to be separated changes its flow direction, velocity, and flow state from the dual tangential vortex inlet assembly, forming a high-speed rotating flow field in the separation chamber of the inner cylinder. In step S2, water enters from the purified return water inlet assembly and forms a vortex along the vortex guide vanes of the air-water mixer. At the same time, airflow enters from the air inlets on both sides of the air-water mixer, forming an internal vortex, which is then sprayed out from both sides of the aerator head to create diffused bubbles. Step S3: The ultrasonic detonator vibrates at high frequency to generate a cavitation effect, causing the bubbles to expand and collapse rapidly, producing a large number of micron-sized cavitation bubbles. In step S4, the oil-water mixture moves upward under the push of the bottom water flow. Under the action of centrifugal force, the denser water phase separates to the periphery, while the less dense oil phase gathers towards the center. At the same time, microbubbles collide and combine with oil droplets under the action of ultrasonic detonation. In step S5, the microbubbles adhering to the oil droplets rise to the liquid surface under the combined action of centrifugal force and buoyancy, forming floating oil sludge. This sludge gathers and converges on the oil-collecting umbrella component and is discharged from the oil discharge interface component, thus completing the separation of sludge oil and water phase. In step S6, the water phase separated from the inner cylinder upwards and around passes through the surrounding demulsifying and coalescing packing for physical demulsification and coalescing. The oil droplets still contained in the water phase are adsorbed on the packing. Most of the purified water is discharged from the purified water outlet component, and a small portion flows from the purified water diversion outlet component to the purified return water inlet component for recycling.

[0017] Compared with related devices in the prior art, the device of the present invention has the following more advantageous technical effects: 1. This invention integrates ultrasonic cavitation, cyclone centrifugation, micro-nano bubbles, and physical demulsification technologies. The structure and process are three-dimensionally connected, and the functions are complementary and superimposed. It removes pollutants through ultrasonic detonation, enhances separation through cyclone centrifugation, achieves efficient adsorption through microbubbles, and achieves agglomeration through physical demulsification. It breaks through the bottleneck of emulsified fine particles, overcomes the limitations of single technologies, forms a closed technology loop, and forms a synergistic flotation system in series, developing towards high efficiency, low consumption, and wide applicability.

[0018] 2. This invention introduces ultrasonic detonation shock wave technology into the field of flotation equipment. Ultrasonic detonation technology, through high-frequency vibration and instantaneous energy release, overcomes the bottlenecks of traditional physical generation methods, achieving the continuous generation of smaller, higher-density bubbles. The ultrasonic cavitation effect enhances bubble breakage, and the secondary bubble breakage process can be precisely controlled by adjusting the detonation intensity. The synergy of ultrasound and swirling flow reduces the initial bubble diameter to below 10 μm through cavitation, while the swirling flow field inhibits premature bubble coalescence. Ultrasonic cavitation enhances pollutant dispersion and microbubble adsorption efficiency, while the swirling flow field accelerates the separation process, shortens separation time, and reduces energy consumption. The combination of ultrasonic vibration and swirling flow also enables dynamic self-cleaning, reducing equipment blockage and extending operating cycles.

[0019] 3. This invention enables precise control over the size of the generated microbubbles. Due to their large specific surface area and high surface charge, the generated micro- and nano-bubbles can enhance the adsorption efficiency of fine mineral particles. High-precision adsorption of microbubbles: Nano-sized bubbles can capture fine oil droplets and suspended particles <10µm that are difficult to handle by traditional flotation, thus expanding the scope of applications.

[0020] 4. This invention exhibits high efficiency and low consumption separation performance through multi-technology coupling, and is especially suitable for multiphase separation of high-concentration and fine-sized pollutants. It has wide applicability and can handle complex separation scenarios such as oily wastewater such as oilfield production water and oily wastewater from refining, as well as microplastics and mineral flotation. The flotation process relies on physical demulsification and aggregation, without chemical reagents, and is suitable for environmentally sensitive scenarios where reagent pollution must be avoided. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a front view of the half-section structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the half-section structure of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the half-section structure of the present invention from another angle; Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a half-section of an ultrasonic detonator and a gas-water mixer. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a gas-water mixer; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the working principle of the present invention.

