US 5,332,534 A · Process and system for increasing the gas uptake by a liquid being aerated

Abstract

A process and system for enhancing the oxygen uptake by a liquid being aerated in a basin or tank with the aid of an aerator which can only aerate the liquid over a cross-sectional zone smaller than the total floor surface of the basin or tank. To achieve the enhancement, there is provided vertically above the aerator but at the surface of the body of liquid an enclosure which is open at its top and bottom and has a cross-sectional size sufficient to surround approximately the entire region where the rising directly aerated quantity of liquid reaches the surface of the body liquid. The enclosure, which when installed has its top edge arranged above and its bottom edge below the surface of the body of liquid, is constructed and arranged to either entirely or partly inhibit flow of the upwardly displaced aerated liquid laterally outwardly from the region of its arrival at the surface of the body of liquid, thereby to control the "airlift effect" and the resultant liquid circulation which tends to reduce oxygen uptake.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A process for increasing, through a control of the liquid circulation in a liquid-containing aeration basin, the uptake of oxygen by the liquid, with the size of the basin and the air bubbles emission characteristics of the associated aerator being such that only a portion of the total cross-section of the basin near its floor is intensively aerated by the aerator;

wherein the improvement comprises the steps of:
(a) permitting waste air reaching the surface of the body of liquid to escape without restraint from the latter into the atmosphere about the body of liquid;
and
(b) completely or partly inhibiting the quantity of liquid,
(i) which is displaced upwardly in the basin through the expansion work of the rising quantity of the aerating air bubbles and
(ii) which through such upward displacement accelerates the rising movement of the air bubbles so as to tend to shorten their residence time in the body of liquid and have the effect of reducing oxygen uptake,
from flowing laterally outwardly from the region of its arrival at the surface of the body of liquid in the basin, so that by virtue of such inhibition of lateral outward flow of liquid the oxygen uptake-reducing effect is counteracted.

4 more elements

A system for increasing, through a control of the liquid circulation in a liquid-containing aeration basin, the uptake of oxygen into the liquid, wherein an aerator introduces air bubbles into the basin near the floor thereof, and the size of the basin and the air bubbles emission characteristics of the aerator are such that only a portion of the total cross-section of the basin near its floor is intensively aerated;

wherein the improvement comprises:
(a) means arranged at the surface of the body of liquid in the basin for completely or partly inhibiting the quantity of liquid,
(i) which is displaced upwardly in the basin through the expansion work of the rising quantity of air bubbles and
(ii) which through such upward displacement accelerates the rising movement of the air bubbles so as to tend to shorten their residence time in the body of liquid and have the effect of reducing oxygen uptake,
from flowing laterally outwardly from the region of its arrival at the surface of the body of liquid in the basin, so that by virtue of such inhibition of lateral outward flow of liquid the oxygen uptake-reducing effect is counteracted;
and
(b) said inhibiting means being constructed and arranged to permit waste air reaching the surface of the body of liquid to escape without restraint from the latter into the atmosphere above the body of liquid.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Process and system for increasing the gas uptake by a liquid being aerated

Life of this patent

Process and system for increasing the gas uptake by a liquid being aerated

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18