Intrachannel clarifier
OwnerAnthony A. McMahan, Donald C. Vockinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An intrachannel clarifier for an oxidation ditch includes an enclosure positioned in the flow path of the oxidation ditch. This enclosure defines a perimeter wall which surrounds an internal volume made up of an upper zone, a middle zone and a lower zone. The cross-sectional area of the internal volume increases progressively from the lower zone to the upper zone. A water inlet port introduces waste water from the flow path into the lower zone, a submerged pipe in the upper zone removes clarified water from the upper zone, and sludge is actively removed from the middle zone via a sludge removal manifold disposed in the middle zone to reduce the residence time of sludge in the middle zone while maintaining a filter blanket of sludge in the middle zone.
Claims21
In a waste treatment facility of the type comprising means for defining a flow path for a body of waste water, aeration means, and means for circulating the waste water along the flow path, an improved intrachannel clarifier comprising:
- an enclosure positioned in the flow path, said enclosure comprising a perimeter wall which surrounds an internal volume which comprises an upper zone, a middle zone, and a lower zone, wherein the cross-sectional area of the internal volume increases progressively from the lower zone to the upper zone;
- a water inlet port positioned to introduce waste water from the flow path into the lower zone;
- means positioned in the upper zone for removing clarified water from the upper zone;
- a sludge removal manifold disposed in the middle zone:
- means for actively removing sludge from the middle zone via the sludge removal manifold to reduce the residence time of sludge in the middle zone;
- and
- means for spreading the incoming flow of waste water from the water inlet port laterally with respect to the flow path across the width of the enclosure:
- said enclosure, water inlet port, spreading means, clarified water removing means, and sludge removal manifold configured to create a stable filter blanket of sludge in the middle zone as the waste water circulates past the enclosure.
In an oxidation ditch of the type comprising means for defining a flow path for a body of waste water, means for circulating the waste water along the flow path, and means for aerating the waste water, an improved intrachannel clarifier comprising:
- an enclosure positioned in the flow path, said enclosure comprising a front section, a rear section, an upper portion extending partially above the level of the waste water, and a lower portion, said enclosure defining a length axis extending along the flow axis;
- a sludge removal trough extending along the length axis and mounted in the upper portion of the enclosure so as to extend above the level of the waste water;
- at least one effluent removing means extending along the length axis and mounted in the upper portion of the enclosure so as to extend below the level of the waste water;
- a waste water inlet port positioned in the lower portion along the length axis to introduce waste water into the enclosure;
- a plurality of effluent removal ports in the effluent removal means spaced along the length axis to remove effluent from the enclosure at a selected effluent removal rate, thereby creating an upward flow of waste water from the waste water inlet port in order to suspend solids in a filter zone situated between the waste water inlet port and the effluent removal ports;
- at least one sludge removal manifold disposed in the filter zone and extending along the length axis, said manifold defining an array of sludge removal ports spaced along the length axis for removing sludge from the filter zone, said manifold communicating with the sludge removal trough to conduct sludge from the filter zone to the sludge removal trough;
- and
- means for actively removing sludge out of the sludge removal trough at a selected sludge removal rate in order to remove sludge from the filter zone to reduce the residence time of sludge in the filter zone;
- said waste water inlet port sized and dimensioned to ensure that substantially no sludge leaves the clarifier through the waste water inlet port.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.