METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PURIFICATION OF LIQUID MEDIUMS, ESPECIALLY WASTE WATER

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for purification of waste water and other liquids by means of a known flocculent like lime, aluminum chloride, ferrous sulphate, ferrous chloride etc., whereby waste water or another liquid is continuously and under a turbulent movement mixed with a flocculent in a mixing chamber (13) from which the flocculent/water mixture is continuously transferred to one or several flocculation chambers (14-16), connected in series with each other, in which the flocculent/water mixture is continuously stirred and is allowed to stay for a predetermined period of time, during which flocks of nutrient salts, biochemically oxygen consuming substances and other water soluble ingredients of the water are precipitated in the form of flocks, whereupon the liquid with the flocks is drained to a sedimentation unit (1), in which the relatively heavy flocks and other heavy substances are allowed to sink to the bottom, from which they are removed as known per se, whereas the purified liquid of the sedimentation basin (1) is continuously let out to a recipient.

Description: Method and apparatus for purification of liquid mediums, especially waste water. The present invention generally relates to a method and an apparatus for purification of contaminated liquids, especially waste water from developped areas or industries by a continuous process comprising mixing of flocculent chemicals into the water, like lime, aluminum sulphate, ferrous chloride, ferrous sulphate and other chemicals, flocculating the water and precipitation of nutrient salts and all kinds of other contaminations of the water. More particularly the invention is directed to such a method and such an apparatus by means of which a continuous precipitation of nutrient salts and other substances is made in " purificat on plants and flocculation plants, said apparatus being integral with the purification or flocculation plant or connected to a basin or a similar means for removing precipitations, for instance an available sedimenting basin for waste water or any other liquid. It is known that some different chemical substances like lime, aluminum sulphate, ferrous chloride, ferrous sulphate etc. are capable of precipitating nutrient salt, biochemically oxygen consuming substances, suspensions and many other liquid soluable and unwanted substances from the water or other liquids. Aluminum sulphate, ferrous sulphate and ferrous chloride also are well known active flocculeπts having a known good activity. Lime is a flocculent which is suitable from environemental viewpoint, which raises the pH value of acid and slightly basic solutions and which thereby counteracts the acidification of ground and water. So far it has, however, been difficulties to utilize lime for chemical purification of waste water and other liquids, above all depending on the fact the lime deposits as lime shell on the walls of feeding pipes and flutes in which lime and water or similar means are supplied to the purification basin. For chemical purification of waste water and other liquids it has therefore been customary to utilize, to a large extent, other flocculents like aluminum sulphate, ferrous chloride and ferrous sulphate, which in previously known methods and apparatus both have operated relatively slowly thereby necessitating large operation volumes, and also can give some negative effects on the water of the recipient, and which further have not always given the intended result. When using said known flocculents it has generally been necessary to provide special flocculation plants or basins connected to the sedimentation basin, and therefore the purification plant as a whole has become relatively expensive to provide and to maintain. The object of the invention therefore has been to solve the problem of providing a method and an apparatus offering the possibility of effectively utilize any knwon flocculent like lime in slaked or unslaked condition, aluminum sulphate, ferrous chloride, ferrous sulphate etc. for purifying waste water or other liquids, which apparatus is comparatively simple and cheap to build and to install, which can be installed into an integral unit with the ordinary sedimenting basin, whether said basin is round, rectangular or of any other shape, and idependently of the size of the entire plant, and in which consequently the steps of admixture of flocculent, the flocculation and the precipitation follow continuously and in one and the same unit. It is thereby also important that the method and the apparatus are formed so that the way of mixing the flocculent with the waste water, the admixture volume and the admixture time can be varied considering various flows of waste water and considering the fact that the flocculation time etc. varies for different actual flocculents. An advantage with the invention is that there is no need to transport the liquid including the flocculent, or the ready flock respectively, between different containers. On the contrary the entire process takes place by a continuous through flow process, in which the admixture of flocculent, the flocculation and the precipitation follow in one and the same unit. The flocks are very sensitive