Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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WASTEWATER TREATMENT APPARATUS
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) to United States
Provisional
Patent Application Serial No. 61/090,396 filed August 20, 2008, entitled
Wastewater
Treatment Apparatus, the entirety of the disclosure of which is hereby
incorporated herein
by reference.
BACKGROUND
Wastewater from municipal sewage systems, large-scale agricultural operations,
and industrial waste product systems often includes large amounts of organic
and
inorganic waste material that, if left untreated, can create severe odors due
to anaerobic
decay and can generate toxic products. Treating such waste generally involves
collecting
the organic and inorganic waste material in a stream of liquid or water, and
collecting the
waste in settling pools, ponds, or lagoons. Thereafter, the waste is allowed
to settle in
progressive settling ponds, pools, or lagoons, and any floating detritus is
allowed to
decompose, allowing the effluent to be run off relatively free of the debris
for further
treatment or clarification. During this process, the addition of oxygen
sufficient to meet
the basic oxygen demand (BOD) is preferred so that the waste material in the
water will
undergo biodegradation that converts the wastewater into a relatively
nontoxic, non-
offensive effluent. Since anaerobic decomposition is inefficient as compared
to aerobic
decomposition, and anaerobic decomposition often results in the production of
a
malodorous sulfur-containing gas, it is preferred to add oxygen to the
wastewater to
increase decomposition while reducing or eliminating the existence of
anaerobic
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decomposition. Various approaches have been used, typically by surface
aeration or by
submerged aeration systems wherein air is pumped below the surface of the
water, or
sometimes by a rotating impeller that mixes the wastewater and entrains air
into that
water. Examples are to be found in U.S. Patents 3,521,864; 3,846,516;
5,874,003;
6,145,815; and 6,241,221.
While each of these previous designs may have application in that have been
considered and developed, there is still a need for an improved apparatus for
economically mixing a large quantity of wastewater with sufficient air to at
least satisfy
the BOD of the wastewater to promote biodegradation of the waste materials,
and/or to
reduce or eliminate offgassing of offensive odors. Further, it will be
appreciated that in
the collection of sewage from household waste, a great deal of human hair
accumulates in
settling pools, ponds, or lagoons, causing large mats or strings of hair mixed
with other
organic matter, which will often cause entanglement of material in wastewater
treatment
equipment, and can result in equipment failure¨an issue that is not addressed
in the
foregoing prior examples. As such, a design that is not adversely affected by
the hair and
stringy waste that accumulates in wastewater facilities, while providing
oxygenation of a
large variety of settling pools, ponds, or lagoons in an energy efficient
manner and
producible at a cost effective price would be greatly appreciated.
Summary of the Invention
These needs may be satisfied by a water treatment unit that can be situated in
a
body of water such as a tank, pool, pond or lake. The water treatment unit
includes a riser
having an intake that can be situated below the surface of the water. A
chamber is
coupled to an upper portion of the riser stand that has a base, a sidewall
extending upward
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from the base, and a top that can be located above the water surface in the
body of water.
The riser has an outlet adjacent the top of the riser into the chamber. The
chamber has at
least one water outlet in a lower portion of the chamber, and an air inlet in
an upper
portion of the chamber. The water outlet from the chamber can take the form of
one or
more outlets through the chamber base. A directionally adjustable pipe can be
coupled to
the outlet from the chamber so that the outflow from the chamber can be used
to develop
a desired flow pattern, such as a toroidal flow, within the body of water.
An impeller is connected to the riser to move water upward from the intake and
out through the upper opening of the riser into the chamber. The upper opening
can take
the form of a plurality of openings spaced around an upper portion of the
riser. The
impeller can take the form of a motor coupled to the chamber upper portion
immediately
above an upper end of the riser and a shaft coupled to the motor and to at
least one
propeller situated within the riser below the water level in the body of
water. The water
flow from the riser into the chamber creates a head within the chamber forcing
water out
through the water outlet in the lower portion of the chamber.
The water treatment unit riser upper opening can be surrounded by a depending
flange. The depending flange can intercept and outward flow of water from the
upper
opening of the riser. The outward flow of water will also become downwardly
directed at
least due to the influence of gravity. The outward and downwardly directed
flow of water
can entrain air coming through the air inlet in the upper portion of the
chamber to elevate
the level of oxygen dissolved in the water within the chamber, which then
flows out
through the outlets in the chamber base. The downwardly directed water can
also mix
with water in the chamber in a turbulent manner to generate a surface foam.
