Circular clarifiers with rotationcontrolled settling

Claim 1

A METHOD OF CLARIFYING A LIQUID HAVING SETTEABLE SOLIDS THEREIN OF THE NATURE OF ACTIVATED SLUDGE INCLUDING MAINTAINING IN A GENERALLY QUIESCENT STATE FOR SETTLING SUBSTANTIAL BODY OF THE LIQUID IN A TANK HAVING A FLOOR AND EFFLUENT TROUGH ALONG THE TANK PERIPHERY, CONTUNUOUSLY RELEASING LIQUID TO BE CLARIFIED INTO THE TANK CENTRALLY THEREOF, THEREBY DISPLACING SURFACE WATER INTO THE EFFLUENT TROUGH, ROTATING SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE LOWER PORTIONS OF THE BODY AT A SPEED SELECTED TO CAUSE THE SETTLING SOLIDS TO SETTLE PREDOMINATELY, AND TO A GREATER EXTENT THAN WOULD BE THE CASE WITHOUT SUCH ROTATION, ON A CENTRAL AREA OF THE FLOOR SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY INWARDLY FROM BENEATH THE EFFLUENT TROUGH, AND REMOVING THE SOLIDS SETTLED ON SAID AREA FROM THE TANK CONTINUOUSLY AND PROMPTLY.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF CLARIFYING A LIQUID HAVING SETTEABLE SOLIDS THEREIN OF THE NATURE OF ACTIVATED SLUDGE INCLUDING MAINTAINING IN A GENERALLY QUIESCENT STATE FOR SETTLING SUBSTANTIAL BODY OF THE LIQUID IN A TANK HAVING A FLOOR AND EFFLUENT TROUGH ALONG THE TANK PERIPHERY, CONTUNUOUSLY RELEASING LIQUID TO BE CLARIFIED INTO THE TANK CENTRALLY THEREOF, THEREBY DISPLACING SURFACE WATER INTO THE EFFLUENT TROUGH, ROTATING SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE LOWER PORTIONS OF THE BODY AT A SPEED SELECTED TO CAUSE THE SETTLING SOLIDS TO SETTLE PREDOMINATELY, AND TO A GREATER EXTENT THAN WOULD BE THE CASE WITHOUT SUCH ROTATION, ON A CENTRAL AREA OF THE FLOOR SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY INWARDLY FROM BENEATH THE EFFLUENT TROUGH, AND REMOVING THE SOLIDS SETTLED ON SAID AREA FROM THE TANK CONTINUOUSLY AND PROMPTLY.