to disturbances. In conventional flocculation plants, in which the flocks are transported through tubes or flutes to the sedimentation basin there is at least a partly collapsing of the actual flocks, which flock thereafter has to be rebuilt, and this reduces the purification effect to a great extent. According to the invention the above mentioned objects are solved in that there is a continuous mixing in a mixing chamber and under heavy turbulent movement of powdered flocculent, in the following named "powder", or of a slurry, and the incoming liquid to become purified, whereupon the flocculent/liquid mixture is transmitted to a flocculation chamber or several successive and communicating flocculation chambers, in which the flooculent/liquid mixture, likewise under a slight turbulens is allowed to form flocks and precipitated substances of the liquid, and finally the liquid mixture with the flocks is allowed to slowly flow out into the ordinary purification basin or sedimentation basin, in which the flocks are allowed to sink to the bottom and to become removed by means of known mechanical devices like a scraper apparatus, a pump or a similar means. Thus, in the first place the invention involves a new method and a new apparatus for continuously mix flocculent with the incoming liquid to become purified and to provide a precipitation by a flocculation before the liquid with the flocks are allowed to flow out into the ordinary sedimentation basin. The mixing and flocculation apparatus preferably is mounted in or above the sedimentation basin, and therefore it can be used in available plants, even plants intended to be used with other types of chemical purification than flocculation, and without the need of expanding the plant in the horizontal or the vertical direction and indepently of the shape and size of the available basin, there is a minimum demand for attendance, it gives, as compared with previously known methods, an improved purification, the purification follows more quickly than before, and according to a preferred embodiment thereof it can be adapted to such varying flows which appear from summer to winter and during the winter time respectively. In case lime and some other substances is used as the flocculent the flocculation follows more quickly than when using many other known focculents, the method is cheaper, the lime flocculated sludge with advantage can used as a fertilized since said sludge includes fertilizing phosphoros, and thanks to the high pH value thereof, and it is further possible to obtain the advantage that the pH value of the water or the liquid of the basin or the recipient is increased, and that both the purified water and the precipitated sludge having said relatively high pH value can be assimilated in the nature together with precipitated nutrient salts etc. Further characteristics of the invention will be evident from the following detailed specification in which reference will be made to the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that the embodiments of the method and the apparatus to be described in the following are only of illustrating character, and that many modification and changes may be made within the scope of the appended claims. In the drawings figure 1 diagrammatically shows a vertical cross section through a purification plant formed with the apparatus according to the invention for purification by flocculation. Figure 2 is a top plan view of another pl nt formed in accordance with the invention. Figure 3 is a separate top view of a mixing and flocculation apparatus according to the invention. Figure 4 is a cross section view along lines 1V-IV of figure 3, and figures 5 and 6 show cross section views along lines V-V and VI-VI of figure 3 resp. Figure, finally, shows an alternative embodiment of a flocculation plant according to the invention. The plant shows in figure 1 generally comprises a basin 1 having mounted therein a purification apparatus 2 according to the invention including mixing and flocculation units, which purification apparatus is supplied with flocculent from a silo 3 or a similar means. The water or the liquid to be purified is adapted to be supplied through a conduit 4 which is connected to the purification apparatus. The flocculent is supplied for instance via a diagramatically indicated screw feeder to a feeder cone 6 in which the flocculent meets and is mixed with the incoming water. The basin of figure 1 is of conventional type and at the bottom thereof there is a scraper means 7 for scraping of precipitations and sludge from the water to a collection box 8 from which the sludge and the precipitations can be pumped off by means of a sludge pump 9. The purified water is generally drained by self-draining through an outlet 10 (figure 2) to a suitable place of the recipient. In figure 2 the purification apparatus according to the invention is shown applied to a circular sedimentation basin 1'. Otherwise the plant is of the same type as in figure 1. As most clearly shown in connection to figures 2 and 3 the purification apparatus according to the invention comprises a container 11, in the illustrated case a circular-cylindric container, but it may alternatively have a square, rectangular, polygon or any other cross section form. In the illustrated case the container is formed