Aerobic sewage treatment system

Claim 2

Apparatus for aerobically digesting organic matter within sewage water, comprising a substantially cylindrical tank including bottom, top and side walls defining an enclosed substantially cylindrical treating chamber, a sewage water inlet line for directing sewage water into said chamber, a water discharge line defining an outlet within the center portion of said chamber, said outlet being positioned to limit the water within said chamber at a level below said top wall of said tank to define an air space within said chamber above the surface of the water, air conduit means for supplying a flow of air into the air space adjacent said top wall of said tank, means for directing a flow of air downwardly against the surface of the water within said chamber and in a horizontal substantially circular path adjacent the surface of the sewage water to effect circulation of the sewage in a horizontal circular path around said outlet and for centrifugally moving the heavier more polluted water radially outwardly from said outlet while diffusing air into the water, and means defining an air discharge passage extending from the air space for exhausting the air circulated within the air space.

Claim 3

APPARATUS FOR AEROBICALLY DIGESTING ORGANIC MATTER WITHIN SEWAGE WATER, COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL TANK INCLUDING BOTTOM, TOP AND SIDE WALLS DEFINING AN ENCLOSED SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL TREATING CHAMBER, A SEWAGE WATER INLET LINE FOR DIRECTING SEWAGE WATER INTO SAID CHAMBER, A WATER DISCHARGE LINE DEFINING AN OUTLET WITHIN THE CENTER PORTION OF SAID CHAMBER, SAID OUTLET BEING POSITIONED TO LIMIT THE WATER WITHIN SAID CHAMBER AT A LEVEL BELOW SAID TOP WALL OF SAID TANK TO DEFINE AN AIR SPACE WITHIN SAID CHAMBER ABOVE THE SURFACE OF THE WATER, AIR CONDUIT MEANS FOR SUPPLYING A FLOW OF AIR INTO THE AIR SPACE ADJACENT SAID TOP WALL OF SAID TANK, MEANS FOR DIRECTING A FLOW OF AIR DOWNWARDLY AGAINST THE SURFACE OF THE WATER WITHIN SAID CHAMBER AND A IN A HORIZONTAL SUBSTANTIALLY CIRCULAR PATH ADJACENT THE SURFACE OF THE SEWAGE WATER TO EFFECT CIRCULATION OF THE SEWAGE IN A HORIZONTAL CIRCULAR PATH AROUND SAID OUTLET AND FOR CENTRIFUGALLY MOVING THE HEAVIER MORE POLLUTED WATER RADIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM SAID OUTLET WHILE DIFFUSING AIR INTO THE WATER, AND MEANS DEFINING AN AIR DISCHARGE PASSAGE EXTENDING FROM THE AIR SPACE FOR EXHAUSTING THE AIR CIRCULATED WITHIN THE AIR SPACE.

Claim 4

APPARATUS FOR AEROBICALLY DIGESTING ORGANIC MATTER WITHIN SEWAGE WATER, COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL TANK INCLUDING BOTTOM, TOP AND SIDE WALLS DEFINING AN ENCLOSED SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL TREATING CHAMBER, A SEWAGE WATER INLET LINE FOR DIRECTING SEWAGE WATER INTO SAID CHAMBER, A WATER DISCHARGE LINE DEFINING AN OUTLET WITHIN THE CENTER PORTION OF SAID CHAMBER, SAID OUTLET BEING POSITIONED TO LIMIT THE WATER WITHIN SAID CHAMBER AT A LEVEL BELOW SAID TOP WALL OF SAID TANK TO DEFINE AN AIR SPACE WITHIN SAID CHAMBER ABOVE THE SURFACE OF THE WATER, AIR CONDUIT MEANS FOR SUPPLYING A FLOW OF AIR INTO THE AIR SPACE ADJACENT SAID TOP WALL OF SAID TANK, MEANS FOR DIRECTING A FLOW OF AIR DOWNWARDLY AGAINST THE SURFACE OF THE WATER WITHIN SAID CHAMBER AND A IN A HORIZONTAL SUBSTANTIALLY CIRCULAR PATH ADJACENT THE SURFACE OF THE SEWAGE WATER TO EFFECT CIRCULATION OF THE SEWAGE IN A HORIZONTAL CIRCULAR PATH AROUND SAID OUTLET AND FOR CENTRIFUGALLY MOVING THE HEAVIER MORE POLLUTED WATER RADIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM SAID OUTLET WHILE DIFFUSING AIR INTO THE WATER, AND MEANS DEFINING AN AIR DISCHARGE PASSAGE EXTENDING FROM THE AIR SPACE FOR EXHAUSTING THE AIR CIRCULATED WITHIN THE AIR SPACE.

