Process and apparatus for increasing biological activity in waste treatment in bodies of water
AssigneeAbsolute Aeration
InventorsRicky Eugene Roberts, James Rhrodrick Key, Griscom Bettle, III
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process and apparatus for increasing biological activity in waste treatment ponds and lagoons. In this process a floating fluid circulator having an annular space between nested frusto-conical surfaces is operated in a pond or lagoon. An aerator within the scope of the floating fluid circulator is provided. That aerator includes an upper float chassis having a frusto-conical configuration, a sectional diverter arranged in a lower portion of the upper float chassis, the sectional aerator having a lower diverter portion and motor driven means mounted on the upper float chassis connected to a rotatable impeller.
Claims37
A process of increasing biological activity in a waste treatment body of water comprising operating a floating fluid circulator provided with an impeller disposed in an annular space between nested frusto-conical surfaces in a waste treatment body of water.
A process of reducing the specific gravity of a waste treatment body of water comprising operating a floating fluid circulator in communication with a fluid generated from a gas-liquid mixing station, wherein said gas-liquid mixing station is an impingement mixer wherein fluid from said body of water forms streams which impinge each other forming a stream of a two-phase microbubble air-water fluid which stream flows to a circulator provided with an annular space between nested frusto-conical surfaces.
A process of treating animal manure in a waste treatment body of water comprising:
- introducing animal manure into a waste stream at the inlet of a waste treatment body of water;
- and
- operating a first floating fluid circulator provided with a unidirectional rotating impeller disposed in an annular space formed between nested frusto-conical surfaces, said circulator surrounded by a boom, defining a first boom-enclosed zone, at said inlet of said waste treatment body of water;
- wherein said boom-enclosed zone comprises less than about 5% of the surface area of said waste treatment body of water.
An aerator device for aerating and/or mixing liquids while arranged in a floating mode in a liquid, said aerator device comprising:
- an upper float chassis having a frusto-conical configuration with a lower wider base thereof being equipped with an annular liquid outflow lip at essentially the surface level of the liquid;
- a sectional diverter for liquid being arranged in a lower portion of said upper float chassis;
- said sectional diverter having a lower diverter portion including diverter means for said liquid, said diverter means having an upper portion fastened to a bottom lip of said upper float chassis and forming a spacing between the bottom lip of said upper float chassis and an upper end of said sectional diverter to facilitate a generally horizontal laminar outward flow through said spacing along the surface of the liquid in which the aerator device floats;
- and
- motor-driven means being mounted on said upper float chassis connected to a rotatable impeller aspirating liquid into a lower open end of said aerator device for effectuating a flow of said liquid therefrom towards said spacing between the bottom lip and the upper end of said diverter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.