Water treatment apparatus
View Patent ↗A water treatment apparatus can include an influent water delivery arrangement for delivering influent water containing contaminants and dissolved air. An elongate process channel can float the contaminants with the dissolved air to separate the influent water into a layer of the contaminants floating over cleaned water. Separation of the influent water can initiate near the front region of the processing channel and progress moving downstream toward the rear region. A cleaned water outlet arrangement can be included and have at least two laterally spaced apart outlet conduits extending through the rear wall of the clarifying portion of the process chamber near the bottom wall. Each outlet conduit can have an elongate intake opening extending along a bottom of the outlet conduit facing the bottom wall for intaking cleaned water upwardly from the bottom wall into the outlet conduit. The cleaned water outlet arrangement can spread cleaned water intake into the at least two laterally spaced apart outlet conduits along a longitudinal length and a spaced apart lateral width for minimizing downward currents of the influent water within the process channel.
1 . A water treatment apparatus comprising:
an influent water delivery arrangement for delivering influent water containing contaminants and dissolved air;
an elongate process channel for receiving the influent water containing the contaminants and the dissolved air from the influent water delivery arrangement, for floating the contaminants with the dissolved air to separate the influent water into a layer of the contaminants floating over cleaned water, the process channel extending along a horizontal longitudinal central axis and having a clarifying portion with a front region with a front wall, a bottom wall, two opposing side walls and a rear region with a rear wall, separation of the influent water initiating near the front region of the clarifying portion of the process channel and progressing moving downstream toward the rear region, at least one baffle assembly positioned within the clarifying portion of the process channel downstream from the influent water delivery arrangement, the at least one baffle assembly comprising two elongate baffle members positioned horizontally at a midlevel height of the process channel above the central axis and extending at angles from opposite side walls in a lengthwise direction of the process channel and the central axis crossing each other in a horizontal X configuration, each elongate baffle member having an elongate horizontal surface for minimizing downward currents of the influent water in the clarifying portion of the process channel to allow the contaminants to readily float to the surface of the influent water; and
a cleaned water outlet arrangement comprising at least two laterally spaced apart outlet conduits extending through the rear wall of the clarifying portion of the process channel near the bottom wall, each outlet conduit having an elongate intake opening extending along a bottom of the outlet conduit facing the bottom wall for intaking cleaned water upwardly from the bottom wall into the outlet conduit, the cleaned water outlet arrangement spreading cleaned water intake into the at least two laterally spaced apart outlet conduits along a longitudinal length and a spaced apart lateral width for minimizing downward currents of the influent water within the clarifying portion of the process channel.
2 . The water treatment apparatus of claim 1 in which the at least two laterally spaced apart outlet conduits comprise at least four laterally spaced apart outlet conduits.
3 . The water treatment apparatus of claim 1 in which each outlet conduit includes an outtake opening extending through the rear wall of the clarifying portion of the process channel and having flow control for controlling flow of the cleaned water from the clarifying portion of the process channel.
4 . The water treatment apparatus of claim 3 in which the outlet conduits are configured for delivering the cleaned water from the clarifying portion of the process channel into a cleaned water reservoir, the cleaned water reservoir having a discharge exit arrangement at a discharge height that is elevated in height relative to the outtake openings of the outlet conduits.
5 . The water treatment apparatus of claim 1 in which each elongate baffle member has an elongate upright surface extending along an edge of the elongate horizontal surface for directing a midlevel height layer of influent water in a crossing manner while moving downstream in the process channel.
6 . The water treatment apparatus of claim 5 in which the at least one baffle assembly comprises two baffle assemblies that are longitudinally spaced apart from each other within the process channel.
7 . The water treatment apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a contaminant removal device for removing floating contaminants from the process channel.
8 . The water treatment apparatus of claim 1 in which the influent water delivery arrangement comprises four delivery outlets positioned near the front wall and the bottom wall in the front region of the clarifying portion of the process channel, a first pair of the delivery outlets facing in opposite directions for delivering a first portion of the influent water laterally towards respective side walls, and a second pair of delivery outlets spaced apart from the first pair, the second pair of delivery outlets facing in opposite directions for delivering a second portion of the influent water laterally towards the respective side walls, the spaced apart first and second pairs of delivery outlets for laterally spreading out the delivery of the influent water into the process channel in a spaced apart manner for minimizing downward currents of the influent water within the process channel to allow the contaminants to more readily float to the surface of the influent water with the aid of the dissolved air within the clarifying portion of the process channel in the front region.
9 . The water treatment apparatus of claim 1 in which the front wall of the process channel includes an angled portion connected to the bottom wall for directing the influent water delivered to the front region of the process channel in upward and downstream directions.
