GB1579415A - Apparatus for adsorption purification of liquids - Google Patents

Description

(54) APPARATUS FOR ADSORPTION PURIFICATION OF LIQUIDS (71 We, KERNFORSCHUNGSZENTRUM KARLSRUHE GmbH of Postfach 3640, D 7500 Karlsruhe 1, Federal Republic of Germany; a German body corporate do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The present invention relates to a liquid purification installation utilising reactors of the general type described and claimed in our co-pending British Patent Application No. 37676/77 (Serial No. 1 570 430).

Claim 1 of British Patent Application No.

37676/77 (Serial No. 1570430) sets forth apparatus for purifying liquids by treatment with solid purifying media which absorb the dissolved and/or undissolved substances contained therein, comprising a container with an inlet for the liquids and at least one mixing region in which at least one agitating element is operable to bring the purifying media located therein into close contact with the liquids and settling regions subsequent to the mixing region or regions such that the liquids and the purifying media are separated from one another therein under the action of gravity.

In packed or compact bed apparatuses, coarse-grained purifying agents are normally used. In such apparatuses, the packed bed is at rest and the liquid to be purified may enter into the bed either from below or from above the bed. In the so-called "expandedbed-technique" (suspension bed technique) the inflow of liquid takes place from below at such a rate that the materials of the bed are loosened. When using finely grained purifying agents, the inflow always takes place from below and, depending upon the rate ascent of the liquid, the operation is carried out in a suspension bed or a vortex bed. In solid bed reactors, the suspended substances or materials cause a blockage in the flow of liquid to be purified all the quicker and the passage resistance to the liquid to rise during operation, which effect is made worse by decreasing the grain size of the particles of the purifying agent employed. However, if the grain size of the particles is increased, the apparatus cannot be employed to its full capacity nor at its maximum speed.

In known suspension and vortex bed apparatuses, finely grained purifying agents may be used. However, the liquid flow velocity must remain within narrow limits, if a complete settlement of the solids is to be achieved without carry-over of the particles taking place. The contact time and conditions between the liquid and solid phase cannot be freely selected. Practical experience shows that intensive and uniform contact between the liquid and the purifying agent cannot be fully achieved due to the formation of channels or due to rapidly rising liquid bubbles. When the liquid flow is cut-off or stopped, the purifying agent is caused to settle and becomes caked.

It is also known, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 of the parent application, to connect individual apparatus reactors in series with one another. The liquids to be purified thus pass through each reactor in turn. In such a system however, the reactors are charged with different amounts of the purifying agents or materials, such as AlO-powder.

The first reactor of the series is charged with more agent than the next following reactor and resulting in this first reactor having to be interchanged for decontamination before the next following reactor. During such operation, however, the entire installation must be shut down. Depending upon the charging of the purifying agent in the next following reactor, the interchange operation may need to be effected several times weekly. The time loss result ing therefrom is considerable and the contamination caused is undesirable.

The present invention seeks to provide an installation of reactors such as are described and illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 of our copending British Patent Application No.

37676/77 (Serial No. 1570430) in such a manner that it is possible to separate a contaminated reactor from the others in the installation, without having to stop the entire purifying process.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a liquid purification installation in which liquids are purfied by treatment wth solid purifying agents in a plurality of reactors as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 of British Patent Application No.

37676/77 (Serial No. 1 570 430), but wherein the reactors are so connected in series such that the overflow of one reactor is connectable to the inlet of the next forward reactor in the series, each reactor being capable of being the first reactor in the series and, in such position, being connectable to a common liquid supply, the final reactor in the series at any time being adapted to be separated from the series, and the reactor next forward of the separated reactor being adapted to be connected to a common outlet for purified liquids.

Preferably, the individual reactors are arranged around the common outlet, an inlet channel for supply of the liquids into the reactors being provided in a location remote from the common outlet, the first reactor and the reactor next forward of the separated reactor are adapted to be connected through connecting elements successively to the channel and to the common outlet respectively, the last reactor being adapted to be separated from the reactors connected to the inlet and outlet by means of closure elements provided on the overflows.

Desirably, the common outlet is adapted to act as a settling basin.

The invention will be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, the single Figure of which shows, schematically, a plan view of a reactor installation in accordance with the present invention.

In the Figure, there are shown eight reactors 1 to 8, each having a substantially trapezoidal cross-section. These reactors are connected in series and jointly form a circle around a common discharge outlet 9. Hence, each reactor forms a segment of the circle.

Around the external walls of the reactors or, as shown, a common external wall 10 for all the reactors, an inlet channel 11 for the liquids to be purified, is formed. The reactors 1 to 8 also have a common internal wall 12 which forms a circle.

