Apparatus for removing immiscible solids and liquids from a liquid

Claim 1

A cleaning apparatus for removing particulate solids from autogenously circulating liquids comprising: (a) a housing for containing a reservoir of a liquid; (b) gas injection means, communicating with the interior of said housing, and adapted to introduce and distribute gas bubbles substantially uniformly throughout liquid within said housing, said gas injection means including a gas sparging element positioned adjacent the bottom of said housing and having a plurality of perforated lateral elements in spaced relationship to one another, said perforations in said lateral elements consisting of gas outlet orifices for gas injection into said housing; and (c) baffle means forming (1) a liquid circulation chamber having an inlet thereto and an outlet therefrom which open into the interior of said housing, said inlet and outlet being adapted to allow liquid to circulate from said housing into said chamber through said chamber, and from said chamber back into said housing, said inlet to said chamber being positioned at a greater height above the bottom of said housing than said outlet from said chamber, said outlet from said chamber being vertically baffled so as to be adapted not to allow gas bubbles formed and rising within liquid in said housing to enter said liquid circulation chamber through said outlet, whereby when gas bubbles are injected into liquid in said housing, liquid is caused autogenously to circulate from said housing and downwardly through said chamber, and said outlet from said chamber being positioned above the bottom of said chamber, (2) within said liquid circulation chamber and positioned below said outlet from said circulation chamber, a zone, adapted to receive and collect particulate solids by gravity from liquid circulating through said chamber.

Claim 10

A method for treating a solids-containing a liquid within housing to effect removal of said solids from said liquid comprising (1) injecting a gas into said liquid to form and distribute gas bubbles substantially uniform throughout said liquid, (2) causing liquid in said housing to communicate with both openings of a baffle element comprising a chamber having side walls forming an enclosure having two openings in vertical spaced relationship to each other, the lower of said two spaced openings being defined by two separate sections of a side wall of said chamber having upper and lower ends respectively which terminate adjacent to each other at a point intermediate the top and bottom of said chamber, said adjacent ends of said side wall sections overlapping one another in the vertical direction and being spaced from one another in the horizontal direction, and means positioned within said lower opening in said chamber adapted for slideable movement to vary the horizontal cross sectional area of said chamber lower opening, whereby said liquid is caused autogenously to circulate from said housing into the said upper opening in said baffle element, then downwardly through said baffle element, and into said housing through said lower opening in said baffle element, and (3) collecting solids by gravity in an essentially quiescent zone in said baffle element at a point below said lower opening of said baffle element.

Claim 11

A method for treating a solids-containing a liquid within housing to effect removal of said solids from said liquid comprising (1) injecting a gas into said liquid to form and distribute gas bubbles substantially uniform throughout said liquid, (2) causing liquid in said housing to communicate with both openings of a baffle element comprising a chamber having side walls forming an enclosure having two openings in vertical spaced relationship to each other, the lower of said two spaced openings being defined by two separate sections of a side wall of said chamber having upper and lower ends respectively which terminate adjacent to each other at a point intermediate the top and bottom of said chamber, said adjacent ends of said side wall sections overlapping one another in the vertical direction and being spaced from one another in the horizontal direction, and means positioned within said lower opening in said chamber adapted for slideable movement to vary the horizontal cross sectional area of said chamber lower opening, whereby said liquid is caused autogenously to circulate from said housing into the said upper opening in said baffle element, then downwardly through said baffle element, and into said housing through said lower opening in said baffle element, and (3) collecting solids by gravity in an essentially quiescent zone in said baffle element at a point below said lower opening of said baffle element.