Abstract: A gas filter system, suitable for use in a safety installation for nuclear reactor confinement vessels, comprises a generally cylindrical enclosure having a closed bottom. In an upper part of the enclosure is an inlet for the gas to be filtered. There is an outlet for the filtered gas at the side of a lower part of the enclosure. The gas passes at a low speed through a horizontal filter bed of predetermined thickness consisting of a layer of a granular filter medium. The filter medium is supported by a supporting layer of a lightweight granular material which has an average particle size greater than that of the filter medium. This layer extends down to the closed bottom of the enclosure. The filtered gas is recovered and conveyed to the outlet by a plurality of tubular members which have walls through which the gas can pass and which are placed in the supporting layer. These tubular members discharge into an annular manifold on the outside periphery of which is the outlet for the filtered gas.

Abstract: Sand is filtered from an oil flow from a sand-containing oil producing formation or interval of an oil well by passing the oil flow with entrained sand through a filter assembly containing filtering media in the form of a body of juxtaposed composite particles. Each composite particle has an iron-containing core surrounded by a continuous chromium cladding, the composite particles having a size to permit passage of the oil flow through the body of the composite particles while substantially preventing flow of sand therethrough.

Abstract: An improved rigid filter plate for use in sludge dewatering or oil and water separation is characterized by a lower layer of relatively large material and an upper layer of relatively smaller material bonded thereto, with grains of sand interspersed within the upper layer and bonded to the material making up the upper layer. The device yields high efficacy in sludge dewatering and oil and water separation, while requiring a low level of cleaning and maintenance, yet is resistant to damage from mechanical cleaning when cleaning is necessary. An efficient and economical method of producing the device is also disclosed herein.

Abstract: A water filter formed of an upright closed vessel having water inlet and outlet openings adjacent the top thereof, an outlet pipe extending within the vessel from the water outlet opening to adjacent the vessel interior bottom, a permeable barrier filter positioned within the vessel adjacent the interior bottom and affixed to the lower end of the outlet pipe, the vessel being filled with a particulate filter medium, preferably charcoal or the equivalent, the filter medium surrounding the barrier filter, and the barrier filter being formed by a short length tubular wall of impervious material having an opening in the tubular wall, a filter inlet pipe received in the opening in the tubular wall and extending within the housing, the end of the filter inlet pipe within the housing being closed and the pipe having a plurality of small openings therein, two semi-circular permeable foam plastic filter members within the interior of the housing, the semi-circular filter members being the thickness substantially that

Abstract: A filter distributor is disclosed which includes a plurality of radially-extending conduits or laterals pivotally mounted at their inner ends on a hub and extending to outer ends substantially adjacent to the outer wall of the filtered tank. Each lateral is provided with an inner strainer and an outer strainer. The outer strainers are sized to service an adjacent zone along the outer portions of the tank and the inner strainers are sized to service adjacent inner zones. In the illustrated embodiment, the outer strainers have an open flow area twice as great as the inner strainers and service the outer two thirds of the tank. The strainers are positioned substantially at the centroid of the adjacent zones which they service. The sizing of the strainers and their location is arranged so that substantially uniform flow occurs through all of the filter medium during normal filtering operation and backflow operations.

Abstract: A filter includes a bed of particulate solids for removal of contaminants from a fluid directed in a downstream direction therethrough. A barrier is located downstream of the bed of particulate solids and includes an anchoring member having flexible members joined thereto and projecting outwardly therefrom. The flexible members are closely spaced to each other for providing a closely-spaced network of flexible members to establish multiple barrier layers in the downstream direction of fluid flow through the barrier. In one embodiment the barrier is in the form of a planar member generally coextensive with a bottom wall of the filter and includes a plurality of anchoring members spaced-apart horizontally from each other. In another embodiment the barrier is in the form of a strainer with the anchoring members being spaced-apart vertically from each other and with the flexible members joined thereto being spaced transversely along the anchoring members to provide the multiple barrier layers.

