Abstract:
An input chamber receives runoff water to be cleaned. Part of the way up the chamber wall is a restricted outlet which feeds a system for cleaning the water. At a still higher elevation another opening allows runoff water to flow to another cleaning system. Near the top of the chamber is an outlet pipe. A vertical baffle in front of the outlet cleans water that flows under the baffle on its way to the outlet. When the incoming flow rate is very high, water passes over the baffle to the outlet.

Description:
RELATED CASES 
     I claim the benefit of (a) my prior provisional application Ser. No. 60/905,612 filed Mar. 7, 2007 and (b) my prior provisional application Ser. No. 60/905,520 filed Mar. 7, 2007. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is an improved form of Pank&#39;s U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,746,911, and 6,264,835, both entitled “Apparatus for Separating a Light From a Heavy Fluid.” Like these two devices, the present invention has three separate flow paths for influent water, and treats contaminated water at varying levels of efficiency, depending on the influent flow rate. 
     When it rains on a parking lot, a road, or other impervious surface, the water will not permeate into the ground as it once did, and instead this water will runoff and discharge directly into a stream or receiving body. Since these impervious surfaces typically have vehicles or traffic on them, an accumulation of pollutants will occur between rain events. This runoff is then concentrated because it is unable to be absorbed into the ground, and the pollutants are concentrated as well. This has caused a severe degradation of our watersheds. Most of the pollutants are typically washed off in the beginning (which is usually the less intense part of the storm), consequently the first runoff water is the most critical to treat. In an effort to minimize the impacts of this, systems have been developed to treat this water by removing the pollutants by separation or filtration. 
     Because precipitation occurs at variable rates from a small trickle to a monsoon, the system must be able to capture the pollutants and not release them during the high flow events. Consequently treating stormwater creates additional difficulties because the system must be able to clean the water yet be able to pass very intense storms or flooding could occur. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Runoff water has three flow rates as follows: (1) a relatively low rate of flow, (2) an intermediate rate of flow and (3) a relatively high rate of flow. 
     When the flow is at the relatively low rate, the runoff water is thoroughly cleaned by the invention. 
     When the runoff water has an intermediate rate of flow, the portion of the water which is equal to the maximum volume of the low rate is given the same cleaning as if it had been a low rate of flow. The excess flow that exceeds the low rate of flow is given a cleaning that is less thorough than the water having a low rate of flow. This excess flow raises the water level in the first compartment, hence that water flows under a baffle to the outlet conduit. Flow under the baffle partly cleans the water. 
     When the incoming runoff water has said relatively high rate of flow, that portion of such high rate of flow that would be equal to an intermediate rate of flow, is given a cleaning equal to the cleaning of an aforesaid intermediate flow. 
     The first compartment has an input conduit for feeding the first compartment with runoff water. The first compartment also has an output conduit that enters the compartment near at its upper end and at or near a corner of the compartment. A large baffle is adjacent the input of the outlet conduit and requires the water (other than that which is fed to the outer conduit via said second compartment) to go under, or above, the baffle in order to reach the outlet conduit. 
     When runoff water enters the first compartment via said inlet conduit, it rises to the level of a conduit of restricted size. The latter conduit carries the contaminated runoff water to the second compartment where the contaminants, that are lighter in weight than clean water, move up to the surface and float. Heavier particles in the runoff water fall to the bottom of the second compartment, leaving the water near the center of the second compartment to be relatively clean water. Another conduit delivers said relatively clean water to the outlet conduit of the first compartment. 
     When the runoff water entering the first compartment has an intermediate rate of flow, that portion of it that does not flow through said restricted conduit, flows under said baffle and to said outlet conduit. The flow under the baffle causes any oil or other light weight particles to float and hence do not enter the outlet conduit. 
     When the incoming runoff water has a high rate of flow, part of the water takes the paths of the aforesaid intermediate rate of flow. The remaining water passes over said baffle to said output conduit. 