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The water treatment unit can be used to move water from the body of water up
through the riser, and out through the laterally directed openings into the
chamber
adjacent to the air inlet. The water moving out the laterally directed
openings of the stand
pipe, mixes with air drawn in through the air inlet to oxygenate the water,
and the
oxygenated water exits the chamber into the body of water through one or more
water
outlets in the lower portion of the chamber due to the head developed by the
inflow of
water into the chamber. The outward flow of water from the chamber can cause a
toroidal or other desired flow of water within the body of water surrounding
the water
treatment apparatus.
Other features of the present invention and the corresponding advantages of
those
features will become apparent from the following discussion of the preferred
embodiments of the present invention, exemplifying the best mode of practicing
the
present invention, which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The
components in
the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon
illustrating
the principles of the invention. Moreover, in the figures, like referenced
numerals
designate corresponding parts throughout the different views, but not all
reference
numerals are shown in each of the figures.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a water treatment unit embodying the present
invention.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a water treatment unit according to the
present
application with a portion broken away to reveal the interior the water
treatment unit.
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Figure 3 is a sectional view of the water treatment unit shown in Figure 1
taken
along line 3 ¨3.
Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 of a second water treatment unit
embodying
the present invention.
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a water treatment unit according to the
present
application, having a portion broken away to reveal the interior the water
treatment unit.
Description
Turning now to Figs. 1 and 2, according to at least one embodiment of the
present
application, a water treatment unit 10 includes a riser or pump barrel 12
having a lower
end 14 and an upper end 16 that is optionally fabricated from plastic, metal
(including, for
example, galvanized steel, enamel-coated steel, aluminum, stainless steel, or
other
malleable metals), or other materials known in the art. Further, according to
at least one
embodiment, one or more inlets 18 are be provided around lower end 14 of riser
12.
According to at least one optional embodiment, a bottom end 20 is optionally
added to
lower end 14 of riser 12, whereby one or more inlets 18 may be fitted to lower
end 14 of
riser 12, and may optionally include a ballast member 22 as shown in Figure 3
to assist in
maintaining the water treatment unit 10 upright. It will be appreciated that
the weight of
ballast member 22 may be adjusted to adjust the height at which the upper end
16 floats
above the water level of the lagoon, pond, or tank W.
According to at least one embodiment, riser 12 is sized and shaped to be of
any
required length and cross-sectional area as required by the necessary water
flow,
amperage requirements, and viscosity of wastewater. One or more water
discharge
outlets 24 can be provided around the upper end 16 of the riser 12. A cap 26
can be
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coupled to the upper end 16 of the riser 12 by fasteners 28 or other means to
substantially
close the upper end 16 of the riser 12. The cap 26 can include a peripheral
wall 30 that
surrounds the upper end 16 of the riser 12.
A mixed wastewater chamber 32 optionally surrounds the upper end 16 of the
riser 12 and peripheral wall 30, formed by a housing comprising a chamber
floor 34 that
is optionally fixed to a selected portion of riser 12, located between the
upper end 16 and
the lower end 14, by fasteners, welding, fusing or other means of connecting
the material
comprising riser 12 and chamber floor 34. Mixed wastewater chamber 32 further
optionally comprises wall 42 and chamber ceiling 46, with chamber floor 34,
wall 42, and
chamber ceiling 46 meeting to cause wastewater chamber 32 to attach to, and
substantially enclose riser 12. Chamber floor 34 optionally comprises one or
more
openings 39 in chamber floor 34, whereby fluid that has been pumped through
riser 12
cascades out through discharge outlets 24, into mixed water chamber 32, and
building
pressure forces the resulting mixed fluid down and out through the one or more
openings
39 in chamber floor 34. Further optionally, chamber ceiling 46 comprises
chamber
ceiling opening 54 through which air can be drawn into the chamber 32. An
intermediate
wall 58 optionally depends from chamber ceiling 46 outside peripheral wall 30
(if present
in the embodiment) and inside the outer wall 42. In operation, turning to Fig.
