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US 4,800,025 AGranted
Apparatus and process for the gas flotation purification of oil-contaminated water
AssigneePony Industries, Inc.
InventorJohn A. Bibaeff
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus for the dispersed gas flotation and separation of insoluble, dispersed contaminants from a liquid comprised of a horizontal series of flotation cells, separated by baffles that permit the substantially horizontal flow of liquid from one cell to the next, each cell being equipped with one or more gas dispersing nozzles and screens which aid in the coalescence and flotation of the contaminant particles, and an inclined baffle above the horizontal series of cells to urge the floated impurities toward a weir positioned to remove the impurities from the surface of the liquid.
Claims29
A dispersed gas flotation apparatus useful for separating insoluble impurities from a liquid comprising:
- (a) an elongate closed flotation vessel having an inlet end, an outlet end, a front sidewall, and a rear sidewall and defining a lower liquid flow zone and an upper gas collection zone, the direction from said inlet end to said outlet end defining a longitudinal direction,
- (b) means for introducing a liquid contaminated with insoluble impurities into the inlet end of the vessel,
- (c) means for removing at least partially decontaminated liquid from the outlet end of the vessel,
- (d) at least one vertical baffle means disposed in said liquid flow zone substantially normal to said longitudinal direction for dividing said liquid flow zone into a plurality of flotation cells, said baffle means being substantially impervious to flow of said liquid except for a cutout adjacent one of said front and rear sidewalls for affording communication between adjacent flotation cells, thereby permitting said liquid to flow between said flotation cells,
- (e) vertical screen means disposed in at least one flotation cell in a substantially parallel plane relative to said vertical baffle means, said screen means being adapted to aid in the separation of said insoluble impurities from said liquid,
- (f) gas introduction means for introducing gas bubbles into an interior of at least one flotation cell, said gas bubbles rising upwardly through said liquid and contacting the insoluble impurities,
- (g) contaminant collection means disposed longitudinally and horizontally in said vessel above said vertical baffle means and said screen means, and
- (h) means communicating with said contaminant collection means for removing contaminants from said vessel;
- wherein said cutout is positioned in said baffle means at a location minimizing a downward flow of liquid opposite said upward direction of said rising gas bubbles.
6 more elements
A dispersed gas flotation apparatus useful for separating insoluble impurities from a liquid comprising:
- (a) an elongate closed flotation vessel having an inlet end, an outlet end, a front sidewall, and a rear sidewall and defining a lower liquid flow zone and an upper gas collection zone, the direction from said inlet end to said outlet end defining a longitudinal direction,
- (b) means for introducing a liquid contaminated with insoluble impurities into the inlet end of the vessel,
- (c) means for removing at least partially decontaminated liquid from the outlet end of the vessel,
- (d) at least one vertical baffle means disposed in said liquid flow zone substantially normal to said longitudinal direction for dividing said liquid flow zone into a plurality of flotation cells, said baffle means being substantially impervious to flow of said liquid except for a cutout adjacent one of said front and rear sidewalls for affording communication between adjacent flotation cells, thereby permitting said liquid to flow between said flotation cells,
- (e) gas introduction means for introducing gas bubbles into an interior of at least one flotation cell, said gas bubbles rising upwardly through said liquid,
- (f) contaminant collection means disposed longitudinally and horizontally in said vessel above said vertical baffle means,
- (g) an inclined baffle means extending from said inlet end to said outlet end which separates said upper gas collection zone and said lower liquid zone and which inclines upwardly toward said contaminant collection means, and
- (h) means communicating with said contaminant collection means for removing contaminants from said vessel.
5 more elements
A method of separating oil contaminants from a liquid, comprising:
- (a) introducing a stream of oil-contaminated liquid into an elongate vessel containing:
- (i) a plurality of cells arranged in a horizontal series, said cells being separated by solid baffle means which permit the oil-contaminated liquid to flow from one cell to the next in a substantially horizontal path, said baffle means being substantially impervious to flow of said liquid except for a cutout adjacent one of a front and a rear sidewall thereof,
- (ii) screen means disposed in at least one of said cells in a position such that at least part of said oil-contaminated stream passes through meshes of said screen means,
- (iii) gas educting means in at least one of said cells,
- (iv) oil-contaminant collection means disposed horizontally above an upper level of the liquid in said cells,
- (v) contaminated liquid inlet means for introducing said oil-contaminated liquid into a first cell of said series,
- (vi) liquid removal means for removing at least partially oil-decontaminated liquid from a last cell of said series,
- (vii) oil removal means for removing oil contaminant from said oil contaminant collection means;
- (b) contacting said oil-contaminated liquid with gas bubbles introduced into said vessel through said gas educting means thereby facilitating the release of oil contaminants from said oil-contaminated liquid;
- (c) collecting released oil contaminant in said oil contaminant collection means;
- (d) withdrawing oil from said vessel through said oil removal means;
- and
- (d) withdrawing at least partially oil-decontaminated liquid from said vessel through said liquid removal means.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.