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US 2013/0213391 A1Published application
Sugar aeration clarifier
OwnerStuart J. Wardinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sugar aeration clarifier includes: multi-stage flocculator having a chemical injection port an aeration mixing chamber; a separation tank having an inlet distributor, separator plate pack, effluent discharge weir, and inclined sludge plate; an adjustable height clear well riser overflowing into a clear well; an aeration injector recirculating clarified sugar syrup from the clear well to the aeration mixing chamber; and a skimmer to remove agglomerated retentate from the separation tank surface over the sludge plate into a sludge collector portion.
Claims20
An apparatus for clarifying sugar syrup, comprising:
- a separation tank having a volume defined by a bottom wall, opposed first and second end walls each extending from a bottom portion connected to the bottom wall to a top portion, and opposed parallel first and second side walls each extending from a bottom portion connected to the bottom wall to a top portion;
- a sludge plate extending transversely from the first to the second side walls and extending longitudinally from an interior region of the separation tank at a height below the liquid operating level of the apparatus to at least the upper edge of the separation tank second end wall, the sludge plate oriented at an inclined angle from horizontal;
- a flocculator portion having an inlet, an outlet in fluid communication with the separation tank, an aeration mixing chamber disposed between the flocculator inlet and outlet, an aeration injection port proximate an upstream end of the aeration mixing chamber, and a chemical injection port disposed between the flocculator inlet and the aeration injection port;
- one or more effluent weirs mounted within the separation tank at a depth proximate the bottom portions of the first and second side walls but set off from the bottom wall, each of the one or more effluent weirs having an enclosed top portion, a bottom inlet, and a discharge in fluid communication with a clear well riser;
- a clear well adjacent to the separation tank, the clear well defined by a clear well bottom wall and enclosing clear well side walls extending to a respective clear well side wall top portion, the clear well further including a clear well discharge;
- one or more clear well risers corresponding to the one or more effluent weirs disposed within the clear well, each of the one or more clear well risers extending from a bottom portion in fluid communication with the corresponding effluent weir discharge to a riser discharge, wherein the height of the riser discharge is lower than the clear well side wall top portions and defines the liquid operating level of the apparatus;
- an aeration injector having an inlet in fluid communication with the clear well and a discharge in fluid communication with the flocculator aeration injection port;
- a surface skimmer;
- and,
- a sludge collection portion adjacent the separation tank second end wall to receive retentate from the surface skimmer.
7 more elements
An apparatus for clarifying sugar syrup, comprising:
- a liquid tank having sidewalls and a bottom wall,
- a collector, the collector including an effluent weir portion adapted to mount below the normal operating liquid level of the tank and a discharge portion in fluid communication with the effluent weir portion,
- the effluent weir portion further comprising:
- an elongated pipe extending longitudinally from a first end to a second end, the pipe including an enclosed top portion forming a peaked transverse cross-section extending from an apex downward, and longitudinally opposed first and second sidewalls extending from the respective top portion to respective first and second sidewall bottom edges, the first and second sidewall bottom edges spaced apart from each other to define a longitudinally-oriented open bottom channel providing fluid communication between the pipe interior and the tank interior volume, and further wherein the effluent weir portion second end is adapted to couple to a sidewall of the liquid tank;
- and,
- the discharge portion comprising a riser extending from an inlet couplable to the tank sidewall exterior in fluid communication with the effluent weir portion second end, and an outlet disposed higher than the inlet.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.