[0022] The diagram shows the following labels: 1. Horizontal manhole cover; 2. Safety valve interface assembly; 3. Oil drain interface assembly; 4. Level gauge interface assembly; 5. Oil collection umbrella assembly; 6. Surrounding demulsification and coalescing packing; 7. Container tank; 8. Separator inner cylinder; 9. Purified water diversion outlet assembly; 10. Purified water outlet assembly; 11. Ultrasonic detonator; 111. Primary detonator; 112. Secondary detonator; 113. Tertiary detonator; 12. Dual tangential swirl inlet assembly; 13. Gas-water mixer; 131. Swirl guide vane; 132. Bull nose aerator; 14. Purified return water inlet assembly. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0024] See Figure 1-3 This invention discloses an ultrasonic detonation cyclone microbubble flotation device, which has a vertical structure and an inner and outer stepped double-barrel design layout. It includes a container tank 7 and a separation inner cylinder 8. The top of the container tank 7 is sealed, and the top of the separation inner cylinder 8 is open. The upper part is located inside the container tank 7, and the lower part extends out from the container tank 6. The interface is sealed, and the bottom is conical. The separation inner cylinder provides an integrated fusion separation zone that includes centrifugal cyclone, micro-nano bubbles, and ultrasonic detonation. The container tank 7 has an oil-collecting umbrella assembly 5 located in the area above the inner separator cylinder 8. The container tank 7 has an oil drain interface assembly 3 located on one side of its outer wall below the oil-collecting umbrella assembly 5. A surrounding demulsifying and coalescing packing 6 is located in the upper part of the annular area between the container tank 7 and the inner separator cylinder 8. The container tank 7 has a purified water outlet assembly 10 located on one side of its outer wall below the annular area, and a purified water diversion outlet assembly 9 located on the other side. A double-tangential vortex inlet assembly 12 is located at the lower part of the inner separator cylinder 8 extending out of the container tank 7. A purified return water inlet assembly 14 is located outside the conical bottom of the inner separator cylinder 8, and the purified return water inlet assembly 14 is connected to the purified water diversion outlet assembly 9 via a pipe. A gas-water mixer 13 is located inside the conical bottom of the inner separator cylinder 8, connected to the purified return water inlet assembly 14. An ultrasonic detonator is located above the gas-water mixer 13.

[0025] The functions of each fluid inlet and outlet are as follows: the double tangential vortex inlet assembly 12 set at the bottom of the inner cylinder is the inlet for the fluid to be separated to vortex into the tank; the oil discharge interface assembly 3 set at the top of the tank is the outlet for sludge, foam, and scum; the purified water outlet assembly 10 set on one side of the bottom of the tank is for 80% of the purified water after treatment to be discharged downstream for discharge or reinjection after meeting standards; the purified water outlet assembly 9 set on the other side of the bottom of the tank diverts 20% of the total flow of purified water out of the tank, and through the pipeline and the circulation booster pump set in the middle of the pipeline, it is connected to the purified return water inlet assembly 14 at the bottom of the cone of the inner cylinder for use by the gas-water mixer 13, and circulates into the inner cylinder, realizing the conversion of fluid pressure energy and dissolved gas energy through the circulation booster pump.

[0026] The specific structure of this invention embodiment is as follows: See Figure 1-3 The dual-tangential swirl inlet assembly 12 includes two tangential swirl inlets, which are in a reverse symmetrical dual-tangential inlet form with an outer circle and an inner square, which can ensure a stable laminar swirl field and a strong swirl centrifugal force.

