Patent ID: 7785479

Claim:
A method of separating and removing undesired solids from liquids found in aquaculture comprising the following steps, flowing a liquid stream from an aquaculture system with undesired solids into a sealed cylindrical tank, allowing the solids to settle into a conical bottom portion of the tank, flowing a clean stream of liquid out of the top of the tank through a down pipe, periodically ejecting accumulated solids from the conical bottom portion of the tank by introducing compressed air into the upper section of the sealed tank to stop the liquid flow into the tank and to form and expand an air plenum in the top of the tank which displaces the accumulated settled solids sludge out of the conical bottom portion of the tank through an overflow pipe that has an end located in the bottom portion of the tank, stopping the introduction of compressed air into the tank to stop the liquid flow through the overflow pipe, purging the air in the top of the tank and resuming the flow of the liquid stream from the aquaculture system.