Foam fractionator
AssigneeCommonwealth of Puerto Rico
InventorSantiago Gutierrez-Collazo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A foam fractionator which can create a vortex is utilized to remove proteins from an aquatic environment by skimming. The vortex is created by a propeller arrangement located at the bottom of an internal chamber, centrally located within a main reaction chamber. Air sucked from the atmosphere by the vortex passes down through a central chamber and is dispensed outwardly into the main chamber where air bubbles form and rise to the surface. The air bubbles attract protein deposits which stick thereto which results in the formation of a protein-containing surface foam that is collected within a collection cup.
Claims11
A foam fractionator comprising:
- an outer tubular casing adapted to receive water therein, said outer casing comprising a first opening for inserting a water inlet tube therethrough;
- an inner tubular casing mounted within said outer casing, said inner casing having a second opening for receiving the water inlet tube inserted through said first opening of the outer casing, said inner tubular casing being smaller than said outer tubular casing so as to define a space there between;
- a hollow tubular member which extends through said inner casing, said hollow member comprising an air distributor at a bottom portion thereof, and an air inlet is located at a top portion of said hollow member;
- a rotatable shaft which extends through said hollow member;
- a first propeller mounted on a lower end of the shaft and positioned at a bottom portion of said inner casing;
- and
- a second propeller mounted at the lower end of the shaft at a position below said first propeller, said second propeller being located below a lower end of said inner casing;
- means for receiving foam mounted at a vicinity of a top portion of the outer casing;
- wherein a rotation of said shaft causes a rotation of said first and second propellers, said rotation of the first propeller drawing air into said hollow member through said air inlet such that the drawn-in air is led from said hollow member into at least said inner casing through said air distributor, the air led into said inner casing through said air distributor being mixed with water in said inner casing which is supplied to said inner casing through said water inlet to form an air/water mixture which rises inside the inner casing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.