Process and apparatus for increasing biological activity in waste treatment in bodies of water

1. A process of increasing biological activity in a waste treatment body of water comprising operating a floating fluid circulator provided with an impeller disposed in an annular space between nested frusto-conical surfaces in a waste treatment body of water.

2. A process in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said circulator operates by rotation of said impeller in a unitary rotational direction wherein direction of flow from said annular space cycles.

3. A process in accordance with claim 1 , comprising a floating boom at least partially disposed about said circulator defining a boom-enclosed zone, wherein fluid egress from said boom-enclosed zone to the remainder of said body of water is below the thermocline of said body of water.

4. A process in accordance to claim 1 , comprising a floating boom at least partially disposed about said circulator defining a boom-enclosed zone, wherein fluid egress from said boom-enclosed zone to the remainder of said body of water is below the waterfall created by said operation of said circulator.

5. A process in accordance with claim 3 , wherein said boom completely surrounds said circulator in said body of water.

6. A process in accordance with claim 3 , wherein said boom is circular, polygonal or straight.

7. A process in accordance with claim 3 , wherein said boom includes a float from which a mesh screen is maintained in extended disposition by a corrosion resistant metal chain connected the bottom of said boom.

8. A process in accordance with claim 7 wherein said boom comprises a plastic pipe float from which a nylon mesh screen is extended which is connected to a stainless or galvanized steel chain.

9. A process in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said impeller is notched.

10. A process in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said circulator includes a pair of impellers.

11. A process in accordance with claim 2 , wherein said circulator comprises a conduit in communication with the atmosphere and said annular space wherein air is drawn to said annular space when said impeller rotates.

12. A process of reducing the specific gravity of a waste treatment body of water comprising operating a floating fluid circulator in communication with a fluid generated from a gas-liquid mixing station, wherein said gas-liquid mixing station is an impingement mixer wherein fluid from said body of water forms streams which impinge each other forming a stream of a two-phase microbubble air-water fluid which stream flows to a circulator provided with an annular space between nested frusto-conical surfaces.

13. A process of treating animal manure in a waste treatment body of water comprising:

introducing animal manure into a waste stream at the inlet of a waste treatment body of water; and

operating a first floating fluid circulator provided with a unidirectional rotating impeller disposed in an annular space formed between nested frusto-conical surfaces, said circulator surrounded by a boom, defining a first boom-enclosed zone, at said inlet of said waste treatment body of water; wherein said boom-enclosed zone comprises less than about 5% of the surface area of said waste treatment body of water.

14. A process in accordance with claim 13 , wherein said first boom-enclosed zone comprises less than about 2% of the surface area of said waste treatment body of water.

15. A process in accordance with claim 13 , comprising operating a second floating fluid circulator provided with a undirectional rotating impeller disposed in an annular space formed between nested frusto-conical surfaces, said circulator surrounded by a boom, defining a second boom-enclosed zone, at said outlet of said waste treatment body of water, wherein said boom-enclosed zone comprises less than about 5% of the surface area of said waste treatment body of water.

16. A process in accordance with claim 15 , wherein said second boom-enclosed zone comprises less than about 2% of the surface area of said waste treatment body of water.

17. An aerator device for aerating and/or mixing liquids while arranged in a floating mode in a liquid, said aerator device comprising:

an upper float chassis having a frusto-conical configuration with a lower wider base thereof being equipped with an annular liquid outflow lip at essentially the surface level of the liquid;

a sectional diverter for liquid being arranged in a lower portion of said upper float chassis;

said sectional diverter having a lower diverter portion including diverter means for said liquid, said diverter means having an upper portion fastened to a bottom lip of said upper float chassis and forming a spacing between the bottom lip of said upper float chassis and an upper end of said sectional diverter to facilitate a generally horizontal laminar outward flow through said spacing along the surface of the liquid in which the aerator device floats; and

motor-driven means being mounted on said upper float chassis connected to a rotatable impeller aspirating liquid into a lower open end of said aerator device for effectuating a flow of said liquid therefrom towards said spacing between the bottom lip and the upper end of said diverter.

18. An aerator device as claimed in claim 17 , wherein said sectional diverter has the configuration of an inverted frusto-conical lower float chassis having the upper wider base facing towards said upper float chassis; and an opening structure being arranged at the bottom apex thereof for the intake of liquid into said device.

19. An aerator device as claimed in claim 18 , wherein said opening structure comprises a connector for a downwardly extending apertured tube member forming an intake for said liquid into said aerator device.

20. An aerator device as claimed in claim 19 , wherein said apertured tube member includes liquid intake ports along surface portions thereof.

21. An aerator device as claimed in claim 20 , wherein said apertured tube member has a rigid cylindrical structure.

22. An aerator device as claimed in claim 20 , wherein said apertured tube member is a constituted of a flexible structure facilitating an axial accordion-like retraction or expansion thereof.

23. An aerator device as claimed in claim 22 , wherein power means effectuate the axial retraction or expansion of said flexible apertured tube member.

24. An aerator device as claimed in claim 17 , wherein at least portions of the space between the interior of said upper float chassis frusto-conical surface and said parabolically-curved sectional diverter are filled with a closed-cell polymeric foam material to impart an increased buoyancy and leak resistance to said aerator device.

25. An aerator device as claimed in claim 17 , wherein said rotatable impeller possesses a plurality of circumferentially spaced radial values for directing the laminar flow of said liquid radially outwardly from said aerator device through the spacing between said upper float chassis and said sectional diverter.

26. An aerator device as claimed in claim 17 , wherein said motor-driven means comprises a motor mounted on the apex of said frusto-conical upper float chassis, and a drive shaft extending downwardly from said motor through said upper float chassis and sectional diverter to connect said motor means with said impeller so as to impart rotational motion to said impeller.

27. An aerator device as claimed in claim 26 , wherein said motor means comprises an electrical motor.

28. An aerator device as claimed in claim 26 , wherein said motor means is connected with said impeller through an electrical drive.

29. An aerator device as claimed in claim 26 , wherein said motor means is connected with said impeller through a reduction drive.

30. An aerator device as claimed in claim 26 , wherein said motor means includes a reverse drive for imparting selective counter-rotative motion to said impeller.

31. An aerator device as claimed in claim 26 , wherein said drive shaft is supported for rotation by support structure and bearings arranged in the interior of said upper float chassis.

32. An aerator device as claimed in claim 17 , wherein an auxiliary floating apparatus is operatively connected with said aerator device to impart supplemental aeration thereto by pumping air and/or water containing micro bubbles into said sectional diverter so as to increase an absorption of oxygen in the liquid being processed through said device.

33. An aerator device as claimed in claim 32 , wherein said auxiliary floating apparatus comprises a floating water pump positioned adjacent to said aerator device.

34. An aerator device as claimed in claim 33 , wherein said floating water pump includes a venturi producing the micro bubbles being introduced into the liquid flowing through the device.

35. An aerator device as claimed in claim 32 , wherein said auxiliary floating apparatus comprises an electric blower pumping air into said device.

36. An aerator device as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the constituents of said device are selectively formed from corrosion-resistant metals and molded plastic components.

37. An aerator device as claimed in claim 17 , wherein a plurality of said devices are spaced about the surface of a liquid body requiring aeration to be imparted thereto.