Claim 5

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for directing the flow of air against the surface of the water, comprise at least one air nozzle positioned at an inclined angle relative to the surface of the water.

Claim 6

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said top wall of said tank is formed by a substantially circular cover member, and said air discharge passage is disposed substantially within the center of said cover member.

Claim 7

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for directing the flow of air comprise a plurality of air tubes positioned adjacent said top wall of said tank, and said tubes being inclined relative to said top wall and the surface of the water within said tank chamber for directing a corresponding plurality of air streams against the water surface at an inclined angle.

Claim 8

Apparatus as defined in claim 4 including means defining a generally annular air supply passage within said top wall of said tank, and said air tubes extend from said air supply passage at peripherally spaced intervals.

Claim 9

Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said means defining said generally annular air supply passage, comprise an annular tube embedded within said top wall of said tank.

Claim 10

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 including a series of said tanks and corresponding said air conduit and directing means, means connecting said water discharge line of each said tank to said water inlet line of the next successive said tank, and a common air supply unit connected to said air conduit means of each said tank.

Claim 11

Apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said sewage water inlet line extends generally radially into said side wall of said tank, and means within said tank chamber for directing the water in a generally circular horizontal path within said chamber.

Claim 12

Apparatus for aerobically digesting organic matter within sewage water, comprising a substantially cylindrical tank including a substantially flat bottom and a substantially cylindrical side wall defining an enclosed substantially cylindrical treating chamber having an area in horizontal cross-section substantially greater than its area in vertical cross-section to expose a large surface area of the sewage water, a substantially circular and generally flat cover member mounted on said side wall, a sewage water inlet line for directing sewage water into saiD chamber, a water discharge line defining an outlet within the center portion of said chamber, said outlet being positioned to limit the water within said chamber at a level below said cover member to define an air space within said chamber above the surface of the water, air conduit means within said cover member for supplying a flow of air into the air space adjacent said top wall of said tank, means for directing a flow of air downwardly against the surface of the water within said chamber and in a horizontal generally circular path adjacent the surface of the sewage water to effect circulation of the sewage water in a horizontal circular path within said chamber and for centrifugally moving the heavier more polluted water radially outwardly from said outlet while diffusing air into the water, and means defining an air discharge passage for exhausting the air circulated within the air space.

Claim 13

Apparatus for aerobically digesting organic matter within sewage water, comprising a substantially cylindrical tank including a substantially flat bottom and a substantially cylindrical side wall defining an enclosed substantially cylindrical treating chamber having an area in horizontal cross-section substantially greater than its area in vertical cross-section to expose a large surface area of the sewage water, a substantially circular and generally flat cover member mounted on said side wall, a sewage water inlet line for directing sewage water into saiD chamber, a water discharge line defining an outlet within the center portion of said chamber, said outlet being positioned to limit the water within said chamber at a level below said cover member to define an air space within said chamber above the surface of the water, air conduit means within said cover member for supplying a flow of air into the air space adjacent said top wall of said tank, means for directing a flow of air downwardly against the surface of the water within said chamber and in a horizontal generally circular path adjacent the surface of the sewage water to effect circulation of the sewage water in a horizontal circular path within said chamber and for centrifugally moving the heavier more polluted water radially outwardly from said outlet while diffusing air into the water, and means defining an air discharge passage for exhausting the air circulated within the air space.

Claim 14

Apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein said air conduit means comprise at least one air supply tube positioned at an inclined angle relative to the surface of the water within said chamber.

Claim 21

A method as defined in claim 12 wherein at least a portion of the air flow is directed downwardly against the surface of the water at an inclined angle relative to the surface of the water.

Claim 22

A method as defined in claim 12 wherein the treated water is discharged from the center portion of said chamber through an outlet located adjacent the surface of the water.

Claim 23

A method as defined in claim 12 wherein the air is exhausted from said chamber through a passage defined within a removable cover member for the enclosed tank chamber.

Claim 24

A method as defined in claim 12 wherein the air is supplied to said chamber through a passage defined within a removable cover member for the enclosed tank chamber.