This invention relates to the separating out of solution materials having different specific gravities and particularly, to promoting the separating out of contaminating liquid or of the solid content of materials held in liquid suspension. More particularly, it pertains to an improved, more economical approach to the processing of slurries. It also has the advantage of flexibility as well as enabling an in-plant, progressive, multi-unit assembly to handle any quantity of plant waste in the form of a contaminated liquid. Also, it enables the provision of a uniform and best operating temperature environment that may be provided and maintained.
Background of the Invention
Heretofore, it has, for the most part, been the practice in the liquid clarifying art to provide large diameter outdoor processing apparatus that make use of mechanically driven elements, such as rakes, or other driven elements, such as vibrated plates or rotating stirrers. One type of apparatus is called a "lamella" thickener and employs a pack of downwardly declining stacked metal or plastic trays, which may be vibrated for treating the sticky sludges, with bottom entry and top outflow, see pages 384 and 385 of the text "Mineral Processing Technology", by B. A. Wills, First Edition, 1979, published by Pergamon Press, Inc., Maxwell House, Fairview Park, Elmsford, N.Y. 10523. Equipment using rotating stirring is represented by the Emmett, Jr. U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,494 of 1977 and the Elie Condolios U.S. Pat. No. 4,260,488 of 1981. The former shows in FIG. 2, the use of an upwardly positioned impeller 49 and a series of downwardly spaced-apart mixing blades 69 mounted on a common drive shaft, while the latter patent shows a perforated, vertically spaced-apart group of paddle-like blades 7, and a lower pair of so-called conical blades 12 and 12, on a single motor driven vertical shaft 8 and finally, a horizontally extending material-compressing motor-driven screw 13.
The Pinto U.S. Pat. No. 4,192,752 of 1980 deals with a so-called clarifier for sugar juice which, as shown in FIG. 2, employs a group of downwardly-inwardly spaced, horizontally-extending, side-positioned trays 5, a rotary scraper 9, and a mud stirrer 17. A flocculation apparatus of Wilson U.S. Pat. No. 3,933,642 of 1976 appears to show an arrangement in which the liquid to be treated is introduced at the bottom end, see arrow 33, of a spiraled pipe coil unit made up of continuous pipe convolutions of upwardly increasing diameters and increasing lengths (see FIGS. 1 and 5). Its outlet 14 (see FIG. 3) is located at the upper end of the unit. It poses a highly complex and expensive manufacturing and replacement problem from the standpoint of the continuous length of the upwardly enlarged and lengthened pipe length portions, requires a powerful pumping action as to the sludge being treated, and presents a clogging and cleaning maintenance problem for clean-out. I have been unable to find any commercial installation involving this construction. The arrows of FIG. 3 appear to indicate that the liquid leaving the upper outlet end 14 of the pipe coil travels downwardly along an outer coil positioned and enclosed space and then moves upwardly along an inner chamber (see arrows 47 and 53 of the Figure). He relies on the use of so-called velocity gradients and centrifugal force in attempting to remove contaminating particles.
Object of the Invention
It has been an object of my invention to solve problems before presented in this art.
Another object has been to devise an efficient and relatively inexpensively made and maintained liquid purification, sediment separating-out or thickening apparatus.
Another object has been to provide a separating device that will be relatively adaptable for meeting separating requirements and easy to maintain, and that will eliminate the need for the use in its separating zone of any motor-driven stirring, vibrating means or other moving mechanical parts.
A further object has been to devise a relatively simple device for the purpose stated, which is adaptable to in-plant installation and which may be used individually or in a mounted series arrangement to efficiently meet various load inputs and effect a desired solid-liquid separating-out or agglomeration of solid particles suspended in a liquid such as a slurry.
A still further object has been to devise a relatively simple, highly efficient and practical slurry and contaminated liquid treating apparatus that will substantially fully meet present day requirements for compactness, adaptability, reliability, simplicity and efficiency.
These and further objects will appear to those skilled in the art from the specification and the appended claims.
Summary of the Invention
I have devised a solid-in-liquid separating out apparatus which ordinarily will make use of a chemical precipitate such as a polyelectrolyte, as well as an apparatus that may be employed to separate out liquids of different specific gravities, in both instances, to provide a reusable clarified liquid. I have devised a relatively simple basic separating unit which may be used alone or in combination with one or more like units, as in a vertical series assembly, to simultaneously effect an efficient separating-out action from the standpoint of various quantities of slurry or other higher specific gravity or "loaded" liquid, and fully and flexibly accommodate liquid suspensions, while minimizing plant floor space requirements and enabling a fully in-plant installation.
