Apparatus for separating floating and non-floating particulate from rainwater drainage

Abstract: Drainage water having floating and non-floating particulate is collected and processed to separate out the floating from the non-floating particulate, thereby cleaning the flow of water through the system during sudden storms or during steady rainfall conditions.

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a containment system that separates floating and non-floating particulate, such as oil and sand respectively, from water drainage and in particular to a containment system which is more efficient than the prior art. Prior Art The art of controlling drainage water is very old. There have been many attempts to provide systems which will separate materials entrained in the water so that substantially only water flows past the catch basin or trap. The following discussion covers some of the many known approaches to solving this problem. U. S. Patent No. 601,794 discloses a catch basin for sewers intended to remove dirt and trash from water that has run off a street. U. S. Patent No. 1,675,714 discloses a catch basin which is intended to catch debris or trash of the nature that would obstruct the sewer. This invention lacks means for separating floating particulate from the rain water. U.S. Patent No. 3,815,749 discloses a street drain to be used in conjunction with a sewage system in which there is a water collection basin and a dry well. There are two discharge openings, one to discharge to the dry well and the other to discharge to the sewer system. U. S. Patent No. 4,363,731 discloses a device for regulating the rate of flow of waste water that is mixed with rainwater by passing the mixture through a series of orifices. U. S. Patent No. 4,935,132 discloses a drain pipe filter which is intended to separate oily contaminants exiting a floating drain. This device is not intended to separate solid particulate from rainwater in the manner of the present invention. U. S. Patent No. 4,983,295 discloses a cylindrical vessel in which floatable and non-floatable particulates that are suspended in water are separated by means of rotational movement of the water. U. S. Patent No 4,985,148 discloses a separator tank for rain and waste water wherein the water is introduced and forced to travel through a pre-defined passage leading to an exit pipe. This invention does not provide means for separating floatable particulate when an overflow condition, as may be encountered during an intense rainfall, occurs German Utility Patent No. 9,100,565 U discloses an apparatus for providing some filtering of overflow waste water. A retention pond of horizontally arranged screens allows for some filtering of coarse matter. DE-A-4,242,519 discloses an apparatus for separating floating matter from a waste water stream diverted from a main sewage pipeline. DE-A-19,501,034 discloses an apparatus comprising a conical tank with a vertical partition within the tank for separating floating matter from a liquid, in particular sewage. Non-floating matter is allowed to settle within the tank, after which it may be removed. Summary of the Invention It is an object of the present invention to remove floating and non-floating particulate from run off water during either sudden storms or steady prolonged rainfalls. A further object of the present invention is to remove large amounts of surface run-off water, especially during a storm, separating residues contained in such water, and processing the water in such a way that no water builds up on the street, which would result in flooding conditions. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a safe and effective means to collect, remove, and dispose of accumulated floating and non-floating particulate. The potential-toxic and environmentally unsafe nature of this collected particulate makes this invention an important safeguard to both cleaning drainage water and removal of dangerous contaminants. The present invention accordingly provides an apparatus for separating floating and non-floating particulate from drain water as set out in the appended claims. The present invention has a tank defining a chamber with an inlet and an outlet. A bulkhead with openings is spaced opposite the inlet and extends from the base of the chamber. A baffle is located between the bulkhead and the outlet and extends from the top of the chamber to near the bottom. An orifice plate or plates and a weir plate are adjustably mounted in series with a pair of vertically spaced outlets of the flow control chamber and control the rate of flow therethrough. The system is seen as having four sections, namely, a non-floating particulate containment chamber a floating particulate containment chamber, a flow control chamber; and an outlet chamber. It is to be understood that each of the noted chambers may be of the same size, that they may each be of a different size, or that several may be of the same size while others may be of different size, without deviating from the basic operation of the invention. Brief Description of the Drawings The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment partially broken away to reveal the bulkhead, openings, baffle and control outlet(s); Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the present invention looking from top to bottom. Fig. 3A is a side elevation, partially broken away, showing the subject invention in a dry weather condition; Fig. 38 is a view similar to Fig. 3A showing the subject invention during the initial phase of operation; Fig. 3C is a view similar to Fig. 3A showing the subject invention during the transitional phase of operation; Fig. 3D