Wastewater treatment tank with influent gates and pre-react zone with an outwardly flared lower portion

• US 6,303,026 B1
• Filed: 12/16/1999
• Issued: 10/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Glen D. Lindbo
• Original Assignee: Glen D. Lindbo
• Inventors: Lindbo, Glen D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barry, Chester T.
• Application Number:
  US09/445,997
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 210/199, 210/220, 210/121
• US Class Current: 210/121
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/006 Water distributors either inside a treatment tank or directing the water to several treatment tanks; Water treatment plants incorporating these distributors, with or without chemical or biological tanks for settling tanks B01D21/24
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/42 Liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/44 Time
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2301/022 Laminar
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2301/024 Turbulent
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/02 Aerobic processes
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/1242 Small compact installations for use in homes, apartment blocks, hotels or the like
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/30 Aerobic and anaerobic processes
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/301 Aerobic and anaerobic treatment in the same reactor
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/10 Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage

Abstract

A wastewater treatment tank with influent gates (24) and pre-react zone with an outwardly flared lower portion. Influent passes over influent gates (24), which introduce turbulence, causing aeration, and reducing flow velocity. As influent flows out of the influent gate housing (20), flow velocity is further reduced by contact with the surface of the wastewater in the basin and influent flow is directed laterally by an influent gate bottom (30). A pre-react zone director (34) spaced apart from the bottom (42) of the basin encloses the influent gate housing (20) and utilizes an outwardly flared lower portion, or flap (38), to further reduce flow velocity and enhance laminar flow. This results in minimal disturbance of settled sludge blanket, allowing it to act as a natural biological filter, which in turn results in a superior supernatant.

Claims

1. A device to treat influent, comprising:

a basin having a bottom;

an influent gate housing having a bottom portion mounted in said basin to receive said influent;

at least two downwardly angled influent baffles mounted inside said influent gate housing, whereby said influent flows over said influent baffles and said influent baffles create turbulent flow and aeration in said influent;

an influent gate bottom mounted in said basin under said influent gate housing, whereby influent exiting said bottom portion of said influent gate housing is directed laterally; and

a pre-react zone director having a lower portion at least partially surrounding said influent gate housing, said pre-react zone director defining a main react zone inside said basin, but outside said pre-react zone director, wherein said lower portion of said pre-react zone director is spaced apart from said bottom of said basin and defines a contact zone between said lower portion and said bottom, whereby said pre-react zone director directs flow of said influent in a laminar fashion through said contact zone and into said main react zone;

whereby said influent avoids disturbing any settling sludge in said main react zone and forms a supernatant by filtering through said settling sludge; and

whereby settling, aerobic processing, anaerobic processing, and filtering are all performed in a single basin.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said influent baffles are downwardly angled at between more than 90 and less than 180 degrees.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said influent baffles are spaced apart from each other and mounted on alternating sides of said influent gate housing.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein said influent gate bottom comprises an elbow having a single port.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein said influent gate bottom comprises a fitting having two or more outlet ports.

6. A device according to claim 1, wherein said influent gate bottom comprises a platform mounted below, and spaced apart from, said influent gate housing.

7. A device according to claim 1, wherein said pre-react zone director completely surrounds said influent gate housing.

8. A device according to claim 1, wherein said influent gate bottom comprises a base having at least one port.

9. A device according to claim 1, wherein said influent gate bottom comprises a base having more than one port.

10. A device to treat influent, comprising:

a basin having a bottom;

an influent gate housing having a bottom portion mounted in said basin to receive said influent;

influent baffles mounted inside said influent gate housing, whereby said influent flows over said influent baffles and said influent baffles create turbulent flow and aeration in said influent;

a pre-react zone director having a lower portion at least partially surrounding said influent gate housing, said pre-react zone director defining a main react zone inside said basin, but outside said pre-react zone director, wherein said lower portion of said pre-react zone director is spaced apart from said bottom of said basin and defines a contact zone between said lower portion and said bottom, whereby said pre-react zone director directs flow of said influent in a laminar fashion through said contact zone and into said main react zone;

whereby said influent avoids disturbing any settling sludge in said main react zone and forms a supernatant by filtering through said settling sludge;

whereby settling, aerobic processing, anaerobic processing, and filtering are all performed in a single basin; and

wherein said bottom portion of said influent gate housing comprises a 90 degree lateral outward lip extending substantially completely around said influent gate housing.

11. A device to treat influent, comprising:

a basin having a bottom;

an influent gate housing having a bottom portion mounted in said basin to receive said influent;

influent baffles mounted inside said influent gate housing, whereby said influent flows over said influent baffles and said influent baffles create turbulent flow and aeration in said influent;

an influent gate bottom mounted in said basin under said influent gate housing, whereby influent exiting said bottom portion of said influent gate housing is directed laterally; and

a pre-react zone director having a lower portion at least partially surrounding said influent gate housing, said pre-react zone director defining a main react zone inside said basin, but outside said pre-react zone director, wherein said lower portion of said pre-react zone director is spaced apart from said bottom of said basin and defines a contact zone between said lower portion and said bottom, whereby said pre-react zone director directs flow of said influent in a laminar fashion through said contact zone and into said main react zone;

whereby said influent avoids disturbing any settling sludge in said main react zone and forms a supernatant by filtering through said settling sludge; and

whereby settling, aerobic processing, anaerobic processing, and filtering are all performed in a single basin;

wherein said lower portion of said pre-react zone director comprises a flap, wherein said flap is an angled lip extending around said lower portion of said pre-react zone director.