Abstract: A technique for contacting a fluid with an ion exchange resin which comprises flowing the contacting fluid through a moving bed of ion exchange resin in a direction essentially perpendicular to the direction of flow of said ion exchange resin bed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a distributor for distributing a liquid in an exchange column. The distributor comprises at least one predistributor means positioned to receive a liquid feed and a plurality of distributor means having substantially straight longitudinal side walls and open top portions. The interior and exterior of the longitudinal side walls of the predistributor means are covered with a wettable, open-pore material. In operation the liquid feed flows from the predistributor means into the interior of the distributor means, through the open-pore material, exiting this open-pore material on the exterior of the distributor means. In this manner an improved, even distribution of the liquid feed within the exchange column is obtained.

Abstract: A filter drier is disclosed for installation in a liquid refrigerant line of a refrigeration system, the filter drier comprising a housing having an inlet at one end thereof and an outlet at the other end thereof. The liquid refrigerant is discharged from the inlet into the housing in a jet and a perforate plate is provided within the housing against which this jet impinges for diffusing the refrigerant jet substantially across the width of the housing. A filter filters the diffused liquid refrigerant and a bed of desiccant beads is provided with a perforate divider between the filter and the desiccant. A perforate support plate supports the desiccant bed and a second filter bears on the downstream perforate support plate with the desiccant being engageable with the second filter.

Abstract: Filtering apparatus of the sand-circulating type in which the backwashing conduit means, by which the filtering medium is circulated from the bottom of the bed to the top and washed in the process, are located around the periphery of the vessel. The conduit means may comprise a series of tubes, each associated with a water jet and equispaced around the vessel wall. Emerging from the tubes, the washed medium may be constrained to pass radially inwards between upper and lower guiding baffles before finally falling onto the top of the bed. The support plate on which the bed rests may be upwardly conical in shape, may contain water nozzles to help direct the lower part of the bed towards the backwashing conduit, and may be formed with perforations through which filtrate may pass.

Abstract: A single unit fluidized-bed reactor having a reaction space for purification of waste water with biomass attached to carrier particles, comprising a liquid distribution device above the bottom of the reaction space particularly suited for introduction of waste water in wide reactors to achieve uniform fluidization therein, said device consisting of a number of substantially horizontal pipes, each having in the under-surface a number of regularly distributed openings for downward introduction of the liquid, and on top of the reaction space united therewith a multifunctional separation compartment for complete separation of the gas-liquid-solids mixture leaving the reaction space and for complete return of attached biomass into the reaction space, the separation compartment being construction so as to handle treatments involving large or small gas fractions in reactors of varying width.

Abstract: A filter employing a discrete particle filter medium (3,11), such as graded sand or the like, in which the outlet passage (6) located at the bottom (1, 29,8) of a bed of filter medium is provided in which air can be employed in the backwashing process to agitate the filter medium. The filter has shallow coarser layers (9,10,28) of particulate material beneath the filter medium (11) itself and one set of outlet nozzles (14,19,27) having appropriately dimensional perforations positioned in the coarser or coarsest particle layer (9,28). In addition further finer perforated surfaces (16,23,30) communicate with the bottom of the filter medium (11) itself and the arrangement is such that when air is introduced perparatory to, or during backwashing the air emerges predominantly from the elevated finer perforated surfaces (16,23,30).

Abstract: Water filtering apparatus is disclosed comprising a water filtering unit attachable to faucets or water pipes and a valve assembly used in conjunction therewith. The filtering unit is provided at each end with fluid dispersion plates constructed so that fluid passes uniformly therethrough to prevent channeling of a central filtering and conditioning media of activated carbon granules. Fabric filter members are interposed between the dispersion plates and the carbon granules to remove suspended particulates from the fluid. The valve assembly may be interposed between the faucet and the filtering unit to reverse the fluid flow and backwash the filtering unit.

Abstract: A fluidized bed waste water treatment reactor which includes a reactor tank containing a particulate media, an array of perforated distribution pipes disposed in a horizontal, parallel array adjacent the bottom of the reactor tank for introducing fluidizing liquid substantially uniformly over the cross-sectional area of the reactor tank. The arrangement is characterised in that an inlet end of each of the distribution pipes extends externally of the reactor tank and the distribution pipes are connected together by a header tank positioned externally of the reactor tank. This arrangement allows access externally of the reactor tank to individual distribution pipes which allows blockages of the pipes to be readily cleared.

