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Ex parte HEIJNEN et al. - Page 2
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Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences > 1997 > Ex parte HEIJNEN et al. - Page 2
Appeal No. 96-0889
Application 08/089,944
The subject matter on appeal is directed to a three-
phase separator device for the treatment of waste.
In their brief, appellants do not separately argue any
of their claims and thus claims 5 and 8 stand or fall together
with independent claim 5 which reads as follows:
5. A three-phase separator for a fluidized bed
apparatus for the anaerobic treatment of a waste water liquid
phase wherein a gas phase is generated, the three-phase separator
being adapted to be situated in the top of a reactor for
separating the gas phase from a treated liquid phase, and from a
biomass, and for returning the biomass to the reactor, the three-
phase separator comprising:
a settling compartment having an inlet, and outlet for
treated liquid phase from which the gas phase and biomass have
been substantially removed,
a plurality of parallel partitions connected to the
settling compartment and inclined to both the vertical and the
horizontal for creating an internal gaslift circulation of
biomass and treated liquid phase in the separator, the parallel
partitions having an inlet for the biomass and treated liquid
phase that is separated from the gas phase and flows between the
partitions to an outlet from said parallel partitions, the
parallel partitions inlet being above the parallel partitions
outlet, and the outlet from the parallel partitions being in open
communication with the inlet to the settling compartment for the
flow of treated liquid phase into the settling compartment,
a deflector inclined to the vertical and the
horizontal, said deflector being connected to the settling
compartment and having a major surface extending below and across
the inlet to the settling compartment and below and across the
outlet from the parallel partitions to provide an outlet from the
separator for return of the biomass from the separator to the
reactor, the outlet for the biomass being spaced apart from the
inlet to the parallel partitions, the inclined deflector and the
parallel partitions being at opposite inclined angles with
respect to each other,
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Last modified: November 3, 2007
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