Lamella separators
First Claim
1. Apparatus for separating solid material from feed fluid containing said solid material, said apparatus comprisinga plurality of parallel, inclined channels each channel having a lower surface;
- means for feeding said feed fluid into each of said channels at a preselected region thereof, said solid material generally settling along an inclined surface of each of said channels and said feed fluid forming a layer thereof generally extending from said preselected region along a first direction and flowing in said first direction in each said channel, fluid which is clear of said solid material generally flowing through each said channel in a second direction opposite to said first direction, a portion of said feed fluid tending to flow in said second direction when the thickness of said input feed fluid layer approaches or exceeds about one-half the depth of said channel;
control means effective during operation of said apparatus for maintaining the thickness of said feed fluid layer in the region adjacent the lower surface of each channel at less than one-half the depth of said channel at said preselected region and substantially along the length of said channel to prevent any substantial flow of said feed fluid in said second direction and thereby to prevent the solid material which is contaminating the clarified layer from being entrained by said clear fluid output;
means for removing said clear fluid at one end of each of said channels; and
means for removing said solid material at the other end of each of said channels.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An improved lamella separator which reduces the contamination of the clear liquid output thereof in comparison with conventional lamella separators of the prior art. In a preferred embodiment thereof, the thickness of the feed liquid layer containing solid material is monitored at one or more regions in each of the channels of the separator so that when the thickness thereof approaches or exceeds about one half the channel depth in one or more channels, a control system responsive thereto maintains such thickness in such one or more channels at less than one half the channel depth.
24 Citations
11 Claims
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1. Apparatus for separating solid material from feed fluid containing said solid material, said apparatus comprising
a plurality of parallel, inclined channels each channel having a lower surface; -
means for feeding said feed fluid into each of said channels at a preselected region thereof, said solid material generally settling along an inclined surface of each of said channels and said feed fluid forming a layer thereof generally extending from said preselected region along a first direction and flowing in said first direction in each said channel, fluid which is clear of said solid material generally flowing through each said channel in a second direction opposite to said first direction, a portion of said feed fluid tending to flow in said second direction when the thickness of said input feed fluid layer approaches or exceeds about one-half the depth of said channel; control means effective during operation of said apparatus for maintaining the thickness of said feed fluid layer in the region adjacent the lower surface of each channel at less than one-half the depth of said channel at said preselected region and substantially along the length of said channel to prevent any substantial flow of said feed fluid in said second direction and thereby to prevent the solid material which is contaminating the clarified layer from being entrained by said clear fluid output; means for removing said clear fluid at one end of each of said channels; and means for removing said solid material at the other end of each of said channels. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification