Purification apparatus

Claim 1

Apparatus for purifying liquid contaminated by a solvent of at least one of the chlorinated or fluorinated hydrocarbon types, comprising a vessel adapted to receive a contaminated liquid with an inlet for receiving said contaminated liquid at an inlet end and an outlet for discharging purified liquid at an outlet end positioned opposite the inlet end, the vessel being arranged so that the liquid flows generally horizontally therethrough, means provided in conjunction with the outlet for maintaining the liquid flow through the vessel at a predetermined level, at least over a working section of the vessel, means arranged in the working section for being covered by the liquid at a shallow depth and for being supplied with cleaning air so as to cause the air to flow upwardly in finely divided form through the liquid flow and remove contaminating solvent dissolved in said liquid, said means for being covered by the liquid and for being supplied with cleaning air including a plurality of transversely arranged localized air outlet elements with intermediate liquid compartments and a large number of air outlet orifices distributed over the working section and arranged at a distance of approximately 5 to 15 mm below the liquid level as determined by said means for maintaining the liquid level when said vessel is in an operative state, the working section being divided into a plurality of sub-sections, each sub-section provided with a number of said plurality of air outlet elements and a barrier provided between contiguous sub-sections, said air outlet elements including a plurality of tubular portions operatively connected to a source of air, said portions extending transversely to the flow direction of the liquid over the working section, the air outlet elements having upwardly curved upper sides which meet and define an uppermost top section of the air outlet elements and air outlet orifices arranged on the upper sides with the uppermost top section between the orifices, the air outlet elements being separated so as to define free compartments formed therebetween for the liquid and being tightly connected to a bottom side of the vessel at bottom sides of the air outlet elements, and means for taking air away from the vessel, said air having passed through the liquid and the entrained solvent.