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Processes and apparatuses for treating drilling fluid by passing the fluid through a separator including a clarifying zone and a thickening zone, the clarifying zone having inclined plates and the thickening zone having at least one wall with an angle of less than about 60°. The separator may option

Processes and apparatuses for treating drilling fluid by passing the fluid through a separator including a clarifying zone and a thickening zone, the clarifying zone having inclined plates and the thickening zone having at least one wall with an angle of less than about 60°. The separator may optionally include an agglomeration zone and a removal zone.

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What is claimed is: 1. An apparatus for treating fluid comprising solids and liquids to produce clarified fluid, comprising: (a) an agglomeration zone having an inlet for receiving the fluid and at least one fluid outlet, the agglomeration zone comprising an energy displacement sub-zone including a

What is claimed is: 1. An apparatus for treating fluid comprising solids and liquids to produce clarified fluid, comprising: (a) an agglomeration zone having an inlet for receiving the fluid and at least one fluid outlet, the agglomeration zone comprising an energy displacement sub-zone including a flow path obstacle disposed therein in substantially facing relation to the fluid inlet and having two ends, operative to turbulently mix an agglomerant with the fluid to agglomerate a portion of the solids therein while dissipating the energy of the fluid said at least one fluid outlet disposed proximately perpendicular to at least one of said ends; (b) a clarification zone in fluid communication with the outlet of the agglomeration zone, the clarification zone comprising a plurality of spaced apart clarifying plates to promote the settling of the solids from the clarification zone to produce clarified fluid; and (c) a thickening zone disposed below and in fluid communication with the clarification zone for receiving the settling solids and comprising at least one wall defining a downwardly diminishing cross-sectional area; wherein the outlet of the agglomeration zone directs the fluid to exit the agglomeration zone towards the plurality of clarifying plates. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, the at least one wall being angled no more than 45°. 3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a displacer disposed proximally parallel to the at least one wall for displacing solids therefrom. 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the thickening zone wall comprises a frusto-conical configuration and the displacer is selected from the group consisting of radial scrapers, radial sweepers, and radial plows. 5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a removal device disposed above the plates for removing clarified fluid. 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the removal device comprises at least one launder. 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the thickening zone further comprises thickening pickets for passing through and releasing liquids and gases from settled solids in the thickening zone. 8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a removal zone for collecting and removing settled solids, the removal zone being communicatingly disposed proximal to a bottom edge of the at least one wall of the thickening zone. 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the removal zone comprises an auger having a first end extending into the removal zone and a second end outside the removal zone, the auger for rotatingly displacing the settled solids from the first end to the second end. 10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a sensor for sensing and transmitting information about at least one characteristic of the settled solids, said characteristic being selected from the class consisting of density, thickness, and mass, and a receiver for receiving said information and for varying the auger's rotation speed in accordance with said information. 11. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a removal pump for removing settled solids from the removal zone. 12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a sensor for sensing and transmitting information about at least one characteristic of the settled solids, said characteristic being selected from the class consisting of density, thickness, and mass, and a receiver for receiving said information and for varying the pump's speed in accordance with said information. 13. The apparatus of claim 1, the at least one wall being angled no more than 60°. 14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a diffuser disposed between the agglomeration zone and the clarification zone and having a plurality of ports sized to permit passage of agglomerated solids therethrough. 15. An apparatus for separating solids from a fluid to produce a clarified fluid, comprising: (a) an agglomeration zone for treating the fluid with an agglomerant to agglomerate a portion of the solids therein to form a treated fluid; (b) a clarification zone in fluid communication with the agglomeration zone comprising a plurality of spaced apart clarifying plates to promote the settling of the solids in the treated fluid to produce the clarified fluid; (c) a diffuser disposed between the agglomeration zone and the clarification zone having a plurality of ports sized to permit passage of the treated fluid including agglomerated solids therethrough at a substantially uniform flow in a substantially horizontal direction into the clarification zone; and at or below a top edge of the clarifying plates; and (d) a thickening zone disposed below and in fluid communication with the clarification zone for receiving the settling solids and comprising at least one wall defining a downwardly diminishing cross-sectional area. 16. The apparatus of claim 15, the at least one wall being angled no more than 45°. 17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a displacer disposed proximally parallel to the at least one wall for displacing solids therefrom. 18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the thickening zone wall comprises a frusto-conical configuration and the displacer is selected from the group consisting of radial scrapers, radial sweepers, and radial plows. 19. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a removal device disposed above the plates for removing clarified fluid. 20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the removal device comprises at least one launder. 21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the thickening zone further comprises thickening pickets for passing through and releasing liquids and gases from settled solids in the thickening zone. 22. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a removal zone for collecting and removing settled solids, the removal zone being communicatingly disposed proximal to a bottom edge of the at least one wall of the thickening zone. 23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the removal zone comprises an auger having a first end extending into the removal zone and a second end outside the removal zone, the auger for rotatingly displacing the settled solids from the first end to the second end. 24. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising a removal pump for removing settled solids from the removal zone. 25. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising a sensor for sensing and transmitting information about at least one characteristic of the settled solids, said characteristic being selected from the class consisting of density, thickness, and mass, and a receiver for receiving said information and for varying the pump's speed in accordance with said information. 26. The apparatus of claim 15, the at least one wall being angled no more than 60°. 27. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a sensor for sensing and transmitting information about at least one characteristic of the settled solids, said characteristic being selected from the class consisting of density, thickness, and mass, and a receiver for receiving said information and for varying the auger's rotation speed in accordance with said information. 28. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the agglomeration zone further comprises an energy displacement sub-zone for dissipating energy of the fluid.