Tilted Plate Interceptor Oil Water Separator – TPI Series

The TPI Series steel Coalescing Oil Water Separators are designed for applications where a coalescing oil
water separator design is desired using coalescing media but suspended solids are excessive for high
performance coalescing designs. The industrial duty TPI design has many features such as adjustable
water weir, integral inlet diffuser, A-36 carbon steel or stainless steel construction and many options to
provide engineers, system integrators and end users with convenience and flexibility in oil separator
system configuration choices. Customization & modifications to fit your project needs are offered.
Typical performance is 50 ppm or less, 60 micron free, non-emulsified oil droplet.

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Category: Oil Water Separators

Overview Specifications Theory Models Options Applications Performance

The TPI Series steel tilted plate interceptor coalescing oil water separators are designed per API-421 1st
Edition, February 1990, Section 4 Parallel Plate Separators. This design is based on 60 micron oil droplet
size with an expected performance of 50 mg/L or less.

TPI plate pack angle can be provided from 45° – 60° and a plate spacing of 0.75-2″. Pan America provides
its Wave Plate™ TPI pack which allows more surface area per plate pack than a standard flat plate pack.
The TPI separator design is recommended for applications where high solids loadings are expected. The
TPI design can handle solids better than higher performance coalescing designs.

Pan America always recommends pre-settling solids prior to all coalescing separators as a rule so that
the oil separator equipment will function at peak performance as coalescing separators are first and
foremost designed as oil water separators. As a rule, if significant solids loading is expected a 60º plate
angle should be used in order to exceed the angle of repose of most solids and improve solids
movement. For applications where a high performance coalescing oil water separator design is desired
using coalescing media.

The TPI design has many features such as adjustable water weir, integral inlet diffuser, A-36 carbon steel
or stainless steel construction and many options to provide engineers, system integrators and end users
with convenience and flexibility in oil separator system configuration choices. Customization &
modifications to fit your project needs are offered. Typical performance is 50 mg/L or less, 60 micron
free oil droplets. Products removed: motor oils, fuels (vehicle/jet), fuel oils, hydraulic fluids, immiscible
machining oils, lube oil, transmission fluid, bunker c, DNAPL, LNAPL, vegetable based oils, crude, air
compressor lube & other hydrocarbon based derivatives (BTEX etc.). Model sizing is based on the
oil/fuel specific gravity, droplet size removal desired and other parameters of the waste stream.

SPECIFICATIONS

Specification Summary:

System model

Number of model sizes

Process types

Volume range offered

Design Specification Summary

Performance

Design criteria

Influent chamber

Separation chamber

Solids hopper

Clean water effluent chamber

Water baffle

Weir plate

Oil skimmer

Oil reservoir

Media pack

Cover

Fittings

Base

Lifting lugs
Materials of Construction

Tanks

Piping

Testing

Surface preparation(steel)

Coatings (steel)

Standards used

TPI oil water separator

Tilted Plate Interceptor

25

Oil separation, TSS settling

5 – 2500 GPM

50 mg/L or less 60 micron free oil droplet

API-421, 1990, section 4 parallel plate separators

Influent diffuser or overflow weir

To contain TPI media pack(s)

Located under and after separation chamber and TPI packs

Located after separation chamber

Water flows over this baffle to exit tank

Vertically adjustable weir plate to maintain operating water level

Fixed or adjustable weir plate integrated into the oil reservoir, located in the separation chamber
Located in separation chamber for temporary storage of skimmed oils

Single or multiple, Wave Plate or flat plate separation packs

Multiple section vapor retaining, gasketed with polyethylene gasket and attached via zinc plate
fasteners

NPT couplings up to 3″, 4″ & larger: 150# ANSI B16.5 FF flange

Steel skid base of channel, beam or tube construction

(4) Minimum, located at lifting points on sidewalls of tank

A-36 carbon steel, 304/316 SS, FRP, polyethylene, polypropylene

A-53 black steel, 304/316 SS, FRP, PVC

Dye penetrant on steel construction

Interior surfaces shall be prepared to an SSPC-SP10 near white metal blast. Exterior surfaces shall be
prepared to an SSPC-SP6 commercial blast.

Interior coating shall be coated with Ameron High Build Coal Tar Epoxy Amercoat 78HB (16 mils DFT).

