Fluid clarification system, method, and apparatus
OwnerScott Blair Godlieninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fluid clarification system and method is described in which fluid is passed through one or more settling compartments, each having a solids outlet at the base of the compartment. The base of each compartment includes inclined surfaces for guiding settled solids to the outlet. Also described is a polymer reaction trough including baffles to promote gentle mixing of inflow fluid with flocculant. The system is designed to reduce costs of transportation, flocculant, and solids handling. The system is preferably arranged to facilitate transport on a skid or trailer, while maximizing fluid handling capabilities and minimizing costs.
Claims16
A method for concentrating and removing solids from a slurry stream, the method comprising the steps of:
- directing a slurry stream into a first settling compartment, the settling compartment comprising at least three compartment walls and a base, the base comprising a solids outlet for removal of settled solids, and an inclined surface extending from each compartment wall towards the solids outlet;
- directing clarified overflow fluid out of the first settling compartment over a weir wall into a second settling compartment;
- and
- periodically removing solids from the first settling compartment through the solids outlet based on the rate of accumulation of concentrated solids over the solids outlet.
A method for slurry clarification, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a slurry stream to be clarified;
- directing the slurry stream into a first settling compartment, the first settling compartment comprising at least three substantially vertical compartment walls, each wall having upper, lower, and side edges, each wall joined along its side edges to an adjacent wall to form a compartment having a first horizontal cross sectional area defined by the lower edges of each joined compartment wall;
- and a compartment base comprising a solids outlet having an solids discharge opening within the compartment base;
- and at least three tapered panels, each panel attached to the lower edge of each compartment wall, and joined to an adjacent panel, the tapered panels thereby converging about the solids discharge opening so as to form a compartment base of decreasing horizontal cross sectional area towards the outlet;
- directing overflow fluid from the first settling compartment over a weir wall into a further settling compartment;
- and
- pumping solids from the discharge opening in the first settling compartment based on the rate of accumulation of concentrated solids over the discharge opening.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.