Liquid purification or separation – Gravitational separator – Superposed compartments or baffles – e.g. – parallel plate type
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-24
2004-08-31
Upton, Christopher (Department: 1724)
Liquid purification or separation
Gravitational separator
Superposed compartments or baffles, e.g., parallel plate type
C210S541000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06783009
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to controlling the flow of liquid in liquid treatment equipment, and more particularly to providing a solely-bent baffle, having no shape-holding facilities other than bends that form structural channels or beams, for controlling the flow of the liquid in equipment for processing liquid, and to methods of providing an unbent baffle blank, and to methods for bending an unbent baffle blank to provide the solely-bent baffle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Liquid flows into liquid treatment equipment in which the liquid is subjected to various processing operations. The processing operations may be of the contact-type or of a physical-type, for example. The contact-type may include, for example, processes in which the liquid is contacted with a chemical (e.g., for chlorinization or flocculation), or in which the liquid is mixed by energy imparted to the liquid, or in which the liquid is aerated by one or more gasses introduced to the liquid. In each contact process situation, a container
100
, such as a three-dimensional container shown in
FIGS. 1A and 1B
, is provided to receive liquid (see arrows
102
) to be processed and to provide a volume in which the contact processing may take place. Chemicals such as chlorine (see arrows
104
) may, for example, be supplied to the container
100
from a pipe or other inlet
106
. For proper processing, in many cases it is necessary to control the flow of the liquid
102
within the three-dimensional container
100
. Such control may be of the direction of the liquid
102
, as by using flow controllers, also known as baffles,
110
, for example, which may extend between opposed walls
112
of the container
100
. The direction of liquid flow may be from an inlet
114
downwardly under a first of the baffles
110
-
1
(
FIG. 1B
) and upwardly over a second of the baffles
110
-
2
. Alternatively,
FIGS. 2A and 2B
show that for processing, baffles
110
-
3
and
110
-
4
may extend partially between the walls
112
so as to leave spaces
116
so that the liquid flow is toward one wall
112
-
1
and then toward the other wall
112
-
2
. For mixing of the liquid
102
,
FIGS. 2A and 2B
show a mechanical mixer
118
between the baffles
110
-
3
and
110
-
4
. In another variation, the flow rate of the liquid
102
may be controlled as shown in
FIGS. 3A and 3B
by vertical baffles
110
-
5
and
110
-
6
having spaced openings
120
, and for example, an aerator
122
may provide gas
124
that contacts the liquid
102
. In each illustrated use of the baffles
110
, a forward force (see arrows FF) may be applied by the liquid
102
against the baffle
110
. The direction of liquid flow may also be reversed. In this case, the flow of liquid
102
that normally exits an outlet
122
may flow (see arrows
124
) into the container
100
via the outlet
122
and apply a reverse force (see arrows FR) to the flow controller
110
.
An example of such physical-type of liquid treatment equipment is a clarifier
130
shown in
FIGS. 4A and 4B
for removing materials
132
(
FIG. 4B
) from the liquid
102
. These materials
132
are generally in the form of particles suspended in the liquid
102
. The particles can be removed from the liquid
102
under the force of gravity when the flow of the liquid
102
is substantially reduced, as in a very low flow rate zone
134
in the clarifier
130
. Since these materials
132
are generally solid and are said to “settle” out of the liquid
102
, they are referred to as “settleable solids”. Such settleable solids
132
may include naturally occurring materials (e.g., clay, silt, sand and dirt), chemical precipitants and biological solids. The word “solids” as used herein to describe the present invention refers to such settleable solids
132
. Also, since the settleable solids
132
“settle” out of the liquid
102
, the clarifiers
130
are often referred to as “settlers”.
Clarifiers
130
are used, for example, to treat liquid
102
in water and waste water treatment plants. In water treatment, the water
102
drawn from a water supply has various non-settleable colloidal solids therein. When mixed with the chemicals
104
(
FIG. 4A
) in the contact-type of processing, the colloidal solids and chemicals agglomerate to form solids
132
. In waste water treatment, the solids include organic solids, among other wastes. Water and waste water may be the liquids
102
treated in the clarifiers
130
to remove such solids
132
, thereby making the water clear and suitable for use, reuse, or for further treatment, such as tertiary treatment. The word “liquid” as used herein to describe the present invention refers to water and waste water
102
, and to other liquids which may be subjected to the contact-type processes described above. Because of the nature of such use or reuse, during treatment such liquids
102
must not receive any chemicals or other materials that are toxic to humans, for example.
Continuing to refer to the exemplary clarifiers
130
, the very low flow rate zones
134
promote maximum settlement of the settleable solids
132
to a bottom
136
of the clarifiers
130
. Clarifiers
130
typically include containers
100
(
FIG. 4A
) that are typically referred to as detention basins where the settlement of the solids
132
occurs. For convenience, the term “basin” as used herein includes such three-dimensional containers
100
and such detention basins
100
, and any similar containers (e.g., circular in shape) in which such contact-type or physical-type processing is performed.
Tubes or flat plates
138
mounted at fixed or variable angles relative to the surface of the liquid
102
have been used to form multiple ones of the very low flow rate zones
134
in the detention basins
100
. The liquid
102
containing the settleable solids
132
flows into the detention basin
100
and must be directed to the bottom
136
of the basin
100
for flow upwardly in the flow zones
134
at flow rates that generally are slow enough to allow sufficient time for most of the settleable solids
132
to settle out of the liquid
102
. As a result, most of the settleable solids
132
will have settled onto the plates or tubes
138
by the time the liquid
102
has flowed to tops
142
of the plates or tubes
138
.
In the past, for both the contact-type and the physical-type of processing, liquid
102
flowing into such detention basin
100
for treatment has generally been controlled by providing one of two types of the flow controllers
110
across the opposite, vertically-extending walls
112
of the basin
100
. Such incoming liquid
102
generally moves through the inlet
114
of the basin
100
, and from the inlet
114
in a forward direction (see arrow
146
in FIG.
4
B), generally parallel to the opposite, vertical walls
112
. The prior flow controllers
110
extend across the opposed, vertical sides
112
and generally have a height H (
FIG. 4B
) less than the depth D of the liquid
102
in the basin
100
, such that there is a space, or opening,
148
between the bottom
150
of the prior flow controllers
110
and the bottom
136
of the basin
100
. The prior flow controllers
110
block the forward flow
146
of the liquid
102
that is above the bottom
150
of the flow controllers
110
. However, the opening
148
allows the incoming liquid
102
to flow under the flow controllers
110
and into entrances
152
of the low flow zones
134
, the entrances
152
being provided near the bottom
136
of the basin
100
.
One type of such prior flow controller
110
is a slab of reinforced concrete generally formed in one piece extending across the opposed walls
112
and providing the opening
148
above the bottom
136
of the basin
100
for forward liquid flow to the entrances
152
. The slab is formed by pouring the concrete in place in the basin
100
. Over time, the concrete slab of the prior flow controller
110
deteriorates under the action of the incoming liquid
102
and the materials
132
carri
Martine, Jr. C. E.
Meurer Industries, Inc.
Upton Christopher
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