Separator for separating solids components of liquid mixtures and method of using the same

Claim 1

A separator for operating at low energy levels for classifying a particulate material carried in suspension by a liquid, comprising (a) a vessel having a cylindrical outer wall and a base at one end, (b) a conical body which is provided within the vessel and which defines with the base an annular opening spaced from the outer wall, the lower peripheral edge of said conical body terminating at a position approximately halfway between the central axis of the vessel and said outer wall, (c) an annular dip plate, disposed in an upper region of the vessel, extending downwardly towards said base and spaced from the outer wall of the vessel, for stabilising flow patterns in the vessel, (d) an inlet for introducing the liquid carrying the particulate material into the vessel, (e) an axially unobstructed outlet in an upper region of the vessel interiorly of the annular dip plate for removing from the vessel liquid carrying a component of the particulate material having a settlement velocity below a predetermined level, (f) a solids collection region centrally disposed on the base for collecting particulate material having a settlement velocity above said predetermined level and (g) means for promoting a rotational movement of the liquid and suspended solids within the vessel which is sufficient to cause or enhance an inward sweeping effect towards the annular opening on solids accumulated at the base of the vessel, and which is of sufficiently low energy that settlement of the particulate material having a settlement velocity above said predetermined level is brought about primarily by gravity so as to enable separation of such particulate material with respect for particulate material which has a settlement velocity below said predetermined level; the arrangement of the separator being such that the liquid carrying the particulate material which has a settlement velocity below said predetermined level flows, in use, upwardly to the top of the vessel toward the outlet in a substantially axial direction.

Claim 5

A method of classifying suspended solids in a liquid mixture which method comprises: providing a separator comprising (a) a vessel having a cylindrical outer wall and a base at one end, (b) a conical body which is provided within the vessel and which defines with the base an annular opening spaced from the outer wall the lower peripheral edge of said conical body terminating at a position approximately halfway between the central axis of the vessel and said outer wall, (c) an annular dip plate, disposed in an upper region of the vessel, extending downwardly towards said base, and spaced from the outer wall of the vessel for stabilising flow patterns in the vessel, (d) an inlet for introducing a liquid mixture in which solids are suspended into the vessel, (e) an outlet in an upper region of the vessel interiorly of said annular dip plate for removing from the vessel liquid carrying a component of the solids having a settlement velocity below a predetermined level, (f) a solids collection region centrally disposed of the base for collecting solids having a settlement velocity above said predetermined level and (g) means for promoting a rotational movement of the liquid and suspended solids within the vessel, the arrangement of the vessel being such that liquid flows, in use, upwardly to the top of the vessel towards the outlet in a substantially axially direction; introducing a liquid suspension of solids into said separator; causing a low energy rotational motion in the vessel so as to provide separation of the solids essentially as a result of the solids having different settlement velocities; and permitting solids having a settlement velocity above a predetermined level to settle and be concentrated at the solids collection region while solids having a settlement velocity below said predetermined level are carried axially to the top of the vessel and out of the vessel through the outlet in the upper region of the vessel so as to enable classification of said solids based on the settlement velocities thereof.

Claim 6

A method of classifying suspended solids in a liquid mixture which method comprises: providing a separator comprising (a) a vessel having a cylindrical outer wall and a base at one end, (b) a conical body which is provided within the vessel and which defines with the base an annular opening spaced from the outer wall the lower peripheral edge of said conical body terminating at a position approximately halfway between the central axis of the vessel and said outer wall, (c) an annular dip plate, disposed in an upper region of the vessel, extending downwardly towards said base, and spaced from the outer wall of the vessel for stabilising flow patterns in the vessel, (d) an inlet for introducing a liquid mixture in which solids are suspended into the vessel, (e) an outlet in an upper region of the vessel interiorly of said annular dip plate for removing from the vessel liquid carrying a component of the solids having a settlement velocity below a predetermined level, (f) a solids collection region centrally disposed of the base for collecting solids having a settlement velocity above said predetermined level and (g) means for promoting a rotational movement of the liquid and suspended solids within the vessel, the arrangement of the vessel being such that liquid flows, in use, upwardly to the top of the vessel towards the outlet in a substantially axially direction; introducing a liquid suspension of solids into said separator; causing a low energy rotational motion in the vessel so as to provide separation of the solids essentially as a result of the solids having different settlement velocities; and permitting solids having a settlement velocity above a predetermined level to settle and be concentrated at the solids collection region while solids having a settlement velocity below said predetermined level are carried axially to the top of the vessel and out of the vessel through the outlet in the upper region of the vessel so as to enable classification of said solids based on the settlement velocities thereof.

Claim 7

A method of classifying particulate material suspended in a liquid, said method comprising: providing a separator comprising (a) a vessel having a cylindrical outer wall and a base at one end, (b) a conical body which is provided within the vessel and which defines with the base an annular opening spaced from the outer wall, the lower peripheral edge of said conical body terminating at a position approximately halfway between the central axis of the vessel and said outer wall, (c) an annular dip plate, disposed in an upper region of the vessel, extending downwardly towards said base, and spaced from the outer wall of the vessel for stabilizing flow patterns in the vessel, (d) an inlet for introducing liquid in which particulate material is suspended into the vessel, (e) an outlet in an upper region of the vessel interiorly of said annular dip plate for removing from the vessel liquid carrying a component of the particulate material having a settlement velocity below a predetermined level, (f) a solids collection region centrally disposed of the base for collecting particulate material having a settlement velocity above said predetermined level and (g) means for promoting a rotational movement of the liquid and suspended particulate material within the vessel, the arrangement of the vessel being such that liquid flows, in use, upwardly to the top of the vessel towards the outlet in a substantially axially direction; introducing a liquid suspension of particulate material into said separator; causing a low energy rotational motion in the vessel so as to provide separation essentially as a result of different sizes of said particulate material having different settling velocities; and permitting particulate material having a size above a predetermined level to settle and be concentrated at the solids collection region while particulate material below said predetermined size are carried axially to the top of the vessel and out of the vessel through the outlet in the upper region of the vessel so as to enable classification of the particulate material based on the settlement velocities thereof.