is a view similar to Fig. 3A showing the present invention during full capacity phase of operation; Fig. 3E is a view similar to Fig. 3A showing the present invention during the final phase of operation when water ceases to enter the apparatus; Fig. 3F is a view similar to Fig. 3A showing the present invention after the collected non-floating particulate has been removed and drainage has ceased; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical section through the present invention; Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 and 7 are enlarged elevations of the preferred embodiments of the weir plate and orifice plate, respectively. Fig. 8 is an enlarged elevation that combines Figures 6 & 7 into an alternative flow control embodiment. Fig. 9 is a horizontal section view showing an alternate embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 9A is a side elevation view of the alternative embodiment in Fig. 9. Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram of the present invention as shown in Fig. 1 in combination with a sand-filter. Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram of an alternative embodiment of the present invention in combination with a detention basin. Fig. 11A is a side view of the alternative embodiment in Fig. 11. Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram of the present invention as shown in Fig. 1 in combination with an oil/water separator. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment The invention 10 is shown in Fig. 1 in perspective view and includes a tank 12, an inlet pipe 14, a bulkhead 16, baffle 18, at least one removable cover 20, orifice plate 22 and weir plate 23, low-level outlet 24, and high-level outlet 26, openings 28 and 29 in bulkhead 16, and an outlet pipe 30. It will be noted, from Fig. 2, that the bulkhead 16 and the wall of the tank 12 make a generally ovate or circular non-floating particulate containment chamber and that the inlet pipe is axially offset from the center of this chamber. It is anticipated that bulkhead 16 can be, but is not limited to a circular wall configuration. The water enters the subject invention through inlet pipe 14 and, due to the offset of the pipe and chamber shape, a swirling motion is imparted to the flow. The non-floatable particulate entrained therein are contained by bulkhead 16. The bulkhead openings 28 and 29 allow passage of water. The bulkhead is constructed such that the floatable particulate flows through the bulkhead All of the floatable particulate is to be contained by the baffle 18. The orifice plate 22, through which the low level water exits, controls the low level water flow. The weir plate 23, through which the high level water exits controls the high level water flow. The arrows in Fig. 2 show the drainage path taken by the rainwater through the subject invention. Figs. 3A to 3F show the present invention during different stages of operation. The phantom line in Fig. 3A indicates the water level 50 before or after a drainage event when there is little or no drainage flow. The phantom line in Fig. 3B indicates the water level 50 during the initial phase of operation with non-floatable particulate being retained by bulkhead 16 and floatable particulate by baffle 18. The phantom line in Fig. 3C indicates the water level 50 during the transitional phase of operation as the volume of flow increases. The phantom line in Fig. 3D indicates the water level 50 during full capacity phase operation. The phantom line in Fig. 3E indicates the water level 50 which decreases during the phase in which water ceases to enter the invention 10. The phantom line in Fig. 3F indicates the water level 50 after all drainage has ceased, and the non floating particulate containment chamber 31 has been cleaned. The tank 12, preferably, has a volume in the range of 2,83 to 28,31 m 3 (one hundred to one thousand cubic feet) with overall dimensions of 1,22 to 3,05 m (four to ten feet) wide, by 2,43 to 5,49 m (eight to eighteen feet) long, by 1,22 to 3,35 m (four to eleven feet) high. The inlet pipe 14 is, preferably, in the range of 0,30 to 0,91 m (one to three feet) in diameter. The bulkhead 16 is, preferably, from about 0,91 m (three feet) high to the height of the tank and the size of the opening under the baffle is in the range of 0,30 to 0,91 m (one to three feet) and is the width of the tank. The low-level outlet 24 is in the range of 0,30 to 0,91 m (one to three feet) in a generally rectangular orientation. The high-level outlet 26 is, preferably, in the range of 0,61 to 1,22 m (two to four feet) in a generally rectangular orientation The removable covers are preferably 0,30 to 0,91 m (one to three feet) in diameter and preferably are made of cast iron. The outlet chamber 34, preferably, has a volume of 1,42 to 8,50 m 2 (fifty to three hundred cubic feet) and is preferably substantially equal in volume to the flow control chamber 33. The non-floating particulate containment chamber 31 and the floating particulate containment chamber 32 have been show substantially the same size Cor convenience of the drawings only. Additionally, the containment chambers do not have to be similarly sized and therefore it is within the scope of the present invention to have the two chambers of different size in accordance with local drainage requirements. Preferably all pipes are made of materials selected for durability and resistance, especially non reaction to the composition of the materials contained in the flow. Preferably, the pipes are made of plastic. The tank, bulkhead, and baffle are preferably made of concrete, although other materials may also be used. In use, water drainage