The disclosed method and apparatus separates solid impurities from a fluid containing solid impurities. The method and apparatus allow the introduction of influent comprising a fluid containing solid impurities into a plurality of channels and allowing at least a portion of the solid impurities initially present in the influent to settle on upward-facing surfaces of a plurality of plates forming the channels or slide down the upward-facing surfaces, while permitting fluid, which has been depleted of at least a portion of solid impurities, to flow upward toward the top edges of the plurality of plates. The influent is introduced into the plurality of channels in a manner that inhibits a disrupting or disturbing of the solid impurities, which have separated from the influent.

In a settling tank of the invention, treated water has good quality and whose operation is stable over a long period. A settling tank includes a tank body having a circular-cylindrical shape whose axial direction corresponds to the vertical direction, a distributor provided in a lower part (near the bottom) of the tank body, an outlet provided in a middle part or a part slightly above the middle part of a side face of the tank body, a receiving tank communicating with the tank body via the outlet, a stirring device provided in the tank body, a trough for extracting treated water provided in an upper part of the tank body, a sludge discharge port through which concentrated sludge is extracted from a lower part of the receiving tank, and so forth. A stirring member is provided below the distributor.

There is provided a material treatment apparatus. The material treatment apparatus includes a first compartment. The first compartment includes an inlet for receiving supply of slurry material, and a first material conduction space for conducting flow of the supplied slurry material in a downwardly direction. A second compartment is also provided including a second material conduction space for receiving a first intermediate material of the supplied slurry material and conducting the first intermediate material in an upwardly direction. A baffle is provided for interfering with conducting of the supplied slurry material from the first material conduction space to the second material conduction space. A turbulent flow mitigation device is disposed within the first compartment and configured to, upon interaction with the supplied slurry material, to effect adjustment to the flow characteristics of the supplied slurry material to generate a downwardly flowing flow characteristic-adjusted slurry material, wherein the flow characteristics of the supplied slurry material are transformed from turbulent flow to laminar flow. The turbulent flow mitigation device is disposed, relative to the baffle, such that the baffle directs the downwardly flowing flow characteristic-adjusted slurry material to a space below the first baffle. The first material conducting space is fluidly coupled, below the baffle, to the second material conduction space, such that the first intermediate material fraction of the downwardly flowing flow characteristic-adjusted slurry material is conducted to the second material conduction space from below the baffle. A collection region is disposed below the first and second compartments for collecting a separated solids-comprising fraction that has separated, by gravity settling, from the supplied slurry material.

A high-rate sedimentation tank includes a hopper configured to be supplied with raw water including floc, at least one circular orifice pipe disposed at a lower portion of the hopper and configured to have the floc deposited therein as a sludge while passing the floc included in the raw water therethrough, and a sludge outlet configured to discharge the sludge deposited by passing through the circular orifice pipe to an outside of the hopper.

A separating apparatus for purifying a liquid such as purifying rainwater. The apparatus includes a container having at least one separating area and a settling and sludge collection chamber, wherein the settling and sludge collection chamber is fluidically connected to the separating area for receiving sediments to be separated and at least one feed device for feeding the liquid to be purified having at least one liquid outlet opening into the separating area, wherein the feed device has a lower guide plate arranged during use below the liquid outlet such that a liquid flowing out of the liquid outlet is guided radially outwards through the lower guide plate in the direction of the inner wall of the container, wherein a lower gap is formed between the outer circumference of the lower guide plate and the inner wall of the container.

A sewage treatment apparatus comprises an external box body, the external box body is internally provided with a screen zone, an anaerobic and anoxic zone, an aerobic zone, a settling zone, an advanced treatment zone and a disinfection and sterilization zone communicating in sequence. The screen zone communicates with a household septic-tank through the pneumatic lifting apparatus, the aerobic zone communicates with the anaerobic and anoxic zone to reflux a part of mixed liquid to an anaerobic zone of the anaerobic and anoxic zone, and the settling zone communicates with the anaerobic and anoxic zone to reflux a part of active sludge to an anoxic zone of the anaerobic and anoxic zone; and the sewage treatment apparatus further comprises an apparatus zone which is arranged independently and separately, and the apparatus zone is merely internally provided with an air compressor for providing a conveying pressure.

A fluidized bed separator (1) includes a feed section (4) between an upper separation chamber (19) and a main separation chamber (6). The feed section (4) has one or more feed pipes (11) extending horizontally and transversely with respect to a body wall (10) of the fluidized bed separator (1). The one or more feed pipes (11) are positioned completely and entirely underneath the inclined plates (17). An external oversize protection apparatus (3) which is separate from and external to the body wall (10) may be operatively coupled to the one or more feed pipes (11). One or more lamella cartridges (49) may be provided within channels (18) of the upper separation chamber (19), and one or more breakaway plates (54, 55) may be inserted within channels (18) to prevent sanding and facilitate insertion and extraction of the lamella cartridges (49).

A separator fluidly connected to a wellbore includes: a vessel defining an interior chamber; an inlet for delivering fluid produced from a wellbore into the vessel at a first pressure; an outlet through which gas is directed out of the vessel at a pressure substantially equal to the first pressure; at least one liquid/oil level sensor capable of detecting the level of liquid within the interior chamber of the vessel and the level of oil within the interior chamber; two electronically controlled valves in fluid communication with the vessel; and a controller connected to the at least one liquid/oil level sensor and the electronically controlled valves and programmed to, in response to a level of the liquid and a level of oil in the interior chamber of the vessel: open, close, or modulate the electronically controlled valves to regulate the combined flow liquid and oil out of the vessel.

A thickener for dewatering fluids having a vessel with a central well extending proximate a top portion of the vessel to a lower cone-shaped portion, a hindered settling zone, and a compressible sediment layer zone within the lower cone-shaped portion. Eductors housed in inlet wells have an inlet nozzle and a mixing tube to receive slurry to be treated and clear fluid to be mixed with the slurry. The fluid from the eductors is directed in counter circular paths via circular chambers situated proximate the inlet wells, such that fluid flowing in each direction collides and forms turbulence within the central well. Resultant fluid is directed into a lamella-type separator circumferentially located about a portion of the central well, having layered fluid paths directed radially outwards from said center longitudinal axis and upwards towards said vessel top portion through a conical, inclined fluid path, plate structure. The eductors are adjustable with a movable iris for limiting the amount of clear fluid exiting the eductor.

A fluidized bed separator (1) includes a feed section (4) between an upper separation chamber (19) and a main separation chamber (6). The feed section (4) has one or more feed pipes (11) extending horizontally and transversely with respect to a body wall (10) of the fluidized bed separator (1). The one or more feed pipes (11) are positioned completely and entirely underneath the inclined plates (17). An external oversize protection apparatus (3) which is separate from and external to the body wall (10) may be operatively coupled to the one or more feed pipes (11). One or more lamella cartridges (49) may be provided within channels (18) of the upper separation chamber (19), and one or more breakaway plates (54, 55) may be inserted within channels (18) to prevent sanding and facilitate insertion and extraction of the lamella cartridges (49).