3,
intermediate wall 58 separates an inner chamber 60 from the remainder of
chamber 32, as
intermediate wall 58 is sized to depend from chamber ceiling 46 to reach water
level W1
inside chamber 32 such that no air gap exists between water level W1 and a
bottom
portion of inner intermediate wall 58. While each of the peripheral wall 30,
intermediate
wall 58 and chamber wall 42 are illustrated to be portions of right cylinders
in shape in
Figs. 1, 2, and 3, other shapes may be adopted for one or more of the walls
30, 42 and 58.
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According to at least one embodiment, motor 64, such as a 3/4 HP electric
motor or
any other properly sized and powered motor, engine, or other revolving
powerplant, can
be fixed to and supported by the cap 26 as shown in Figs. 2-4, or motor 64 may
be
attached to a motor plate 110 that is sized larger than chamber ceiling
opening 54, thereby
allowing motor 64, and motor plate 110 (shown in Fig. 5) may be removably
attached to
chamber ceiling 64 by way of fasteners such as bolts, wing nuts, or other
fastener means.
Shaft 66 is optionally connected to motor 64 by coupling member 65 extending
downward through cap opening 68 in cap 26 in general axial alignment with
riser 12. It
will be appreciated that by utilizing a motor plate that fits over the top of
chamber ceiling
opening as shown in Fig. 5, removal of the motor 64, shaft 66, and propellers
70 are
readily pulled from riser 12 to allow for inspection of components, sharpening
of blades,
and general maintenance or repair of the equipment with minimal disassembly
effort.
According to at least one embodiment, at least one propeller 70 is coupled to
shaft
66 to cause rotation of shaft 66 by the motor 64, thereby creating an upward
flow of fluid
from a body of water outside waste treatment unit 10 into riser 12. A buoyant
member
72, such as that shown in Fig. Fig. 4, may be attached to waste treatment unit
10 in any
manner to cause waste treatment unit to sit at a specified height in a body of
water or fluid
such that waste treatment unit 10 sits at a predetermined level W as shown in
Fig. 3. It
will be appreciated that level W may be determined as a different height for
different
embodiments of waste treatment unit 10, and depending on the application for
which
waste treatment unit 10 is utilized. It will be appreciated that buoyant
member 72 can
take many forms, including foam filled buoys, air filled bladders that may be
adjusted to
adjust where water level W sits in relation to waste treatment unit 10, or any
other
buoyant material. For example, two buoyant floats such as two 2' x 4'
polyethylene
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coated foam dock floats available from Forrnex Manufacturing, Inc.,
Lawrenceville,
Georgia, can be utilized, along with cross members or other attaching members
to hold
waste treatment unit 10 in the proper relation to the fluid line.
Additionally, two or more
torque lines can be connected to the outer wall 42 to prevent rotation of the
treatment unit
when the motor 64 is running.
As shown in Fig. 3, according to at least one embodiment, multiple propellers
70
are employed, whereby a first propeller 70 is included along shaft 66 near the
lower end
of riser 12, and a second propeller 70 is included along shaft 66 near upper
end 16 of riser
12. In at least one exemplary embodiment, second propeller 70 is positioned
such that the
propeller is at least partially exposed to air, thereby allowing second
propeller to entrain
air into the water or fluid flowing past second propeller 70 and into
discharge outlets 24.
According to at least one embodiment, second propeller is positioned relative
to the
height of the discharge outlets such that air is entrained into the water at a
size less than
1.0 mm, 0.5 nun, less than 0.25 mm, less than 0.15 mm, or less than 0.1 mm in
size for
the given motor/propeller combination.
An alternate embodiment is shown in Figure 4 in which the water treatment
unit 10 is shown to include a riser or pump barrel 12 having a lower end 14
and an upper
end 16. One or more inlets 18 can be provided around the lower end 14 of the
riser 12. A
bottom end 20 can be provided that may include a ballast member 22 to assist
in
maintaining the water treatment unit 10 upright. The riser 12 can be of any
required
length. One or more water discharge outlets 24 can be provided around the
upper end 16
of the riser 12. A cap or lid 26 can be coupled to the upper end 16 of the
riser 12 by
fasteners 28 or other means to substantially close the upper end 16 of the
riser 12. The
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cap 26 can include a depending wall peripheral wall 30 that surrounds the
upper end 16 of
the riser 12.