In each unit, I employ a vertically spiralled or helical coil that is preferably of cylindrical shape and into whose upper end contaminated liquid to be treated is introduced. The coil is shown as a length of a flexible hose of a uniform diameter wound around or about the outer reaches of a relatively rigid cylindrical, hollow chamber defining wall member, such as of metal or rigid plastic material. The coil may be made of an elastomer-like material as reinforced by a woven fabric to avoid the normal rigidity of a metal member and enable an easy maintenance-free, clog avoiding "give", and hand-squeezing. The inner surface of the coil should be relatively smooth to minimize friction from the standpoint of the charged liquid or slurry and its contaminant or solid particulate content.
The slurry or contaminated liquid is introduced as by pumping into the upper end of the coil. In the coil convolutions, no separating action is accomplished as it slowly moves downwardly as a thoroughly mixing flow. It is then delivered into an upper, open end mouth of a cone-like wall extension of the cylindrical wall member about which the coil is wrapped. The coil will preferably be shaped to provide entry into its upper end of the slurry tangentially the same as the rotation of a liquid down a drain, which is clockwise in the northern hemisphere and counterclockwise in the southern hemisphere. At its lower end, the flow enters a nozzle where separating action begins as it moves outwardly therefrom. The nozzle is shown as entering a lower chamber portion defined by its cylindrical wall to extend substantially tangentially along the inside thereof. The downward relatively slow down velocity of the charged liquid in the coil convolutions may be within an optimum range of about six to ten feet per second depending on the particle size, its distribution, the percentage of the solid content, the relative specific gravities of the constituent of the slurry, and the viscosity of the contaminated liquid being introduced or charged. A velocity in this range ensures a continuing flow of the slurry, while minimizing wear on the wall of the hose coil. The liquid to be clarified is introduced into the lower portion of the cylindrical wall from the nozzle at an optimum rotational velocity of about 3 to 15 RPM. The rate of feed may be controlled by varying the speed of a motor driven input feed pump.
The clarified liquid, lower specific gravity content of the charged material delivered from the coil, moves upwardly within the cylindrical chamber into an over flow weir from which it may be removed, while heavier specific gravity or solid material is removed from the bottom end of the cone-shaped chamber as shown controlled by a pinch valve.
In accordance with my invention, a liquid containing organic or inorganic contaminating material, such as fat-laden chicken processing water or a coal washing slurry containing dirt, slate, small coal particles, etc., is clarified by removing its contaminating higher specific gravity content. The thus clarified liquid may then be re-used in the plant and the relatively low volume contaminant content may be stored for proper disposal.
Brief Description of the Drawings
In the drawings, FIG. 1 is a vertical view in elevation of a basic or individual apparatus unit or device constructed in accordance with my invention.
FIG. 2 is a top plan view on the scale of and of the same unit.
FIG. 3 is a horizontal section taken along a delivery nozzle shown connected to the lower end of a spirally wound processing coil illustrated in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a side section in elevation on the scale of and of the nozzle of FIG. 3. FIGS. 3 and 4 are of a slightly reduced scale with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2.
FIG. 5 is a reduced vertical view in elevation showing a typical operating layout employing my invention in which two or more units are employed in a vertically disposed and series connected relation and additionally provided with automatic operating and control means.
FIG. 6 is vertical view in elevation on the scale of FIGS. 1 and 2 showing a modified embodiment of my invention in which a series of internally stacked cones are mounted to extend centrally along an inside area of the upper and lower chambers of the housing to provide increased laminar flow for settling suspended solids that are particularly difficult to precipitate out.
FIG. 7 is a reduced fragmental view showing a modified type of hose winding or coiling that employs a wire cable or the like that serves as a mandrel about which the hose is looped to provide it with an "in" and "out" looping in its spirally coiled relation about the upper cylindrical wall of a device of my invention to provide increased static mixing action.
Detailed Description of the Inventive Structure
Referring to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings, I have shown a basic processing unit 10 constructed and utilized in accordance with my invention. It has an upper, cylindrical housing wall 10a which is open at its lower end portion into a lower cone or funnel-shaped housing 10b. The lower end portion of the cylindrical housing wall 10a serves as an intermediate connecting portion between a hose-wrapped upper cylindrical portion and an open mouth of the cone-shaped housing wall 10b. As shown, a hose 15 having a passageway of substantially uniform diameter along its length is wound spirally about the outside or periphery of the upper portion of the cylindrical housing 10a to provide a down-flow helix C within which a thorough and substantially uniform process mixing of a contaminated liquid or sludge charge and a suitable coagulant is effected. The contaminated liquid and the coagulant are shown introduced into the hose 15 from its upper end 15a through a pinch valve 20. A suitable type of pinch valve used in my apparatus, such as designated in my drawings as 20, 20', 20", 21, 21' and 21", is sold by Red Valve Co. of 600 North Bell Avenue, P.O. Box 548, Carnegie, PA, as its Series 4700.