     In a modified form of the invention a portion of the water in the first compartment is fed to a diverted flow outlet basin. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a plan view of the preferred form of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the outlet basin shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-section along line A-A of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-section along line B-B of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-section along line C-C of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is a plan view of a modified form of the invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a side view of the outlet basin of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-section along line A-A of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-section along line B-B of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 10  is a cross-section along line C-C of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 11  is a schematic drawing of a filter that may replace the gravity separator of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 12  is a schematic diagram of a filter that may be added to conduit  16  of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     When it rains on a parking lot, a road, or other impervious surface, the water will not permeate into the ground as it once did, and instead this water will runoff and discharge directly into a stream or receiving body. Since these impervious surfaces typically have vehicles or traffic on them, an accumulation of pollutants will occur between rain events. This runoff is then concentrated because it is unable to be absorbed into the ground, and the pollutants are concentrated as well. This has caused a severe degradation of our watersheds. Most of the pollutants are typically washed off in the beginning and usually less intense part of the storm, consequently the first runoff water is the most critical to treat. In an effort to minimize the impacts of this, systems have been developed to treat this water by removing the pollutants by separation or filtration. 
     Because precipitation occurs at variable rates from a small trickle to a monsoon, the system must be able to capture the pollutants and not release them during the high flow events. 
     Consequently treating Stormwater creates additional difficulties because the system must be able to clean the water yet be able to pass very intense storms or flooding could occur. 
     The apparatus described herein is an apparatus for treating stormwater where the pollutants are stored off line. The modified form of the invention diverts a certain level of flow and/or volume of stormwater so that it can be treated further by filtration or other treatment means, as this water is the most contaminated. 
     The present invention is an improved form of Pank&#39;s U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,746,911, and 6,264,835, both entitled “Apparatus for Separating a Light From a Heavy Fluid.” Like these two devices, the present invention has three separate flow paths for influent water, and treats contaminated water at varying levels of efficiency, depending on the influent flow rate. 
       FIGS. 1 to 5  show the preferred form of the invention, which has a single outlet pipe.  FIGS. 6 to 10  show a modified form of the invention which has separate outlets for treated and untreated effluent streams. 
     The preferred form of the invention comprises a single rectangular vault structure  10  divided into two chambers  12  and  13  by a vertical wall  30 . The first chamber  12  contains an inlet  14  and outlet  18 ; an open circular conduit  15  that penetrates the vertical dividing wall  30  at the water surface of chamber  12  and turns downward, delivering water of the second chamber  13  below the water surface of chamber  13 ; a second circular conduit  16  that penetrates the vertical dividing wall  30  below the water surface runs up (of chamber  13 ) ward to a sequestered outlet basin  19  in the first chamber  12 . A vertical baffle wall  17  extends downward from above the dry-weather water surface of chamber  12  to approximately half the depth of the water column of chamber  12 . Said outlet basin  19  is in communication with the outlet pipe  18  which discharges the treated water to a river or other body of water, and is bounded by a vertical barrier  31  that extends upwards from the bottom of the outlet basin  19  to a point above the dry-weather water surface elevation but below the top of the previously described baffle wall  17 . The present invention is shown in  FIGS. 1 to 5 . 
     The outlet pipe  18  has a small inlet basin  19  in the lower part of the front end of outlet conduit  18 . 
     The outlet pipe  18  is preferably at or near a corner of the vault  10  and the baffle  17  preferably extends from one side wall of the vault  10  to another side wall so that water to the outlet pipe  18  must, in some cases, pass under the baffle  17  before it reaches the entrance to outlet pipe  18 . To enable the above result the baffle  17  extends upward to an elevation higher than the middle of outlet pipe  18  and higher than basin  19  ( FIG. 2 ) and baffle  31 . Further baffle  17  extends downward to a level below the lowest part of the entrance to outlet pipe  18  and/or outlet basin  19 . The baffle  17  extends upwards from the bottom of the outlet basin  19  to a point above the dry-weather water surface but below the top of the previously described baffle wall. 
