Circular clarifier cleaning system

Abstract

The circular clarifier cleaning system includes a mainframe to which all various components are attached for the prevention of growth and accumulation of the algae and debris. The components within the system include gravity-driven, horizontal and vertical sweeping chains. The outer trough wall, V-notch weirs, baffle plate wall, and inner baffle plate wall are all cleaned utilizing a rotating chain system device. Two main drag chains are used to clean the effluent trough and the overflow in the overflow wall after the V-notch weirs. An individual chain is utilized as a “garland” to clean the V-notch weirs at the overflow. The circular clarifier cleaning system is driven by an existing skimmer arm found on all secondary clarifiers.

1 . A circular clarifier cleaning system in combination with a clarifier, comprising:
 a circular clarifier having an effluent trough, a baffle wall, an outer trough wall, and inner trough wall, a spillway and scum skimmer arm;   an elongate mainframe member attached to and radially extending from the scum skimmer arm;   a first positioning member attached to the elongate mainframe member, the first positioning member being pivotally biased towards contact with a first circular wall of the clarifier; and   a first wheel having its axis of rotation vertically aligned, the first wheel being attached to the first positioning member;   first debris dislodging members attached to the first wheel;   wherein upon rotational motion of the scum skimmer arm, the first debris dislodging members and the first wheel are caused to rotate, thereby imparting rotational contact of the first debris dislodging members against the first wall to dislodge debris and growth from the first wall.   
     
     
         2 . The circular clarifier cleaning system according to  claim 1 , wherein said first positioning member is an outer trough wall wheel positioning member and the first circular wall is said outer trough wall of said clarifier. 
     
     
         3 . The circular clarifier cleaning system according to  claim 1 , wherein said first positioning member is a baffle wheel positioning member and said first circular wall is said baffle wall of said clarifier. 
     
     
         4 . The circular clarifier cleaning system according to  claim 1 , wherein said first debris dislodging members comprise a plurality of chains vertically suspended from said first wheel. 
     
     
         5 . The circular clarifier cleaning system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a first curtain of chains suspended from said mainframe, the first curtain of chains having radially extending columns, the first chain curtain being positioned to drag along a bottom of the effluent trough of said clarifier upon rotational motion of said scum skimmer arm. 
     
     
         6 . The circular clarifier cleaning system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a second curtain of chains suspended from said mainframe, the second curtain of chains having radially extending columns, the second chain curtain being positioned to drag along a top of said spillway wall upon rotational motion of said scum skimmer arm. 
     
     
         7 . The circular clarifier cleaning system according to  claim 6 , further comprising a plurality of inner trough wall chains pivotally suspended from a top horizontal end of said second curtain of chains, said inner trough wall chains being positioned to drag along said inner trough wall upon rotational motion of said scum skimmer arm. 
     
     
         8 . The circular clarifier cleaning system according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a second positioning member pivotally attached to said elongate mainframe member;   an L-shaped wheel support bracket rigidly attached to said second positioning member, the L-shaped wheel support bracket having a leg in parallel alignment with a second circular wall of said clarifier, said second positioning member being tensioned so that said L-shaped support member leg in parallel alignment with the clarifier second circular wall is biased towards contact with the clarifier second circular wall;   a second wheel having its axis of rotation vertically aligned, the second wheel being attached to the L-shaped wheel support bracket; and   second debris dislodging members attached to the second wheel;   wherein upon rotational motion of said scum skimmer arm, the second debris dislodging members and the second wheel are caused to rotate, thereby imparting rotational contact of the second debris dislodging members against the second wall to dislodge debris and growth from the second wall.   
     
     
         9 . The circular clarifier cleaning system according to  claim 8 , wherein said second debris dislodging members comprise a plurality of chains vertically suspended from said second wheel. 
     
     
         10 . The circular clarifier cleaning system according to  claim 8 , wherein the second wall is a spillway wall of said clarifier. 
     
     
         11 . The circular clarifier cleaning system according to  claim 10 , further comprising a spillway chain attachment member vertically pivotally attached to said mainframe member. 
     
     
         12 . The circular clarifier cleaning system according to  claim 11 , further comprising a second curtain of chains suspended from said spillway chain attachment member, the second curtain of chains having radially extending columns, the second chain curtain being positioned to drag along a top of said spillway wall upon rotational motion of said scum skimmer arm. 
     
     
         13 . The circular clarifier cleaning system according to  claim 12 , further comprising a plurality of inner trough wall chains pivotally suspended from a top horizontal end of said second curtain of chains, the inner trough wall chains being positioned to drag along said inner trough wall upon rotational motion of said scum skimmer arm. 
     
     
         14 . The circular clarifier cleaning system according to  claim 13 , further comprising a chain suspended from said mainframe at two points to form a V-shaped garland, the V-shaped garland being positioned to contact overflow spaces of said spillway wall of said circular clarifier. 
     
     
         15 . A circular clarifier cleaning kit, comprising:
 an elongate mainframe member adapted for radially extending attachment to a scum skimmer arm of a circular clarifier;   a first positioning member attachable to the elongate mainframe member;   a spring attachable to the elongate main frame and the first positioning member to pivotally bias the first positioning member along a horizontal plane;   a first wheel having its axis of rotation vertically aligned, the first wheel being attachable to the first positioning member; and   first debris dislodging members attachable to the first wheel; and   wherein upon attachment of the circular clarifier cleaning kit to the circular clarifier, adjustment of the positioning member with respect to a first wall of the circular clarifier, and rotational motion of the scum skimmer arm, the first debris dislodging members and the first wheel are caused to rotate, thereby imparting rotational contact of the first debris dislodging members against the first wall to dislodge debris and growth from the first wall.   
     
     
         16 . The circular clarifier cleaning kit according to  claim 15 , further comprising a first curtain of chains suspendable from said mainframe, the first curtain of chains having radially extending columns, the first chain curtain being positionable to drag along a bottom of an effluent trough of the clarifier upon rotational motion of the scum skimmer arm. 
     
     
         17 . The circular clarifier cleaning kit according to  claim 15 , further comprising a second curtain of chains suspendable from said mainframe, the second curtain of chains having radially extending columns, the second chain curtain being positionable to drag along a top of a spillway wall of the clarifier upon rotational motion of the scum skimmer arm. 
     
     
         18 . The circular clarifier cleaning kit according to  claim 15 , further comprising a chain suspendable from said mainframe at two points to form a V-shaped garland, the V-shaped garland being positionable to contact overflow spaces of a spillway wall of the circular clarifier. 
     
     
         19 . A circular clarifier cleaning method, comprising the steps of:
 cleaning a circular clarifier having an effluent trough, a baffle wall, outer trough wall, inner trough wall, spillway and scum skimmer arm by using an elongate mainframe member attached to and radially extending from said scum skimmer arm to impart tangential motion to a first positioning member attached to said elongate mainframe member, said first positioning member being pivotally biased towards contact with a first circular wall of said clarifier, said tangential motion causing a first wheel having its axis of rotation vertically aligned and attached to said first positioning member, first debris dislodging members being attached to said first wheel to rotate said first debris dislodging members and said first wheel thereby imparting rotational contact of said first debris dislodging members against said first wall to dislodge debris and growth from said first wall.   
     
     
         20 . The circular clarifier cleaning kit according to  claim 19 , further comprising the step of cleaning said effluent trough by using a first curtain of chains suspended from said mainframe, said first curtain of chains having radially extending columns, said first chain curtain being positioned to drag along the bottom of said effluent trough of said clarifier upon rotational motion of said scum skimmer arm.