Patent ID: 6241221
Filing Date: 2001-06-05
Classification: B01F

Abstract:
A waste pond liquid circulator, comprising:a base;a plurality of pontoons connected to the base and arranged to extend substantially radially with respect to a central axis passing through the base;a drive mechanism on the base;an impeller connected to the drive mechanism for rotation about the central axis;wherein the base and pontoons are configured to rest on a pond including a liquid surface and a pond bottom with the pontoons engaging the liquid surface and forming wedge shaped spaces between successive pontoons;wherein the impeller is configured to be rotated by the drive mechanism about the central axis to produce a vortex current of liquid directed toward the base and the liquid surface;wherein pontoons, base, and impeller are configured to form a substantially torroidal shaped re-circulating current flow with substantially radial components of such flow occurring along the liquid surface and adjacent the pond bottom, a substantially axial upward component along the central axis, and a substantially axial downward component spaced radially outward of the pontoons andwherein at least some of the pontoons include legs that project axially from said at least some pontoons to leg ends that are spaced radially from the central axis and disposed axially such that the impeller is situated axially between the leg ends and the pontoons.