Apparatus for aeration of waste products

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY TREATING RAW LIQUID WASTE PRODUCTS TO REDUCE THE BIOLOGICAL OXYGEN DEMAND THEREOF COMPRISING A TREATMENT TANK, AN OPEN-ENDED ELONGATED HOLLOW DRAFT TUBE SUPPORTED IN A VERTICAL POSITION WITHIN SAID TANK, MEANS FOR FEEDING RAW LIQUID WASTE PRODUCTS TO BE TREATED INTO SAID DRAFT TUBE ABOVE THE LOWER END OF SAID DRAFT TUBE, A ROTOR ASSEMBLY SUPPORTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS AND LOCATED BELOW THE LOWER END OF SAID DRAFT TUBE, SAID ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF ARMS PROJECTING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID VERTICAL AXIS AND TERMINATING AT TIP PORTIONS DISPOSED RADIALLY OUTWARDLY BEYOND SAID DRAFT TUBE, MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID ASSEMBLY TO ROTATE SAID ARMS ABOUT SAID AXIS, MEANS AT THE TIP PORTION OF EACH ARM OPERABLE UPON ROTATION OF SAID ARMS TO CREATE AN ANNULAR ZONE OF CAVITATION WITHIN LIQUID IN SAID TREATMENT TANK AT A LOCATION BELOW AND RADIALLY OUTWARDLY WITH RESPECT TO THE LOWER END OF SAID DRAFT TUBE, SAID TIP PORTION MEANS ALSO BEING OPERABLE UPON ROTATION OF SAID ARMS TO INDUCE A FLOW OF LIQUID DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID DRAFT TUBE AND THEN THROUGH AND PAST SAID ANNULAR ZONE OF CAVITATION, MEANS FOR CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS INTO SAID ZONE OF CAVITATION AND IMPARTING A RADIAL OUTWARD BLES TO IMPLODE AS SAID BUBBLES LEAVE SAID ZONE OF CAVITATION, A SETTLING TANK FOR COLLECTING ACTIVATED SLUDGE, MEANS FOR DISCHARGING LIQUID WASTE PRODUCTS FROM SAID TREATMENT TANK TO SAID SETTLING TANK AT A RATE SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN THE LEVEL OF LIQUID WASTE PRODUCTS IN SAID TREATMENT TANK ABOVE THE OPEN UPPER END OF SAID DRAFT TUBE, AND MEANS FOR CONDUCTING ACTIVATED SLUGE COLLECTED IN SAID SETTLING TANK TO SAID TREATMENT TANK.