Exterior coating shall be coated with Ameron epoxy primer, Amerlock 2, (5-8 mils DFT). Final coat to be
Ameron Amershield Aliphatic Polyurethane Enamel coat (5 mils DFT)Surface color to be Green RT-2203.

Elements of AWS D1.1/1.1M, API, API-650, API-421, ANSI, IEC,AWS D1.6, UL, UL-508,UL-845,SSPC,ASME,
CSA, NEMA, NFPA79, NEC

OIL WATER SEPARATOR OPERATIONAL THEORY

Coalescing Oil Water Separators: Coalescing Oil Water Separators are passive, physical separation
systems designed for removal of oils, fuels, hydraulic fluids, LNAPL and DNAPL products from water. Pan
America Environmental’s designed performance can be described by a combination of Stoke’s Law and
current coalescing plate theory, wherein, the oil droplet rise rate and other parameters dictate the
surface area required for gravity & coalescent separation.

Separation Process: The water/oil mixture enters the separator and is spread out horizontally,
distributed through an energy and turbulence diffusing device. The mixture enters the Flopak media
where laminar and sinusoidal flow is established and the oils impinge on the media surface. As oils
accumulate they coalesce into larger droplets, rising upward through the pack corrugations until they
reach the top of the pack, where they detach and rise to the water’s surface. At the same time solids
encounter the media and slide down the corrugations, falling into the v-hopper under the Flopak media.

Stokes Law: This equation relates the terminal settling or rise velocity of a smooth, rigid sphere in a
viscous fluid of known density and viscosity to the diameter of the sphere when subjected to a known
force field (gravity). The equation is:

V = (2gr²)(d1-d2)/9µ

where

V = velocity of rise (cm sec-¹),

g = acceleration of gravity (cm sec-²),

r = “equivalent” radius of particle (cm),

dl = density of particle (g cm -³),

d2 = density of medium (g cm-³), and

µ = viscosity of medium (dyne sec cm-²).

Coalescence: Gravity separation utilizes the difference in specific gravity between the oil and water. Oil
separates from a fluid at a rate explained by Stoke’s Law. The formula predicts how fast an oil droplet
will rise or settle through water based on the density and size of the oil droplet size and the distance the
object must travel. Our separators are built to exploit both variables of Stokes Law.

With the use of our Flopak media oil only need rise a short distance before encountering the oleophilic,
coalescing media plates inside the separation chamber as opposed to rising a great distance in gravity
separation. Upon impinging on the plates the oils coalesce (gather) into larger droplets until the droplet
buoyancy is sufficient to pull away from the media and rise to the water’s surface. The design will meet
particular design criteria as indicated below:

o The hydraulic distribution of the influent flow must assure full usage of the cross-sectional area
of the media to fully utilize the plate pack’s surface area.

o Flow control and direction must be determined to prevent hydraulic short circuiting around,
under or over the media pack.

o A laminar flow condition must be maintained (Reynolds “Re” number less than 500) in order to
assist droplets to rise. Per the American Petroleum Institute’s (API) Publication 421 of February 1990.
o Horizontal flow through velocities in the separator must not exceed 3 feet per minute or 15
times the rate of rise of the droplets whichever is smaller.

o The media containment chamber design, plate design/angle and spacing sufficient to facilitate
removal of accumulating solids. Plates are to be smooth surfaced and angled at 60 deg.

Flopak Coalescing Media Design

Pan America’s Flopak coalescing media provides a laminar flow path that creates a quiescent zone to
facilitate the impact with and attachment of oils to the media surface by reducing wastestream
turbulence and velocity. This control of the wastestream creates a more ideal environment for oil
removal. By virtue of our Flopak media design, solids will also collide with the media and settle to the
separator bottom to some degree. Due to oil typically being lighter than water, they (oil) will rise up the
coalescing plate. As the oil droplets rise up the plate they will coalesce or come together with other
droplets, creating progressively larger droplets. Once the droplet size is sufficient or the droplet reaches
the top of the media plate the droplet pulls away from the plate and rises to the water surface. To some
degree, the solids replicate this process in reverse (settling).

Gravity Separation vs. Coalescing Plates

Two types of oil water separator exist today in varying types of design, but all are dependent on these
two types of design.