[0027] See Figure 1-5 The gas-water mixer 13 includes a support with several through slots at the top and a nozzle at the bottom. The nozzle is hollow and bullet-shaped, with a conical upper part and a cylindrical lower part. The lower outer wall has several swirling guide vanes 131, one on each side with a symmetrical bidirectional through-hole. The top has a bull-nose aerator 132 with bull-nose-shaped outlets on both sides. The inlets connect to an air inlet pipe outside the inner separator cylinder, and the outlets connect to the inner cavity of the inner separator cylinder. The function of the gas-water mixer is to generate bubbles through gas-liquid mixing and impact. Water enters from the purified return water inlet assembly, forming a swirling flow along the swirling guide vanes. Simultaneously, airflow enters from the air inlets on both sides of the gas-water mixer, forming an internal swirling flow. As it enters the conical inner cavity upwards, the pressure increases, and it is ejected from the outlets on both sides of the bull-nose aerator, impacting the swirling liquid in the inner separator cylinder, forming a surge wave, and generating a large number of dispersed bubbles.

[0028] See Figure 1-4The ultrasonic detonator 11 is fixed above the gas-water mixer 13 via a flange. The cavity material of the ultrasonic detonator 11 is silicon carbide ceramic, with a pressure resistance ≥15 MPa. It has a built-in high-frequency ultrasonic transducer with a frequency of 1-10 MHz and a pulse width of 0.1-2 ms. The built-in high-frequency ultrasonic transducer transmits high-frequency vibrations to the liquid medium, forming alternating positive and negative pressure fluctuations. In the negative pressure stage (thinning effect), a local low-pressure zone is generated inside the liquid, and dissolved gas is released to form micron / nano-scale bubble nuclei. In the positive pressure stage (compression effect), the bubbles are forced to contract and accumulate energy. The ultrasonic detonator has a three-stage stepped progressive stacked structure, including a first-stage detonator 111, a second-stage detonator 112, and a third-stage detonator 113 arranged sequentially upwards. The ultrasonic transducer is driven by the synergistic effect of the piezoelectric effect generated by the built-in AC electric field and mechanical resonance. Each stage of the ultrasonic detonator is designed with different ultrasonic amplitudes and frequencies to ensure that the gas-liquid mixture is fully atomized and undergoes high-frequency Brownian motion under the excitation of various ultrasonic waves, thereby increasing the frequency and speed of inertial collisions between bubbles and oil droplets. The ultrasonic frequencies are configured in stages: 1-4 MHz for stage one, 5-7 MHz for stage two, and 8-10 MHz for stage three. The swirling intensity ranges from 2.5 to 10 g, which can reduce the initial bubble size from 1000-10000 μm to 10-100 μm, achieving the optimal particle size distribution range required by gas separation equipment.

[0029] See Figure 1-3 The oil-collecting umbrella component 5 is a stepped inverted cone shape composed of an oil-loving and water-blocking ring-shaped separation screen, which can increase the oil filtration area and facilitate the upward floating and discharge of sludge, foam, and scum.

[0030] See Figure 1-3 The surrounding demulsifying and coalescing packing 6 is composed of a porous tubular skeleton interlocking mixed fiber mesh. The surface of the mesh is made of polypropylene fiber with oleophilic and hydrophobic properties mixed with metal mesh, which realizes physical demulsification and adsorption of coarse oil, gas and water for deep coalescing and separation.

[0031] See Figure 1-3 The device of the present invention is provided with a horizontal lifting cover manhole 1 at the top for disassembly and assembly of internal components and personnel entry and exit; a safety valve interface assembly 2 is provided below the horizontal lifting cover manhole 1 for container pressure safety protection; a liquid level gauge interface assembly 4 is provided on the outer wall of the container tank 7 on the other side relative to the oil drain interface assembly 3 for monitoring the liquid level in the tank.

[0032] The purified water flow outlet component 9 is multi-functional, serving as both a purified water flow outlet and an inlet for aeration and backwashing of the porous tubular composite fiber-encircled demulsifying and coalescing packing 6. The corresponding function can be switched via an external three-way control valve.

[0033] After the device of the present invention is integrated with the skid, it can be adjusted in real time by an intelligent adjustment module, such as a PLC or DCS unit, based on a PID algorithm, to match ultrasonic power, gas-liquid mixed fluid flow rate, swirling intensity, oil-gas-water flow ratio, etc.