12. A device to treat influent, comprising:

a basin having a bottom;

an influent gate housing having a bottom portion mounted in said basin to receive said influent;

influent baffles mounted inside said influent gate housing, whereby said influent flows over said influent baffles and said influent baffles create turbulent flow and aeration in said influent;

an influent gate bottom mounted in said basin under said influent gate housing, whereby influent exiting said bottom portion of said influent gate housing is directed laterally; and

a pre-react zone director having a lower portion at least partially surrounding said influent gate housing, said pre-react zone director defining a main react zone inside said basin, but outside said pre-react zone director, wherein said lower portion of said pre-react zone director is spaced apart from said bottom of said basin and defines a contact zone between said lower portion and said bottom, whereby said pre-react zone director directs flow of said influent in a laminar fashion through said contact zone and into said main react zone;

whereby said influent avoids disturbing any settling sludge in said main react zone and forms a supernatant by filtering through said settling sludge;

whereby settling, aerobic processing, anaerobic processing, and filtering are all performed in a single basin;

wherein said lower portion of said pre-react zone director comprises a flap, wherein said flap is an angled lip extending around said lower portion of said pre-react zone director; and

wherein said flap is downwardly angled, whereby said influent is directed in a downward and outward manner through said contact zone and into said settling sludge so as to maximize contact of said influent with said settling sludge.

13. A device to treat influent, comprising:

a basin having a bottom;

an influent gate housing having a bottom portion mounted in said basin to receive said influent;

influent baffles mounted inside said influent gate housing, whereby said influent flows over said influent baffles and said influent baffles create turbulent flow and aeration in said influent;

an influent gate bottom mounted in said basin under said influent gate housing, whereby influent exiting said bottom portion of said influent gate housing is directed laterally; and

a pre-react zone director having a lower portion at least partially surrounding said influent gate housing, said pre-react zone director defining a main react zone inside said basin, but outside said pre-react zone director, wherein said lower portion of said pre-react zone director is spaced apart from said bottom of said basin and defines a contact zone between said lower portion and said bottom, whereby said pre-react zone director directs flow of said influent in a laminar fashion through said contact zone and into said main react zone;

whereby said influent avoids disturbing any settling sludge in said main react zone and forms a supernatant by filtering through said settling sludge;

whereby settling, aerobic processing, anaerobic processing, and filtering are all performed in a single basin; and

wherein said pre-react zone director has an outwardly flared lower portion.

14. A device to treat influent, comprising:

a basin having a bottom;

an influent gate housing having a bottom portion mounted in said basin to receive said influent;

an influent gate bottom mounted in said basin under said influent gate housing, whereby influent exiting said bottom portion of said influent gate housing is directed laterally; and

a pre-react zone director having a lower portion at least partially surrounding said influent gate housing, said pre-react zone director defining a main react zone inside said basin, but outside said pre-react zone director, wherein said lower portion of said pre-react zone director is spaced apart from said bottom of said basin and defines a contact zone between said lower portion and said bottom, whereby said pre-react zone director directs flow of said influent in a laminar fashion through said contact zone and into said main react zone; and

an outwardly extending flap attached to said lower portion of said pre-react zone director.

15. A device to treat influent, according to claim 14, further comprising:

air diffusers inside said pre-react zone director and in said main react zone.

16. A device to treat influent, comprising:

a tank having a bottom;

an influent gate housing having a bottom portion mounted in said tank to receive said influent;

an influent gate bottom mounted in said tank under said influent gate housing, whereby influent exiting said bottom portion of said influent gate housing is directed laterally; and

a pre-react zone director having a lower portion at least partially surrounding said influent gate housing, said pre-react zone director defining a main react zone inside said tank, but outside said pre-react zone director, wherein said lower portion of said pre-react zone director is spaced apart from said bottom of said tank and defines a contact zone between said lower portion and said bottom, whereby said pre-react zone director directs flow of said influent in a laminar fashion through said contact zone and into said main react zone;

wherein said lower portion of said pre-react zone director comprises a flap, wherein said flap is an angled lip extending around said lower portion of said pre-react zone director;

whereby said influent avoids disturbing any settling sludge in said main react zone and forms a supernatant by filtering through said settling sludge; and

whereby settling, aerobic processing, anaerobic processing, and filtering are all performed in a single tank.

17. A device according to claim 16, further comprising:

at least one baffle mounted inside said influent gate housing, whereby said influent flows over said influent baffle and said influent baffle creates turbulent flow and aeration in said influent.

18. A device to treat influent, comprising:

a tank having a bottom;

an influent gate housing having a bottom portion mounted in said tank to receive said influent;

a lateral outward lip attached to said bottom portion extending substantially completely around said influent gate housing;

a pre-react zone director having a lower portion at least partially surrounding said influent gate housing, said pre-react zone director defining a main react zone inside said tank, but outside said pre-react zone director, wherein said lower portion of said pre-react zone director is spaced apart from said bottom of said tank and defines a contact zone between said lower portion and said bottom, whereby said pre-react zone director directs flow of said influent in a laminar fashion through said contact zone and into said main react zone;

wherein said lower portion of said pre-react zone director comprises a flap, wherein said flap is an angled lip extending around said lower portion of said pre-react zone director;

whereby said influent avoids disturbing any settling sludge in said main react zone and forms a supernatant by filtering through said settling sludge; and

whereby settling, aerobic processing, anaerobic processing, and filtering are all performed in a single tank.

19. A device according to claim 18, further comprising:

at least one baffle mounted inside said influent gate housing, whereby said influent flows over said influent baffle and said influent baffle creates turbulent flow and aeration in said influent.