Apparatus for water treatment

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus for treatment of water comprising inclined lamellae arranged so that settling materials as well as floating materials are separated from the water. The apparatus is devised so that the water flows in opposite directions through separate spaces between the lamallae, wherein heavy materials (sludge) settle to the bottoms of the spaces while floating materials (scum) are retained and separated in a chamber where the water changes its direction of flow. The apparatus may be arranged for separation of sludge in two fractions and for purification of the water by a combination of flotation by aeration and settling. The apparatus is useful for all types of purification processes based on separation by settling and flotation within the water and sewage treatment art. Especially of interest is the favorable application of the apparatus for treating storm water and overflow water.

I claim: .[.1. Apparatus for separating settleable and floating materials from polluted water, comprising 
     
       means for collecting said settleable solids. .Iaddend..Iadd. 7.  Apparatus for separating settleable and floating materials from polluted water, said apparatus comprising: a housing defining an inlet zone extending along a side of the housing, a flow reversal zone extending along an opposite side of the housing and a separating zone between said inlet and flow reversal zones;   an assembly of a plurality of spaced parallel lamellae in said separating zone and defining narrow passages arranged for the flow of water in a mainly horizontal direction through said passages, said passages comprising a first set of passages which communicate with said inlet zone along one side of the assembly and with said flow reversal chamber along the opposite side of the assembly, so that water can enter said first set of passages and flow in parallel therethrough toward said flow reversal zone, and a second set of passages, which are closed toward the inlet zone along said first side of the assembly and which are closed toward said flow reversal zone along the opposite side of said assembly in a top portion, but open toward said flow reversal zone in a lower portion, so that water entering said flow reversal zone from said first set of passages can enter said second set of passages to flow in parallel therethrough and in an opposite direction to the flow of water through said first set of passages, the passages of each of said first and second sets being interspersed with passages of the other set within the assembly, said passages being at least partially open at their bottoms so that settleable solids leave said passages in a downward direction;   outlet means communicating with said second set of passages at the ends thereof opposite to the flow reversal zone;   means for removing floatable separable material in said flow reversal zone; and   means for collecting said settleable solids. .Iaddend..Iadd. 8. Apparatus for separating settleable and floating materials from polluted water, said apparatus comprising:   an elongated inlet channel through which water is supplied to the apparatus;   an assembly of a plurality of horizontally spaced vertically extending parallel lamellae defining narrow passages arranged for the flow of water in a mainly horizontal direction through said passages, said passages comprising a first set of passages which communicate along one side of the assembly with the inlet channel, so that the water can enter said first set of passages and flow in parallel therethrough toward the opposite side of said assembly, and a second set of passages which are closed toward the inlet channel at said first side of the assembly;   an elongated flow reversal chamber arranged along said opposite side of the assembly and communicating with both said first set of passages and said second set of passages, so that water may enter said flow reversal chamber from said first set of passages and then enter said second set of passages to flow in parallel therethrough and in an opposite direction to the flow of water through said first set of passages;   the passages of said first set of passages alternating with the passages of said second set of passages, so that the water flows in opposite directions along opposite faces of at least some of said lamellae;   means closing only the top portions of the ends of said second set of passages opposite to the inlet channel, so as to prevent flow into said second set of passages from an upper area of said flow reversal chamber while permitting flow from a lower area thereof;   an elongated outlet channel communicating with said second set of passages at the ends thereof opposite to the flow reversal chamber;   said passages being at least partially open at their bottoms, so that settleable solids leave said passages in a downward direction; and   means for collecting said settleable solids. .Iaddend..Iadd. 9. Apparatus for separating settleable and floating materials from polluted water, said apparatus comprising a housing defining an elongated inlet channel extending along a side of the housing, an elongated flow reversal chamber extending along an opposite side of the housing and a separating zone between said inlet channel and said flow reversal chamber;   an assembly of a plurality of horizontally spaced vertically extending parallel lamellae in said separating zone and defining narrow passages arranged for the flow of water in a mainly horizontal direction through said passages, said passages comprising a first set of passages which communicate with said inlet channel along one side of the assembly and with said flow reversal chamber along the opposite side of the assembly, so that water can enter said first set of passages and flow in parallel therethrough toward said flow reversal chamber, and a second set of passages, which are closed toward the inlet channel along said first side of the assembly and which are closed toward said flow reversal chamber along the opposite side of said assembly in a top portion, but open toward said flow reversal chamber in a lower portion, so that water entering said flow reversal chamber from said first set of passages can enter said second set of passages to flow in parallel therethrough and in an opposite direction to the flow of water through said first set of passages, the passages of each of said first and second sets being interspersed with passages of the other set within the assembly, said passages being at least partially open at their bottoms so that settleable solids leave said passages in a downward direction;   an elongated outlet channel communicating with said second set of passages at the ends thereof opposite to the flow reversal chamber;   a trough for removing floatable separable material in said flow reversal chamber; and   means for collecting said settleable solids. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 10. Apparatus for separating settleable and floating materials from polluted water, comprising   an inlet means for supplying water to the apparatus,   an assembly of a plurality of spaced parallel lamellae defining narrow passages arranged for the flow of water in a mainly horizontal direction through said passages, said passages comprising a first set of passages which communicate along one side of the assembly with the inlet means, so that the water can enter said first set of passages and flow in parallel therethrough toward the opposite side of said assembly, and a second set of passages which are closed toward the inlet means at said first side of the assembly,   a flow reversal chamber arranged along said opposite side of the assembly and communicating with both said first set of passages and said second set of passages, so that water may enter said flow reversal chamber from said first set of passages and then enter said second set of passages to flow in parallel therethrough and in an opposite direction to the flow of water through said first set of passages,   means for removal of floating separable material in said flow reversal chamber,   outlet means communicating with said second set of passages at the ends thereof opposite to the flow reversal chamber, said passages being at least partially open at their bottoms, so that settleable solids leave said passages in a downward direction, and   means for collecting said settleable solids,   the lamellae system further comprises means to separate the settleable material into two fractions, and   the first set of passages have one portion of the bottom section closed and the second portion open and wherein the second set of parallel extending passages have one bottom portion closed in the region opposite the open portion of the bottoms of the first set of passages and the second set of passages have a second bottom portion open in the region opposite the closed portion of the first set of passages. .Iaddend.