Patent ID: 9718104
Date: 2017-08-01
CPC Classifications: B04C,B07B,B09C

Claim:
1. A system for remediating highly contaminated farm soil having more contaminated fine soil than coarse soil, the system comprising: a mill having a first input receiving contaminated soil and a second input receiving process water, the mill mixing the soil with process water, individualized soil appearing at an output of the mill; a screen having an input coupled to the output of the mill to receive individualized soil therefrom, the screen separating particles of greater than a given size from the individualized soil and producing at the output of the screen a soil having particles of less than a given size; a separator having an input coupled to the output of the screen and adapted to separate soil appearing at the input of the separator into particles of different size ranges, the separator comprising first, second and third micro hydrocyclones each having an input and first and second outputs, the first, second and third micro hydrocyclones being coupled in series with each other, the first micro hydrocyclone having the input coupled to the output of the screen and separating the soil into particles having sizes greater than 0.075 mm and particles having sizes less than 0.075 mm, the first output of the first micro hydrocyclone coupled to the input of the screen to transmit back thereto particles having sizes greater than about 0.075 mm, the second output of the first micro hydrocyclone coupled to the input of the second micro hydrocyclone to transmit thereto particles having sizes less than about 0.075 mm, particles having sizes in a range of 0.040 to 0.075 mm appearing at the first output of the second micro hydrocyclone, the second output of the second micro hydrocyclone coupled to the input of the third micro hydrocyclone, particles having sizes of less than about 0.040 mm appearing at the second output of the second micro hydrocyclone, particles having sizes in a range of 0.020 mm to 0.040 mm appearing at the first output of the third micro hydrocyclone, particles having sizes of less than 0.020 mm appearing at the second output of the third micro hydrocyclone; a coagulating and settling unit having a first input coupled to the second output of the third micro hydrocyclone, a second input, a first output and a second output, the coagulating and settling unit adapted to coagulate and settle particles of a size less than 0.020 mm from process water, coagulated and settled particles of less than 0.020 mm appearing at the first output of the coagulating and settling unit, contaminated process water appearing at the second output of the coagulating and settling unit; a remediating unit including a first mixing tank, a second mixing tank and a thickener, the first mixing tank having an input coupled only to the first output of the second micro hydrocyclone and adapted to elute, with process water, contaminants from particles having sizes in the range of 0.040 mm to 0.075 mm, the first mixing tank having an output; the second mixing tank having an input coupled only to the first output of the third micro hydrocyclone and adapted to elute, with process water, contaminants from particles having sizes in the range of 0.020 mm to 0.040 mm, the second mixing tank having an output; the thickener having an input coupled only to the first output of the coagulating and settling unit and an output, the thickener receiving settled and coagulated particles of a size of less than 0.020 mm from the first output of the coagulating and settling unit; a process water recycling unit having an input coupled to the second output of the coagulating and settling unit for receiving the contaminated process water and an output, the process water recycling unit adapted to absorb contaminants from the contaminated process water, the output of the process water recycling unit coupled to the second input of the mill to supply recycled process water to the mill; and a filtering unit having an input, a first output and a second output, outputs of the first and second mixing tanks and the output of the thickener coupled to the input of the filtering unit, the filtering unit comprising a vacuum belt filter adapted to discharge the process water via the first output of the filtering unit back to the second input of the coagulating and settling unit, soil appearing at the second output of the filtering unit having the concentration of contaminants therein substantially suppressed by elution.