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US 10,376,816 B2Granted
System and method for separation of suspended solids from waste fluid
AssigneeInnovation Water Clarification, Inc.
InventorPatrick Dunne
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A separation system for the removal of suspended solids from raw fluid. Raw fluid is placed in a non-pressurized settling tank and allowed to partially settle before injection into a pressurized clarification vessel. Following a dwell period clarified fluid is discharged at the top of the clarification vessel and settled waste is removed at the bottom thereof. Constant vessel pressure is maintained during injection of raw fluid or the discharge of clarified fluid or settled waste. The system is simpler to manufacture and more efficacious in its use than prior art methods.
Claims35
A system for the clarification of raw fluid containing suspended solids by separation of the raw fluid into clarified fluid and settled solids, said system comprising:
- a) a vertically oriented unpressurized settling tank capable of receiving raw fluid from a raw fluid source, said settling tank having a top and a bottom, and a sludge discharge located at the bottom thereof through which settled solids from raw fluid settled therein can be removed from the settling tank;
- b) a vertically oriented pressurizeable clarification vessel having a top and a bottom, the clarification vessel having:
- a raw fluid injection inlet located along a side of the vessel between the top and the bottom;
- a clarified fluid discharge at the top of the vessel;
- a settled solids discharge at the bottom of the vessel;
- and
- c) a conduit having an intake end and an injection end, the intake end being connected to a settling discharge of the settling tank near the top of the settling tank and the injection end being connected to the raw fluid injection inlet;
- d) a controllable raw fluid injection valve within the conduit, through which raw fluid can be injected into the clarification vessel from the settling tank, the portion of the conduit between the settling discharge and the raw fluid injection valve being the non-pressurized intake portion and the portion of the conduit between the raw fluid injection valve and the raw fluid injection inlet being the pressurized injection portion;
- e) a controllable pressure control fluid discharge valve connected to the clarified fluid discharge, through which clarified fluid can be discharged;
- f) a controllable pressure control solids discharge valve connected to the settled solids discharge, through which settled suspended solids can be discharged;
- and
- g) injection means to inject raw fluid from the settling tank through the raw fluid injection valve;
- wherein during operation of the system:
- the clarification vessel will be filled with raw fluid by the injection thereof from the settling tank through the conduit;
- suspended solids will settle to the bottom of the clarification vessel, being settled solids for discharge through the solids discharge valve to a non-pressurized solids downstream;
- clarified fluid from which suspended solids have settled will be discharged from the fluid discharge valve to a non-pressurized fluid downstream;
- and wherein the selected operating pressure of the clarification zone defined by the clarification vessel between the raw fluid injection valve, the fluid discharge valve and the solids discharge valve will be maintained during the injection of raw fluid or the discharge of clarified fluid or settled solids therefrom.
14 more elements
A method of clarifying raw fluid containing suspended solids by separation of the raw fluid into clarified fluid and settled solids, said method comprising:
- a) providing a fluid clarification system comprising:
- a vertically oriented unpressurized settling tank capable of receiving raw fluid for clarification from a raw fluid source, said settling tank having a top and a bottom, and a sludge discharge located at the bottom thereof through which settled solids from raw fluid settled therein can be removed from the settling tank;
- a vertically oriented pressurizeable clarification vessel having a top and a bottom, the clarification vessel having:
- a raw fluid injection inlet located along a side of the vessel between the top and the bottom;
- a clarified fluid discharge at the top of the vessel;
- a settled solids discharge at the bottom of the vessel;
- and
- a conduit having an intake end and an injection end, the intake end being connected to a settling discharge of the settling tank near the top of the settling tank and the injection end being connected to the raw fluid injection inlet;
- a controllable raw fluid injection valve within the conduit, through which raw fluid can be injected into the clarification vessel from the settling tank, the portion of the conduit between the settling discharge and the raw fluid injection valve being the non-pressurized intake portion and the portion of the conduit between the raw fluid injection valve and the raw fluid injection inlet being the pressurized injection portion;
- a controllable pressure control fluid discharge valve connected to the clarified fluid discharge, through which clarified fluid can be discharged;
- a controllable pressure control solids discharge valve connected to the settled solids discharge, through which settled suspended solids can be discharged;
- and
- injection means to inject raw fluid from the settling tank through the raw fluid injection valve to operating pressure in the clarification vessel;
- b) filling the clarification vessel with raw fluid by actuating the injection means to inject raw fluid into said vessel from the settling tank through the conduit, until the desired operating pressure in the clarification vessel is reached;
- c) following settling of the settled solids from the raw fluid, injecting additional raw fluid into the clarification vessel through the raw fluid injection valve and the conduit while maintaining the desired operating pressure in the clarification vessel by:
- discharging clarified fluid to a non-pressurized fluid downstream by actuating the fluid discharge valve;
- and
- discharging settled solids to a non-pressurized solids downstream by actuating the fluid discharge valve.
15 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.