[0034] See Figure 1-3 and Figure 6 Based on the ultrasonic detonation cyclone microbubble flotation device, this invention provides an ultrasonic detonation cyclone microbubble flotation method, comprising the following steps: In step S1, the oil-water mixture to be separated changes its flow direction, velocity, and flow state from the dual tangential vortex inlet assembly, forming a high-speed rotating flow field in the separation chamber of the inner cylinder. In step S2, water enters from the purified return water inlet assembly and forms a vortex along the vortex guide vanes of the air-water mixer. At the same time, airflow enters from the air inlets on both sides of the air-water mixer, forming an internal vortex, which is then sprayed out from both sides of the aerator head to create diffused bubbles. Step S3: The ultrasonic detonator vibrates at high frequency to generate a cavitation effect, causing the bubbles to expand and collapse rapidly, producing a large number of micron-sized cavitation bubbles. In step S4, the oil-water mixture moves upward under the push of the bottom water flow. Under the action of centrifugal force, the denser water phase separates to the periphery, while the less dense oil phase gathers towards the center. At the same time, microbubbles collide and combine with oil droplets under the action of ultrasonic detonation. In step S5, the microbubbles adhering to the oil droplets rise to the liquid surface under the combined action of centrifugal force and buoyancy, forming floating oil sludge. This sludge gathers and converges on the oil-collecting umbrella component and is discharged from the oil discharge interface component, thus completing the separation of sludge oil and water phase. In step S6, the water phase separated from the inner cylinder upwards and around passes through the surrounding demulsifying and coalescing packing for physical demulsification and coalescing. The oil droplets still contained in the water phase are adsorbed on the packing. Most of the purified water is discharged from the purified water outlet component, and a small portion flows from the purified water diversion outlet component to the purified return water inlet component for recycling.

[0035] The ultrasonic detonation cyclone microbubble flotation device of this invention is a high-efficiency separation device that integrates ultrasonic cavitation, cyclone centrifugation, micro-nano bubble flotation, and physical demulsification and coalescence technology. Its working principle can be divided into the following key parts: 1. Ultrasonic detonation and cavitation effect High-frequency vibration and cavitation bubble generation: High-frequency vibration (usually above 20kHz) is generated by an ultrasonic generator, causing periodic pressure changes in the liquid, which induces a large number of micron-sized cavitation bubbles to be generated inside the liquid.

[0036] Cavitation bubble collapse and shock wave release: Under the action of sound pressure, the cavitation bubble expands rapidly and collapses violently, instantly releasing local high pressure (up to hundreds of MPa) and micro-jets, directly breaking through the emulsion film (such as surfactant or solid particle coating) on ​​the surface of oil droplets, stripping the surface layer of pollutants (such as oil film, mineral oxide layer), and breaking large pollutant particles into fine particles.

[0037] Cavitation effect disrupts emulsion structure: High-frequency ultrasound generates periodic pressure changes in the liquid, inducing the formation and violent collapse of cavitation bubbles, releasing instantaneous high pressure and microjets, which break through the stable film on the surface of emulsion oil droplets and disrupt the emulsion system.

[0038] Oil droplet coalescence: After demulsification, the dispersed tiny oil droplets (particle size <10µm) collide with each other and coalesce into larger oil droplets (particle size >50µm) under the action of ultrasonic shock waves, thereby improving the efficiency of subsequent flotation.

[0039] 2. Generation of micro / nanobubbles and adsorption of pollutants Dissolved gas water preparation: Air is injected into the separation inner cylinder through a high-pressure pump and forcibly dissolved in water to form saturated dissolved gas water; when the pressure of the dissolved gas water drops sharply, the dissolved gas is released to form a dense cluster of microbubbles (particle size 5-30µm), which adsorb oil droplets through surface hydrophobicity to form a "bubble-oil droplet" complex, and then quickly float to the liquid surface by using buoyancy.

[0040] Dynamic shear enhancement: After dissolved air water is mixed with sewage, the bubble size is further refined through a swirling nozzle to generate nano-sized bubbles, which significantly increases the specific surface area and collision adsorption capacity.