A chamber 32 can surround the upper end 16 of the riser 12 and the peripheral
wall 30. A chamber floor or bottom plate 34 can be fixed to an intermediate
portion 36 of
the riser 12, located between the upper end 16 and the lower end14, by
fasteners 38 or
other means. The chamber floor or bottom plate 34 can have one or more
openings 39
and an outer edge 40 that can be circular. The chamber 32 can be further
defined by a
shroud outer wall 42 that can have a lower edge 44 that contacts the chamber
floor or
bottom plate 34. A chamber ceiling 46 can have an outer edge 48 that can be
fixed to or
unitary with an upper edge 50 of the shroud outer wall 42. The chamber ceiling
46
optionally includes chamber ceiling opening 54 through which air can be drawn
into
chamber 32. The top wall 46 can be spaced from the cap 26 by means of spacers
56,
which can be adjustable. The spacers 56 are illustrated to be fixed to the cap
26 and
contacting top wall 46, but the spacers can be fixed to the top wall 46 and
contacting cap
26. An intermediate wall 58 can depend from the top wall 46 outside the
peripheral wall
30 and inside the outer wall 42. The intermediate wall 58 can be seen to
separate an inner
chamber 60 from an outer chamber 62. While each of the peripheral wall 30,
intermediate wall 58 and outer wall 42 are illustrated to be portions of right
cylinders in
shape, other shapes may be adopted for one or more of the walls 30, 42 and 58.
A motor 64, such as a 3/4 HP electric motor, can be fixed to and supported by
the
cap 26. A shaft 66 can be coupled to the motor 64 by coupling member 65 to
extend
downward through an opening 68 in cap 26 in general axial alignment with the
riser 12.
At least one propeller 70 can be coupled to the shaft 66 so that rotation of
the shaft 66 by
the motor 64 can cause an upward flow of water within the riser 12. A buoyant
member
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72 can be coupled to the chamber floor 34 or to outer wall 42 to maintain the
top wall 46
above the surface of the water surrounding the water treatment unit 10,
particularly in
high water situations. In low water situations, the water treatment unit 10
may rest on the
bottom 21 of the ballast unit 22. Two or more torque lines 41 can be connected
to the
outer wall 42 to prevent rotation of waste treatment unit 10 when the motor 64
is running.
The operation of the water treatment unit 10 is illustrated, particularly in
Figure 3.
As shown in at least one exemplary embodiment, waste treatment unit 10 is be
placed in a
body of water W such that riser 12 extends downward to a desired depth. It
will be
appreciated that the lower portion 14 of riser 12 may be made of a material
that allows the
addition of segmented tubes or other structures, such as PVC piping, stainless
steel piping
with threaded extensions, or other such structures that allows the ultimate
depth of riser
12 to be determined by a user such that stratified layers of water in a
treatment lagoon can
be specifically targeted to be drawn up through riser 12 for oxygenation and
displacement, thereby allowing water in the lower, anaerobic areas of a lagoon
to be
drawn up, oxygenated, and discharged. It will be appreciated that when motor
64 is
powered on, water or the fluid in the lagoon, pond, or tank is drawn into the
riser 12
through inlets 18 and propelled upward through the riser 12 by one or more
propellers 70.
exits the riser 12 through outlets 24 into chamber 32. The continuous flow of
fluid into
the chamber 32 generally causes the fluid surface level L within the chamber
32 to be
slightly higher than the water surface surrounding the chamber, thus providing
a
hydraulic pressure forcing the water out the openings 39 in the chamber floor
34. The
size of the riser 12, motor 64, and propellers 70 are desirably selected so
that between
about 600 to 1000 gallons of water per minute can be pumped up though the
riser 12 into
the chamber 32. Furthermore, fluid surface level L within chamber 32 may be
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manipulated by a user such that the pressure therein is increased, thereby
allowing greater
amounts of oxygen to be transferred. For example, the surface level L may be
manipulated to increase sufficient to create a hydraulic pressure equal to
approximately at
least 1.1 atmospheres, at least 1.2 atmospheres, at least 1.3 atmospheres, or
at least 1.4
atmospheres hydraulic pressure, thereby entraining more oxygen therein.
