Methods and apparatus for treating wastewater

Claim 2

Apparatus for oxygenating a body of wastewater containing organic solids comprising a generally enclosed oxygenating chamber having top, bottom and sidewalls and emplaceable in said body of wastewater and having an aperture defined in said bottom wall of said chamber; means for pumping wastewater under treatment into said chamber through an inlet thereof; means for creating a turbulent condition in said pumped wastewater in a mixing zone in said chamber and for contacting said turbulent wastewater with said oxygenating gas to thereby dissolve oxygen and entrain oxygenating gas in said turbulent wastewater; liquid accumulation means disposed within said chamber for receiving oxygenated wastewater from said mixing zone and for dissipating said turbulence to enable disentrainment and recovery within said chamber of undissolved oxygenating gas entrained in said wastewater in said mixing zone; and nozzle means for discharging said oxygenated wastewater into said body of wastewater at a velocity such that said body of wastewater is sufficiently stirred to maintain said organic solids suspended therein, the improvement comprising said nozzle means having a plate member and a rim portion extending at a downward angle from the periphery of the plate member which has an area smaller than the area of said aperture and a geometry corresponding to the geometry of said aperture; and means for supporting said plate member and rim portion spaced away from said bottom wall at said aperture such that oxygenated wastewater is discharged from said chamber in a predetermined, multi-directional pattern into said body of wastewater.

Claim 3

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said plate member and said aperture are substantially circular and the diameter of said plate member is less than the diameter of said aperture whereby a substantially annular passage is defined by said plate member and rim portion and said aperture.

Claim 4

Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein the position of said support means is vertically adjustable such that upon vertical translation of said support means, the width of said passage is varied and the velocity of discharged oxygenated wastewater is thereby controlled.

Claim 5

Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said support means comprises a rotatable elongated member extending substantially vertically and exteriorally of said chamber, support arm means affixed to said plate member and rim portion and bracket means for rigidly securing said support arm means to the lower end of said elongated member.

Claim 6

Apparatus as defined in claim 4 additionally comprising a guide rod rigidly connected to said chamber and extending substantially vertically and exteriorally of said chamber, and wherein said elongated member comprises a substantially cylindrical tube disposed about said rod such that said plate member and rim portion may be positioned at said aperture upon rotation of said elongated member.

Claim 7

Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein the height of said support arm means between said rim portion and said bracket means is less than the height of said rim portion such that upon raising said elongated member with said plate member and rim portion positioned at said aperture, complete closure of said passage is inhibited by abutment of said support arm means against the bottom wall of said chamber.

Claim 8

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein an aperture is defined in said plate member such that a minor portion of oxygenated wastewater discharged from said chamber flows through said plate member aperture thereby stirring wastewater below said plate member.

Claim 9

Apparatus as defined in claim 4 additionally comprising means for centering said plate member and rim portion at the aperture in the bottom wall of the chamber.

Claim 10

Apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said centering means comprise a set screw threadably engaged with said support arm means and a stop element mounted on the bottom wall of said chamber such that rotation of said set screw against said stop element is effective to center said plate member and rim portion relative to said aperture.

Claim 11

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 additionally comprising means disposed between said pumping means and said means for creating said turbulent condition for reducing the velocity of said pumped wastewater and thereby reducing frictional losses as said pumped wastewater flows to said means for creating said turbulent condition.

Claim 12

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said chamber inlet further includes adjustable baffle means disposed atop said chamber and means for adjusting the vertical position of said baffle means with respect to the surface of said wastewater being treated.

Claim 13

Apparatus for oxygenating a body of wastewater containing organic solids comprising a generally enclosed oxygenating chamber having top, bottom and sidewalls and emplaceable in said body of wastewater; means for pumping wastewater under treatment into said chamber; means for creating a turbulent condition in said pumped wastewater in a mixing zone in said chamber and for contacting said turbulent wastewater with said oxygenating gas to thereby dissolve oxygen and entrain oxygenating gas in said turbulent wastewater; liquid accumulation means disposed within said chamber for receiving oxygenated wastewater from said mixing zone and for dissipating said turbulence to enable disentrainment and recovery within said chamber of undissolved oxygenating gas entrained in said wastewater in said mixing zone; and nozzle means for discharging said oxygenated wastewater into said body of wastewater at a velocity such that said body of wastewater is sufficiently stirred to maintain said organic solids suspended therein, the improvement comprising said nozzle means including an aperture defined in the lower portion of at least one of said sidewalls; top and bottom plate members spaced apart from one another and disposed above and below said aperture, respectively, and extending from said sidewall into said body of wastewater; and adjustable cover means adapted to slidably engage said top plate member and extend downwardly therefrom such that the passage between said top and bottom plate members, through which passage said discharged oxygenated wastewater may flow, is controlled in dependence upon the vertical position of said adjustable cover means.

Claim 14

Apparatus for oxygenating a body of wastewater containing organic solids comprising a generally enclosed oxygenating chamber having top, bottom and sidewalls and emplaceable in said body of wastewater; means for pumping wastewater under treatment into said chamber; means for creating a turbulent condition in said pumped wastewater in a mixing zone in said chamber and for contacting said turbulent wastewater with said oxygenating gas to thereby dissolve oxygen and entrain oxygenating gas in said turbulent wastewater; liquid accumulation means disposed within said chamber for receiving oxygenated wastewater from said mixing zone and for dissipating said turbulence to enable disentrainment and recovery within said chamber of undissolved oxygenating gas entrained in said wastewater in said mixing zone; and nozzle means for discharging said oxygenated wastewater into said body of wastewater at a velocity such that said body of wastewater is sufficiently stirred to maintain said organic solids suspended therein, the improvement comprising said nozzle means including an aperture defined in the lower portion of at least one of said sidewalls; top and bottom plate members spaced apart from one another and disposed above and below said aperture, respectively, and extending from said sidewall into said body of wastewater; and adjustable cover means adapted to slidably engage said top plate member and extend downwardly therefrom such that the passage between said top and bottom plate members, through which passage said discharged oxygenated wastewater may flow, is controlled in dependence upon the vertical position of said adjustable cover means.

Claim 15

Apparatus as defined in claim 10 additionally comprising baffle means disposed interiorly of said chamber and extending substantialy horizontally from said sidewall above said aperture such that the discharge of bubbles of said oxygenating gas entrained in said oxygenated wastewater from said chamber is substantially inhibited.