Process and apparatus for extracting a substance from a body of water

Claim 2

A process for obtaining a dissolved, suspended or chemically bonded substance from a body of water, comprising in combination, deflecting water from a substantially horizontal relative flow of said body of water substantially into a vertical direction and through a fluidized bed of adsorber particles for bonding said substance for extracting thereof from the water, and passing said water which is to be passed through the fluidized bed through diffuser means with an unimpeded flow path disposed in a substantially horizontal plane comprising a bottom wall member disposed to form a water entrance to the fluidized bed with a gradually increasing horizontally disposed flow cross section between a water entrance position and the fluidized bed before being deflected into the vertical direction to increase the static pressure of said water enough to fluidize the bed by water flow energy alone.

Claim 3

In a process for obtaining a dissolved, suspended or chemically bonded substance from a body of water, wherein water is taken from a substantially horizontal relative flow of said body of water and directed substantially into a vertical direction and through a fluidized bed of adsorber particles to bond said substance for extraction thereof from the water, the improvement that said water which is to be passed through the fluidized bed is passed through a diffuser means at least before being deflected into the vertical direction, thereby to increase the static pressure of said water wherein at least a low-energy boundary layer of said water, which is produced by surface friction before said flow of water reaches said diffuser means, is prevented from passing into the diffuser means by being directed therefrom by a diversion passage.

Claim 4

In a process for obtaining a dissolved, suspended or chemically bonded substance from a body of water, wherein water is taken from a substantially horizontal relative flow of said body of water and directed substantially into a vertical direction and through a fluidized bed of adsorber particles to bond said substance for extraction thereof from the water, the improvement that said water which is to be passed through the fluidized bed is passed through a diffuser means at least before being deflected into the vertical direction, thereby to increase the static pressure of said water wherein at least a low-energy boundary layer of said water, which is produced by surface friction before said flow of water reaches said diffuser means, is prevented from passing into the diffuser means by being directed therefrom by a diversion passage.

Claim 5

Apparatus for producing a substance from a body of water which has a relative flow with respect to the apparatus in a substantially horizontal direction comprising a housing with a lower entrance and which provides at least one substantially vertical passage for receiving a fluidizable bed of adsorption material, for a flow of water therethrough, substantially horizontally extending diffuser means with an entrance upstream of the entrance to said passage and a gradually increasing flow cross section defining an unimpeded flow path carrying said flow of water toward said lower entrance for receiving water from said relative flow of said body of water for increasing its static pressure enough to fluidize said bed solely from said flow, and deflection means for passing said water in said diffuser means upwardly in said passage after said pressure is achieved.

Claim 6

Apparatus for producing a substance from a body of water which has a relative flow with respect to the apparatus in a substantially horizontal direction comprising a housing with a lower entrance and which provides at least one substantially vertical passage for receiving a fluidizable bed of adsorption material, for a flow of water therethrough, substantially horizontally extending diffuser means with an entrance upstream of the entrance to said passage and a gradually increasing flow cross section defining an unimpeded flow path carrying said flow of water toward said lower entrance for receiving water from said relative flow of said body of water for increasing its static pressure enough to fluidize said bed solely from said flow, and deflection means for passing said water in said diffuser means upwardly in said passage after said pressure is achieved.

Claim 7

Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein the diffuser means has a lower surface which extends substantially horizontally.

Claim 8

Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said housing has a bottom wall and wherein said lower surface extends substantially parallel to said housing lower entrance.

Claim 9

Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein the diffuser means has upper and lower walls arranged symmetrically with respect to each other.

Claim 10

Apparatus for producing a substance from a body of water which has a relative flow with respect to the apparatus in a substantially horizontal direction comprising a housing with a lower entrance and which provides at least one substantially vertical passage for receiving a fluidizable bed of adsorption material, for a flow of water therethrough, substantially horizontally extending diffuser means with an entrance upstream of the entrance to said passage for receiving water from said relative flow of said body of water for increasing its static pressure enough to fluidize said bed solely from said flow, and deflection means for passing said water in said diffuser means upwardly in said passage after said pressure is achieved wherein said means for passing water to said passage comprises an intermediate chamber disposed between the diffuser means and the entrance of said passage and defined at its top by a wall of said housing and at its bottom by a wall, the spacing of the bottom wall from the housing wall decreasing in the direction of flow of the water in the chamber.

