Apparatus for universal water treatment

An apparatus for universal water treatment with cylindrical housing and rotating ring-baskets, in which the housing is provided with untreated water inlet and purified water outlet stubs and the rotating filter baskets contains a back-washing chamber for regeneration of the baskets. The rotary filter baskets contain also an annular coagulating space formed in the cylindrical housing connected to the untreated water inlet stub. The rotating filter baskets are arranged uniaxially with the coagulation space and with each other. The filter baskets may be arranged within or above each other. Several filter beds are arranged in the filter baskets separated from each other and provided with independent back-washing chamber. The filter beds are arranged between cylindrical, perforated partition walls.

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The invention relates to an apparatus for universal water treatment with 
cylindrical housing and rotating ring-basket, in which the housing is 
provided with untreated water inlet and purified water outlet stubs and 
the rotating filter basket contains back washing chamber, wherein said 
apparatus is continuously regenerated. 
It is well-known that the substances floating in the water are removed 
during the filtering process. For this purpose traditionally sand filters 
have been used, the operation of which is essentially similar to the 
filtration taking place in the nature. However the fine grained layer in 
the water filters become polluted after a while, thus its regeneration is 
necessary. 
The regeneration is carried out with clean water in counterflow to the 
filtration and during this process in given case the filter bed is 
loosened with air, or other gaseous medium. 
The regeneration can be carried out only by interruption of the filtering 
process. Accordingly continuous filtration can be carried out only by use 
of several separate filtering apparatuses and during regeneration of one 
of the filtering apparatuses the filtration is carried out with the other 
or several other apparatuses. 
However the generally decreasing filtering rate caused by pollution, and 
the thereby diminishing specific throughput require fairly large size 
filtering apparatuses, which will considerably increase the cost of 
filtering process. 
Further difficulty is caused by the fact, that in order to increase the 
filtering efficiency, several filter beds are used whenever necessary. 
Furtuermore, in order to meet the different water treatment requirements, 
in addition to the removal of the floating solid impurities, chemical 
filtration too, such as acid-, gas-, iron-, nitrogen- and/or phosphorus-, 
heavy metal, salt-extraction, deodorization, etc. may be carried out as 
well. In this way, the simple filtering process is combined generally with 
other water treatment processes, which however necessitate the 
coonstruction of further filtering and treating vessels, which increase 
the cost of the already expensive intermittently operating filtering 
technology, Moreover the technology itself too becomes very complicated, 
since in order to ensure the intermittent operation, several coagulating 
or chemical-conditioning tanks, furthermore filters of different filter 
materials and grain size are necessary. 
In order to reduce the above difficulties, filtering apparatuses were 
constructed for continuous purification. Known is for instance such 
apparatus fitted with wire spool, in which slowly rotating nozzle is used 
for washing over the filter element. 
Another system comprises a scraper fitted into the gaps between the filter 
discs, combing out the accumulated impurities. 
In continuously operating filter apparatuses, the separated impurity passes 
into a collecting space, from where it is periodically removed. 
The disadvantage of above solutions lies first of all in that the extent of 
filtration is restricted by the gap size of the wire spools and filter 
discs. 
Similar is the operation of the filter apparatuses fitted with continuously 
regenerating sieve cloth, or with different porous materials. Known are 
also fitter apparatuses provided with replaceable filter inserts and 
cartridges. 
Such continuously flushing water filtering apparatus also exists, which has 
a cylindrical housing with rotating filter basket carried on sealed 
bearing and provided with untreated water inlet stub in the centre of the 
housing as well as purified water outlet stub reaching into the bottom 
part of the housing, the filter basket is closed on the top sealed and 
fitting into the hole of the outlet stub. The jacket of the filter basked 
is fitted with filter elements, while a cavity is formed on the inner wall 
of the housing fitting to the filter basket along a plane perpendicular to 
the inlet and outlet stubs, and the outlet hole passing through the wall 
of the housing is leading into the cavity. Such apparatuses are described 
in the Hungarian Pat. No. 172 006. Accordingly the filter elements are 
prisms retaining the filter medium, the prisms are formed by plate the two 
opposite sides of which are perforated, or by sieve cloth, which prisms 
have a mounting flange fitting to the filter basket. In a preferred 
embodiment the outer side of the filter basket is curved according to the 
radius of the filter basket. The filter medium in the filter basket mey be 
sand, crushed quartz, active carbon, crushed porcelain fragments or their 
optional mixture. 
