Electrocoagulation system for removing pollutants from wastewater

Claim 1

A method for removing pollutants from raw wastewater comprising the steps of: providing a bubble supply produced electrolytically by decomposing a flow of wastewater; positioning said bubble supply as a cylindrically shaped dense zone of fine bubbles, said positioning being longitudinal along the flow of wastewater; rapidly flowing said wastewater through said dense zone of fine bubbles; simultaneously turbulently contacting said fine bubbles with pollutants within said wastewater while said wastewater flows through said zone, thereby forming a buoyant embryo floc within said wastewater, said embryo floc remaining unseparated from said flow of wastewater; venting said zone to atmosphere to prevent pressure buildup within said zone; then removing said unseparated flow of wastewater and embryo floc out of said dense zone of fine bubbles whereby some of said buoyant embryo floc is combined into a buoyant full floc; introducing said full floc and wastewater into a downstream flotation basin without realizing any appreciable pressure differential, whereby the buoyant full floc rises to near the surface of the wastewater in a manner approximating a laminar flow; and then clarifying the wastewater by separating the full floc from the wastewater, said clarifying step being the initial removal of floc from the flow of wastewater.

Claim 2

A method for removing pollutants from raw wastewater comprising the steps of: providing a bubble supply produced electrolytically by decomposing a flow of wastewater; positioning said bubble supply as a cylindrically shaped dense zone of fine bubbles, said positioning being longitudinal along the flow of wastewater; rapidly flowing said wastewater through said dense zone of fine bubbles; simultaneously turbulently contacting said fine bubbles with pollutants within said wastewater while said wastewater flows through said zone, thereby forming a buoyant embryo floc within said wastewater, said embryo floc remaining unseparated from said flow of wastewater; venting said zone to atmosphere to prevent pressure buildup within said zone; then removing said unseparated flow of wastewater and embryo floc out of said dense zone of fine bubbles whereby some of said buoyant embryo floc is combined into a buoyant full floc; introducing said full floc and wastewater into a downstream flotation basin without realizing any appreciable pressure differential, whereby the buoyant full floc rises to near the surface of the wastewater in a manner approximating a laminar flow; and then clarifying the wastewater by separating the full floc from the wastewater, said clarifying step being the initial removal of floc from the flow of wastewater.

Claim 9

An apparatus for removing pollutants from raw wastewater comprising: a cylindrical electrocoagulation cell having an approximately horizontal axis; a vent to atmosphere on said cell; a plurality of elongated electrodes positioned longitudinally within the cell in one or more circles or portions of circles concentric to each other and to said axis; a wastewater influx conduit in communication with one end of said cell; a transfer conduit, said transfer conduit being in communication with the other end of said cell, said transfer conduit being in communication with the top portion of the cell, and said transfer conduit being the only means for removing treated wastewater and buoyant flocs formed in said cell from said cell; a downstream flotation basin in communication with said transfer conduit, said communication from the transfer conduit into the flotation basin being one across which there is substantially no pressure differential; and a means associated with said flotation basin for initially removing said flocs from the thus clarified wastewater.

Claim 10

An apparatus for removing pollutants from raw wastewater comprising: a cylindrical electrocoagulation cell having an approximately horizontal axis; a vent to atmosphere on said cell; a plurality of elongated electrodes positioned longitudinally within the cell in one or more circles or portions of circles concentric to each other and to said axis; a wastewater influx conduit in communication with one end of said cell; a transfer conduit, said transfer conduit being in communication with the other end of said cell, said transfer conduit being in communication with the top portion of the cell, and said transfer conduit being the only means for removing treated wastewater and buoyant flocs formed in said cell from said cell; a downstream flotation basin in communication with said transfer conduit, said communication from the transfer conduit into the flotation basin being one across which there is substantially no pressure differential; and a means associated with said flotation basin for initially removing said flocs from the thus clarified wastewater.