Appeal No. 1998-0425 Page 25
Application No. 08/272,527
25 inches of water gauge above a base condition of said
elements.
11. Liquid treatment apparatus comprising:
a gas distribution network in a water impound;
means for introducing treating gas into said network;
a source of cleaning agent;
means including valve means for intermittently
introducing
into said network said cleaning agent alone or in admixture
with
the treating gas;
a plurality of synthetic thermoplastic or thermoset resin
plenums;
a plurality of a least ten diffusion elements sealingly
engaged and in communication with said plenums for receiving
said
treating gas and cleaning agent, said elements having air
diffusion pores extending therethrough, but being free of
through-holes other than air diffusion pores, said pores
defining paths for discharge of said treating gas and cleaning
agent and which exhibit an increase in dynamic wet pressure
and/or bubble release pressure as a result of deposition of
foulants;
retaining means engaging said diffusion elements about
their
peripheries for securing said elements to said plenums;
sealing means adjacent the peripheries of the diffusion
elements for preventing leakage of air from said plenums past
the
peripheries of said elements; and
measuring means for monitoring the operation of said
liquid
treatment apparatus by measuring changes in operating
parameters of the apparatus that indicate dynamic wet pressure
changes across the diffusion elements with sufficient
precision for initiating the flow of cleaning agent with
sufficient frequency for maintaining the dynamic wet pressure
across the diffusion elements in a range not to exceed about
25 inches of water gauge above a base condition of said
elements.
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