The first and oldest type is gravity or conventional separation, simple separation via gravity (density
differential between two immiscible liquids leads to one of them rising above the other). This design,
when designed properly (or even improperly) provides a certain tank length, width and depth that
provides a wide, quiet spot in the pipeline to give oils time to rise. This design (also known as an API
separator) generally provides a discharge oil concentration of 100 ppm based on a 150 micron droplet
size. The API type design relies on a large water volume. This correlates to a tank size that can be 5 times
the size of an equally sized coalescing separator.

The coalescing design is known by many names i.e. parallel plate, corrugated plate, slant rib coalescer so
on and so forth. However, the concept, operation and design are generally the same. The coalescing
concept is based on having a large surface area in contact with the wastestream (coalescing plates). The
more surface area provided, the more enhanced the separation process will typically be. By using the
coalescing media, the size of the tank is reduced and a higher performance is attained than by gravity
separation. Pan America’s Flopak coalescing design provides a discharge oil concentration of 50 PPM or
less with an oil droplet size of 60 droplet.

MODELS: TPI SERIES OWS

Separator models
TPI-5

TPI-10

TPI-15

TPI-25

TPI-35

TPI-50

TPI-60

TPI-75

TPI-90

TPI-100

TPI-125

TPI-150

TPI-175

TPI-200

TPI-250

TPI-300

TPI-350

TPI-400

TPI-450

TPI-500

TPI-550

TPI-600

TPI-700

TPI-800

TPI-900

TPI-1000
*Maximum flow rate is based on an oil specific gravity (SG) of 0.75.

*Flow rate & model size changes with the SG of your oils.

Influent Feed System:

Air operated, diaphragm pump with air controls or progressive cavity pump, sump level switches &
Nema 4 control panel, base mounted, 115/230/460V power offered. Electric diaphragm pumps
available.

Effluent Pumpout:

Centrifugal pump with level switches & Nema 4 control panel, base mounted, 115/230/460V power
offered. OS Effluent chamber must be expanded to accommodate pumpout or provision of an external
pumpout tank.

Sludge Pumpout System:

Air operated, diaphragm pump with air controls & Nema 4 control panel, auto on/off timer, base
mounted, 115V/1ph/60Hz power req’d. Progressive cavity pump system also available. 1 – 100 GPM.

Oil Pumpout System:

Air operated, diaphragm pump with air controls, level switches & Nema 4 control panel, base mounted,
115V/1ph/60Hz power req’d. Electric gear or progressive pump systems available. 1 – 100 GPM (larger if
required)

Sludge Auger:

OS separator V-hopper(s) can be provided with a sludge auger. System consists of stainless steel shafts
with coated steel screw auger(s) driven by a slow speed gear motor drive assembly. The auger extends
the full length of the solids hopper(s) and conveys solids to the sludge outlet. A Nema 4 on/off control
box is provided, power required: 230 or 460V/3ph/60Hz.

Freeze Protection:

Immersion heaters mounted through tank wall. Each heater has an independent thermocouple well, 0-
100 deg. F thermostat and Nema 1 (or optional Nema 4) housing. 230/460V/3ph/60Hz power req’d.

Retpak Secondary Coalescer:

High surface area, reticulated, secondary coalescing media for polishing flow after standard Flopak
media.

Oil Sight Glass:

Two automatic, brass valves with tempered sight glass and protection rods mounted in oil reservoir. If
glass is broken check ball stops outflow from reservoir.

External Sight / Level Glass:

An externally mounted clear PVC sight tube is provided with multi-point level switch for indication or
pump control of oil or water. Switch is removable for cleaning and inspection.

Elevation Stand:

Epoxy coated steel stand or legs to elevate tank to desired level. Standard deck height is 30″. Full
platforms & walkways with ladders or stairways can be designed where required or desired.

High Temperature Design:

Flopak coalescing media and any piping is constructed of a combination of CPVC &/or polypropylene (or
other materials) for temperature resistance up to 200? F.

Alternate Media Construction:

Standard Flopak media is PVC. HPVC, polypropylene, glass-coupled polypropylene and 304/316 stainless
media is available. Contact PAE to determine proper media type for your application. Media plate
spacing is available in 1/2″, 3/4″ & 1.2″.

