Abstract: A method of treatment of polluted emulsions or micro-emulsions (10) of oil in water, said method making use of tangential filtering through at least one membrane (1) constituted by a porous microfiltration structure which is constituted by titanium oxide, at least on the surface thereof. The method can be used to regenerate emulsions or micro-emulsions of oil in water.

Abstract: A detention basin contains liquid and solids suspended therein. A planar flow control deck extending across a part of the basin is formed from a plurality of elongated flap members. One edge of each such flap member is fixed and an opposite edge is in releasable sealing engagement with the fixed edge of an adjacent flap member. That opposite edge of each flap member is free to move out of engagement with the adjacent flap member in response to the upward flow of the liquid in the basin. Inclined lamina form quiescent zones in which the liquid flow is reduced so that the solids settle and are separated from the liquid. The lamina are suspended in the basin in parallel relationship, with the angle at which the lamina are inclined being adjustable by a submerged adjustment mechanism. Each zone is open at the bottom to receive the liquid laden with the solids. The top of each quiescent zone is closed by the cooperation of the flap members. Each lamina is supported at a vertex connected to a flap member.

Abstract: An aquarium filtration system using airlift to circulate water within the living area to display aquatic organisms, water rising up through the bottom gravel, the gravel providing biological filtration. The living area of the acquarium is free from mechanical obstructions and rising air bubbles. A relatively inexpensive air pump generates the air lift, for circulating water within the living area. Water is removed at the water's surface and thereafter mechanically and chemically filtrated. A protein skimmer device is provided as an integral part of the air lift and mechanical filtration chamber to remove dissolved organic and inorganic compounds.

Abstract: A method of dewatering filter cake in which the cake is supported on a positively driven pervious conveyor belt or filter cloth. The cake is guided about the circumference of a drum, with the drum positively driven at a variable speed of rotation. In the region of the drum, the pervious conveyor belt or filter cloth holds the cake against the periphery of the drum and additional pressing rollers press the filter cloth and cake against the drum. The drum drives the filter cloth in this region through the medium of the filter cake and induces shear effects in the cake. The speed of rotation of the drum is regulated in dependence on the tension existing in the filter cloth.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for backwashing filter elements in a filter vessel. At least one collapsible bladder in the form of a tube is suspended together with a plurality of filter elements in a mixture compartment of a vessel for filtering solids from a liquid-solids mixture, the tube having a volumetric displacement at least as great as the volume of filtrate required to flow from a filtrate compartment into the filter elements to slightly expand filter fabric enveloping the filter elements to disengage filtercake deposited thereon. Means are provided to fill the tube with fluid for expansion thereof and to rapidly empty fluid from the tube for sudden collapse of the tube and attendant rapid reverse flow of filtrate from the filtrate compartment.

Abstract: Encrusted filter surfaces that have been used for filtering wet process phosphoric acid slurries are effectively cleaned, e.g., of crystalline deposits, by washing same with a solution of fluosilic acid.

Abstract: A method of controlling the fouling potential of macroinvertebrates, such as mollusks, in aqueous systems which comprises adding to the system an effective controlling amount of a water-soluble quaternary ammonium salt having the following structure: ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 is an alkyl group having about 6 to 24 carbons; R.sub.2 is an alkyl, aryl or arylalkyl group having about 6 to 24 carbons; R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are alkyl groups having about 1 to 4 carbons; and X is chloride, bromide, sulfate, bisulfate, nitrate or acetate. Preferably, the quaternary ammonium salt is water-soluble alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride having an alkyl chain length from C.sub.6 to C.sub.24 and, most preferably, it has an alkyl distribution of about 40% C.sub.12, 50% C.sub.14 and 10% C.sub.16.

Abstract: Composite RO membranes having good resistance to halogen attack and extraordinarily high fluxes are disclosed, the composite membranes comprising a microporous polymeric support with an interfacially polymerized salt-rejecting layer thereon comprising an aromatic aliphatic diamide/diimide.

Abstract: A device for discharging bubbling streams of water into a bath. The device has a main float and a subfloat mounted on top of the main float so as to be floatable in the water in a bathtub and movable up and down with the change in the water level. The hot water in the bathtub is sucked up into the device from its bottom by a pump driven by a motor, the pump and the motor being mounted in the main float. The water drawn into the device is filtered by means of a strainer and sent up to the top of the device through a cylindrical space formed around the motor and passed through a plurality of injection nozzles, where air is mixed into the water to form bubbling streams, and through a plurality of downwardly angled discharge ports into the bathtub under the surface of the water.

Abstract: A skim net assembly having an open frame with a number of sides, and a web coupled to the frame at one of the sides. The net is secured in some suitable manner to the frame in alignment with the central opening through the frame so as to trap and collect debris as the skim net assembly moves in the water of debris-containing water in a forward or lateral direction. The cross section of three sides of the frame is blade-like in configuration; thus, the three sides permit a shovel-like action when cleaning a swimming pool which allows debris to be more effectively forced into the net when the assembly is being pushed over the bottom or moved laterally over the bottom surface of a swimming pool. A pole is coupled to the frame in a manner such that the pole is adjustably mounted on the frame for angular movement into any one of a number of operative positions.

