Liquid clarification apparatus and method

Apparatus for purifying a liquid containing solids which comprises:

• a vessel with a conical portion having an upper end maximum diameter and a bottom end minimum diameter,
• a cylindrical chamber closed by a bottom at the lower end and joined at the top to the conical portion bottom end,
• a conduit means for feeding a liquid containing solids tangentially to the cylindrical chamber interior so that the liquid flows in a helical path upwardly through the chamber into and upwardly in the conical portion whereby the solids in the liquid separate in a sludge gathering zone in the conical portion upper end as a revolving sludge blanket layer with clarified purified liquid above the sludge blanket,
• an outlet for clarified purified liquid in the vessel above the sludge gathering zone,
• a downcomer vertical conduit in the vessel having a sludge inlet mouth axial to the conical portion and located in the sludge gathering zone for removing sludge from the container through the downcomer as it accumulates in the sludge blanket, with said downcomer extending axially downwardly through the conical portion and the cylindrical chamber and out the chamber, and
• adjustable baffles positioned at least in the cylindrical chamber above the liquid feed conduit means, or in the conical portion substantially below the sludge gathering zone, to regulate the liquid flow directional components.

Apparatus for purifying a liquid containing contaminating solids which comprises:

• a vessel having an upper end and a lower end with a substantially conical portion having a large diameter at the upper end and a small diameter at the lower end,
• an inlet for a contaminated liquid at the vessel lower end,
• means for causing a contaminated liquid, fed by the inlet to the lower end, to flow in a helical path upwardly in the conical portion whereby the solids agglomerate and separate in a sludge gatherine zone in the large diameter conical portion as a revolving sludge blanket layer below but near the upper end of the vessel with clarified purified liquid above the sludge blanket,
• an outlet for clarified purified liquid at the vessel upper end above the sludge gathering zone, and
• a downcomer means having a horizontal mouth axially located in the large diameter conical portion in the sludge gathering zone for removing sludge from the vessel as it accumulates in the sludge blanket, with said downcomer extending out of the vessel.

A method of treating a liquid containing solid material comprising:

• introducing the liquid into a treatment vessel in the lower part of a generally-conical interior portion thereof,
• causing said liquid to move upwardly with helical flow through said generally-conical interior portion toward said upper end thereof,
• the path of said helical flow gradually widening as it progresses upwardly through said generally-conical interior portion thereby resulting in separation of solids from the liquid,
• gradually decreasing the velocity of said liquid by the gradual widening of said helical flow path as it progresses upwardly to form a rotating sludge blanket of separated solids in the upper part of said generally-conical interior portion above the point of liquid introduction,
• passing the liquid upwardly through said rotating sludge blanket to clarify said liquid while said liquid is moving along said helical flow path,
• removing the clarified liquid from said treatment vessel at a location above the level of said rotating sludge blanket,
• maintaining a central quiescent zone in said treatment vessel at about the mouth of a sludge removal downcomer located at about the position of said rotating sludge blanket, and
• withdrawing sludge from the rotating sludge blanket through the downcomer mouth.

Apparatus for purifying a liquid containing solids which comprises:

• a vessel with a conical portion having an upper end of maximum diameter and a bottom end of minimum diameter and sides inclined at an angle of about 40 to 60 degrees from the horizontal,
• a cylindrical chamber closed by a bottom at the lower end and joined at the top to the conical portion bottom end, said cylindrical chamber having an outlet for removing heavy solids,
• a conduit means for feeding a liquid containing solids tangentially to the cylindrical chamber interior so that the liquid flows in a helical path upwardly through the chamber into and upwardly in the conical portion whereby the solids in the liquid separate in a sludge gathering zone in the conical portion upper end as a revolving sludge blanket layer with clarified purified liquid above the sludge blanket,
• adjustable baffles, positioned in the conical portion substantially below the sludge gathering zone, and rotatable about a horizontal axis from outside of the conical portion, to regulate the liquid flow directional components,
• adjustable baffles, positioned in the cylindrical chamber above the liquid feed conduit means, rotatable about a horizontal axis from outside of the chamber, to regulate the liquid flow directional components,
• a cover supported by the conical portion upper end, said cover having a trough means for collecting clarified purified liquid above the sludge gathering zone,
• an outlet for the clarified purified liquid in communication with the trough means,
• a downcomer vertical conduit which extends axially downwardly through the conical portion and the cylindrical chamber and extends out the chamber,
• the downcomer having a sludge inlet mouth axial to the conical portion and located in the sludge gathering zone for removing sludge from the vessel through the downcomer as it accumulates in the sludge blanket,
• the downcomer upper portion being conical with the largest diameter at the sludge inlet mouth,
• means to vertically adjust the position of the downcomer mouth, and
• a chemical supply conduit means on communication with the cylindrical chamber.

