Method and apparatus for purification of waste water

Claim 3

A method as defined in claim 1; further comprising the steps of continuously measuring the concentration of contaminants in the contaminated fluid in the vessel; generating a signal indicative of the concentration; and regulating the addition of the fresh inorganic particulate material and withdrawal of spent inorganic particulate material from the vessel, at a rate continuously proportional to the magnitude of said signal.

Claim 4

A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said particulate material is an inorganic adsorbent material, and the purification of the liquid comprises adsorbing impurities from said liquid on said inorganic adsorbent material.

Claim 5

A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said particulate material is selected from the group consisting of Kieselguhr, silica gel and Al 2 O 3 .

Claim 6

A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said particulate material is Al 2 O 3 .

Claim 7

Apparatus for purifying contaminated fluids with a particulate inorganic material, comprising an upright vessel having an upper end portion and a lower end portion; first means for continuously admitting a flow of particulate inorganic material into said upper end portion, for downward movement in said vessel; a generally conical hollow distributing element in said lower end portion and having an upwardly tapering wall provided with a plurality of substantially uniformly arranged apertures and a generatrix of which includes with a horizontal line an angle of 40°-60°; and second means for admitting a continuous flow of contaminated fluid into said hollow distributing element, so that the fluid escapes therefrom through said apertures in form of a plurality of individual upwardly flowing streams which due to said angle are distributed over the entire cross-section of said lower end portion, whereby a purification front develops at which the downwardly moving inorganic particulate material is laden over the entire vessel cross-section with impurities removed from the fluid and which front can be maintained substantially steady relative to the downwardly moving particulate material and to the vessel at a preselected level of the vessel.

Claim 8

Apparatus for purifying contaminated fluids with a particulate inorganic material, comprising an upright vessel having an upper end portion and a lower end portion; first means for continuously admitting a flow of particulate inorganic material into said upper end portion, for downward movement in said vessel; a generally conical hollow distributing element in said lower end portion and having an upwardly tapering wall provided with a plurality of substantially uniformly arranged apertures and a generatrix of which includes with a horizontal line an angle of 40°-60°; and second means for admitting a continuous flow of contaminated fluid into said hollow distributing element, so that the fluid escapes therefrom through said apertures in form of a plurality of individual upwardly flowing streams which due to said angle are distributed over the entire cross-section of said lower end portion, whereby a purification front develops at which the downwardly moving inorganic particulate material is laden over the entire vessel cross-section with impurities removed from the fluid and which front can be maintained substantially steady relative to the downwardly moving particulate material and to the vessel at a preselected level of the vessel.

Claim 9

Apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein said angle is 50°.

Claim 10

Apparatus as defined in claim 6, said vessel having a conically shaped lower section provided with said lower end portion and in which said distributing element is mounted, the angle included between a generatrix of said lower end section and a horizontal line being between 50 and 70°.