possibly mixed with sewage, will enter the tank 12 through the inlet 14, resulting in a swirling motion being imparted thereto. Initial drainage at very low levels begins through opening 29. As flow levels increase, the water level rises behind the bulkhead 16 until it is higher than the crest of opening 28 at which point the water level rises in the rest of the tank 12. Oil and other floating particulate, which are mixed in the water rise along with the overall water level. The overall water level rises as the water flows through the openings 28 and 29 and exits through the low-level outlet 24 at a rate controlled by the orifice plate 22. The orifice plate 22 is slightly higher then the opening 29 thereby allowing skimming of the non-floating particulate into the containment chamber during cleaning. The overall water level rises because the inlet flow rate exceeds the outlet flow rate. This is referred to as the initial phase, as shown in Fig. 3B. During the next phase, referred to as the transition phase, as shown in Fig. 3C, the vertical separation distance between the floating particulate and the bottom of the baffle 18 increases. The water level rises to the level of the high level outlet 26, as shown in Fig. 3D. The rate of flow of the exiting water is increasing slightly as the water level is increasing but is still controlled by the orifice plate 22. This continues until the water level rises above the opening in the weir plate 23 at the high level outlet 26. At this point the flow rate through the tank 12 begins to increase significantly. During the next phase, referred to as the full capacity phase, as shown in Fig 3D, the high outlet 26 is controlled by plate 23 which is designed to transfer as much water as the outlet pipe 30 can discharge. This continues until the rate at which the water is introduced through the inlet 14 decreases to the point where the water level drops below the level of the high-level outlet 26. The remaining water in the tank 12 is discharged at a rate determined by the orifice plate 22. Eventually the water level drops to the invert elevation of the orifice plate 22 which covers the low level outlet 24 as shown in Fig 3E Now the point has been reached where there is no flow through the tank 12. The overall low water level as shown in Fig. 3E is an important feature of the invention 10 because it permits an easy inspection. It is anticipated that the level of particulate accumulation can be determined for example by removing covers 20 to see if there is enough accumulated floating and non-floating particulate to necessitate the cleaning of the tank 12. Fig. 5 shows the preferred embodiment of the bulkhead 16. The incoming flow is deflected by the curved wall of the non-floating particulate 31 chamber creating a swirling action Once the fluids drain, the swirling action continues to prevent the non-floating particulate from being carried through the bulkhead openings. It is contemplated that other patterned arrays of openings in the bulkhead may be either substantially rectangular or circular. The only general restriction is that no openings should be substantially opposite the inlet to avoid non floating material from being carried through the bulkhead by shear force of the flow. Also opening 28 should be no lower than the midpoint of the inlet pipe for substantially the same reason. Figs 6 and 7 show preferred embodiments of the weir plate and orifice plate with profiled openings to control flow to the outlet pipe 30. The vertical slots are for adjustable mounting of the plates. Other opening profiles are also possible, for example, using only one aperture and plate which may produce a varying aperture for controlling flow through the outlet chamber 34 For example, the single plate and single aperture shown in Fig. 8 provides a single means for controlling water level in the movement of the water from the flow control chamber 33 to the outlet chamber 34. In that embodiment of the invention the wide upper section of the single aperture accommodates larger volumes of water experienced with high water levels, while the narrow lower section accommodates less water volume at low water levels. Of course, it is to be understood that variations in a single aperture shape may provide suitable water flow control. Figs. 9 and 9A show a horizontal section view showing an alternate embodiment 10a of the present invention. This embodiment 10a includes an alternative means for controlling the flow of water from the separation tank to the outlet portion of an alternative tank 12a of the present invention. This alternative means would be used in place of the weir plate and orifice designed to control high-level and low-level water flow rates, respectively. Screen capture channels 90 allow a lower screen portion 91 and an upper screen portion 92 to be removeably dropped into place Lower screen portion 91 is a fine-mesh screen that filters out small particulates that may be transferred from the floating and non-floating particulate section of the tank. Upper portion 92 is a coarse-mesh screen that filters out relatively large particulates from the floating and non-floating particulate sections. All other elements of the tank 12a remain the same as referenced with respect to Fig. 1. Fig. 10 shows a schematic diagram of the present invention as shown in Fig. 1 in combination with a downstream fluid distribution system 100, such as, for example, a retention area 100 that is external to the tank 12. The retention area 100 can be of any one of a variety of commonly known designs capable of receiving drain water from the tank 12 by way of a distributor such as one or more distribution tubes 