The individual reactors 1 to 8 have similar features to the square reactors specifically described on our co-pending British Patent Application No. 37676/77 (Serial No. 1 570 430). Thus, they all have overflow openings 13, suspended plates 14 at the inlets 15, suspended plates 16 with vortex dampers 17 at the overflow 13 as well as outlets 18 to the common discharge outlet 9. The annular arrangement permits each reactor to be used as the first reactor in the series. As shown, the inlets 15 and the outlets 18 respectively are provided with lockable connecting elements 21 and 22, whilst the overflow openings 13 may be closed with respect to the next adjacent reactor by means of closure elements 23.

The outlets 18 are connected to the common discharge outlet 9 by means of conduits 24. The common discharge outlet 9 acts as an additional settling basin, by causing the conduits 24 to lead into a supply conduit 25 which extends into basins 26.

The basins are inter-connected by lateral overflow openings 27. The space between the external wall 28 of the settling basin 26 and the internal wall 12 forms, as shown, a common overflow channel which communicates with downwardly extending conduits (not shown). The additional settling basin 26 serves to retain any flushed-out purifying agent.

The annular arrangement of the reactors 1 to 8 permits each individual reactor chamber to be used as the first reactor in the series. Each reactor has an agitating element 29 located therein which causes turbulence of the purifying agents or materials. Only during an initial charging are all eight reactors connected in series. The reactor 8 and the reactor 1, which constitute the last and first reactors respectively in the series, are separated from one another, by closing the overflow opening 13 of the reactor 8 by means of the closure element 23, all other overflow openings being open. The inlets 15 to the reactors 2 to 8 and the outlets 18 from the reactors 1 to 7 are also closed whilst inlet 15 to the reactor 1 and the outlet 18 from the reactor 8 remain open. With 100% charging of the purifying agent, often aluminium oxide, in the first reactor 1, its inlet 15 and its overflow 13 are also closed. In other words, the reactor 1 is separated from the other reactors in the series. It may then be completely purified or cleaned. At the same time, the inlet 15 to the reactor 2 is opened. The series now consists only of the seven reactors 2 to 8. When loading or charging the reactor 2 this reactor is separated from the series so that the reactor 3 becomes the first reactor in the series. Reactor 1 may be reinstated so that the series comprises the reactors 3 to 8 and 1. The inlet 15 of the reactor 3 is then opened, the outlet 18 of the reactor 8 is closed, the overflow 13 of the reactor 8 is opened, the inlet 15 to the reactor 2 is closed and the outlet 18 to the settling basin 9, 25, 26 of the reactor 1 is opened. This process permits the charged purifying agent in the most contaminated reactor of the series to be interchanged via the outlet 19 without having to shut down the whole installation.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A liquid purification installation in which liquids are purified by treatment with solid purifying agents in a plurality of reactors as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 of British Patent Application No. 37676/77 (Serial No. 1 570 430), but wherein the reactors are so connected in series that the overflow of one reactor is connectable to the inlet of the next forward reactor in the series, each reactor being capable of being the first reactor in the series and, in such position, being connectable to a common liquid supply, the final reactor in the series at any time being adapted to be separated from the series, and the reactor next forward of the separated reactor being adapted to be connected to a common outlet for purified liquids.

2. An installation as claimed in claim 1, wherein the individual reactors are arranged around the common outlet, an inlet channel for supply of the liquids into the reactors being provided in a location remote from the common outlet, the first reactor and the reactor next forward of the separated reactor are adapted to be connected through connecting elements successively to the channel and to the common outlet respectively, the last reactor being adapted to be separated from the reactors connected to the inlet and outlet by means of closure elements provided on the overflows.

3. An installation as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the common outlet is adapted to act as a settling basin.

4. A liquid purification installation substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (4)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. reactor 8 is closed, the overflow 13 of the reactor 8 is opened, the inlet 15 to the reactor 2 is closed and the outlet 18 to the settling basin 9, 25, 26 of the reactor 1 is opened. This process permits the charged purifying agent in the most contaminated reactor of the series to be interchanged via the outlet 19 without having to shut down the whole installation. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A liquid purification installation in which liquids are purified by treatment with solid purifying agents in a plurality of reactors as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 of British Patent Application No. 37676/77 (Serial No. 1 570 430), but wherein the reactors are so connected in series that the overflow of one reactor is connectable to the inlet of the next forward reactor in the series, each reactor being capable of being the first reactor in the series and, in such position, being connectable to a common liquid supply, the final reactor in the series at any time being adapted to be separated from the series, and the reactor next forward of the separated reactor being adapted to be connected to a common outlet for purified liquids.

2. An installation as claimed in claim 1, wherein the individual reactors are arranged around the common outlet, an inlet channel for supply of the liquids into the reactors being provided in a location remote from the common outlet, the first reactor and the reactor next forward of the separated reactor are adapted to be connected through connecting elements successively to the channel and to the common outlet respectively, the last reactor being adapted to be separated from the reactors connected to the inlet and outlet by means of closure elements provided on the overflows.

3. An installation as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the common outlet is adapted to act as a settling basin.

4. A liquid purification installation substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.