[0041] Contaminant adhesion: Microbubbles collide with and adhere to pre-treated ultrasonic contaminants (such as oil droplets, microplastics, and mineral particles), forming a gas-solid / liquid complex with a density much smaller than that of water, laying the foundation for subsequent separation.

[0042] 3. Enhanced separation by cyclone centrifugation Swirl flow field formation: The mixed liquid enters the swirl separation chamber tangentially, forming a high-speed rotating flow field inside the cylinder, generating strong centrifugal force, and accelerating the separation and stratification of the gas-liquid-solid three phases.

[0043] The oil-water mixture enters the hydrocyclone tangentially, forming a high-speed vortex (centrifugal acceleration up to 300g). The centrifugal force tears the protective film of the oil droplets, forcing the emulsion dispersion phase (oil or water) out of its stable state.

[0044] Three-phase separation mechanism: Light phase rise: Microbubbles adhering to pollutants, due to their low density, rise rapidly to the liquid surface under the combined action of centrifugal force and buoyancy, forming a scum layer.

[0045] Heavy phase sedimentation: Unadhered solid particles or high-density pollutants are thrown against the cylinder wall and settle to the bottom for discharge.

[0046] Liquid phase circulation: The intermediate layer liquid returns to the processing area through the reflux channel to achieve continuous circulation processing.

[0047] 3. Physical demulsification and aggregation Oleophilic adsorption: The surface of the coalescing filler is made of polypropylene fiber and metal wire mesh mixed with oleophilic and hydrophobic materials, which preferentially adsorb oil droplets and form an oil film, breaking the tension balance of the oil-water interface, and promoting the enrichment and fusion of small oil droplets (<10μm) on the material surface into larger oil droplets (>50μm).

[0048] Coarsening effect: When oil droplets flow through the filler, they spontaneously coalesce due to surface energy differences. Through physical coalescence and adsorption, the stability of the emulsion is broken, achieving the integration of "demulsification-coalescence-adsorption-stratification".

[0049] 4. Collection of floating oil residue, oil sludge and sand, and wastewater treatment. Surface scraping: The scum on the liquid surface is collected by a conical guide scraper and discharged from the system, completing the separation of scum, oil, and water phases.

[0050] Water purification: The separated effluent is discharged through an overflow weir, with a suspended solids and oil removal rate of over 98%, meeting the standards for discharge or reinjection.

[0051] This invention exhibits high efficiency and low consumption separation performance through multi-technology coupling, and is especially suitable for multiphase separation of high-concentration and fine-sized pollutants. It has wide applicability and can handle complex separation scenarios such as oily wastewater such as oilfield production water and oily wastewater from refining, as well as microplastics and mineral flotation. The flotation process relies on physical demulsification and aggregation without chemical reagents, making it suitable for environmentally sensitive scenarios where reagent pollution must be avoided.

[0052] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic detonation cyclone microbubble flotation device, characterized in that: The device includes a container tank and a separating inner cylinder. The container tank is sealed at the top, while the separating inner cylinder is open at the top, with its upper part located inside the container tank and its lower part extending out of the container tank. The interface is sealed, and the bottom is conical. An oil-collecting umbrella assembly is provided in the area above the separating inner cylinder within the container tank. An oil discharge interface assembly is provided on one outer wall of the container tank at the lower position of the oil-collecting umbrella assembly. A surrounding demulsifying and coalescing packing is provided in the upper part of the annular region between the container tank and the separating inner cylinder. A purified water outlet assembly is provided on one outer wall of the container tank at the lower position of the annular region, and a purified water diversion outlet assembly is provided on the other outer wall. A dual-tangential swirl inlet assembly is provided in the lower part of the separating inner cylinder extending out of the container tank. A purified return water inlet assembly is provided outside the conical bottom of the separating inner cylinder, and the purified return water inlet assembly is connected to the purified water diversion outlet assembly via a pipe. A gas-water mixer is provided inside the conical bottom of the separating inner cylinder, connected to the purified return water inlet assembly. An ultrasonic detonator is provided above the gas-water mixer.

