Zero energy input flocculator
OwnerW. Leslie Harrisinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flocculator for use in water treatment plants which comprises a paddle wheel disposed in a sedimentation basin. The wheel is defined by a plurality of equally spaced semicylindrical paddles which at all times are fully submerged in the water and which are constructed of a relatively thin sheet material that is undulated in a direction perpendicular to the length of the paddles. The paddles extend across the full width of the basin and they are secured to rotatably mounted hubs. The water flow in the basin provides the sole source of motive power for rotating the wheel.
Claims19
In a method for processing raw water into potable water which includes the steps of forming a mixture by adding to the raw water a coagulating chemical, mixing the raw water with the chemical, forming flocs defined by a plurality of individual coagulated particles in a sedimentation basin holding the mixture, and separating the floc from the raw water by permitting the floc to settle in the basin, the improvement comprising the step of mechanically enhancing the formation of flocs by flowing the mixture through the basin in a downstream direction, placing a flocculator wheel in the mixture flow, the wheel having a plurality of cup-shaped, interconnected plate means, submerging the plate means in the mixture flow, and rotating the wheel about its axis by employing the mixture flow in the basin as the sole source of motive power for the wheel.
A method of operating a flocculator in a water works settlement tank comprising the steps of flowing water in a generally horizontal direction through the tank and retaining the water for a sufficient time in the tank to permit coagulated floc particles to settle in the tank, providing a flocculator wheel having a plurality of generally cup-shaped paddles arranged about a rotatably mounted hub, submerging the wheel in the water in the settlement tank so that the cup-shaped paddles are arranged transversely to the direction of the water flow through the tank, and rotating the wheel with motive power derived solely from the water flow in the tanks.
In a water works sedimentation basin through which raw water treated with a coagulant flows at a relatively constant speed a flocculator comprising a wheel defined by a hub, a plurality of paddles submerged in this water disposed about and connected to the hub, each paddle comprising a curved sheet member having an elongate configuration and defining a trough, the troughs of all paddles facing in the same direction of rotation of the hub, the troughs extending over substantially the full width of the basin, and means rotatably mounting the wheel and positioning it within the basin so that the water flow therein rotates the wheel, whereby the water flow in the basin is diverted over relatively moving surfaces to enhance the coagulation process without the need for an external power supply to rotate the wheel.
In a water treatment plant for converting raw water into potable water a flocculation and sedimentation basin through which chemically treated water flows in a downstream direction and means for facilitating the formation of relatively large flocs from relatively small coagulants and particles suspended in the water for the subsequent sedimentation of such flocs and their removal from the raw water, the means comprising an elongated flocculator wheel substantially completely submerged in the water flow adjacent an upstream end of the basin and extending across the width of the basin, the wheel having a hub, means mounting the hub for rotation about an axis extending across the width of the basin, at least two equally spaced paddles completely submerged in the water and means connecting the paddles to the hub, each paddle being defined by a relatively thin plate having a semi-cylindrical configuration defining a concave trough and a convex back, the troughs of the paddles facing in the same direction of rotation of the hub, the plate including a multiplicity of undulations extending transversely to the length of the trough, the plate further having a projected width which is at least about one-fourth the water depth in the basin, whereby the water flow in the basin rotates the flocculator wheel about the axis at a speed comparable to the water speed while coagulants in the water impinge on and are guided by the undulations of the plates which enhances the formation of the relatively large flocs and thereby shortens the time within which such flocs settle in the basin.
In a water treatment plant including a flocculation and sedimentation basin receiving raw water treated with a coagulating chemical, a flocculator comprising at least two equally spaced paddles and means mounting the paddles for rotation about an axis transverse to the water flow in the basin, parts movable with the paddles being wholly disposed within the basin, each paddle being fully submerged in the water and having a width of at least about one-fourth the water depth in the basin and an enlarged surface area defined by a semi-cylindrical paddle configuration and a multiplicity of undulations in the paddle, concave sides of the paddles facing in a like direction of rotation of the flocculator so that the flocculator acts as a water wheel and receives its sole source of motive power from the water flow.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.