Settling device for a fluid containing liquid, gas and particulate material, as well as a cleaning device provided herewith and a method for cleaning waste water

A purifier for the aerobic or anaerobic purification of waste water, comprising:

• a reaction chamber;
• a settling device positioned above the reaction chamber, said settling device comprising:
• a settling chamber having a bottom and adapted to be filled with said fluid;
• liquid-discharge means disposed close to the water level for discharging liquid from the settling chamber;
• supply means for supplying the fluid at the bottom of the settling chamber;
• a row of oblique caps each having a ridge situated opposite a downwardly directed open side and extending in a longitudinal direction of the cap, the row of caps being located in the settling chamber and disposed in overlapping and parallel arrangement with their longitudinal axes at an angle to the horizontal, such that fluid supplied at the bottom of the settling chamber flows obliquely up, forced along the underside of the oblique caps, and gas bubbles contained therein collect in the ridges of the oblique caps;
• gas discharge means for trapping gas collected in the ridges of the oblique caps, and for discharging said trapped gas from the settling chamber, said gas discharge means including a collecting cap extending essentially horizontally through the ridges of the oblique caps, and said collecting cap being disposed below the water level;
• a degassing chamber situated next to the settling device, and divided by a partition into a first compartment and a second compartment, both compartments being fluidly interconnected at the top side of the partition, said degassing chamber including a gas discharge, the first compartment fluidly communicating with the reaction chamber and the second compartment opening out into the bottom of the settling chamber of the settling device;
• and
• separating means positioned between the reaction chamber and the settling chamber, said separating means structured and arranged to trap gas bubbles rising in the reaction chamber and discharge them to the first compartment of the gas collecting chamber and conduct particles deposited in the settling chamber back to the reaction chamber.

Method for the separation of a fluid containing liquid, gas and particulate material, comprising:

• providing a settling device having a settling chamber with a bottom;
• supplying fluid at the bottom of the settling chamber, said settling chamber having a row of oblique caps disposed therein, each cap having a ridge situated opposite a downwardly directed open side and extending in a longitudinal direction of the cap, the row of caps being disposed in overlapping and parallel arrangement with their longitudinal axes at an angle to the horizontal, such that fluid supplied at the bottom of the settling chamber flows obliquely up, forced along the underside of the oblique caps;
• collecting gas bubbles in the ridges of the oblique caps;
• and
• discharging trapped gas from the settling chamber via gas discharge means including a collecting cap extending essentially horizontally through the ridges of the oblique caps, said collecting cap being disposed below the water level.

Method for the anaerobic purification of waste water, comprising:

• providing an anaerobic fermentation chamber;
• providing above the reaction chamber a settling device having a settling device with a bottom;
• supplying the waste water at the bottom of the settling chamber, said settling chamber having a row of oblique caps each having a ridge situated opposite a downwardly directed open side and extending in a longitudinal direction of the cap, the row of caps being disposed in an overlapping and parallel arrangement with their longitudinal axes at an angle to the horizontal, such that waste water supplied at the bottom of the settling chamber flows obliquely up, forced along the underside of the oblique caps;
• providing a degassing chamber next to the settling device, said degassing chamber being divided by a partition into a first compartment and a second compartment, both compartments being fluidly interconnected at the top side of the partition, the degassing chamber including a gas discharge, a first compartment fluidly communicating with the fermentation chamber and the second compartment opening out into the bottom of the settling chamber;
• providing gas discharge means for trapping gas collected in the ridges of the oblique caps, said gas discharge means including a collecting cap extending essentially horizontally through the ridges of the oblique caps, said collecting cap being disposed below the water level;
• and
• providing separating means positioned between the fermentation chamber and the settling chamber, said separating means trapping gas bubbles rising in the reaction chamber and discharging them to the first compartment, and conducting particles deposited in the settling chamber back to the reaction chamber.