Patent ID: 9376331
Filing Date: 2016-06-28
CPC Classification: B03D,C02F

Claim Text:
1. A method removing suspended particles in water through a flotation process, the method comprising: directing the water to be treated having the suspended particles into an inlet area; directing the water to be treated from the inlet area into a mixing zone; pressurizing the water and directing the pressurized water to a series of spray nozzles disposed in the mixing zone and ejecting the pressurized water from the series of spray nozzles into the mixing zone causing air bubbles to be formed and mixed with the water to be treated in the mixing zone; directing the pressurized water to the series of nozzles includes directing the pressurized water to a network that includes a first distribution network for directing the pressurized water to one or more spray nozzles at a first flow rate and a second distribution network for directing pressurized water to one or more spray nozzles at a second flow rate; directing the water in the mixing zone along with the suspended particles to a flotation zone where the air bubbles are effective to cause the suspended particles to float in an upper level of the flotation zone where the suspended particles can be removed; collecting clarified water in a clarified water collection area; providing a generally homogeneous mixture of the water and the pressurized water in the mixing zone by directing the water to be treated from the inlet area through a perforated plate having an array of openings therein which separates the inlet area from the mixing zone such that water to be treated moving from the inlet area to the mixing zone passes through the array of openings in the perforated plate, resulting in a generally homogeneous mix of the water to be treated with the pressurized water in the mixing zone; and wherein there is provided a clarified water take-up zone about the lower portion of the flotation zone, and the method includes generally preventing the occurrence of a recirculation phenomenon in the clarified water take-up zone.