METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING SOLID IMPURITIES FROM A FLUID

• US 20130037494A1
• Filed: 08/09/2012
• Published: 02/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parkson Corporation (BJA Croonen BV)
• Original Assignee: Parkson Corporation (BJA Croonen BV)
• Inventors: Cook, Russell L., Krishnapura, Lakshminarasimha, Mejia, Alejandro
• Granted Patent: US 8,945,401 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/800
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/0045 Plurality of essentially parallel plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/0057 with counter-current flow direction of liquid and solid particles
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/006 with co-current flow direction of liquid and solid particles
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/0069 Making of contact surfaces, structural details, materials therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/01 using flocculating agents for purifying water C02F1/52; for liquid radioactive waste G21F9/10
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/2416 Liquid distributors with a plurality of feed points

Abstract

The disclosed method and apparatus separates solid impurities from a fluid containing solid impurities. The method and apparatus allow the introduction of influent comprising a fluid containing solid impurities into a plurality of channels and allowing at least a portion of the solid impurities initially present in the influent to settle on upward-facing surfaces of a plurality of plates forming the channels or slide down the upward-facing surfaces, while permitting fluid, which has been depleted of at least a portion of solid impurities, to flow upward toward the top edges of the plurality of plates. The influent is introduced into the plurality of channels in a manner that inhibits a disrupting or disturbing of the solid impurities, which have separated from the influent.

Claims

1. A method of separating solid impurities from a fluid containing solid impurities, comprising:

introducing influent comprising a fluid containing solid impurities into a plurality of channels, which are formed by a plurality of plates, each plate having a bottom edge, a top edge and at least one side edge connecting the bottom and top edges, the plurality of plates being stacked substantially parallel to one another and at an incline defined by an acute angle measured from a vertical edge joined to a side edge of a plate comprising said plurality of plates, and

allowing at least a portion of the solid impurities initially present in the influent to settle on upward-facing surfaces of said plurality of plates or slide down said upward-facing surfaces while permitting fluid, which has been depleted of at least a portion of solid impurities that have separated from the influent, to flow upward toward the top edges of said plurality of plates where the depleted fluid can be discharged as effluent,

in which influent is introduced into the plurality of channels in a manner that inhibits a disrupting or disturbing of the solid impurities that have separated from the influent.

2. The method of claim 1 in which influent is introduced into the plurality of channels sufficiently above the separated solid impurities.

3. The method of claim 2 in which influent is introduced at or just below downward-facing surfaces of said plurality of plates.

4. The method of claim 3 in which influent is introduced at a velocity that minimizes an exertion of a disrupting or disturbing force against the separated solid impurities.

5. The method of claim 1 in which the solid impurities settle on or slide down said plurality of plates by force of gravity.

6. The method of claim 1 which further comprises collecting the separated solid impurities.

7. An apparatus for separating solid impurities from a fluid containing solid impurities, comprising:

a receptacle;

an inlet section for flow of influent comprising a fluid containing solid impurities into the receptacle;

a plurality of plates disposed within the receptacle, each plate having a bottom edge, a top edge and at least one side edge connecting the bottom and top edges, the plurality of plates being stacked substantially parallel to one another and at an incline defined by an acute angle measured from a vertical edge joined to a side edge of a plate comprising said plurality of plates;

a plurality of channels formed between adjacent plates of said plurality of plates, the plurality of channels being configured to permit fluid to flow upwards and to permit solid impurities to settle on said plurality of plates or to slide downward along said plurality of plates; and

an outlet section at the top edges of said plurality of plates, which is configured to discharge effluent out of the receptacle,

in which openings leading to the plurality of channels are configured to introduce influent above the solid impurities, which have separated from the fluid by settling on or sliding down said plurality of plates.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the openings are positioned at or just below downward-facing surfaces of said plurality of plates.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the openings are positioned on an upper portion of gaps, which span the distances between adjacent plates of said plurality of plates.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising an impurities collection section configured to received the separated solid impurities.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 in which the impurities collection section comprises a sludge collection zone and a sludge outlet channel.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the outlet section comprises an effluent collection section with a distribution plate, an overflow weir, and an outlet channel.