A method of treating water containing solid material comprising:

• introducing water into a treatment vessel in the lower part of a generally conical interior portion thereof having sides inclined at an angle of about 40 to 60 degrees from the horizontal,
• adding a chemical to the water in a bottom portion of the vessel to precipitate dissolved solids and/or to flocculate suspended materials in the water,
• causing said water to move upwardly with helical flow through said generally-conical interior portion toward the upper end thereof,
• regulating the velocity of the helically and upwardly flowing water by baffles in the vessel adjustable from outside of the vessel,
• the path of said helical flow gradually widening as it progresses upwardly through said generally-conical interior portion thereby resulting in separation of solids from the water,
• gradually decreasing the velocity of said water by the gradual widening of said helical flow path as it progresses upwardly to form a rotating sludge blanket of separated solids in the upper part of said generally-conical interior portion above the point of water introduction,
• passing the water upwardly through said rotating sludge blanket to clarify said water while said water is moving along said helical flow path,
• removing the clarified water from said treatment vessel at a location above the level of said rotating sludge blanket,
• maintaining a central quiescent zone in said treatment vessel at about the mouth of a sludge removal downcomer located at about the position of said rotating sludge blanket,
• said downcomer being a vertical conduit which extends axially downwardly through the conical interior portion and to the outside of the vessel, and the water flows helically around the downcomer conduit,
• adjusting vertically the position of the downcomer mouth to place it at the optimum location relative to the sludge blanket, and
• withdrawing sludge from the rotating sludge blanket through the downcomer mouth.

Apparatus for purifying a liquid containing solids which comprises:

• a vessel with a conical portion having an upper end of maximum diameter and a bottom end of minimum diameter and sides inclined at an angle of about 40 to 60 degrees from the horizontal,
• a cylindrical chamber closed by a bottom at the lower end and joined at the top to the conical portion bottom end,
• a conduit means for feeding a liquid containing solids tangentially to the cylindrical chamber interior so that the liquid flows in a helical path upwardly through the chamber into and upwardly in the conical portion whereby the solids in the liquid separate in a sludge gathering zone in the conical portion upper end as a revolving sludge blanket layer with clarified purified liquid above the sludge blanket,
• an outlet for clarified purified liquid in the vessel above the sludge gathering zone, and
• a downcomer means in the vessel having a sludge inlet mouth axial to the conical portion and located in the sludge gathering zone for removing sludge from the vessel through the downcomer as it accumulates in the sludge blanket, with said downcomer extending out of the vessel.

Apparatus for purifying a liquid containing solids which comprises:

• a vessel with a conical portion having an upper end maximum diameter and a bottom end minimum diameter and sides inclined at an angle of about 40 to 60 degrees from the horizontal,
• a cylindrical chamber closed by a bottom at the lower end and joined at the top to the conical portion bottom end,
• a conduit means for feeding a liquid containing solids tangentially to the cylindrical chamber interior so that the liquid flows in a helical path upwardly through the chamber into and upwardly in the conical portion whereby the solids in the liquid separate in a sludge gathering zone in the conical portion upper end as a revolving sludge blanket layer with clarified purified liquid above the sludge blanket,
• an outlet for clarified purified liquid in the vessel above the sludge gathering zone,
• a downcomer vertical conduit in the vessel having a sludge inlet mouth axial to the conical portion and located in the sludge gathering zone for removing sludge from the container through the downcomer as it accumulates in the sludge blanket, with said downcomer extending axially downwardly through the conical portion and the cylindrical chamber and out the chamber, and
• adjustable baffles positioned at least in the cylindrical chamber above the liquid feed conduit means, or in the conical portion substantially below the sludge gathering zone, to regulate the liquid flow directional components.

Apparatus for purifying a liquid containing contaminating solids which comprises:

• a vessel having an upper end and a lower end with a substantially conical portion having a large diameter at the upper end and a small diameter at the lower end and sides inclined at an angle of about 40 to 60 degrees from the horizontal,
• an inlet for a contaminated liquid at the vessel lower end,
• means for causing a contaminated liquid, fed by the inlet to the vessel lower end, to flow in a helical path upwardly in the conical portion whereby the solids agglomerate and separate in a sludge gathering zone in the large diameter conical portion as a revolving sludge blanket layer below but near the upper end of the vessel with clarified purified liquid above the sludge blanket,
• an outlet for clarified purified liquid at the vessel upper end above the sludge gathering zone, and
• a downcomer means having a horizontal mouth axially located in the large diameter conical portion in the sludge gathering zone for removing sludge from the vessel as it accumulates in the sludge blanket, with said downcomer extending out of the vessel.