The inside of the upper cylindrical housing wall 10a defines a final separation zone or chamber within which clarified lighter specific gravity liquid moves upwardly and into a collection weir 11 that extends about an upper lip of the wall 10c. The contaminating heavier specific gravity liquid or solid material flows downwardly and collects in the chamber of the lower cone-shaped wall 10b (see FIG. 1) from which it may be removed through a pinch valve 21 for storage and proper disposal. On the other hand, clarified liquid may be removed from a down-spout end 11a of the weir and delivered by pipe 12 for re-use.
As shown in FIG. 1, the contaminated liquid to be treated, as mixed with a suitable coagulant, enters upper end portion 15a of spirally coiled hose 15 through pinch valve 20. The hose of the coil 15, as previously indicated, is of flexible or resilient construction and may thus be closely wound in a uniform manner about the outside of the upper reaches of the circular wall 10a. It terminates above the intermediate wall portion of the housing 10 which, as previously indicated, represents the lowermost end portion of cylindrical wall 10a. Also, as shown, the hose of the coil 15 is of uniform passageway diameter throughout its helical length and is connected at its lower end 15b by a fitting assembly 17 to an inlet end portion 16a of a nozzle 16 (see also FIGS. 3 and 4). The nozzle 16 which may be of metal or solid plastic construction extends into and along the inside of the wall 10a in a conforming, somewhat tangential relation with respect thereto (see FIG. 2). FIGS. 3 and 4 show that opposite vertical sides of the nozzle 16 gradually converge transversely towards its open delivery end portion 16b and define a vertically widened, open, slit-like delivery end portion 16b from which coagulate and liquid issue in an initiated laminated relation into the intermediate portion of the main processing and separating chamber of the housing 10a.
In FIG. 5, I show a typical, vertically stacked series utilization of my inventive units or devices and, as provided with a representative automatic control system that may be used to enable a substantial uniformity of separating action where, for example, the quantity of the contaminant content in the charged material may vary from time to time. Each upper processing unit of the tier, such as 10 and 10' is provided with a "down" delivery pipe extension 13, 13' of a sufficient length to extend centrally downwardly along the inside of the next lower unit, such as 10' and 10", and into cone-shaped, contaminate collecting chamber portion 10b, and 10b" thereof through an associated pinch valve 21 and 21'. This is accomplished in such a manner as to progressively feed the contaminant material in series progression into the cone-shaped lower housing portion 21" of the lowermost unit 10".
The clarified liquid of each series unit 10, 10' and 10" is fed from its weir through downwardly sloped drain pipes 12, 12', and 12" into a common delivery pipe or header 14. The contaminated liquid to be clarified is fed (see arrow D of FIG. 5) through a common header or pipe member 25 and pinch valves 20, 20" and 20" into each of the units. At the same time, a coagulant or flocculant is shown as fed from a flocculant or coagulant holding and mixing tank 26 along lines a and b by an electric motor driven pump 27 into vertically extending, elongated, common input header 25 in such a manner that there is a preliminary mixing of the contaminated liquid and the coagulant or flocculant before they are introduced into the units 10, 10' and 10".
A suitable automatic control of system of FIG. 5 may be attained using typical equipment, such as marketed by Ramsey Technology, Inc. of 1853 W. County Road C, St. Paul, Minn. 55113. In FIG. 5, 26 represents a coagulant or flocculant holding tank which is shown provided with an electric, motor-driven agitator-mixer. A so-called Clarometer electrical control module 29 made by Ramsey is shown connected through a motor speed control electric line 28 to proportion the feed of motor driven pump unit 27 in accordance with a continuous sampling of the liquid being introduced into the input header 25, as taken by a Ramsey sampler module 30 and its sampler well return unit 31, and as connected electrically by line 32 to a control module 29 which may be set to provide a properly proportioned amount of coagulant to the contaminated liquid being introduced (see arrow D of FIG. 5). Line 33 takes a continuous sampling of the clarified liquid from the weir of unit 10 and the sampled liquid is then returned to the input header by the unit 31.
FIG. 6 shows a modified embodiment of my apparatus in which a series of vertically spaced-apart laminar cone-like trays 41 are suspended in a nested somewhat closely spaced relation with respect to each other and in an inside spaced relation within the upper cylindrical wall of processing unit 40. Each tray 41 of conical shape has a downwardly, inwardly sloped sidewall 41b that converges in a relatively small width, open end portion 41a. A pair of suspension chains 42, as shown, are secured to the inside wall of the apparatus to serve as supporting hangers for the trays 41. This modified type of construction may be used when the separating-clarifying operation is to be accomplished on a highly maximized basis.
In FIG. 7, I have shown a way to further enhance the mixing and coagulating action within the hose 15. In this type of arrangement, the hose 15a is wound or wrapped in a spiral about a flexible support, such as a wire, cord or cable 45, and the latter is then wrapped spirally about and along the outside of the cylindrical housing wall to form a helix.