Liquid treatment apparatus

Claim 1

An apparatus for treating liquid, comprising in combination: an inlet pipe with an in-line static mixing member; a cylindrical outer tank having the bottom thereof as an outside wall of said apparatus; a cylindrical inner open vessel disposed within said outer tank for flocculation and sedimentation; means for introducing liquid to be flocculated from said inlet pipe into the bottom of said open vessel in a tangential direction so as to create a swirling action for flocculation; means for removing settled, heavy silts, and sludges from the bottom of said open vessel; means for removing clarified effluent from said open vessel and for introducing said clarified effluent into said cylindrical outer tank; a cylindrical inner pressure vessel disposed within said open vessel for gas dissolution under pressure; means for tangentially introducing liquid into said pressure vessel; means for introducing at least one gas to be uniformly distributed and pressurized into said pressure vessel in which liquid flows in a tangential direction so as to create a swirling flow pattern for dissolving into said liquid gas; means for measuring the flow rates of liquid and various gases in said inlet pipe, open vessel, and pressure vessel; releasing means for introducing liquid containing dissolved gas to be depresssurized clarified from said pressure vessel into said outer tank for mixture with said clarified effluent for bubble generation and flotation purification; sludge scooping and scraping means for removing scum and floated sludge from said outer tank; sludge discharge means for transporting said scum and floated sludge through a sludge collection member to a dewatering device; an adsorption and filtration bed near the bottom of said outer tank for downward purification of flotation clarified liquid; a clear well compartment over the bottom of said outer tank for collection of adsorption and filtration purified liquid; an outlet for discharging said adsorption and filtration purified liquid from said clear well; backwashing means for periodically cleaning of said adsorption and filtration bed; a moving carriage having a platform supported between the upper portion of the wall of said outer tank and the upper portion of the wall of said open vessel so as to hold said releasing means, sludge scooping and scraping means, backwashing means, a separator, and driving motors; means for circular moving said moving carriage together with said releasing means, sludge scooping, and scraping means, backwash means, separator, and driving motors along outer and inner rails on said apparatus and around the vertical axis of said apparatus; means for disinfecting liquid from said clear well using dry-chlorine; means for feeding chemicals to said scum and floated sludge; means for dewatering the liquid from said scum and floated sludge; means for recycling a portion of waste liquid from said backwashing means to said open vessel to form said liquid to be depressurized and clarified; and means for recycling a portion of liquid from said clear well or said flotation clarification effluent into said pressure vessel.

Claim 2

An apparatus for treating liquid, comprising in combination: an inlet pipe with an in-line static mixing member; a cylindrical outer tank having the bottom thereof as an outside wall of said apparatus; a cylindrical inner open vessel disposed within said outer tank for flocculation and sedimentation; means for introducing liquid to be flocculated from said inlet pipe into the bottom of said open vessel in a tangential direction so as to create a swirling action for flocculation; means for removing settled, heavy silts, and sludges from the bottom of said open vessel; means for removing clarified effluent from said open vessel and for introducing said clarified effluent into said cylindrical outer tank; a cylindrical inner pressure vessel disposed within said open vessel for gas dissolution under pressure; means for tangentially introducing liquid into said pressure vessel; means for introducing at least one gas to be uniformly distributed and pressurized into said pressure vessel in which liquid flows in a tangential direction so as to create a swirling flow pattern for dissolving into said liquid gas; means for measuring the flow rates of liquid and various gases in said inlet pipe, open vessel, and pressure vessel; releasing means for introducing liquid containing dissolved gas to be depresssurized clarified from said pressure vessel into said outer tank for mixture with said clarified effluent for bubble generation and flotation purification; sludge scooping and scraping means for removing scum and floated sludge from said outer tank; sludge discharge means for transporting said scum and floated sludge through a sludge collection member to a dewatering device; an adsorption and filtration bed near the bottom of said outer tank for downward purification of flotation clarified liquid; a clear well compartment over the bottom of said outer tank for collection of adsorption and filtration purified liquid; an outlet for discharging said adsorption and filtration purified liquid from said clear well; backwashing means for periodically cleaning of said adsorption and filtration bed; a moving carriage having a platform supported between the upper portion of the wall of said outer tank and the upper portion of the wall of said open vessel so as to hold said releasing means, sludge scooping and scraping means, backwashing means, a separator, and driving motors; means for circular moving said moving carriage together with said releasing means, sludge scooping, and scraping means, backwash means, separator, and driving motors along outer and inner rails on said apparatus and around the vertical axis of said apparatus; means for disinfecting liquid from said clear well using dry-chlorine; means for feeding chemicals to said scum and floated sludge; means for dewatering the liquid from said scum and floated sludge; means for recycling a portion of waste liquid from said backwashing means to said open vessel to form said liquid to be depressurized and clarified; and means for recycling a portion of liquid from said clear well or said flotation clarification effluent into said pressure vessel.