A spinning solution?

Centrifugal separator
technology owned by actor
Kevin Costner could help
clean up the Gulf oil spill. Centrifugal
How it works:
Motor separator
9.5 ft (3 m) high
1. Water/oil mix can
flow into either or both
of two inlets

2. It is pumped or
flows via gravity
Heavy liquid
to the bottom of
collector
the separator Heavy liquid
outlet: water
Lighter liquid
3. Rotor outlet: oil
vanes direct 6
the oil and
water into 5 Light liquid
collector
the rotor

Inlet Inlet

1 4 Water/oil

4. Spinning rotor
generates centrifugal
force up to 600 times
the force of gravity;
the lighter oil flows 2
toward center of rotor Rotor
as mix rises; heavier 3
water forced outward
5. Liquids move
into separate
collectors Rotor inlet
Rotor vane

6. Oil and water leave separator through © 2010 MCT

Source: CINC Industries
different outlets to be collected in a tank Graphic: Tom Reinken, Mark Hafer,
(oil) or returned to the sea (water) Los Angeles Times