# US 9,751,780 B2 · Coagulation/flocculation apparatus for the treatment of a hydraulic flow, and implementation process > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,751,780 B2 - Document ID: US9751780B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/370,520 - Filed: 2013-01-03 - Published: 2015-03-19 - Granted: 2017-09-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-01-04 - Assignees: Degremont - Applicants: Degremont - Inventors: Patrick Vion; Guillem Grau - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9751780B2 ## CPC - C02F 1/52: by flocculation or precipitation of suspended impurities {(C02F1/463 takes precedence)} - C02F 1/24: by flotation (C02F1/465 takes precedence) - C02F 1/444: {by ultrafiltration or microfiltration} - C02F 1/5209: {Regulation methods for flocculation or precipitation} - C02F 1/5281: {Installations for water purification using chemical agents} - C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes) ## Abstract Coagulation/flocculation apparatus for the treatment of a hydraulic flow of any type of liquid, upstream of a physical separation element, in particular upstream of a flotation unit, or of a filtration unit, in particular a membrane filtration unit, which apparatus comprises at least one coagulator with injection of coagulant, followed by a flocculator, which are successively passed through by the hydraulic flow, in which apparatus: the coagulator comprises a reactor (1) for injection of coagulant under high energy, followed by a low-energy coagulation reactor (2); an intermediate high-energy element (3) is placed between the coagulation reactor (2) and the flocculator (4); and the flocculator is a static flocculator of piston type (4) having the same width as the physical separation element (5) located downstream. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A coagulation/flocculation apparatus for the treatment of a hydraulic flow of any type of liquid, upstream of a physical separation element or a filtration unit, which apparatus comprises at least one coagulator with injection of coagulant, followed by a flocculator, which are successively passed through by the hydraulic flow, wherein: the coagulator comprises a high-energy coagulant injection reactor, followed by a low-energy coagulation reactor, an intermediate energy-inducing element is positioned between the coagulation reactor and the flocculator, and the flocculator is a static flocculator of plug-flow type. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the static flocculator of plug-flow type has the same width as the physical separation element located downstream. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the static flocculator of plug-flow type is a baffle flocculator. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the high-energy coagulant injection reactor is separated from the coagulation reactor. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coagulant injection reactor is at an energy between 40 and 10 000 W/m3. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the coagulant injection reactor is an in-line mixer with an energy per unit volume of between 200 and 10 000 W/m3. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the coagulant injection reactor comprises at least one stirred tank reactor having an energy per unit volume of between 40 and 250 W/m3. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the coagulant injection reactor comprises two stirred tank reactors in series having an energy per unit volume of between 40 and 250 W/m3. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coagulation reactor has an energy per unit volume of less than 10 W/m3. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the intermediate energy-inducing element induces an energy per unit volume of greater than 20 W/m3 in the upper zone of the plug-flow flocculator. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the intermediate energy-inducing element comprises a weir having a fall head of at least 5 cm. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the weir has a fall head of less than or equal to 25 cm. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plug-flow flocculator is at an energy per unit volume of less than 1 W/m3, preferably less than 0.3 W/m3. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A process for implementing a coagulation/flocculation apparatus as claimed in claim 1, for the treatment of a hydraulic flow of any type of liquid, wherein the residence time in the low-energy coagulation reactor is less than 1 minute. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The process as claimed in claim 14, wherein the residence time in the plug-flow type flocculation reactor is between 2 and 8 minutes. ### Claim 16 (depends on 6) A process for implementing a coagulation/flocculation apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the residence time in the coagulant injection reactor, in the case of a stirred tank reactor, is between 2 and 6 minutes, depending on the type of water to be treated. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the intermediate energy-inducing element induces an energy per unit volume of between 20 and 100 W/m3 in the upper zone of the plug-flow flocculator.