2. The ultrasonic detonation cyclone microbubble flotation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The dual-tangential swirl inlet assembly includes two tangential swirl inlets, which are in a reverse symmetrical dual-tangential inlet form with an outer circle and an inner square.

3. The ultrasonic detonation cyclone microbubble flotation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air-water mixer includes a support with several through slots at the top and a nozzle at the bottom. The nozzle is hollow and bullet-shaped, with a conical upper part and a cylindrical lower part. The lower outer wall is provided with several swirling guide vanes, one of which is symmetrically provided with bidirectional through air inlets on each side. The top is provided with a bull-nose aeration head, and the sides are provided with air outlets in a similar bull-nose shape. The air inlets are connected to the air inlet pipe outside the separating inner cylinder, and the air outlets are connected to the internal cavity of the separating inner cylinder.

4. The ultrasonic detonation cyclone microbubble flotation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ultrasonic detonator is fixed above the gas-water mixer via a flange. The cavity material of the ultrasonic detonator is silicon carbide ceramic, and it has a built-in high-frequency ultrasonic transducer. It has a three-stage stepped progressive stacked structure, including a first-stage detonator, a second-stage detonator, and a third-stage detonator arranged sequentially upwards. The ultrasonic transducer is driven by the synergistic effect of the piezoelectric effect generated by the built-in alternating electric field and mechanical resonance.

5. The ultrasonic detonation cyclone microbubble flotation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The oil-absorbing umbrella assembly is a stepped inverted cone shape composed of an oleophilic and water-blocking ring-shaped separation screen.

6. The ultrasonic detonation cyclone microbubble flotation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The surrounding demulsifying and coalescing filler is composed of a porous tubular skeleton interwoven fiber mesh, and the surface of the mesh is made of polypropylene fiber with oleophilic and hydrophobic properties mixed with metal mesh.

7. The ultrasonic detonation cyclone microbubble flotation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The device of the present invention is provided with a horizontal lifting cover manhole at the top, and a safety valve interface assembly is provided below the horizontal lifting cover manhole. A liquid level gauge interface assembly is provided on the outer wall of the container tank on the other side opposite to the oil drain interface assembly.

8. The ultrasonic detonation cyclone microbubble flotation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The purified water dispensing outlet assembly can be used as a purified water dispensing device or as an aeration backwashing inlet for the surrounding demulsifying and coalescing packing. The corresponding function can be switched via an external three-way control valve.

9. The ultrasonic detonation cyclone microbubble flotation method based on the ultrasonic detonation cyclone microbubble flotation device according to claim 3, comprising the following steps: In step S1, the oil-water mixture to be separated changes its flow direction, velocity, and flow state from the dual tangential vortex inlet assembly, forming a high-speed rotating flow field in the separation chamber of the inner cylinder. In step S2, water enters from the purified return water inlet assembly and forms a vortex along the vortex guide vanes of the air-water mixer. At the same time, airflow enters from the air inlets on both sides of the air-water mixer, forming an internal vortex, which is then sprayed out from both sides of the aerator head to create diffused bubbles. Step S3: The ultrasonic detonator vibrates at high frequency to generate a cavitation effect, causing the bubbles to expand and collapse rapidly, producing a large number of micron-sized cavitation bubbles. In step S4, the oil-water mixture moves upward under the push of the bottom water flow. Under the action of centrifugal force, the denser water phase separates to the periphery, while the less dense oil phase gathers towards the center. At the same time, microbubbles collide and combine with oil droplets under the action of ultrasonic detonation. In step S5, the microbubbles adhering to the oil droplets rise to the liquid surface under the combined action of centrifugal force and buoyancy, forming floating oil sludge. This sludge gathers and converges on the oil-collecting umbrella component and is discharged from the oil discharge interface component, thus completing the separation of sludge oil and water phase. In step S6, the water phase separated from the inner cylinder upwards and around passes through the surrounding demulsifying and coalescing packing for physical demulsification and coalescing. The oil droplets still contained in the water phase are adsorbed on the packing. Most of the purified water is discharged from the purified water outlet component, and a small portion flows from the purified water diversion outlet component to the purified return water inlet component for recycling.

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