Claim 11

Apparatus for producing a substance from a body of water which has a relative flow with respect to the apparatus in a substantially horizontal direction comprising a housing with a lower entrance and which provides at least one substantially vertical passage for receiving a fluidizable bed of adsorption material, for a flow of water therethrough, substantially horizontally extending diffuser means with an entrance upstream of the entrance to said passage for receiving water from said relative flow of said body of water for increasing its static pressure enough to fluidize said bed solely from said flow, and deflection means for passing said water in said diffuser means upwardly in said passage after said pressure is achieved wherein said means for passing water to said passage comprises an intermediate chamber disposed between the diffuser means and the entrance of said passage and defined at its top by a wall of said housing and at its bottom by a wall, the spacing of the bottom wall from the housing wall decreasing in the direction of flow of the water in the chamber.

Claim 12

Apparatus for producing a substance from a body of water which has a relative flow with respect to the apparatus in a substantially horizontal direction comprising a housing with a lower entrance and which provides at least one substantially vertical passage for receiving a fluidizable bed of adsorption material, for a flow of water therethrough, substantially horizontally extending diffuser means with an entrance upstream of the entrance to said passage for receiving water from said relative flow of said body of water for increasing its static pressure enough to fluidize said bed solely from said flow, and deflection means for passing said water in said diffuser means upwardly in said passage after said pressure is achieved wherein said means for passing water to said passage comprises an intermediate chamber disposed between the diffuser means and the entrance of said passage and defined at its top by a flow-resistance screen means and at its bottom by a wall, the spacing of the bottom wall from the screen means decreasing in the direction of flow of the water in the chamber.

Claim 13

Apparatus for producing a substance from a body of water which has a relative flow with respect to the apparatus in a substantially horizontal direction comprising a housing with a lower entrance and which provides at least one substantially vertical passage for receiving a fluidizable bed of adsorption material, for a flow of water therethrough, substantially horizontally extending diffuser means with an entrance upstream of the entrance to said passage for receiving water from said relative flow of said body of water for increasing its static pressure enough to fluidize said bed solely from said flow, and deflection means for passing said water in said diffuser means upwardly in said passage after said pressure is achieved wherein said means for passing water to said passage comprises an intermediate chamber disposed between the diffuser means and the entrance of said passage and defined at its top by a flow-resistance screen means and at its bottom by a wall, the spacing of the bottom wall from the screen means decreasing in the direction of flow of the water in the chamber.

Claim 14

Apparatus for producing a substance from a body of water which has a relative flow with respect to the apparatus in a substantially horizontal direction comprising a housing which provides at least one substantially vertical passage for receiving a fluidizable bed of adsorption material, for a flow of water therethrough, a substantially horizontally extending diffuser means upstream of the entrance to said passage for receiving water from said relative flow of said body of water, and means for passing said water in said diffuser means to said passage wherein at least two said housings are arranged successively in the direction of flow of said body of water and are displaced in height relative to each other in such a way that each housing is at a different level from the preceding housing in the direction of flow, wherein a diffuser means is operatively associated with at least one housing, and said diffuser means is disposed adjacent the preceding housing.

Claim 15

Apparatus for producing a substance from a body of water which has a relative flow with respect to the apparatus in a substantially horizontal direction comprising a housing which provides at least one substantially vertical passage for receiving a fluidizable bed of adsorption material, for a flow of water therethrough, a substantially horizontally extending diffuser means upstream of the entrance to said passage for receiving water from said relative flow of said body of water, and means for passing said water in said diffuser means to said passage wherein at least two said housings are arranged successively in the direction of flow of said body of water and are displaced in height relative to each other in such a way that each housing is at a different level from the preceding housing in the direction of flow, wherein a diffuser means is operatively associated with at least one housing, and said diffuser means is disposed adjacent the preceding housing.

Claim 16

Apparatus as set forth in claim 9 wherein said diffuser means has an inlet opening disposed at a spacing from an adjacent surface of the respective preceding housing, and wherein a diversion passage is arranged adjacent said diffuser means and parallel thereto, for diverting a water boundary layer which is formed against the surface of an upstream-disposed housing and diffuser means away from said at least one diffuser means.

Claim 17

Apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein said spacing is substantially adapted to the thickness of said water boundary layer.

Claim 18

Apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein said diversion passage extends between the diffuser means and the housing of the upstream-disposed housing and has an outlet disposed between two housings which are disposed successively in said direction of flow.

Claim 19

Apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein the diffuser means has several parts, including a diversion passage associated with each diffuser means part.

Claim 20

Apparatus for producing a substance from a body of water which has a relative flow with respect to the apparatus in a substantially horizontal direction comprising a housing which provides at least one substantially vertical passage for receiving a fluidizable bed of adsorption material, for a flow of water therethrough, a substantially horizontally extending diffuser means upstream of the entrance to said passage for receiving water from said relative flow of said body of water, and means for passing said water in said diffuser means to said passage and further including at least one compensating diffuser means arranged within said diffuser means between the upper and lower walls thereof in the middle region in a vertical direction, adapted to render uniform the speed and static pressure of the flow of water in the diffuser means, over the cross-section thereof.