This flow of fluid through riser 12 causes a continuous air inflow into the
upper
end 16 of riser 12 though chamber ceiling opening 54, the air being mixed with
the fluid
within riser 12 at the point of discharge of the fluid from riser 12 through
discharge
outlets 24. As fluid cascades out of discharge outlets 24, into inner chamber
60, out into
chamber, chamber 32 and forcefully exits openings 39, the direction and depth
at which
the oxygenated fluid is discharged can be determined the optional use of flow
direction
pipes 74 and 76, which may be adjustable with respect to each other to
selectively
determine the depth and direction of flow direction pipes 74 and 76. By
selective
direction of pipes 74 and 76, the fluid outflow from waste treatment unit 10
can at least
partially oppose or offset the rotation of the treatment unit 10 due to the
torque provided
when the motor 64 is running. The flow of water within the chamber 32 may
cause the
development of foam on the surface of the water within chamber 32, depending
on the
fluid conditions. According to at least one exemplary embodiment, accumulating
foam
can be vacuum withdrawn through pipe 78, or in another embodiment, the foam
will
automatically eject through pipe 78 due pressure build-up. Additionally, it
will be
appreciated that an activated charcoal filter may be added to pipe 78 to
reduce any odor
produced from the treated water as gas is offgased.
Turning now to Fig. 5, according to yet another exemplary embodiment, waste
treatment unit 10 optionally includes a movable shearing blade 120 attached to
shaft 66,
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and a fixed shearing blade 122. Both fixed shearing blade 122 and movable
shearing
blade 120 may comprise metal, including steel, stainless steel, hardened
steel, hardened
stainless steel, or ceramic, carbide, or other suitable material. In practice,
movable
shearing blade 120 may be urged into close planar contact with fixed shearing
blade 122
through the use of a bushing 124, whereby the bushing comprises a spring,
rubber, or
other material able to urge shearing blade 120 toward fixed shearing blade
122. By
urging movable shearing blade 120 toward fixed shearing blade 122, when motor
turns
shaft 66, movable shearing blade rotates, and when passing over the top of
fixed shearing
blade 122, any material caught between movable shearing blade 120 and fixed
shearing
blade 122 is sliced, thereby reducing the likelihood of long, stringy waste
from becoming
entangled with propeller 70 or clogging discharge outlets 24. Further, bushing
124 allows
a slight upward movement of the blade in relation to fixed shearing blade, any
hardened
or uncuttable objects may pass between the two blades, thereby preventing
seizure of the
unit and potential damage to motor 64.
In application, at least one embodiment an oxygen transfer rate of at least
.50
kg/hr 02 transfer can be achieved while utilizing approximately 4.5 to 5 amps
of
electricity at 120 volts. In at least one additional embodiment, an oxygen
transfer rate of
at least 0.8 kg/hr 02 transfer can be achieved while utilizing approximately
4.5 to 5 amps
of electricity at 120 volts.
Turning now to Fig. 4, it will be appreciated that additional flow direction
pipes
74 and 76 may be added to inlets 18, thereby allowing a user to further
control to the
source of water collection, and further allowing selective uptake of water at
points in the
lagoon where the oxygen level is likely to be the lowest. Likewise, by
selectively placing
flow direction pipes 74 and 76 to intake at points in a lagoon that are most
likely to have
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low oxygen levels (both in terms of height and position within the lagoon),
and by
selectively placing flow direction pipes 74 and 76 for dispelling oxygenated
water from
the waste treatment unit 10, a more consistently oxygenated lagoon can be
developed by
developing both inward and outward flow currents that adequately disperse
oxygenated
water and intake low oxygenated water, thereby allowing permeation of oxygen
throughout the lagoon without creating a turbulent flow of water that
precludes the
settling of organic matter that is required in clarification or settling tanks
or lagoons.
Further, due to the fact that flow can be directed with relative precision and
with
relatively low pressure, a reduced amperage is required to operate motor 64,
thereby
resulting in increased energy efficiency. Finally, it will be appreciated that
the use of
such directional flow allowing slower water transfer to occur further allows
the use of
propeller speeds to entrain air while not dispersing bacterial colonies known
as flock.
Additionally, it will be appreciated that utilizing the flow direction pipes
74 and
76, water may be utilized to direct water brought up from wanner strata in the
winter to
help eliminate ice build-up on the surface of outdoor lagoons, which further
allows for
additional oxygenation of the lagoon.
While these features have been disclosed in connection with the illustrated
preferred embodiment, other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to
those
skilled in the art that come within the spirit of the invention as defined in
the following
claims. Further, it will be appreciated that in very large ponds or lakes, it
may be
convenient or necessary to employ two or more water treatment units 10 to
ensure a total
water flow volume sufficient to provide sufficient oxygen to satisfy the BOD
of the body
of water.
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