with a central vertical through sedimentation tube 12 and round said tube two or several at least partly closable chambers, as shown in the drawings four chambers 13-16. The first chamber, into which both the water supply 4 and the flocculent screw open, is a mixing chanber 13 for flocculent and water. The inlet cone 6 is mounted in such position that the bottom edge thereof is located slightly under the water level of the mixing chamber 13 to prevent the flocculent from making a lot of dust and spreading to the ambient. At the interior the cone is formed with water spreaders which continuously spray water to the , cone walls to prevent the flocculent from sticking to the walls. For providing an effective mixing of the powder and the water it is important that the water is put into a heavy turbulent movement, and for this purpose the mixing chamber can be formed with one or more air blow bars 17 blowing air into the chamber, or with a propeller 18 mounted at the bottom of the chamber and having a downwardly directed activity. The propeller should be formed and should be driven with such speed that the said heavy turbulent movement is reached. The volume of the mixing chamber should be calculated considering the flow through the water supply conduit, so that an even through-flow is obtained in the purification plant, and the amount of flocculent should be calculated considering the amount of water and the amount of nutrient salts and other material of the water, or considering the intended pH value, of a combination of the amount of water and the pH value. For adapting the mixing chamber 13 to different columes the partition wall between the mixing chamber 13 and the adjacent flocculation chamber 14 can be displacable, so that the volume of the mixing chamber is increased or reduced respectively. The mixing chamber 13 is defined, along the periphery thereof, by the outer wall of the container 11, at one end thereof by a fixed wall 19 and at the other ^ end by a wall or screen 20 that can be raised or lowered. The screen is intended to let through water mixed with powder to the adjacent flocculation chamber and it should be raised so that a calm and even flow of water mixed with powder is allowed under the screen and into the adjacent chamber 14, in which the mixture is subjected to a flocculation. In case the apparatus is intended to be used for a constant flow of water it may be sufficient with only one flocculation chamber 14, but generally the flow of water varies, for instance in waste water purification plants following the season of the year etc., and in such cases it is suitable to form the apparatus with two, three or still more flocculation chambers, in the illustrated case three flocculation chambers 14, 15 and 16. In large purification plants, for instance when unslaked lime is used as the flocculation means the admixture cone 6 can be substitued by a flute for a slurry in which a sufficient amount of flocculent is supplied, and in such case the slurry can be prepared in another container so as to have a suitable consistency and content of powder. The optimum time for flocculation of nutrient salts and other material of the water is different for diffen flocculents. So, tests have proved that the optimum flocculation time when using lime as a flocculent is between 3 and 12 minutes, for aluminum sulphate, ferrious chloride or ferrous sulphate the flocculation time is about 20 minutes, and the apparatus is calculated in consideration thereof, so that the water remains in the purification apparatus at least that long time. In case of low flows only one flocculation chamber is utilized, in case of heavier flows the volume of two or all three flocculation chambersa« used. Between adjacent flocculation chambers there are screens 21 and 22 which can be raised and lowered respectively, and which upon need can be removed entirely so that the volume of one, two or all three out of the illustrated container segments is/are used for the flocculation. Depending on the variations in the amount of incoming water appearing in ase of melting of snow, during dry summers, autumn rains and during normal load the operator can keep, raise or remove the screens 21 and 22 thereby utilizing a suitable flocculation volume of the purification apparatus. This is such a flocculation volume that the water remains in the purification apparatus an average time of at least the above mentioned mixing and flocculation time for the actual flocculent. It is also possible to divide the apparatus into an optional number of flocculation chambers depending on what stay time is desired for the water/powder mixture. Irrespective of the magnitude of the flocculation volume there can be a spillway outflow of flocked liquid to the sedimentation basin through the sedimentation tube 12 from any wanted chamber. The flocculation chamber or each flocculation chamber 14-16 may have a stirring means 23 as indicated in figures 2 and 3. Each stirring mens can be a propeller but in a preferred embodiment of the invention it is a so called gate stirring means comprising a frame 23a adapted to rotate slowly about a vertical shaft 23b and carrying vertical flies 23c which can be set to an optional angle in relation to the frame. If a maximum stirring is wanted the flies 23c are set parallelly to the