Liquid purification or separation – Gravitational separator – Material supply distributor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-29
2001-08-21
Upton, Christopher (Department: 1724)
Liquid purification or separation
Gravitational separator
Material supply distributor
C210S528000, C210S532100, C210S541000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06276537
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to feedwell assemblies and, more particularly, is concerned with an enhanced flocculation and energy dissipation feedwell assembly for water and wastewater treatment clarifiers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A clarifier is a reactor whose purpose is to separate solids from water or wastewater. These solids must be able to settle and to form sediments. For a clarifier to function properly, particulates in the wastewater must be allowed to flocculate and form solids that can be removed from the water. Problems exist, however, in the process of flocculating and separating solids. Effective separation of the solids may not occur due to poor flocculation and formation of currents within the clarifier. To enhance flocculation, several different types of feedwells (also referred to as stilling wells, influent wells, or center wells) have been developed over the years for use in clarifiers.
Representative examples of prior art feedwells and the like are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,702,124 to Stengel, U.S. Pat. No. 3,175,692 to Vrablik, U.S. Pat. No. 3,891,557 to Edgerton, U.S. Pat. No. 3,966,617 to Zaenkert, U.S. Pat. No. 4,270,676 to Green, U.S. Pat. No. 4,985,148 to Monteith, U.S. Pat. No. 5,384,049 to Murphy and U.S. Pat. No. 5,714,068 to Brown. None of these prior art feedwells, however, would appear to be effective in reducing or preventing the formation of short-circuit currents within the clarifiers. While baffles employed inside clarifiers have been shown effective in reducing these currents, the use of baffles is limited to certain types and sizes of clarifiers.
Consequently, a need remains for a feedwell assembly which overcomes the aforementioned problems of prior art feedwells without introducing any new problems in place thereof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an enhanced flocculation and energy dissipation feedwell assembly designed to satisfy the aforementioned need. The enhanced flocculation and energy dissipation feedwell assembly of the present invention both enhances flocculation, dissipates the inlet energy and reduces formation of currents in a clarifier. The enhanced feedwell assembly slows the flow of and disperses water or wastewater or chemical slurry into the clarifier and allows most of the energy to be dissipated.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an enhanced flocculation and energy dissipation feedwell assembly for water and wastewater treatment clarifiers. The feedwell assembly comprises: (a) an influent feedwell for disposing about an influent riser pipe of a clarifier from which a liquid enters the influent feedwell, the influent feedwell having a wall defining at least one and preferably a plurality of holes spaced apart from one another; and (b) at least one and preferably a plurality of feed outlet structures supported on the wall of the influent feedwell, each of the feed outlet structures including (i) a first tubular portion having opposite first and second ends, the first end being open and attached to and surrounding the hole in the wall of the influent feedwell such that the liquid flows in a first direction from inside the influent feedwell through the open first end of and into the first tubular portion, the second end being closed, and (ii) at least one second tubular portion arranged about and attached adjacent to the second end of the first tubular portion such that the liquid flows in a second direction different from the first direction from inside the first tubular portion through the second tubular portion to a sedimentation section of the clarifier.
More particularly, the wall of the influent feedwell includes a bottom wall having a periphery, an opening for receiving the influent riser pipe therethrough, and the plurality of holes being spaced outwardly from the opening and spaced inwardly from the periphery and spaced apart from one another about the opening. The wall of the influent feedwell also includes a continuous side wall connected to the bottom wall and spaced outwardly from the holes of the bottom wall and being disposed substantially upright from the bottom wall. The opening is formed at a center of the bottom wall. The holes of the bottom wall are spaced radially outwardly from the opening and along a circle concentric with the opening. The bottom wall has an inner rim encircling the opening of the bottom wall. The assembly further comprises an annular seal extending between and mounted to at least one of the bottom wall and the influent riser pipe of the clarifier and extending over the inner rim and sealing the opening of the bottom wall.
The feed outlet structure preferably has a plurality of second tubular portions arranged about and attached adjacent to the second end of the first tubular portion so as to have a substantially X-shaped configuration when viewed from above or below. The second tubular portions on the same side of the first tubular portion are laterally spaced apart and extend substantially parallel with one another such that the plurality of second tubular portions includes an outer pair and an inner pair thereof. Each of the second tubular portions of the feed outlet structure has a diameter less than a diameter of the first tubular portion. Additionally, at least some of the second tubular portions have a full annular inner section and a partial annular outer section, the outer section being open along a top thereof. The inner section of the respective second tubular portion has a bend at an intermediate location thereon.
The present invention is also directed to a feedwell assembly which comprises: (a) an influent feedwell for disposing about an influent riser pipe of a clarifier from which a liquid enters the influent feedwell, the influent feedwell having a wall defining at least one and preferably a plurality of holes; and (b) at least one and preferably a plurality of feed outlet structures supported below the wall of the influent feedwell such that adjacent ones of the feed outlet structures are directed relative to one another so as to provide opposing jets of discharging liquid to enhance flocculation and distribution of flow and dissipate energy so as to minimize formation of currents, each of the feed outlet structures including (i) a first tubular portion having opposite upper and lower ends, the upper end being open and attached to and about the hole in the wall of the influent feedwell such that the liquid flows in a first direction from inside the influent feedwell through the open upper end of and into the first tubular portion of the feed outlet structure, the lower end of the first tubular portion being closed, and (ii) at least one and preferably a plurality of second tubular portions arranged about and attached adjacent to the lower end of the first tubular portion such that the liquid flows in a second direction different from the first direction from inside the first tubular portion through the second tubular portion to a sedimentation section of the clarifier.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and described an illustrative embodiment of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1102463 (1914-07-01), Wyckoff
patent: 1434597 (1922-11-01), Dorr
patent: 2380252 (1945-07-01), McBride
patent: 2429315 (1947-10-01), Green
patent: 2678916 (1954-05-01), Kalinske
patent: 2702124 (1955-02-01), Stengel
patent: 2886175 (1959-05-01), Kalinske
patent: 3006474 (1961-10-01), Fitch
patent: 3175692 (1965-03-01), Vrablik
patent: 3216570 (1965-11-01), Cunetta
patent: 3236384 (1966-02-01), Sontheimer et al.
patent: 3300047 (1967-01-01), Hirsch
patent: 3822788 (1974-07-01), Dunkers et al.
patent: 3850810 (1974-11-01), Teodoroiu
patent: 3891557 (1975-06-01), Edgerton
patent: 3926805 (1975-12-01), Walker
patent: 3966617 (1976-06-01), Zaenkert
patent: 4127488 (1978-11-01), Bell
Esler John K.
Hartnett William J.
Haug Roger A.
Flanagan John K.
Flanagan John R.
Flanagan & Flanagan
Upton Christopher
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