Apparatus and process for the separation of solid particles from fluids

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR CLARIGYING LIQUIDS, COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY ROUND BASIN, A PLURALITY OF WALLS WITHIN THE BASIN DIVIDING IT INTO AN INNER LOWER MIXING ZONE, AN INNER UPPER DISTRIBUTION ZONE, AND AN OUTER SEDIMENTATION ZONE WITH A CLARIFICATION ZONE THEREABOVE, SAID WALLS PROVIDING COMMUNICATION AT THE BOTTOM BETWEEN THE MIXING ZONE AND THE SEDIMENTATION ZONE, COMPRISING MEANS FORMING A PLURALITY OF PASSAGES BETWEEN THE DISTRIBUTION ZONE AND THE MIXING AND SEDIMENTATION ZONES, MEANS TO FEED SUSPENSION FROM THE MIXING ZONE TO THE DISTRIBUTION ZONE, AND MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY VARYING THE CROSS-SECTION OF SAID PASAGES SO AS TO CONTROL THE RELATIVE FLOW THERETHROUGH SAID FEED MEANS COMPRISNG AN AXIAL PIPE ARRANGED IN SAID MIXING ZONE HAVING OPENINGS AT ITS LOWER END, A ROTORIMPELLER IN THE BOTTOM OF THE DISTRIBUTION ZONE HAVING A DRAFT TUBE EXTENDING INTO SAID PIPE, AND A THROTTLING VALVE IN SAID PIPE.