Abstract: In a filter of the type in which at least part of a casing is buried with its suction ports in pebbles spread inside a water tank in order to let the pebbles exhibit a filter operation and suction means is connected to the casing, the improvement wherein the filter casing consists of a suction portion buried in the pebbles together with its suction ports, and a purification portion connected to the suction portion and having the upper part thereof closed by a detachable lid, a filter material dividing the purification portion into a purification chamber and a non-purification chamber and held by a frame member is removably fitted into the purification portion, and the suction means is supported by the lid in such a manner as to face the interior of the purification chamber.

Abstract: A dual container portable water conditioner for domestic use wherein the containers are removably coupled in a vertical position and include flow diversion means therein to reduce channeling of the conditioning medium.

Abstract: The strainer assembly comprises a body (1) which is to be mounted in the floor (14) of the filter and which has open upper and lower ends. A hollow open ended stem (3) has an external screw-thread (4) which engages with an internal screw-thread (2) in the body. The stem projects outwardly from the body below the lower end of the body and is axially adjustable relative to the body so that the effect of filter construction errors can be eliminated. A flexible tab (11) on the stem engages with ribs (10) on the body to prevent unintentional relative rotation of the stem and body. A strainer (8) is fitted to the upper end of the body and a flow control orifice (5) is provided in the stem. The area of the orifice is smaller than the total open area of the strainer.

Abstract: A liquid flow distributor for dispersing wastewater or other liquid carrying stringy solids throughout a particulate media such as in a fluidized bed reactor. The distributor is adapted to allow unimpeded forward flow of the liquid into the media and it also functions to minimize backflow of the media into the distributor should forward flow be arrested. The distributor includes an array of like nozzles, each having an inlet port leading into a conical flow expansion section whose cone angle is such that the nozzle capable of flowing full without significance turbulence, the mouth of the flow expansion section merging with a cylindrical outlet section whose dimensions are such that any backflow which takes place when forward flow is arrested will normally be insufficient to lift the bed particles into the nozzle.

Abstract: Bracelet-shaped filter device molded of plastic has a frame surrounding a slotted filter portion and integral retaining portions which permit it to be held tightly in contact with the surface of a pipe. The filter portion contains a plurality of evenly spaced slots which are positioned so as to be spaced at a predetermined distance from an aperture in the pipe through which fluid may pass. The filter slots are V-shaped and of increasing width in a direction toward the center of the pipe. In a preferred embodiment, the retaining portions are integral straps which can be tightened and held by an integral fastener. In a modified structure which is suitable for small tubes, the device may include curved portions which are adapted to be spread apart and snapped over the sides of the tube. The devices are especially useful to prevent entry of the solid particles in a fluidized bed into the fluid supply conduit.

Abstract: In a water purification apparatus in which a granular filter medium is washed by agitation imparted to the filter medium, a pipe adapted for collection of purified water is mounted within the heap of precipitated granular filter medium and enclosed by a filter mesh to prevent outflow of the filter medium. Sliding contact elements such as turns of a wire wound about the collecting pipe or linear brush-like members inserted on the collecting pipe are also provided between the pipe and the filter mesh so that both the inner and outer surfaces of the filter mesh may be cleaned during countercurrent washing of the filter medium for assuring optimum water permeation at all times.

Abstract: A filter device for the softening and/or complete desalination of liquids includes a container which is filled with ion exchanger compound, through which the liquid to be treated flows, with an inflow an outflow opening. A hollow filtering member the interior of which is connected to a discharge opening for discharging purified liquid, is disposed in the container. The filtering member is disposed within a receiving space which is, at least largely, shielded from the ion exchanger compound and is in communication with the interior of the container.This arrangement of the filtering member ensures that, for instance, raw water introduced into the container can act on the filtering member only if it has first penetrated the ion exchanger compound.

Abstract: An upflow, buoyant media filter for industrial and municipal water and wastewater treatment is disclosed. The filter bed is supported in a tank such that there is defined an influent reservoir below the filter bed and an effluent reservoir above the filter bed. By inducing a continuous circulating flow of influent within the influent reservoir, the waste is slowly agitated allowing it to coagulate. As the waste particles are carried to the relatively quiescent areas near the perimeter of the tank, those that are heavy enough settle to the bottom of the tank. The lighter particles are carried along in the circulating flow to continue the coagulation process. Waste particles which do not settle out are ultimately removed by the filter media. As the waste particles build up on the surface of the filter media, they agglomerate. As their density increases, these particles tend to drop off of their own weight or may be scoured off by the circulating flow of influent.