101. The distribution tubes may have perforations 102, as shown, when used in conjunction with a porous filtering bed, such as sand 103 that forms the retention area 100. Any material similar to sand 103 may be used to disperse the drain water so long as it provides good percolation characteristics, including, but not limited to, peat and compost filtering media, for example. Alternatively, the retention area 100 may be a simple holding tank, with the distribution tubes 101 being non-perforated. Figs. 11 and 11A show a schematic diagram of an alternative embodiment of the present invention in combination with a detention basin 111 The detention basin 111 is used for diverting higher drain water flow rates than those permitted under most regulatory requirements. A supplemental tank discharge 112 is shown in addition to outlet pipe 30 for the purpose of transferring such sudden flow occurrences. Excessive drain water exits from tank 12b through discharge 112 to detention basin 111. A return 113 is provided to move drain water out of the detention basin 111 utilizing a one-way valve 114 of the type known to those skilled in the art. The one-way valve permits the return of water from the detention basin 111 only after the sudden influx has passed. While Figs. 10, 11, and 11A show two particular types of output receiving means, it should be noted that any other type of output receiving means for holding or dispersing drain water may be utilized without straying from the intended scope of the present invention. Additionally, any number of supplemental items designed to enhance the effectiveness of the tank 12 of the present invention may be coupled to the tank, including, but not limited to, placement proximate to the area of outlet pipe 30. For example, Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram of the present invention as shown in Fig.1 in combination with an oil/water separator 120. The separator 120 is shown connected to a low-flow outlet 30b via oritice 22. A high-flow outlet 30a is connected to weir 23. The low-flow discharge runs through separator 120 where oil coalesces out of the drain water. The two flows paths reconnect at connector 121 and to outlet pipe 30. Although separator 120 is shown, it is noted that any drain water treatment device may be used in a manner similar to that of the separator 120 shown in Fig. 12. It has been observed that a separator such as the ECOSTAR(TM) oil/water separator made available by Environment XXI of East Pembroke, New York, would be a suitable add-on separator to the tank 12 of the present invention. The present invention may be subject to many modifications and changes without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims: An apparatus for separating floating and non-floating particulates from drain water under relatively higher drain water flow rates such as occur during sudden storms and under relatively lower drain water flow rates such as occur during steady prolonged rainfall, the apparatus comprising a tank (12) for separating floating and non-floating particulates having an inlet (14) for introducing drain water and an outlet (30) for discharging the drain water, a substantially cylindrical bulkhead (16) containment wall defining a chamber (31) for containing non-floating particulate under either flow rate and for inducing swirling of the drain water within said tank, a floating particulate containment chamber (32), a flow control chamber (33), an outlet chamber (34), a baffle (18) between the floating particulate containment chamber (32) and flow control chamber (33) which extends from the top of the tank to near the bottom for containing floating particulate in the floating particulate containment chamber under wither flow rate; and the apparatus further including an output receiving means (100) for receiving said drain water from the outlet (30); characterised in that the tank comprises an orifice plate (22) and a weir plate (23) for a pair of vertically spaced outlets of the flow control chamber (33), the orifice plate (22) being positioned above the bottom of the baffle (18), to control the drain water discharge rate under said relatively lower drain water flow rates and said weir plate (23) being positioned to control the drain water discharge rate under said relatively higher drain water flow rates and to allow the drain water level within the tank to rise to a level greater than the level of the inlet (14). The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said output receiving means includes one or more distribution tubes. The apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein at least one of said one or more distribution tubes is perforated. The apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein each of said distribution tubes is positioned in a sand filter bed. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of said distribution tubes is positioned in a peat filter bed. The apparatus as defined in any preceding claim, wherein said output receiving means includes a controlled-outlet means for controlling direction of flow of said drain water from said tank outlet means, and a fluid-detention basin. The apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein said controlled-outlet means is a one-way valve. The apparatus as defined in any preceding claim, further comprising a separator means for separating oil from said drain water, wherein said separator means is located between said tank outlet means and said output receiving means.

Inventors: ADAMS THOMAS R, ADAMS, THOMAS R.
Applicants: VORTECHNICS INC, VORTECHNICS, INC.
Application year: 1997
Main classification: E03F5
IPC codes: E03F5