Claim 21

Apparatus for producing a substance from a body of water which has a relative flow with respect to the apparatus in a substantially horizontal direction comprising a housing which provides at least one substantially vertical passage for receiving a fluidizable bed of adsorption material, for a flow of water therethrough, a substantially horizontally extending diffuser means upstream of the entrance to said passage for receiving water from said relative flow of said body of water, and means for passing said water in said diffuser means to said passage and further including at least one compensating diffuser means arranged within said diffuser means between the upper and lower walls thereof in the middle region in a vertical direction, adapted to render uniform the speed and static pressure of the flow of water in the diffuser means, over the cross-section thereof.

Claim 22

Apparatus as set forth in claim 14 including a plurality of said compensating diffuser means arranged in succession in the direction of flow in said diffuser means, wherein each compensating diffuser means is of smaller cross-sectional area than the preceding compensating diffuser means in the direction of flow in the diffuser means, the reduction in cross-sectional area being adapted in dependence on non-uniformity in respect of speed and static pressure of said flow, which remains after the preceding compensating diffuser means.

Claim 23

Apparatus for producing a substance from a body of water which has a relative flow with respect to the apparatus in a substantially horizontal direction comprising a housing with a lower entrance and which provides at least one substantially vertical passage for receiving a fluidizable bed of adsorption material, for a flow of water therethrough, substantially horizontally extending diffuser means with an entrance upstream of the entrance to said passage for receiving water from said relative flow of said body of water for increasing its static pressure enough to fluidize said bed solely from said flow, and deflection means for passing said water in said diffuser means upwardly in said passage after said pressure is achieved wherein said housing, said diffuser means and an intermediate chamber form said deflection means for passing water to said passage form a structural unit, a plurality of said units are non-rigidly fitted together and at least one said unit includes a division passage disposed to direct a boundary layer of water from the diffuser means.

Claim 24

Apparatus for producing a substance from a body of water which has a relative flow with respect to the apparatus in a substantially horizontal direction comprising a housing with a lower entrance and which provides at least one substantially vertical passage for receiving a fluidizable bed of adsorption material, for a flow of water therethrough, substantially horizontally extending diffuser means with an entrance upstream of the entrance to said passage for receiving water from said relative flow of said body of water for increasing its static pressure enough to fluidize said bed solely from said flow, and deflection means for passing said water in said diffuser means upwardly in said passage after said pressure is achieved wherein said housing, said diffuser means and an intermediate chamber form said deflection means for passing water to said passage form a structural unit, a plurality of said units are non-rigidly fitted together and at least one said unit includes a division passage disposed to direct a boundary layer of water from the diffuser means.

Claim 25

Apparatus as set forth in claim 16 wherein the wall of the intermediate chamber of each said structural unit forms an upper boundary of the diversion passage of the respective structural unit which follows in the direction of flow.

Claim 26

Apparatus as set forth in claim 16 wherein the wall of the intermediate chamber of each said structural unit forms a lower boundary of the diversion passage of the respective structural unit which follows in the direction of flow.

Claim 27

Apparatus as set forth in claim 16 wherein one said unit lies on the respective adjacent structural unit, with a resilient means disposed therebetween.

Claim 28

Apparatus as set forth in claim 19 wherein said resilient means is arranged between the intermediate chamber and the diffuser means of two successive said units.

Claim 29

Apparatus as set forth in claim 16 including a main carrier member, wherein said units are suspended on the carrier member by way of flexible mountings.

Claim 30

A process for extracting a substance from a body of water comprising: taking a flow of water from a substantially horizontal relative flow of said body of water, directing said taken flow into a substantially vertical direction, passing said taken flow through a fluidized adsorber particle bed thereby to extract said substance from said taken flow, and passing said taken flow through diffuser means comprising an unimpeded flow path with a gradually increasing flow cross section carrying said taken flow toward said bed before passing in a vertical direction through said passage thereby to increase static pressure in said taken flow enough to fluidize said bed.

Claim 31

A process for extracting a substance from a body of water comprising: taking a flow of water from a substantially horizontal relative flow of said body of water, directing said taken flow into a substantially vertical direction, passing said taken flow through a fluidized adsorber particle bed thereby to extract said substance from said taken flow, and passing said taken flow through diffuser means comprising an unimpeded flow path with a gradually increasing flow cross section carrying said taken flow toward said bed before passing in a vertical direction through said passage thereby to increase static pressure in said taken flow enough to fluidize said bed.