External Storage/Feed Tanks:

A wide variety of tank volumes can be supplied for your water, product and sludge holding needs. Flat
bottom and cone bottom designs constructed in polyethylene, fiberglass, steel & stainless steel can be
provided.

Effluent Filter Systems:

Solids filter systems can be provided to remove filterable solids from the separator effluent. Contact Pan
America to determine proper filtration needs for your application.
AQAM Filter Systems:

AQAM (Alkyl Quaternary Ammonium Montmorillonite) filter systems can be provided to remove trace
hydrocarbons, sheens, DNAPLs, slightly soluble chlorinated hydrocarbons and high molecular weight
organics from the separator effluent. Contact Pan America to determine proper filtration needs for your
application. Can be used to protect and increase GAC lifespan.

Carbon Filtration Systems:

GAC carbon filters can be provided to remove contaminants after the separator. Contact Pan America to
determine proper system needs for your application.

Emulsion Cracking Systems:

Emulsion cracking systems can be provided to remove oil-in-water emulsions prior to the separator.
Contact Pan America to determine proper system needs for your application.

pH Adjustment Systems:

pH adjustment systems can be provided to maintain pH levels prior to or after the separator. Contact
Pan America to determine proper system needs for your application.

System Containerization:

OS separators with any options can be installed in a 20 or 40’ shipping container(s) to simplify system
provision and field implementation. System would include the complete mounting, piping and wiring of
the system in one or more container as required by the project.

Trailer Mounting:

OS separators can be mounted on a trailer for system mobilization. Trailer design generally includes
corner leveling jacks, bubble levels, walkway, toolbox, electric or hydraulic brakes, piping and wiring of
options.

Field Skid Mounting:

OS separator system can be mounted to a mobile skid with leveling for quick field mobilization.
Skid Mounted System:

OS separators can be combined with our other treatment equipment and options into a fully integrated,
custom designed system completely mounted, plumbed and wired to a system skid. To simplify your
need to do the wiring and plumbing on site, reducing your time frames and on site costs, we design
around your requirements.

Vent Scrubber:

Separator vapors can be extracted and scrubbed prior to discharge to atmosphere to remove VOC
content.

Level Sensors:

Level sensors can be provided to detect water and oil/fuels. One or more sensor points can be provided
to perform various functions such as high level, low level, pump on/off based on liquid levels and level
detection for DCS controls or other functions based on your needs.

Class 1 Div 1 & 2 group C & D:

Systems can be designed for use in a class 1 div 1 or 2 group C & D environment. Controls, components
and wiring are changed to meet the needs of these environments. Intrinsically safe relays are also used
for level sensors.

Oil Monitor:

An oil detection system can be provided to monitor effluent oil content and provide various actions
based on the oil alarm setpoint. Actions might include: audible/visual alarm, redirection of influent or
effluent via actuated valve, shutdown of influent pump or your custom action.

Seismic Design:

The system can be designed for zone 2, 3 or 4 installations.

Groundwater Remediation

Contaminated ground water treatment for removal of gasoline, diesel, jet fuels,LNAPL, DNAPL, motor
oils, kerosene, fuel oils and more.

Refineries
Removal of crudes, gasoline, diesel fuel, motor oils, transmission fluids, hydraulic fluids, jet fuels, aircraft
fuels from refining processes.

Vehicle Wash Racks

Removal of gasoline, diesel fuel, motor oils, transmission fluids, hydraulic fluids, jet fuels, aircraft fuels
and lubricants when washing jets, cars, trucks, heavy equipment, railroad locomotives and equipment.

Military Wash Racks

Field equipment, jet wash, tracked equipment wash uses for typical fuels and oils removal. Complete
treatment systems are offered. (Also see VEW systems)

Industrial Process Water

Hydraulic fluids, machining coolant/cutting fluid tramp oil removal, compressor condensate, machined
parts rinse water.

Steel Mills

Rolling mill hydraulic oil/water extraction, compressor condensate, stormwater runoff, drain water.

Stormwater Treatment

Parking lot runoff, railroad re-fueling depot runoff, gas station runoff, bridge runoff.

Shipping Ballast & bilge water treatment

Off-loading of water to shore based treatment system, bunker & diesel fuels removal.

