Patent ID: 6902667

Claim:
A fluid treatment apparatus for the removal of solids from fluids, said apparatus comprising: a) a pumping apparatus ( 10 ); b) an equalization chamber ( 15 ) operatively attached to said pumping apparatus ( 10 ) via a first stage fluid transfer conduit ( 11 ), said equalization chamber having a base ( 16 ) and a top ( 17 ) and including an equalization solids discharge ( 18 ) at the base of the equalization chamber; c) a clarification chamber ( 23 ) operatively attached to the top of the equalization chamber via a second stage fluid transfer conduit ( 19 ), said clarification chamber having a base ( 24 ) and a top ( 25 ) and including a clarification solids discharge ( 26 ) at the base of the clarification chamber; d) a second stage chemical injection apparatus ( 20 ) operatively attached to the second stage fluid transfer conduit; e) a seperate fluid discharge ( 27 ) from clarification chamber; wherein raw fluid containing solids suspended therein is pumped by the pumping apparatus into the equalization chamber where a portion of the solids contained in the raw fluid, being equalization recovered solids, can settle to the base of the equalization chamber for removal via the equalization solids discharge, the raw fluid then becoming partially separated fluid which moves into the second stage fluid transfer conduit where chemical can be injected into the partially separated fluid by the second stage chemical injection apparatus before the arrival of said partially separated fluid in the clarification chamber where solids remaining in the partially separated fluid can settle to the base of the clarification chamber for removal via the clarification solids discharges, the seperated fluid then being discharged from the clarification chamber by the separated fluids discharge; and wherein the fluid treatment apparatus between the pumping apparatus and the separated fluids discharge is pressurized by, the pumping apparatus.