This apparatus ensures the filtering of the floating solids of the water, 
which has a small size, low cost of production and continuous operation, 
but it does not allow the simultaneous use of the filter elements of 
different quality and chemical filtration, thus it gives water purity 
corresponding only to industrial water quality. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The object of the present invention is an apparatus for universal water 
treatment, which ensures highly efficient purification of the drinking 
water, bath water or waste water as required with the combination of 
different water treatment and filtering processes, at the same time its 
size is small, the cost of production is low and it fulfils the special 
water treatment requirements. 
According to the present invention in the water treatment apparatus with 
cylindrical housing and rotating filter basket, the housing is provided 
with untreated water inlet stub and purified water outlet stub, while the 
rotary filter basket contains at least one back-washing chamber, an anular 
coagulating space was formed in the cylindrical housing connected to the 
untreated water inlet stub, and several rotating filter baskets are used 
arranged uniaxially with the coagulation space and with each other in 
addition the apparatus is provided with at least one gas inlet pipe. 
The filter baskets used in the apparatus according to the invention may be 
arranged within or above each other. Several filter beds are arranged in 
the filter baskets suitably separated from each other and provided with 
independent back-washing chamber, in which the filter beds are arranged 
preferably between cylindrical, perforated partition walls. 
The applied filter beds may be made of fractions of the same material but 
with different grain size, or fractions of different materials with 
different grain size. Generally it is suitable to use quartz, 
hydroanthracite, active carbon, zeolite, fermago-magno, synthetic resin or 
ceramic fragments, or their mixture in optional proportion. 
In the apparatus according to the invention the gas conducting pipe or one 
those is leading into the flushing chamber and/or coagulation space, in 
order to facilitate or to carry out the chemical treatment and/or the 
regeneration of the filter bed with air and/or gas. 
The flushing chamber or chambers are inter connected suitably with the last 
filter unit in order to carry out the back-washing with the filtered 
water. 
The water treatment and regeneration can be continuously carried out in the 
so-formed apparatus, the operation of which requires minimal energy and 
little flushing water. Size of the apparatus is extremely small, and it 
can be constructed in different sizes according to the requirements.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
The apparatus shown in FIG. 1 consists of cylindrical tank 2 standing on 
legs 1, within which a filter housing 3 is arranged. The filter basket 4 
is rotatably supported in the filter housing 3. 
Untreated water inlet stub 5 is arranged on the jacket of the cylindrical 
tank 2, while filtered water outlet stub 8 is fixed to the cover 6 
connected to tubular shaft 7 supporting the filter basket 4. The filtered 
water outlet stub 8 is supported and sealed on the tubular shaft 7, while 
the driving gear 9 on the top is fixed onto the tubular shaft 7. 
Slurry outlets 11 and drain pipe 12 on the bottom are arranged on the 
bottom plate 10 of the cylindrical tank 2. 
An annular coagulation space 13 is formed between the cylindrical tank 2 
and filter house 3. Here the water flow is facilitated by baffle plates 
14. There are openings 15 on the upper part of the filter housing 3, 
through which the water flows from the coagulation space 13 into the 
filter housing 3. 
An external back-washing chamber 16 is connected with the internal jacket 
of the filter housing, from the lower part of which extends one of the 
slurry water outlet stubs 11. 
The filter basket 4 rotatably supported in the filter house 3 includes 
external filter cylinder 17 and internal filter cylinder 18. The filter 
cylinders consist of a filter bed arranged between perforated partition 
walls, with cylindrical baffle plate 19 between them. The slurry can be 
removed from the back-washing chamber pertaining to the internal filter 
cylinder 18 through the slurry outlet stub 11 extending through the bottom 
plate 21 of the filter basket 4. 
The external and internal filter cylinders 17 and 18 are divided into 
radial compartments with plates 22. These compartments contain the said 
filter material, which is filled in through the openings provided with 
lockable covers 23 formed on the compartments. 
A gas inlet pipe 24 is connected to the internal back-washing chamber 20 
through the slurry water outlet stub 11. Nozzles 25 are formed on its end 
which face the geometrical centerline of the apparatus. Similarly, gas 
inlet pipe 26 is connected to the coagulation space 13 through the bottom 
plate 10 of the cylindrical tank 2. 
Assembly and maintenance of the apparatus according to the invention are 
ensured through an acces holes closed by covers 27. 
Operation of the apparatus is the following: 
The untreated water enters through the untreated water inlet stub 5 into 
the coagulation space 13, where the admitted chemicals are mixed and 
conditioned according to the purpose of the water treatment. In given 
cases, air or other gas too may be mixed with the water, according to the 
nature of the treatment (deironization, degasing, acid extraction, etc.). 