Tank Farms

Fuel, oil storage tank farms for removal of water from tank bottoms. Stationary and mobile systems are
offered.

Petro-Chemical Refineries

Chemical compounding companies, hydrocarbon based chemical bases such as cumene and other
materials.
Power Generation

Heat transfer fluids, generator lube oils, hydraulic oils, fuels, sump accumulation, stationary & mobile
systems offered.

Heat Treating

Heat treating facility oily wash solution can be continuously treated.

PERFORMANCE

Oil/fuel removal 50 mg/L or less of oil droplets 60 micron and larger of non-emulsified, free oils

Solids (TSS) 40 -100 mg/L

Influent concentration basis:

Oils 1250 mg/L or less influent loading

TSS 800 mg/L or less influent loading

Paramount supplied Advanced CPI/ TPI separators for Oily
water treatment Systems Introduction

API and CPI (Corrugated plate interceptor) or TPI (Tilted plate interceptor) separators are
predominantly used in separation of free oil from effluent water or suspended solids for oily
water treatment in an OWS (oily Water System).

The basic principle of difference in gravity between the phases (liquid – liquid or solid –
liquid) is employed in an OWS in separation of the two phases. This phenomenon is defined
as “Gravity Separation”.

It is therefore apparent that the phase with high density will settle and with lower density
float to the surface of fluid. In an OWS, the effectiveness of this technique is subjected to
various factors such as difference in the density, viscosity, factors of the medium,
temperature, turbulence, and also the nature of impurity etc.

In some cases chemical coagulation and flocculation is needed for removal of the impurity
by making them heavier or lighter.

In separation technique while considering the above referred factors, which affects the
separation of impurities, an overflow rate (m3/m2/day) or settling velocity (m/hr) is arrived
at. This factor determines the surface area required for the gravity separation in an OWS.
Incidentally it proves the fact that it is independent of the depth of basin.

In Oily water treatment, tilted (placed in predetermined angles) plate packs are used in CPI/
TPI separators to improve the size and economy of the separator system. As corrugated
plate pack are predominantly used, the tilted plate pack type separators are widely known
as Corrugated plate interceptor or simply as CPI separators. However, a TPI (Tilted plate
interceptor) may use a corrugated type plate pack or simply plain parallel plate pack.
Hence, TPI separator is a generic terminology used in such type of separators.

The separator when used in separation of liquid – liquid phases (predominantly removal of
free oil in oily water treatment) are called a TPI (Tilted plate interceptor) or a CPI separator.
Any separation of suspended solids in oily water treatment by use of CPI (Corrugated plate
interceptor)/ TPI (Tilted plate interceptor) separator is incidental due to difference in gravity
between the effluent’s liquid phase and the solid phase.

The Tilted plate pack (CPI) separator offered by Paramount with technology acquired from
M/s. PWT, Holland provides an extensive reduction in surface area requirement of a
separator by introducing multi layer separation wherein area required is reduced
considerably depending upon number of such layers. It is feasible to achieve almost
complete removal of all the particles which would not have normally be achieved by a single
large surface separator. This is possible because of considerable increase in the surface area
of the unit, within the same depth. In most of the cases the plates are installed at an angle
of 45°deg. or more and thus the separated material can be collected and removed by
gravity.

Principle of a TPI/ CPI separator in Oil – water separation (Oily water treatment)

Highly efficient oil removal systems are required to recover maximum quantity of
hydrocarbons for oily water treatment as well as to make effluent amicable for further
treatment & also to meet the pollution control requirements. The existing API type units
need vast extensions of the surface area to take care of oil globules of smaller size so as to
meet these requirements.

An enlarged separating surface in a CPI/ TPI separator, as discussed earlier can be achieved
by placing various smaller planes on the top of each other in a tank. If these planes are
subsequently inclined in a fitted position, the oil/solids separated between the plates can be
removed by gravity. This principle has been realized in the counter current TPI (tilted plate
interceptor) or CPI (Corrugated plate interceptor) separator unit. The objective is not to
disturb the particle size distribution of the separated phase. This system is preferably fed by
gravity. However, separators are also successful in operation where in the influent flow is
pumped from other locations by locating a buffer tank before the influent pass through the
separator. The oily water flows into the interceptor through various components and oil gets
separated as described below:
 A double slotted baffle located at the inlet of the CPI/ TPI separator evenly distributes
incoming oily effluent water at the entrance of CPI/TPI separator.

