Patent ID: 7897041

Claim:
An apparatus for aerobic biological treatment of waste water and the like, comprising: a tank configured to retain waste water therein; a wheel rotatably mounted in said tank for rotation about a generally horizontal axis, and including a plurality of chambers arranged in axial succession about the circumference of said wheel; said chambers including openings which are oriented generally upwardly when emerging from the waste water in said tank adjacent a top dead center position of said wheel, and are oriented generally downwardly when submerged in the waste water in said tank adjacent a bottom dead center position of said wheel; an air drive mechanism rotating said wheel about said horizontal axis relative to said tank; an air pipe communicating with said air drive mechanism, disposed generally below said wheel and configured to release therefrom air bubbles which enter said chambers rotationally after said bottom dead center position of said wheel; and a plurality of bubble collectors connected with and protruding radially outwardly from said wheel at locations rotationally preceding said openings in said chambers, and shaped to selectively guide the air bubbles from said air pipe through said openings into said chambers.