Portable water clarifier

• US 4,367,145 A
• Filed: 01/26/1981
• Issued: 01/04/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tricil Environmental Response Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ellis O. Simpson, Garland E. Simpson, Scott O. Simpson, Tracy T. Simpson
• Inventors: Simpson, Garland E., Simpson, Ellis O., Simpson, Scott O., Simpson, Tracy T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cintins, Ivars C.
• Application Number:
  US06/228,078
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 210/201, 210/202, 210/241, 210/252, 210/257.1, 210/258, 210/259, 210/294, 210/320, 210/322, 210/532.1
• US Class Current: 210/241
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/0006 Settling tanks provided with means for cleaning and maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/0012 Settling tanks making use of filters, e.g. by floating layers of particulate material
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/0018 provided with a pump mounted in or on a settling tank
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/003 Sedimentation tanks provided with a plurality of compartments separated by a partition wall B01D21/0039 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/0093 Mechanisms for taking out of action one or more units of a multi-unit settling mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/02 Settling tanks with single outlets for the separated liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/08 provided with flocculating compartments
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/2405 Feed mechanisms for settling tanks
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/2427 The feed or discharge opening located at a distant position from the side walls
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/245 Discharge mechanisms for the sediments
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2221/08 Mobile separation devices
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2001/007 Processes including a sedimentation step
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/023 Water in cooling circuits
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/008 Mobile apparatus and plants, e.g. mounted on a vehicle for biological treatment C02F2203/008
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2301/08 Multistage treatments, e.g. repetition of the same process step under different conditions

Abstract

A water clarifier for removing sediment comprises four successive compartments in which settling of the sediment is provided and clarified water removed. In three of the compartments, sediment contaminated water travels through a tortuous path to cause the sediment to settle to the bottom, forming a sediment bed in which the water is filtered. Sump means are provided to remove the sediment. Substantially clear water is directed from the third compartment to the bottom of the fourth compartment, pure water is exiting the fourth compartment near the top thereof and at the end of the compartment opposite the end at which the water entered. The clarifier is mounted on an easily transportable vehicle and is capable of treating approximately 150,000 gallons of contaminated water per day in which the water to be treated can be pumped directly from its source and the clarified water leaving the fourth compartment returned, thereby substantially eliminating excessive loss of treated water.

Claims

1. A portable water clarifier for removing sediment from water, said clarifier mounted on an easily transportable vehicle, said clarifier comprising a plurality of successive sediment settling stages and a clarified water return stage communicating with one of said stages, each of said stages comprising a sediment bed positioned on the bottom of said tank and a filtered water storage portion positioned above said sediment bed, each of said stages including means to provide flow of water from adjacent the bottom of said stages through said sediment bed, means positioned adjacent the top of said stage and said water storage portion to direct water into the next stage, sump means positioned below each sediment bed to collect sediment and means connected to said sump for removal of sediment from each stage, an inlet means communicating with a source of contaminated water for allowing passsage of said contaminated water to the first of said stages and an outlet means associated with said source for returning clarified water from the last of said stages, at least one of said stages including means to change the direction of flow of water through said sediment bed, said return stage containing an inlet placed on the bottom thereof communicating with the water storage portion adjacent the top of said last stage, said last stage including an inlet means directing water from a previous stage into a conduit positioned in said water storage portion, said conduit being enclosed by a large diameter pipe to form an annular space between the outer surface of said conduit and the inner surface of said pipe, said pipe being associated with said means to change the direction of the flow of water in said sediment bed whereby water from said inlet means is capable of passing through said conduit means into said annular space and in contact with said means to change the direction of flow.

2. The water clarifier of claim 1 wherein each of said sediment settling stages includes means to change the direction of water flow through said sediment bed.

3. The water clarifier of claim 1 wherein said last sediment settling stage further includes means to change the direction of flow of water in said water storage portion.

4. The water clarifier of claim 1 wherein said conduit means includes means to force the flow of water from said inlet means into said annular space.

5. The water clarifier of claim 4 wherein said mdeans to change the direction of flow of water in said sediment bed contained in said last stage comprises an inverted cone placed over said inlet and being positioned within said sediment bed and extending into said water storage portion, said conduit being positioned at the top of said cone and communicating with the interior thereof, said cone including openings therethrough adjacent the top communicating with said annular space, the base of said cone containing openings in said sediment bed allowing water passing into said cone from said annular space to pass through said sediment bed and around said cone into said water storage portion.

6. The water clarifier of claim 5 comprising three of said sediment settling stages and said return stage.

7. A portable water clarifier for removing sediment from water, said clarifier mounted on an easily transportable vehicle, said clarifier comprising a plurality of at least three successive sediment settling stages and at least one clarified water return stage communicating with a latter stage of said at least three stages, each of said at least three stages comprising a sediment bed positioned on the bottom of said tank and a filtered water storage portion positioned above said sediment bed, each of said at least three stages including means to provide flow of water from adjacent the bottom of said stages through said sediment bed, means positioned adjacent the top of said stage and said water storage portion to direct water into the next stage, sump means positioned below each sediment bed to collect sediment and means connected to said sump for removal of sediment from each stage, an inlet means communicating with a source of contaminated water for allowing passage of said contaminated water to the first of said at least three stages and an outlet means associated with said source for returning clarified water from the last of said stages, each of said at least three stages including means to change the direction of water flow through said sediment bed, said return stage containing an inlet placed on the bottom thereof communicating with the water storage portion adjacent the top of said latter stage, said latter stage further including means to change the direction of flow of water in said water storage portion, said latter stage including an inlet means directing water from a previous stage into a conduit positioned in said water storage portion, said conduit being enclosed by a large diameter pipe to form an annular space between the outer surface of said conduit and the inner surface of said pipe, each pipe being associated with said means to change the direction of flow of water in said sediment bed whereby water from said inlet means is capable of passing through said conduit means into said annular space and in contact with said means to change the direction of flow, said conduit means including means to force the flow of water from said inlet means into said annular space, said means to change the direction of flow of water in said sediment bed contained in said latter stage comprising an inverted cone placed over said inlet and being positioned within said sediment bed and extending into said water storage portion, said conduit being positioned at the top of said cone and communicating with the interior thereof, said cone including openings therethrough adjacent the top for communicating with said annular space, the base of said cone containing openings in said sediment bed allowing water passing into said cone from said annular space to pass through said sediment bed and around said cone into said water storage portion, said first of said at least three stages comprising a trough placed at the bottom thereof communicating with said sediment inlet, said trough including openings therein to allow sediment to flow from said trough into said sediment bed, said first stage comprising a rear wall separating said first stage and the second stage, said rear wall containing a plurality of spaced plates extending into said sediment bed whereby the flow of sediment from said trough is capable of passing in, out and around each of said plates within said sediment bed.

8. The water clarifier of claim 7 wherein said means to change the direction of flow of water in said second stage comprises an inverted cone positioned over said sediment bed and extending substantially across the entire length of said second stage whereby the flow of water must flow around said cone.

9. The water clarifier of claim 8 wherein said latter stage comprises a trough positioned adjacent said water storage portion and a weir means allowing water to pass from said water storage portion into said trough, said trough including said means to direct clarified water from said latter stage to said claified water return stage.