US 5,316,671 AGranted

Submersible aeration train and aeration apparatus for biological purification of sewage

OwnerD. Thomas Murphyinventor

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Abstract

Disclosed is an aeration system for use in a liquid filled basin such as a wastewater treatment process and is particularly effective in a fill and draw system which requires a cyclic operation and includes air diffusion, liquid separation and decanting. The aeration system comprises an aerator which is supported by an air-filled bladder which, when inflated, raises the aerator to a position above the basin floor but when deflated allows the aerator to settle and rest on the bottom of the basin floor during the air/off settling phase and the weight of the aerator pulls the bladder and its hose supply line beneath the liquid surface of the basin thus clearing the top liquid surface. The system may take the form of a train which is affixed traversely across the basin consisting of multiple bladders and aerators which, due to the normal eddies and turbulence created by the aeration process, wander in a random pattern thus providing additional mixing other than aeration.

Claims19

Dependent claims

Aeration apparatus adapted to be used with a liquid filled basin having a bottom floor comprising;

a plurality of assemblies arranged in parallel each comprising:
aeration means for aerating liquid in said basin, said aeration means being configured and arranged to discourage entanglement between said parallel assemblies, inflatable float means having a top and a bottom side, means to inflate and deflate said float means, means to attach said aeration means to said bottom side of said float means, said float means and said aeration means being together configured and arranged so as to be movable between a first and second position, said first position being with said float means floating on the surface of said liquid filled basin with said aeration means being suspended above said bottom floor of said liquid filled basin and below said float means, said second position being with said float means being submerged beneath the surface of said liquid filled basin and said aeration means being substantially in contact with the bottom of said basin,
whereby,
when said inflatable float means is inflated, said float means and said aeration means assume their said first position
and
when said float means is deflated, said float means and said aeration means assume their said second position.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.