SEPARATOR EMPLOYING AN ANNULAR VERTICAL FEEDWELL WITH ASSOCIATED CONCENTRIC ANNULAR BAFFLE PLATE AND METHOD OF USING SAME TO SEPARATE SOLIDS FROM LIQUIDS

摘要

A sedimentation apparatus, clarifier or thickener uses an annular feedwell which delivers influent feed to a position near the bottom of a settling tank, at which position the influent feed is deflected radially outward and inward by a substantially horizontal concentric annular baffle. It is possible to maintain a substantially uniform dynamic sludge bed in settling tanks of large diameter and to achieve a high throughput of solids per unit area of settling tank by the use of this invention. By using an annular feedwell with associated planar horizontal baffle plate it is possible to effect a more even distribution of feed and solids to be settled throughout the tank.