In the plate pack of the CPI/ TPI separator, the oil droplets are intercepted and
coalesce into large droplets. They leave the plate pack rapidly countercurrent upwards
against the liquid flow to the surface.

Suspended solids having settling properties, if present in the aqueous phase is

similarly separated in the plate pack of CPI/ TPI separator and then slides down to the
sludge compartment.

The treated clear water or treated effluent (free oil removal in Oily water treatment)
from the CPI/ TPI separator leaves the plate pack at the bottom and gets discharged
over a weir arrangement and to the outlet nozzle.

PWT was the first manufacturer to succeed in launching the CPI (corrugated plate
interceptor)/ TPI (Tilted plate interceptor) separator in a commercial and technically
attractive construction. Hundreds of complete advanced wastewater treatment plants have
since been put into operation throughout the world. The compact design and the high
separating efficiency (of the TPI/ CPI separator) which are so characteristic, for this
gravitational system have unmistakably proven their value in practice in the course of the
time.

Principle of a TPI/ CPI separator in Oil – water separation

(Oily water treatment)
The corrugated plate pack in a TPI/ CPI separator, used in Oily water treatment for removal
of free oil, is the heart of our various purification systems consisting of number of parallel
corrugated plates. A Plate pack is a housing of flat plastic plates (strengthened by resins)
and stiffened by a frame made from plastic material (strengthened by resins) and/or
stainless steel.

The number of plates in a Plate pack is determined by in-house developed calculations,

based on the long experience acquired by supply of the separators to various industrial
applications. The number of plates per Plate pack is also factored to a certain extent on
economy of size of the separator. The number of Plate packs per TPI/ CPI separator is
calculated based on the effluent flow and its characteristics to the unit

The liquid to be treated flows through the spaces between the Corrugated Plates in each
Plate pack. Ideal condition for separation is achieved in the TPI (Tilted plate interceptor)/
CPI (Corrugated plate interceptor) separator by simulating a laminar flow condition through
the plate pack. Much attention is also being given on the profile of the corrugated plates in
the Paramount (PL) designed TPI/ CPI separator. The specific profile has been chosen by
Paramount (PL) so that a smooth transfer and compaction of the separated particles is
effected in the TPI/ CPI separator.

In order to reduce the frictional resistance between the separated material and the
corrugated plates to a minimum, particular attention is paid to the smoothness and
hardness of the plate surface. The Corrugated Plates as well as the casing of the Plate Pack
of TPI/ CPI separator are made from glass fiber reinforced polyester resin. This material is
resistant to the most frequently used chemical additives and temperature.

Paramount has specialized in design of TPI/ CPI separator installation in both RCC
(Reinforced cement concrete) and steel basins. The selection of the basin of the TPI/ CPI
separator is advised to client based on the basic requirement, adaptability, time and
economy criteria envisaged in the Oily water treatment process installed.

ADVANTAGES OF PARAMOUNT DESIGNED TPI/ CPI

SEPARATORS IN OILY WATER TREATMENT SYSTEM
Low space requirement

Very low maintenance cost since there are no moving parts

High efficiency and capacity combined with compact volume.

Low installation cost since units are mostly prefabricated.

Handles shock loads of flow without affecting effluent quality.

Continuous operation without major down time.

Insensitive to weather condition, variation in temperature and composition of incoming

liquid

Selection of type of basins (RCC, Mild steel, Stainless steel) for plate packs in TPI/ CPI
separator

In house capability in design and detailed engineering of civil basin or steel structure
and skid mounted steel structural basins for TPI/CPI separator.