Abstract: An improved liquid filtration system is provided which comprises, in combination, a tank or other vessel having a central cavity and a liquid inlet tube and liquid outlet tube spaced apart. A porous self-supporting filter is arched over the liquid outlet tube and forms part of the system. The filter comprises granules cemented together by organic resin. For example, fine aggregate stone particles are cemented together by an epoxy resin so that the filter is both porous and strong. Preferably, the upstream portion of the filter contains a first layer of fine aggregate while the downstream portion of the filter contains a layer of larger aggregate. The system also includes a connector releasably securing the filter over the outlet tube. The filter is relatively small, occupies only a small portion of the bottom of the tank, can be removed for cleaning and replacement and is light in weight. Preferably, the filter has an upstream cover portion of a porous metal plate material in domed configuration.

Abstract: A portable container for use in handling sludge. The container has a bottom wall and enclosing walls. The bottom wall has drainage areas for passing liquid from sludge placed in the container. The bottom wall is shaped to direct liquid from the sludge to the drainage areas.

Abstract: The instant invention relates to an improved filtering device adapted to eliminate any risk of clogging of the filtering material. The invention provides a filtering device for treating any effluents, which comprises a plurality of filtering walls arranged successively between a chamber containing the effluent to be filtered and a chamber containing the filtered effluent, each filtering wall being constituted by spacedly justaposed strips having a trapezoidal section with the large base of the trapezoid located on the inlet face of the filtering wall, said strips being separated from each other, on the inlet face of the filtering wall, by intervals of equal widths forming slots which define effluent inlet areas, the sum of said inlet areas constituting the total inlet area of a filtering wall, and the total inlet area of the upstream wall being less than the total inlet area of the adjacent downstream wall.

Abstract: An agitation tank adapted to contain a slurried pulp or slurry containing particles, such as carbon particles, to be separated from the slurry. The tank has a screen unit removably mounted therein, the screen unit having a hollow body provided with an opening and a screen across the opening to allow the slurry to pass into the hollow body but to prevent the particles in the tank from passing into the hollow body. The slurry in the hollow body can then pass out of the screen unit and the tank through an outlet which communicates with the interior of the hollow body and an adjacent vessel. The screen unit can be removed from the tank to permit replacement of the screen surrounding the hollow body. The screen is removably mounted on the screen unit by a clamp to permit rapid change of the screen if the screen becomes defective.

Abstract: A disposable bed filter for removing particulate matter and/or reducing oxygen in a poured metal melt is located within a trough. The bed filter preferably comprises discrete layers of bed media located in a trough between entry and exit baffle plates. The layers of bed media include a layer of coarse media and a layer of fine media. The trough is preferably provided with a closeable lid to permit removal of the bed media and to compensate for buoyancy of the bed media if present. In its preferred use, the bed filter forms part of a process for making a metal alloy wherein the bed filter simultaneously reduces the oxygen content of the melt and filters particulate matter from the melt.

Abstract: A fluid-solids contacting device is provided in tanks which can be essentially filled with particulate solids treating medium. An improved fluid distributor element is provided in such vessels including a tube-defining-frame such as a helix which is anchored to a fluid inlet or outlet pipe and which is covered with a fabric sleeve secured annularly to the pipe end. Where the pipe is an inlet pipe, all of the fluid must flow through the sleeve and is distributed over the area of the sleeve within the fluid-solids treating vessel. Where the pipe is an outlet pipe, the fluids leaving the tank must pass through the sleeve before entering into the outlet pipe. In both cases the flow distribution of the fluid within the tank is improved.

Abstract: A biological filter system has a bed of buoyant granules a portion of which xtends above the surface of the fluid. The bed is disposed above the effluent outlet. Distubutor and receiving means are provided by which the filter can be backwashed.

