Clarification tank

DETAILED DESCRIPTION We claim: 1.
An apparatus for clarifying a liquid mixture, comprising: a.
a tank having means for removing one component of said mixture at the liquid level in said tank; b.
a central tube vertically disposed in said tank and having upper and lower plenum chambers therein; c.
means for feeding said liquid mixture to said upper plenum chamber, said upper chamber having an opening therein for discharging said mixture into said tank to effect a separation of the liquid components of said mixture; d.
a plurality of pick-up tubes of equal length and diameter each extending radially from said lower plenum chamber, each tube having a downwardly facing opening near the outer end thereof through which a second liquid component is withdrawn from the lower section of said tank through each of said tubes at equal flow rates into said lower plenum chamber; e.
a riser positioned exteriorly of said tank in fluid communication with said lower plenum chamber, said riser being of a size relative to said tank and said plenum chamber as to educt liquid from said tank through said lower plenum chamber; and f.
an adjustable weir device at the upper end of said riser for controlling the rate of discharge of said second liquid component from said tank, and the liquid level in said tank.




Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION a.
Field of the Invention Our invention relates to a clarification tank such as a flotation cell, a settling tank, or a holding tank, wherein a mixture of two or more liquid materials having different densities is allowed to settle to effect a gravity separation and the clarified liquid is removed from the bottom of the tank through a riser.
There are many industrial uses for clarification tank wherein a mixture of two or more liquids having different specific gravities are separated by what is basically a gravity settling process, wherein the lighter liquid material collects at the top of the liquid mixture and the heavier material settles to the bottom of the container housing the mixture