Patent ID: 7083720

Claim:
A rotating biological contactor apparatus comprising in combination: (a) at least one trough defining section, each said trough defining section having a trough that extends longitudinally therethrough, that has transversely curved inside wall portions, and that has open opposed end portions, and each said trough defining section is unitarily formed and includes flange portions defined along said opposed end portions for joining to adjacent members, and, when more than one said trough defining section is present, then said trough defining sections each have a similar cross-sectional trough internal surface configuration, and said trough defining sections are engageable in end to end longitudinally adjacent relationship thereby to define a common subassembly wherein said troughs thereof are longitudinally aligned along a common longitudinal axis, and including joining means for joining together said flange portions of said longitudinally adjacent trough defining sections; (b) at least two bulkhead members, one said bulkhead member being disposable either across a different one of said opposed ends of said trough defining section or when said common subassembly is present being disposable across each opposite end of said common subassembly, and when said common subassembly is present then optionally one of said bulkhead members can be disposed adjacent to and between each longitudinally adjacent pair of said trough defining sections, and including means for engaging each said so disposed said bulkhead member with each adjacent said flange portion; (c) shaft means extending longitudinally through said trough(s) and including both bearing means for rotatably supporting said shaft means and support means for supporting said bearing means at each of said so engaged bulkhead members; (d) at least one contactor drum having an axial portion and a circumferentially extending peripheral portion, said axial portion being associated with said shaft means and adapted to rotate therewith in said trough(s), said contactor drum comprising a core portion and a plate portion along at least one side of said core portion, said core portion including a plurality of corrugated sheet members that cooperate to define a plurality of passageways that extend generally transversely through said core portion, said core portion and said plate portion being interconnected by a plurality of longitudinally extending, peripherally located, circumferentially spaced bracket members; and (e) power means for rotating said shaft means.