frame 23a, if a minimum stirring is wanted the flies 23c are set perpendicularly to the frame 23a. The flies of one and the same frame can be set freely in relation to each other as indicated in figure 2. The rotation of the stirring means 23 of the different flocculation chambers 14-16 can be actuated in common or separately for each gate stirring means and with different speeds and different fly angles in relation to each other. If one or more propellers are used as stirring means in the flocculation chambers they ought to have an upwardly directed activity. The gate stirring means or the propellers respectively should rotate with such reasonable speed that the flocks already formed in the water are broken apart. Each one of the flocculation chambers 14-16 is formed with a sl de shutter 24 at the sedimentation tube 12 which shutter can be lowered so as to form an overflow edge as indicated at the chamber 16 of figures 4 and 6, whereby waste water together with flocks flow over the shutter 24, down through the sedimentation tube 12 and into the water of the sedimentation basin, in which sludge and flocks sink to the bottom depending on their relatively high weight and from which the sludge and the flocks is scraped together by means of the scraper means and are removed by means of a sludge . pump or a similar means. A stop screw 25 or a similar means at the upper part of the chamber forms a stop means for the shutter, and the actuation thereof can be made from above with a handle 26 (see figures 5 and 6). In order to lead the waste water with the flocks calmly and evenly downwards the container 11 underneath the chambers 13-16 is formed with a guide screen 27 which is most clearly shown in figure 4. The sludge and the flocks that sink to the bottom of the round or rectangular sedimentation basin are removed by means of a scraper means 7 to a collection box 8 (figure 1), from which the sludge, sol d particles and the flocks can be removed as known. Figure 7 shows an alternative apparatus according to the invention, in which three flocculation chambers 14', 15' and 16' are placed on line after each other and after the mixing chamber 13'. In order to allow a draining of flocculated water alternatively from the first, the second and the third chamber each chamber can be formed with sedimentation tube 12' having a closable shutter. Otherwise the chambers are formed like in the previously described circular apparatus. The apparatus operates as follows: Waste water or some other liquid flows through the main conduit 4 into the mixing chamber 13, in which the water is subjected to a vigorous stirring or a turbulent movement by means of the air blow bar 17 and/or the propeller 18. At the same time a flocculent is introduced in the mixing chamber 13 from the silo 3 or from an adjacent slurry forming means and is carefully mixed with the water. The amount of flocculent powder supplied to the mixing chamber is, according to experience following a careful analysis of the waste water, calculated so that the amount is adapted to the special circumstances. From the mixing chamber the powder/water mixture flows underneath the screen 20 into the flocculation chamber 14, in which the stirring means, for instance the gate stirring device rotates and provides a stirring by a slow rotation. The flies of the gate stirring means are trimmed so as to give the best and most indulgent stirring of the entire flocculation unit and so that the final flow of water and flocks through the sedimentation tube gets a whirling like movement. Depending on the amount of incoming water the screens 21 and 22 of the two further flocculation chambers 15 and 16 are set so that the powder/water mixture is allowed to remain in the flocculation volume for a period of time corresponding the flocculation time for actual flocculent. This time is important since, if the time is too short, the flocculation is not completed when the water leaves the purification apparatus, whereas, if the time is too long, there is a risque that the sedimentation starts al eady inside the purification apparatus. In case of low flows or waste water the screen 21 to the second flocculation chamber 15 is closed whereby both the second and the third flocculation chamber 15 and 16 are out of the process, the shutter 24 of the first flocculation chamber is lowered to a desired level, and the flocked water flows over the upper edge of the shutter and down through the sedimentation tube 12. It is important that the powder/water mixture is kept turbulating during the flocculation process, however the turbulenting movement must not be so vigorous that the ready, sensitive, flock is broken apart. By the action of the gate stirring means 23 the water of the flocculation chamber gets a rotating movement which is propagated as a 1aminary screw formed water flow down through the sedimentation tube. The flocked water thereby enters the basin 1 with such reasonable speed that the flocks are not broken apart. It may be said that the sedimentation starts already inside the sedimentation tube. The waste water with the precipitated flocks then leaves via the sedimentation tube 12 to the sedimentation basin flowing over the shutter 24 of one of the flocculation chambers - if one, two or all three flocculation chambers are utilized at the moment.

