Sludge collection apparatus and method
OwnerOrris E. Albertsoninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sludge collector for removing sludge from the bottom of a tank for clarifying wastewater includes an elongate curved housing placed on the bottom of the tank, with the focus of the curve being the center of the floor, the housing defining an interior cavity, and a plurality of relatively small inlets spaced along the length of the housing for the introduction of sludge from the sludge blanket. The inlets are disposed adjacent the floor to remove the most concentrated sludge therefrom. The cross-sectional area of the housing increases from the ends to the midpoint, where an outlet pipe removes the sludge from the cavity under positive hydraulic pressure and applied negative pressure. The sludge collector is designed for most efficient use with spiral or curved scraper blades in a cylindrical clarifying tank.
Claims22
In an apparatus for clarifying wastewater having a generally cylindrical tank with an open top and a closed bottom, a wastewater inlet for receiving influent wastewater into the tank, a rake arm mounted to rotate about a central axis of the tank, at least one scraper mounted on the rake arm and disposed adjacent the bottom of the tank for transport of sludge when the rake arm is rotated, and a wastewater outlet for discharging clarified effluent wastewater from the tank, an improved sludge collector comprising:
- a generally bent elongate housing defining an interior cavity and disposed near the tank bottom, the housing being oriented in a generally horizontal plane and being bent generally around the tank's central axis;
- a plurality of sludge inlets leading through the housing into the cavity and disposed so as to receive sludge directed toward the housing by the at least one scraper;
- and
- a sludge outlet leading through the housing from the cavity for transportation of sludge from the cavity.
Wastewater clarification apparatus comprising:
- a tank adapted for holding wastewater, the tank including a generally cylindrical sidewall, an open top, and a floor;
- means for supplying influent wastewater into the tank;
- means for removing effluent wastewater from the tank;
- a rake arm disposed within the tank and adapted for rotational movement around the tank's central axis;
- means for rotating the rake arm;
- an elongate scraper blade oriented such that its proximal end is oriented generally toward the center of the tank and its distal end is oriented generally toward the sidewall, the scraper blade being disposed adjacent the tank floor and attached to the rake arm for rotational movement therewith, such that the scraper blade transports sludge settled out of the wastewater toward a sludge collector;
- and
- a sludge collector disposed near the tank floor comprising:
- an approximately arc-shaped housing with its focus approximately at the center of the tank, the housing defining an interior cavity therein;
- a plurality of inlets leading through the housing into the cavity for transportation of sludge from the tank to the cavity, the inlets being disposed so as to receive sludge transported by the scraper blade;
- and
- an outlet leading through the housing from the cavity for transportation of sludge from the cavity.
Method for clarifying wastewater and transporting resulting settled sludge comprising the steps of:
- supplying the wastewater to a generally cylindrical clarification tank;
- allowing solids to settle out of the wastewater to the floor of the tank to form sludge;
- moving the sludge along the floor toward a curved sludge collector disposed near the floor of the tank around the central region of the tank;
- moving the sludge from the central region of the tank floor into the sludge collector through a plurality of apertures along the sludge collector;
- and
- removing the sludge from the sludge collector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.