Claim 8

A method of classifying particulate material suspended in a liquid, said method comprising: providing a separator comprising (a) a vessel having a cylindrical outer wall and a base at one end, (b) a conical body which is provided within the vessel and which defines with the base an annular opening spaced from the outer wall, the lower peripheral edge of said conical body terminating at a position approximately halfway between the central axis of the vessel and said outer wall, (c) an annular dip plate, disposed in an upper region of the vessel, extending downwardly towards said base, and spaced from the outer wall of the vessel for stabilizing flow patterns in the vessel, (d) an inlet for introducing liquid in which particulate material is suspended into the vessel, (e) an outlet in an upper region of the vessel interiorly of said annular dip plate for removing from the vessel liquid carrying a component of the particulate material having a settlement velocity below a predetermined level, (f) a solids collection region centrally disposed of the base for collecting particulate material having a settlement velocity above said predetermined level and (g) means for promoting a rotational movement of the liquid and suspended particulate material within the vessel, the arrangement of the vessel being such that liquid flows, in use, upwardly to the top of the vessel towards the outlet in a substantially axially direction; introducing a liquid suspension of particulate material into said separator; causing a low energy rotational motion in the vessel so as to provide separation essentially as a result of different sizes of said particulate material having different settling velocities; and permitting particulate material having a size above a predetermined level to settle and be concentrated at the solids collection region while particulate material below said predetermined size are carried axially to the top of the vessel and out of the vessel through the outlet in the upper region of the vessel so as to enable classification of the particulate material based on the settlement velocities thereof.

Claim 9

A method of separating sewage solids from grit suspended with the solids in a liquid mixture, which method comprises: providing a separator comprising (a) a vessel having a cylindrical outer wall and a base at one end, (b) a conical body which is provided within the vessel and which defines with the base an annular opening spaced from the outer wall, the lower peripheral edge of said conical body terminating at a position approximately halfway between the central axis of the vessel and said outer wall, (c) an annular dip plate, disposed in an upper region of the vessel, extending downwardly towards said base, and spaced from the outer wall of the vessel for stabilizing flow patterns in the vessel, (d) an inlet for introducing sewage solids and grit suspended in a liquid into the vessel, (e) an outlet in an upper region of the vessel interiorly of the annular dip plate for removing from the vessel liquid carrying sewage solids having a settlement velocity below a predetermined level, (f) a solids collection region centrally disposed of the base for collecting grit having a settlement velocity above said predetermined level and (g) means for promoting a rotational movement of the liquid and suspended sewage solids and grit within the vessel, the arrangement of the vessel being such that liquid flows, in use, upwardly to the top of the vessel towards the outlet in a substantially axially direction; introducing a liquid suspension of sewage solids and grit into said separator; causing a low energy rotational motion in the vessel so as to provide separation of said sewage solids from said grit essentially as a result of the sewage solids and grit having different settling velocities; and permitting grit having a settlement velocity above a predetermined level to settle and be concentrated at the solids collection region while providing that sewage solids having a settlement velocity below said predetermined level are carried axially directly through the outlet in the upper region of the vessel so as to enable separation of said sewage solids from said grit based on the settlement velocities thereof.

Claim 10

A method of separating sewage solids from grit suspended with the solids in a liquid mixture, which method comprises: providing a separator comprising (a) a vessel having a cylindrical outer wall and a base at one end, (b) a conical body which is provided within the vessel and which defines with the base an annular opening spaced from the outer wall, the lower peripheral edge of said conical body terminating at a position approximately halfway between the central axis of the vessel and said outer wall, (c) an annular dip plate, disposed in an upper region of the vessel, extending downwardly towards said base, and spaced from the outer wall of the vessel for stabilizing flow patterns in the vessel, (d) an inlet for introducing sewage solids and grit suspended in a liquid into the vessel, (e) an outlet in an upper region of the vessel interiorly of the annular dip plate for removing from the vessel liquid carrying sewage solids having a settlement velocity below a predetermined level, (f) a solids collection region centrally disposed of the base for collecting grit having a settlement velocity above said predetermined level and (g) means for promoting a rotational movement of the liquid and suspended sewage solids and grit within the vessel, the arrangement of the vessel being such that liquid flows, in use, upwardly to the top of the vessel towards the outlet in a substantially axially direction; introducing a liquid suspension of sewage solids and grit into said separator; causing a low energy rotational motion in the vessel so as to provide separation of said sewage solids from said grit essentially as a result of the sewage solids and grit having different settling velocities; and permitting grit having a settlement velocity above a predetermined level to settle and be concentrated at the solids collection region while providing that sewage solids having a settlement velocity below said predetermined level are carried axially directly through the outlet in the upper region of the vessel so as to enable separation of said sewage solids from said grit based on the settlement velocities thereof.