10 . A water treatment apparatus comprising:
an influent water delivery arrangement for delivering influent water containing contaminants and dissolved air;
an elongate process channel for receiving the influent water containing the contaminants and the dissolved air from the influent water delivery arrangement, for floating the contaminants with the dissolved air to separate the influent water into a layer of the contaminants floating over cleaned water, the process channel extending along a horizontal longitudinal central axis and having a clarifying portion with a front region with a front wall, a bottom wall, two opposing side walls and a rear region with a rear wall, separation of the influent water initiating near the front region of the clarifying portion of the process channel and progressing moving downstream toward the rear region;
at least one baffle assembly positioned within the clarifying portion of the process channel downstream from the influent water delivery arrangement, the at least one baffle assembly comprising two elongate baffle members positioned horizontally at a midlevel height of the process channel above the central axis and extending at angles from opposite side walls in a lengthwise direction of the process channel and the central axis crossing each other in a horizontal X configuration, each elongate baffle member having an elongate horizontal surface for minimizing downward currents of the influent water in the clarifying portion of the process channel to allow the contaminants to readily float to the surface of the influent water; and
a cleaned water outlet arrangement comprising at least three laterally spaced apart outlet conduits extending through the rear wall of the clarifying portion of the process channel near the bottom wall, each outlet conduit having an elongate intake opening extending along a bottom of the outlet conduit facing the bottom wall for intaking cleaned water upwardly from the bottom wall into the outlet conduit, the cleaned water outlet arrangement spreading cleaned water intake into the at least three laterally spaced apart outlet conduits along a longitudinal length and a spaced apart lateral width for minimizing downward currents of the influent water within the clarifying portion of the process channel, each outlet conduit including an outtake opening extending through the rear wall of the clarifying portion of the process channel and having flow control for controlling flow of the cleaned water from the clarifying portion of the process channel, the outlet conduits deliver the cleaned water from the clarifying portion of the process channel into a cleaned water reservoir, the cleaned water reservoir having a discharge exit arrangement at a discharge height that is elevated in height relative to the outtake openings of the outlet conduits.
11 . A method of treating water with a water treatment apparatus comprising:
delivering influent water containing contaminants and dissolved air into an elongate process channel with an influent water delivery arrangement;
floating the contaminants with the dissolved air within the process channel to separate the influent water into a layer of the contaminants floating over cleaned water, the process channel extending along a horizontal longitudinal central axis and having a clarifying portion with a front region with a front wall, a bottom wall, two opposing side walls and a rear region with a rear wall, separation of the influent water initiating near the front region of the clarifying portion of the process channel and progressing moving downstream toward the rear region with at least one baffle assembly positioned within the clarifying portion of the process channel downstream from the influent water delivery arrangement, the at least one baffle assembly comprising two elongate baffle members positioned horizontally at a midlevel height of the process channel above the central axis and extending at angles from opposite side walls in a lengthwise direction of the process channel and the central axis crossing each other in a horizontal X configuration, each elongate baffle member having an elongate horizontal surface for minimizing downward currents of influent water in the clarifying portion of the process channel to allow the contaminants to readily float to the surface of the influent water; and
removing the cleaned water from the clarifying portion of the process channel with a cleaned water outlet arrangement comprising at least two laterally spaced apart outlet conduits extending through the rear wall of the clarifying portion of the process channel near the bottom wall, each outlet conduit having an elongate intake opening extending along a bottom of the outlet conduit facing the bottom wall for intaking cleaned water upwardly from the bottom wall into the outlet conduit, the cleaned water outlet arrangement spreading cleaned water intake into the at least two laterally spaced apart outlet conduits along a longitudinal length and a spaced apart lateral width for minimizing downward currents of the influent water within the clarifying portion of the process channel.
12 . The method of claim 11 in which the at least two laterally spaced apart outlet conduits comprise at least four laterally spaced apart outlet conduits.
13 . The method of claim 11 in which each outlet conduit includes an outtake opening extending through the rear wall of the clarifying portion of the process channel and having flow control for controlling flow of the cleaned water from the clarifying portion of the process channel.
14 . The method of claim 13 further comprising delivering the cleaned water from the clarifying portion of the process channel into a cleaned water reservoir through the outlet conduits, the cleaned water reservoir having a discharge exit arrangement at a discharge height that is elevated in height relative to the outtake openings of the outlet conduits for discharging the cleaned water from the cleaned water reservoir.
15 . The method of claim 11 further comprising directing a midlevel height layer of influent water in a crossing manner while moving downstream in the clarifying portion of the process channel with an elongate upright surface of each elongate baffle member extending along an edge of the elongate horizontal surface.
16 . The method of claim 15 in which the at least one baffle assembly comprises two baffle assemblies that are longitudinally spaced apart from each other within the process channel.
17 . The method of claim 11 further comprising removing floating contaminants from the process channel with a contaminant removal device.
18 . The method of claim 11 in which the front wall of the process channel includes an angled portion connected to the bottom wall, the method further comprising:
delivering the influent water with the influent water delivery arrangement comprising four delivery outlets positioned near the front wall and the bottom wall in the front region of the clarifying portion of the process channel, a first pair of the delivery outlets facing in opposite directions for delivering a first portion of the influent water laterally towards respective side walls, and a second pair of delivery outlets spaced apart from the first pair, the second pair of delivery outlets facing in opposite directions for delivering a second portion of the influent water laterally towards the respective side walls, the spaced apart first and second pairs of delivery outlets for laterally spreading out the delivery of the influent water into the process channel in a spaced apart manner for minimizing downward currents of the influent water within the process channel to allow the contaminants to more readily float to the surface of the influent water with the aid of the dissolved air within the clarifying portion of the process channel in the front region; and
directing the influent water delivered to the front region of the process channel in upward and downstream directions with the angled portion of the front wall.