Velocity of the water to be treated decreases in the coagulation space, 
then following the end of the treatment the water uniformly distributed 
through the openings 15 of the filter housing 3 passes onto the filter 
cylinder 17 of the filter basket 4, where the floating solid impurities of 
the water to be treated get caught. The water passing through the filter 
bed flows along the cylindrical baffle plates 19 into the central part of 
the filter basket 4, where uniformly distributed again, passes onto the 
filter bed or filter net arranged on the internal filter cylinder 17, the 
grain size and/or material of which is different from that of the external 
filter bed, where the water is purified from the fine impurities. The 
purified water leaves the filter basket 4 through the tubular shaft 7 and 
filtered water outlet stub 8. 
The filter basket 4 is turned over by driving gear 9 at a rate according to 
the requirements of the water treatment, thus each compartment of the 
external and internal filter cylinders 17 and 18 moves along the external 
and internal back-washing chambers 16 and 20 respectively. Due to the 
pressure difference, part of the filtered water flows from the interior of 
the filter basket 4 through the filter bed counter to the direction of 
filtration and entrains the deposited impurities, which leaves through the 
slurry outlet stubs 11. More intensive back-washing of the filter beds is 
facilitated by air or other gas admitted through the gas inlet pipe 24. 
Similarly, air or other gas can be blown into the coagulation space 13 
through the other gas inlet pipe 26 for completion of the water treatment. 
Another embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention is shown in 
FIGS. 2 and 3. Here too, the apparatus stands on legs 1 and is arranged in 
cylindrical tank 2. The cylindrical tank 2 is formed with units 2a, 2b and 
2c interconnected by flanges 30 through partition walls 29 provided with 
transfer holes 28. The assembled apparatus is closed with cover 6 on the 
top and bottom plate 10. Filtered water chamber 31 provided with filtered 
water outlet stub 8 is formed between the bottom plate 10 and unit 2a. 
The coagulation space 13 is formed on the external annular part of the 
cylindrical tank 2, and the filter cylinders 32 are arranged within this 
space in the filter house 3. The upper part of filter house 3 is provided 
with transfer holes 15. The filter cylinders 32 are similar to the 
external filter cylinders 17 shown in FIG. 1.: these too are bodies 
divided into segments and confined by perforated plates, which include the 
filter beds. The filter baskets 4 are embedded in central shaft 33 driven 
by driving gear 9. The outlet stubs are centrally arranged on the bottom 
plates 21 of the filter baskets 4, embedded as sliding bearings into the 
partition walls 29. 
The filter baskets 4 of the apparatus are provided with back-washing 
chambers 35 as shown in FIG. 3. These surround the filter baskets 4 
preferably at an angle of 25.degree.-30.degree., their height is the same 
as that of the filter baskets 4. 
The apparatus--similarly to the one shown in FIG. 1,--is provided with 
untreated water inlet stub 5, filtered water outlet stub 8, slurry outlet 
and drain pipe 12. The apparatus is also provided with gas inlet pipe. 
Operation of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is the following: 
The water to be treated is admitted through the untreated water inlet stub 
5 into the coagulation space 13, where the admitted chemicals are mixed 
and conditioned according to the purpose of the water treatment. The water 
may be mixed with air or other gasses, when needed. 
The water flow slows down in the coagulation space 13, then it passes 
through the transfer holes 28 into the upper unit 2c and from there 
through transfer holes 15 into the filtering space. Here passing through 
the first filter bed ir flows into the central part of the filter basket 
3, then through the outlet stub 34 into unit 2b. Following the filtration 
taking place here, the water flows into the lowermost unit 2a, then into 
the filtered water chamber 31 and finally it leaves through the filtered 
water outlet stub 8. Meanwhile the back-washing of the compartments at the 
back-washing chambers 35 takes place continuously. 
Although the apparatus shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 consists of three units only, 
a number of units may be series connected in accordance with the purpose 
of the water treatment, in which filter beds of different material and 
grain size may be optionally combined, as well as the chemicals admitted 
into the coagulation space. The units are of the same construction, the 
non-functioning stubs are closed with covers 36 during assembly. 
The examples demonstrate that the apparatus according to the invention may 
be assembled in any optional combination according to the purpose of 
filtration or treatment: the filter baskets are concentrically arranged 
within or above each other, while the filter materials are optimally 
selected and arranged according to the requirements. The apparatus can be 
continuously operated, its size is small and its output is extremely high 
compared with the dimensions. Production of the apparatus is inexpensive, 
its assembly and maintenance are simple.