     In the present invention, contaminated water enters the system through the inlet pipe  14 . When low flow rates of water enter the system, the water surface elevation in the first chamber  12  rises, and water begins to flow into the circular conduit  15  at the water surface. From conduit  15 , water flows into the second chamber  13 , entering said second chamber below the water surface. In the second chamber  13 , sediment settles toward the floor of the chamber and lighter fluids separate and rise toward the water surface of the chamber. The water entering the second chamber displaces water from below the surface, forcing it through the second conduit  16  to the outlet basin  19  in the first chamber  12 . From the outlet basin  19 , the treated water leaves through the outlet pipe  18 . 
     The conduit  15  has a restriction in that it limits the flow through it to the maximum flow rate that can be considered “low rates of flow”, (see the first sentence of the Summary of the Invention, supra). 
     When the water enters the invention at an intermediate flow rate, the previously described flow pattern continues. However, there is more water entering than can be passed through flow paths  15 ,  16  and  19 . In this case, the water level in the first chamber  12  rises until there is sufficient pressure to force excess water to flow underneath the first vertical baffle wall  17  in the first chamber and then over the barrier  31  and into the outlet basin  19 , from which this water exits the system. (See the first sentence of the Summary of the Invention, supra). 
     When water enters the invention at high flow rates, the low flow and intermediate flow paths described above are too restrictive to pass the entire volume of water entering inlet pipe  14 . Hence, excess water flows over the top of the vertical baffle  17  in the first chamber  12  and over the vertical barrier  31  into the outlet basin  19 . From the outlet basin, the water leaves the invention through the outlet conduit  18 . 
     During said high rate of flow, the water continues to flow through the paths described above for the “low” and “intermediate” flows. 
     Modified Forms of the Invention 
     A second form of the present invention, shown in  FIG. 6 to 10 , includes slightly different flow controls. The rectangular vault is also divided into two chambers  12  and  13 , separated by a vertical wall  30 . There is also a circular conduit  15  penetrating the dividing wall  30  at the water surface and delivering water to the second chamber  13  below the water surface of the second chamber  13 . In the first chamber  12 , there is also vertical baffle  17  identical to the baffle in the primary form of the invention, and a barrier  31  surrounding the outlet basin  19  as was the case in the preferred form of the invention. There is a second conduit  20  penetrating the dividing wall  30 , at a point above the dry-weather water surface elevation. In the first chamber  12 , this circular conduit  20  makes a 90 degree bend and extends below the dry-weather water surface in the first chamber  12 . On the other side of the dividing wall, this pipe runs through the second chamber  13  and again penetrates the outer wall bounding the diverted flow outlet basin  21  in the second chamber  13  of the structure. 
     In this modified form of the invention, a diverted flow outlet basin  21  is located in the second chamber  13 . A circular conduit  22  extends from the bottom of the diverted flow outlet basin  21  to a point below the water surface in the second chamber  13 , where the conduit  22  is open at the bottom. In this form of the invention, the diverted outlet basin  21  comprises a larger circular conduit set horizontally that penetrates the outer wall of the rectangular vault. The diverted flow outlet basin  21  is bounded on the inside by a vertical wall that is penetrated by the circular conduit  20  running through the second chamber  13  from the first chamber  12 . 
     In this form of the invention, the low and moderate flow situations both discharge treated water through the diverted flow outlet basin  21  in the second chamber  13  of the structure. This outlet may lead to an extended detention system or other treatment technology for further effluent cleaning. During high flow situations, this outlet still discharges relatively clean water for further cleaning; at the same time, the excess water is discharged from the first chamber  12  under the baffle wall  17  and over the vertical barrier  31  of the outlet basin  19  to the outlet pipe  18 . This excess water is generally not intended for further treatment, and is discharged into the environment. 
       FIG. 11  shows that instead of the low flow being cleaned by gravity it may be cleaned by a filter. A suitable filter is shown and described in my prior copending application Ser. No. 11/030,939 filed Jan. 7, 2005. That application is incorporated by reference. 
       FIG. 12  shows that further filtering can be attained by placing a filter, such as the one hereinabove incorporated by reference, in conduit  16 .