Patent ID: 6770206
Filing Date: 2004-08-03
Classification: C02F,Y10S

Abstract:
An apparatus for preventing formation of a solid or semi-solid surface layer in liquid waste contained in a wet-well, the apparatus comprising:a liquid pump adapted to pump the liquid waste out of the wet-well; an air pump adapted to pump air into the wet-well; one or more controllers configured to activate and deactivate the liquid pump and the air pump at selected times; a plurality of air injectors disposed in the wet-well and operatively coupled to the air pump, the air injectors injecting air into the liquid waste causing a stream of bubbles of air to rise in the liquid waste; the controller activating the air pump for a predetermined period of time so that the stream of air bubbles produced within the liquid waste causes turbulence in the liquid waste so as to disrupt and break up solids or semi-solids on a surface of the liquid waste to prevent the formation of the solid or semi-solid surface layer; and the controller activating the liquid pump for a predetermined period after deactivation of the air pump to cause a portion of the liquid waste and the solids or semi-solids to be pumped out of the wet-well.