Patent ID: 8518266

Claim:
A dissolved air flotation clarifier for removing impurities from a liquid to be clarified, said dissolved air flotation clarifier comprising: (a) a housing having an inlet for receiving a liquid to be clarified, said housing further having a reaction zone, a clarification zone and an effluent channel; (b) said reaction zone having at least one saturated water distributor and at least one dissolved air flotation nozzle operably connected to said at least one saturated water distributor to receive saturated water from said at least one saturated water distributor, said dissolved air flotation nozzle being configured to release micro-bubbles from a saturated water so that the micro-bubbles can mix with the liquid to be clarified to remove impurities from the liquid to be clarified; and, (c) said clarification zone including flow control means for controlling the flow of the mixture of micro-bubbles and liquid in the clarification zone to ensure that a lower edge of white water is disposed above an inlet to said effluent channel to prevent micro-bubbles from being entrained in a clarified liquid passing through said effluent channel, said flow control means includes at least one recycle header disposed in said clarification zone for removing a portion of liquid from said clarification zone so that said portion of liquid can be directed to a saturator operably connected to said at least one saturated water distributor.