Claims: C L A I S 1. Method for chemical purification of waste water and other liquids by means of any known flocculent like lime, aluminum sulphate, ferrous chloride, ferrous sulphate etc. characterized in that the waste water or another liquid is continuously mixed with a flocculent in a mixing chamber (13), from which the mixture of flocculent and water is continuously transmitted to one or more flocculation chambers (14-16) provided in series following each other and in which the flocculent/water mixture is allowed to remain for a predetermined period of time, whereby the flocculent precipitates nutrient salts and other ingredients of the water, and whereby flocks of nutrient salts, biochemically oxygen consuming substances and other water soluable impurites of the water are precipitated, whereupon the water with the flocks is drained to a basin (1), in which the relatively heavy flocks and other heavy ingredients are allowed to sink to the bottom, from which they are removed as known per se, whereas the purified water of the basin (1) is continuously let out. 2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the incoming water (4) is kept tubulating by a downwards directed activity (17, 18) while being mixed with the flocculent in the mixing chamber or mixing chambers (14-16). 3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that there is a choking of the flow of the flocculent/water mixture from the mixing chamber (13) to the flocculation chamber (14) and mutually between the flocculation chambers (14, 16), respectively, so that a calm flow is obtained, and in that the volume of the flocculation chamber or chambers (14-16) is adapted so that a calm total percolation of water or another liquid is obtained in the purification apparatus. 4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that the controlling of the time during which the waste water remains in the mixing and flocculation chambers is made by choking and opening respectively of slide shutters (20; 21, 22) between the mixing chamber (13) and the flocculation chamber (14) or chambers (14-16) and mutually between the flocculation chambers (14-16) and between the flocculation chambers (14-16) and the sedimentation basin (1) respectively, so that the flocculent/water mixture is allowed to stay in the purification apparatus for a sufficient time for a complete flocculation, for instance in case of lime between 3 and 12 minutes and in case of aluminum sulphate, ferrous chloride and ferrous sulphate about 20 minutes. 5. Apparatus for executing the method according to any of the preceding claims for chemical purification of waste water or another liquid by means of a known flocculent like lime, aluminum sulphate, ferrous chloride, ferrous sulphate etc, characterized in that the apparatus comprises a purification apparatus (2) which is directly connected to a special y provided or available sedimentation basin (1) for waste water or another liquid, and which is fed with a flocculent (by 5), and in that the purification comprises both a mixing part (13) in which incoming water is continuously mixed with the flocculent, and a flocculation part (14-16) communicating with the mixing part (13) and in which the mixture of flocculent powder and liquid is allowed to stay for such a long time that flocks of substantially completely precipitated components of the liquid are formed, and in that the flocculation part (14-16) is directly connected to the sedimentation basin (1) for waste liquid. 6. Apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the mixing part comprises a chamber (13) having means for maintaining the incoming liquid under turbulance, especially by means of a propeller (18) having a downwardly directed activity, or by means of an air blow bar (17) having an upwardly directed activity, and in that the mixing chamber communicates with the flocculation chamber (14-16) passed a screen (20) that can be raised a suitable distance so as to allow a continuous flow of a mixture of flocculent and liquid underneath the screen (20) and into the flocculation chamber (14-16). 7. Apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the flocculation part (14-16) comprises means for continuously stirring the mixture of flocculent and water, and in that it communicates with the sedimentation basin (1) over a slide shutter (24) that can be lowered a suitable distance so that waste liquid with flocks in an even, preferably whirling, movement flows over the shutter (24), through a sedimentation tube (12) and down into the sedimentation basin (1). 8. Apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that the flocculation part is split into two or more flocculation chambers (14-16) having intermediate partition wall screens (21, 22) which from a closed position can be raised an optional distance to form a bottom slot of desired size into the succeeding flocculation chamber (14; 15) or can be removed completely, whereby the volume of the flocculation part (14-16) can be adapt/d to present variations in the flow of incoming liquid and especially so that the liquid is allowed to remain in the purification apparatus such exactly determined time that there is a complete flocculation before the liquid with the flocks flow over into the sedimentation basin (1). 9. Apparatus according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the stirring in the flocculation chambers (13, 14, 15) is made by means of a so called gate stirring means which is rotatable with variable speed about a vertical shaft (23b), and which is formed with several vertical, adjustable flies (23c) by means of the the stirring function and strength can be varied. 10. Apparatus according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the stirring in the flocculation chambers (13, 14, 15) is made by means of a propeller which is mounted at the bottom of the chamber and which has an upwardly directed activity.

Inventors: JAEGSELL ANDERS, JAEGSELL, ANDERS
Applicants: JAEGSELL ANDERS, JAEGSELL, ANDERS
Application year: 1988
Main classification: C02F1
IPC codes: C02F1