Abstract: A fluid filter arrangement particularly useful in removal of selected impurities from drinking water including a hollow casing means to receive a selectively removable top end, and bottom end, defining a chamber and having an inlet in the top end for admission fluid to be treated and an outlet in the bottom end for emission of treated fluid, replaceable treating material retention means having a sidewall of generally the same shape as the inner wall of the casing so the sidewall of the retention means engages the sidewall of the casing in sealing relation where the retention means includes a concave fluid porous inlet end to be disposed in communicative relation with the fluid inlet and fluid porous outlet end opposite the inlet end communicating with the fluid outlet from the casing, where the replacable treating material means is designed to be replaced by terminating the flow of fluid to the hollow casing means by a method known in the art and removing the top end of the casing means.

Abstract: A fluid flow control device useful for liquid chromatography includes a radial distribution plate having a patterned aperture therethrough which pattern is designed to ensure that every annulus of the distribution plate having a given area has the same uniform pressure when fluid flows therethrough. The radial distribution of a fluid throughout the aperture is created by a backpressure means adjacent the downstream surface of the radial distribution plate.

Abstract: An improved device/apparatus for sweeping and injecting a sample and at least one standard into the separation column of a fluid-phase chromatograph, including (i) means for securing same to the inlet of such separation column, (ii) a supply inlet for a stream of carrier medium and means for directing said stream to said separation column, (iii) dividing means in said device for dividing said stream into primary and secondary streams, (iv) distributing means for directing said primary stream to said separation column and distributing said primary stream over the inlet area of said column, (v) means for directing said secondary stream axially into said separation column inlet, and (vi) means for introducing a sample into said secondary stream, the improvement which comprises (vii) means for introducing at least one standard also into said secondary stream.

Abstract: A countercurrent liquid-solid contacting apparatus having combined filtering and regenerating columns stacked one above the other. The filtering column has a liquid inlet and outlet, a liquid medium to be filtered being supplied into the filtering column through the liquid inlet and discharged to the outside through the liquid outlet after having passed upwardly through a bed of filtering material within the filtering column. The regenerating column has its bottom end opening into the filtering column and supplies a filtering material in an amount necessary to compensate for a reduction in the amount of the filtering material within the filtering column each time a portion of the filtering material in a lower region of the filtering column is withdrawn and then transported back into the regenerating column.

Abstract: A liquid treating apparatus in which a vertically disposed tank has a series of longitudinally arrayed volume variable beds of liquid treatment material with fluid permeable partitions between the beds which move longitudinally in response to expansion and contraction of the beds. Forming a part of each partition and moving therewith is a fluid conduit system for collecting and distributing fluids between pairs of beds.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for operating a primary bed ion exchange resin demineralizer and for regenerating and backwashing the resins thereof. A spider-type distributor assembly having integral flow control means is installed in the top head of a resin-containing exchange vessel, to permit resin bed volume to substantially occupy the entire vessel volume, limited only by the in-service swelling characteristics of the resin. An auxiliary vessel, termed the resin drop tank, is provided for receiving a portion of the resin from the exchange vessel to accomplish backwashing of such portion outside the exchange vessel and all or none of the remaining resin inside the exchange vessel before replacing and regenerating the resin.

Abstract: A liquid treating system having a tank with a multiplicity of cells, the bottom of each cell converging downwardly toward a drain, and means for backwashing one or more of the cells while the remaining cells continue treating the liquid. Also described are a barrier for separating the cells and a kit for making the barrier.

Abstract: Apparatus for purification of waste water includes an upright adsorber filled with active carbon passing in downward direction through the adsorber while waste water flows in upward direction therethrough. A distributing arrangement at the region of the lower end of the adsorber, into which waste water is fed, is provided to assure a substantial even distribution of the waste water during its upward flow through the carbon column. Furthermore, a regulating arrangement is provided to regulate the flow of the carbon through the adsorber in dependence on the concentration of the organic contaminants adsorbed by the carbon.

Abstract: An underdrain assembly for a filter tank includes a plurality of spirally shaped hollow tubular elements of substantially equal length having capped terminal ends and equally spaced perforations in lower sides thereof. The elements are equally spaced apart so that the perforations in adjacent elements are spaced substantially the same as the perforations in the tubular elements. Backwash water fed out through such perforations is therefore distributed during a backwashing operation substantially uniformly throughout the filter bed of the tank overlying the underdrain assembly so that the entirety of the filter bed is completely and uniformly backwashed.