Abstract: An automatic swimming pool cleaning apparatus has a surface supply hose connected to a floating unit and a further underwater hose that is connected at one end to the surface unit in fluid communication with the outlet of the surface hose and at its other outlet end to a non-buoyant cleaning unit. The underwater hose and the cleaning unit have jets directed in a downstream direction so that the cleaning unit moves through water in the pool and the underwater hose pushes the surface unit around. The cleaning unit carries a bag in which debris is collected. The surface hose also carries a jet to pull the surface unit around. The surface unit also has a jet which displaces and rotates the surface unit.

Abstract: There is disclosed a porous, vacuum formed filter tube having randomly oriented glass fibers and having at least one layer of a suitable sheet material wrapped around said porous filter tube and being in intimate contact therewith, said disclosed combination having an outer support structure of a predetermined inside diameter sufficient to compress the assembly of said porous filter tube and said material when it is slipped thereover, thus providing compression from the outside to the inside and forcing the layer of sheet material into intimate contact at virtually all points with said porous filter tube.

Abstract: The present device includes a recoiling roll of screening in a shape of an elongate rectangular web which is affixed to a vertical, rotatable spool at one end and a wand collar at the other. The screen roll is vertically oriented on a mounting frame which is affixed to the side of the pool, preferably adjacent to the automatic skimming water trap. The device may also include an outer canister with wiper brushes for wiping away debris which has been accumulated on the screening as it is retracted.

Abstract: A device for removing waste material screened or filtered out of liquid flowing through a channel (1) has a basket-type interceptor (6) that is slanted and cylindrical and that rotates subject to power, extends to some extent into the liquid, and has its upstream face (8) open and its downstream face (9) solid. A conveyor (13) is positioned coaxially in relation to the interceptor, leads to a waste-material deposit point outside the liquid, accommodates a powered conveyor screw (18), and has an intake scoop (15) in the vicinity of the interceptor for collecting the waste material. A mechanism positioned stationary above the intake scoop releases waste material from the interceptor. The interceptor consists of a number of continuous annular disks (8) distributed along the outer surface with gaps between them and the waste-material releasing mechanism is a raker-stripper (28) that at least to some extent extends through the gaps between the annular disks.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided wherein liquid is removed from a liquid-solids mixture by employing both filtration and low pressures to achieve vaporization of liquid. The mixture is introduced to a vessel in which the mixture is filtered so that a substantial portion of the liquid is withdrawn from the vessel. The vessel is then depressurized to an extent necessary to vaporize a substantial portion of the remaining liquid. Such vapor is withdrawn from the vessel. During vaporization, the contents of the vessel are agitated and heated.

Abstract: The filter tubes of a swimming pool filter are cleaned by a spray nozzle connected to a high pressure water source and carried on the end of a wand adapted to be inserted slidably through the drain valve and moved back and forth to cause the spray nozzle to traverse back and forth beneath the tubes. Dirty water from the filter is discharged around the wand and through the drain valve.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a new technique and device for mass transport operation and physical separation, being substantially quantitative and involving selective barriers. According to the new technique, the mass transport through the selective barrier and physical separation are carried out in the same device. The device consists of a mixing-reservoir into which is fitted snugly a mixer-separator, having a channel in the vertical axis of the mixer-separator, the mixer-separator being provided with means for accumulating a gas pocket to decrease the pressure exerted on the barrier. The completely solid-free liquid passing through the selective barrier is removed by pushing in the mixer-separator, said liquid being accumulated in a collecting container. Typical examples of such selective barriers are: membrane, bed of adsorbent material, paper, plastic, glass and metal filters or any other porous material, hollow fibers etc.

Abstract: A hemopurification apparatus includes a porous membrane permeable to gas but impermeable to liquid and dividing a container into two mutually-isolated compartments. The apparatus is adapted to remove water from blood by causing the blood to flow through one of the compartments and a fluid, the water vapor pressure of which is lower than that of the blood, to flow through the other compartment, whereby a portion of the water in the blood is allowed to pass as water vapor through the porous membrane.

Abstract: A liquid treatment apparatus suitable for dewatering a radioactive sludge includes a cylindrical housing (14) open at one end and defining two ports (24, 26) for the sludge, one near the open end and the other at the closed end. A plug (30) locates in the open end of the housing and supports a module (44) comprising a sealed permeate-collecting chamber (46) through which extend a number of permeable-walled tubes (54), open at each end. The plug defines a header chamber (40) for the tubes (54) which communicates with the one sludge port (24); and defines an outlet duct (62, 38) for the permeate liquid. The apparatus can be installed remotely within a shielded enclosure (12), and the plug and module can be withdrawn without risking contamination of the permeate liquid.

Abstract: Articles from filaments of thermotropic liquid crystal polymers are formed by pultrusion without use of extraneous binder, wherein the filaments formed in a bundle are essentially parallel to permit the greatest surface contact between adjacent filaments.