Water circulation apparatus and method

A liquid circulation apparatus for moving liquid from the lower levels of a body of liquid to the upper surface of said body of liquid said liquid circulation apparatus comprising:

• a floating framework;
• a funnel shaped circular dish, said dish having outer walls with an upper edge and a lower edge, said outer walls tapering down and inward from said upper edge to said lower edge so as to define an upper opening and a lower opening said lower opening having an area substantially less that of said upper opening;
• an upper horizontal lip defined by said circular dish's upper edge, said upper lip being substantially parallel to said upper surface of said body of liquid;
• an impeller mounted in a horizontal position above said lower opening of said circular dish, said impeller having a diameter at least as great as the diameter of said lower opening;
• a floating frame section mounted about said circular dish such that said circular dish is properly positioned within said body of liquid;
• a draft tube extending downward from said lower opening of said distribution dish;
• and
• a vertical plate fixedly attached inside of said draft tube, said vertical plate being substantially perpendicular to said upper surface of said liquid.

A method of creating a circulating flow in a open body of liquid having an upper surface and lower levels said method comprising the steps of:

• A. Placing a circular dish attached to a framework so that said circular dish is placed just below the upper surface of said open body of liquid, said dish having outer walls with an upper edge and a lower edge, said outer walls tapering down and inward from said upper edge to said lower edge so as to define an upper opening and a lower opening, said lower opening having an area substantially less that of said upper opening;
• B. Drawing liquid from lower levels of said body of liquid to a point near the surface through a draft tube extending downward from said lower opening of said distribution dish said draft tube having a vertical plate fixedly attached inside of said draft tube, said vertical plate being substantially perpendicular to said upper surface of said open body of liquid;
• C. Changing the flow direction of said liquid;
• D. Distributing said liquid from said lower levels in a 360 degree manner about said circular dish;
• E. Creating an outwardly expanding laminar flow of water from said distribution;
• and
• F. Repeating steps A to E so as to start the water turning in a circular fashion spreading out in all horizontal directions from said liquid circulation apparatus in a given body of liquid.

A method of creating a circulating flow in a body of liquid having an upper surface and lower levels said method comprising the steps of:

• A. Placing a floating liquid circulation apparatus in said body of water;
• B. Drawing liquid from lower levels of said body of liquid through a draft tube extending downward from said floating liquid circulation apparatus said draft tube having a vertical plate fixedly attached inside of said draft tube, said vertical plate being substantially perpendicular to said upper surface of said body of liquid to a point near the surface inside of a circular distribution dish on said liquid circulation apparatus;
• C. Supplying said distribution dish with an outer horizontal lip;
• D. Distributing said water from said lower levels in a 360 degree manner over said horizontal lip;
• E. Creating an outwardly expanding laminar flow of water from said distribution;
• and
• F. Repeating steps B to E so as to start the water turning in a circular fashion spreading out in all horizontal directions from said liquid circulation apparatus in a given body of liquid.