Abstract: In this device, for sweeping and injecting samples into the separation column of a chromatography apparatus, the separation column is secured to an opening connecting with a conduit which feeds a stream of carrier liquid to the device. The device subdivides a stream of carrier liquid into a primary stream and a secondary stream and feeds the primary stream over the entire cross section of the entrance to a separation column. Simultaneously feed of the secondary stream axially to the entrance of the separation column is performed while introducing the sample into the secondary stream. The device is usable particularly in liquid-phase chromatography.

Abstract: An ion exchange liquid treatment apparatus including a tank having an upwardly dished bottom wall and a distributor of the type having a central header and a plurality of distributor conduits extending outwardly from this header. Each distributor conduit is formed of a first straight conduit section that extends generally radially outwardly from the header and a second straight conduit section that is connected to the first conduit section by a pipe elbow whereby the second conduit section can be positioned oblique to a plane through the longitudinal axis of the tank and at a shallow angle to a plane perpendicular to the tank axis to generally conform to the contour of the dished bottom wall of the tank. Each of the second distributor conduit sections preferably have lateral conduits extending transverse thereto to achieve generally uniform liquid flow throughout the cross-section of the tank.

Abstract: The filter for treatment of natural and waste water comprises a housing accommodating a body of a granular filtering material. Disposed above the filtering body is a system of troughs communicating with a collecting-distributing duct. Disposed in the lowermost bed of the filtering body is a draining-distributing system communicating with the charging or delivery duct. The charging duct is provided with a device for positive distribution of water over the length thereof.

Abstract: A liquid distribution pipe in liquid treatment apparatus is divided into two separate liquid distribution sections. Each pipe section fits into a separate nozzle on the surface of the apparatus and is independent of the other pipe section. Each section of liquid distribution pipe can be isolated from all other sections, and can supply or withdraw liquid from the apparatus independent of the other sections.

Abstract: Apparatus for removing dissolved and undissolved radioactive impurities from a fluid is disclosed. The apparatus includes a vessel having inlet and outlet structure and provision for filtration of undissolved solids and ion exchange removal of dissolved solids. The vessel is encased in a radiation impervious material and the method contemplates utilization of filtration materials and ion exchange materials substantially to exhaustion in disregard of radioactivity concentration thereafter to dispose of entire structure.

Abstract: An axially rigid, tubular grid is fitted over an apertured conduit; a fine mesh flexible tube is fitted over the grid with the ends of the tube being folded back over annular sealing gaskets disposed at the ends of the grid; and an end cap is threaded onto the distal end of the conduit to compress the gaskets against the conduit at the ends of the grid to seal the ends of the flexible tube to the conduit.

Abstract: A bed of granular media is supported in a vessel to process liquid flowed in through both the upper and lower faces of the bed and out of the bed at a location intermediate the upper and lower faces. A drain structure for the processed liquid is mounted at the location intermediate the two bed faces with the capacity to withdraw the quantity of liquid flowing into both of the bed faces. A closed circuit is provided to transfer residual material in the drain structure back to the inlet system of the bed after backwash of the bed. A holding vessel is connected to the vessel in which the media bed is supported to temporarily receive the media for service periods of the bed vessel.

Abstract: The water and oil that is normally collected in the bilge of small boats is pumped overboard by a bilge pump with the oil being removed from the bilge water by a filter having layers of different size expanded resin particles that are hydrophobic and oleophilic. When operation of the bilge pump ceases, a valve will release the back pressure that would otherwise be caused by the filter, to facilitate start-up of the pump. At the discharge and visible on the exterior of the boat, there is an indicator that will change color when it is in contact with oil, to provide a visual indication when the filter needs changing.

Abstract: Combination flow distributing and collecting apparatus for collecting and distributing fluids at different flow rates includes at least one cylindrical screen member portion having a cylindrical distribution and collection pipe positioned interiorly thereof. The distribution and collection pipe contains a plurality of openings in its sides, with at least some of the openings serving to permit flow in one radial direction while restricting or preventing flow in the other radial direction while the other openings permit flow in either direction.

Abstract: Conduit segments are mounted above a horizontal plate which supports an upper bed of media. The segments have perforations formed on their underside. A screen is draped over each segment and extends down the sides of a cradle mounted on the plate to support the segment. The screen laterally supports the media and functions to isolate the media from a fluid volume beneath the perforations in the underside of the conduit.