Comparison of TPI vs API Oil Separator

Sr.
Feature TPI Unit API Unit
No.
Low (~20 % of API
1. Space Requirement High
Unit)
2. Power Consumption Nil Yes
3. Moving Parts Nil Yes
4. Wear & Tear Nil Yes
5. Maintenance Nil High
 6. Oil Removal Efficiency Very High High
7. Min. Oil Removal Globule size 50 Micron 150 Micron
8. Susceptibility to Shock Oil Loads No Yes
Susceptibility to Shock Hydraulics
9. Marginal High
Loads
Yes as Prefabricated
10. Ease of Construction No
Construction
11. Ease of Installation Yes No
Not Possible As New
Very Easy by Adding
12. Future Expansion Unit has to be
plate pack modules
Installed
13. Requirement of Spares No Yes
14. Cost of Unit Low High
15. Down Time due to Maintenance No Yes

API and CPI (Corrugated Plate Interceptor) separators are predominantly used in separation of free oil from
produced or effluent water or suspended solids for oily water treatment in an (Oily Water System) (OWS).The
basic principle of difference in gravity between the phases (liquid – liquid or solid – liquid) is employed in an
OWS in separation of the two phases. This phenomenon is defined as “Gravity Separation”.It is clear that the
phase with high density will settle and with lower density will float to the surface of fluid. In an OWS, the
effectiveness of this technique is subjected to various factors such as density difference, viscosity of the oil,
factors of the medium, temperature, turbulence, and also the nature of impurity etc.In some cases chemical
coagulation and flocculation is needed for removal of the impurities by making them heavier. In separation
technique while considering the above referred factors, which affects the separation of impurities, an overflow
rate (m3/m2/day) or settling velocity (m/hr) is arrived at. This factor determines the surface area required for the
gravity separation in an OWS. Incidentally it also underlines the point that gravity separation is independent of
the depth of basin. But while saying so, one must keep in mind that quiescent conditions are required for good
settling.In Oily water treatment, tilted (placed in predetermined angles) plate packs are used in CPI/ TPI
separators to improve the size and economy of the separator system. As corrugated plate packs are predominantly
used, the tilted plate pack type separators are widely known as Corrugated plate interceptor or simply as CPI
separators. However, a TPI (Tilted plate interceptor) may use a corrugated type plate pack or simply plain parallel
plate pack. Hence, TPI separator is a generic terminology used in such type of separators.The separator when
used in separation of liquid – liquid phases (predominantly removal of free oil in oily water treatment) are called
a TPI (Tilted plate interceptor) or a CPI separator. Any separation of suspended solids in oily water treatment
by use of CPI (Corrugated plate interceptor)/ TPI (Tilted plate interceptor) separator is incidental due to
difference in gravity between the effluent’s liquid phase and the solid phase.

The corrugated plate pack in a TPI/ CPI separator, used in Oily water treatment for removal of free oil, consists
of number of parallel corrugated plates. A Plate pack is a housing of flat plastic plates (strengthened by resins)
and stiffened by a frame made from plastic material (strengthened by resins) and/or stainless steel.

The number of plates in a Plate pack is determined by various calculations as well as based on experience on
various effluents and applications. The number of plates per Plate pack is also factored to a certain extent on
economy of size of the separator. The number of Plate packs per TPI/ CPI separator is calculated based on the
effluent flow and its characteristics to the unit.

The liquid to be treated flows through the spaces between the Corrugated Plates in each Plate pack. Ideal
condition for separation is achieved in the TPI (Tilted plate interceptor)/ CPI (Corrugated plate interceptor)
separator by simulating a laminar flow condition through the plate pack.

In order to reduce the frictional resistance between the separated material and the corrugated plates to a
minimum, particular attention needs to be paid to the smoothness and hardness of the plate surface. The
Corrugated Plates as well as the casing of the Plate Pack of TPI/ CPI separator are generally made from glass
fiber reinforced polyester resin. This material is resistant to the most frequently used chemical additives and
temperature as well as effluents to be treated.

Advantages Of Designed TPI/ CPI Separators in Oily Water Treatment System:

– Low Spare requirement.
– Very low maintenance cost since there are no moving parts.
– High efficiency and capacity combined with compact volume.
– Can handle shock loads of flow without affecting effluent quality significantly.
– Selection can be done from large number of type of basins (RCC, Mild Steel, Stainless Steel) for
plate packs in TPI/CPI separators.
A schematic of CPI separator is depicted below.

Disadvantages Of Designed TPI/CPI Separators in Oily Water Treatment System:

– The effluent oil concentration is higher than that of other methods;
– Large surface area required;
– Large volume results in dead zones en reduction of net available surface area;
– Expensive oil/bottom scrapers required that are maintenance intensive;
– Ineffective with small oil droplets or emulsified oil, Require long retention time to achieve efficient
separation.