Back to results
US 8,584,691 B2Granted
Additive dispensing system and method
AssigneeHammonds Technical Services, Inc.
InventorCarl L. Hammonds
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A liquid metering device that dispenses liquid into an adjacent reservoir at a precise ratio relative to the total volume of the adjacent reservoir as the reservoir is filled with liquid. The hydrostatic dispensing system includes an additive reservoir, a calibrated dispensing vessel, a hydrostatic pressure chamber, a pressure limiter, and a three-way valve that passively arms and dis-arms the system.
Claims23
A system (99) for proportionally dispensing a liquid comprising:
- a reservoir (12) for receiving a first liquid (10) into which a proportional dosage of a second liquid (20) is dispensed;
- said reservoir (12) defining a bottom surface (11) and a top surface (13);
- a container (22) for storing said second liquid (20), said container (22) elevated above said top surface (13) of said reservoir (12);
- a dispensing vessel (100) for transferring said second liquid (20) from said container (22) into said reservoir (12), said dispensing vessel (100) defining a bottom surface (101) and a top surface (102), said dispensing vessel (100) having a maximum dispensing vessel head when filled to said top surface (102) with said second liquid (20);
- a first conduit (120) connecting the bottom surface (11) of said reservoir (12) to the top surface (102) of said dispensing vessel (100);
- a second conduit (124) connecting the bottom surface (101) of said dispensing vessel (100) to said reservoir (12) and said container (22), said second conduit (124) defining first and second mutually exclusive flow paths, said first flow path defined between the bottom surface (101) of said dispensing vessel (100) and the top surface (13) of said reservoir (12) and said second flow path defined between said container (22) and the bottom surface (101) of said dispensing vessel (100);
- and
- a pressure limiter (700), said pressure limiter (700) adapted to restrict the pressure of second liquid (20) in said second flow path to not in excess of said maximum dispensing vessel head;
- whereby an increased head resulting from an addition of said first liquid (10) to said reservoir (12) urges via said first conduit (120) a proportional volume of said second liquid (20) to be dispensed from said dispensing vessel (100) into said reservoir (12) via said first flow path of said second conduit (124), and
- a decreased head resulting from an evacuation of said reservoir (12) urges via said first conduit (120) said second liquid (20) to flow from said container (22) to said dispensing vessel (100) via said second flow path of said second conduit (124).
7 more elements
A system (99) for dispensing a second liquid (20) proportionally into a first liquid (10), the system (99) comprising:
- a reservoir (12) defining a top surface (13) and a bottom surface (11) and having an opening (19) at the top surface of said reservoir (12) for receiving said first liquid (10);
- a container (22) for holding said second liquid (20), said container (22) defining a top and a bottom, the bottom of said container (22) elevated above the top surface (13) of said reservoir (12);
- a dispensing vessel (100) defining a top surface (102) and a bottom surface (101), said dispensing vessel (100) equal to the height (h) of said reservoir (12) and disposed elevationally level therewith, said dispensing vessel (100) having a maximum dispensing vessel head when filled to said top surface (102) with said second liquid (20);
- a hydrostatic chamber (130) defining a top and a bottom, the bottom of said hydrostatic chamber (130) fluidly coupled to the bottom surface (11) of said reservoir (12), the top of said hydrostatic chamber (130) fluidly coupled to the top surface (102) of said dispensing vessel (100);
- a three-way valve (150) having first, second and third ports (152, 151, 153), said container (22) fluidly coupled to said third port (153), said bottom surface (101) of said dispensing vessel (100) fluidly coupled to said first port (152), and the top surface (13) of said reservoir (12) fluidly coupled to said second port (151), a first valve position connecting said first port (152) and said second port (151) while isolating said third port (153) and a second valve position connecting said first port (152) and said third port (153) while isolating said second port (151);
- and
- a pressure limiter (700), said pressure limiter (700) adapted to restrict the pressure of second liquid (20) intermediate said container (22) and said third port (153) to not in excess of said maximum dispensing vessel head.
4 more elements
A method for proportionally dispensing a second liquid (20) into a first liquid (10) comprising the steps of:
- providing a reservoir (12) containing said first liquid (10);
- providing a dispensing vessel (100) having a height and elevation equal to that of said reservoir (12);
- coupling a top of said dispensing vessel (100) to a bottom of said reservoir (12) so that fluid head in said reservoir (12) pressurizes said dispensing vessel (100), said dispensing vessel (100) having a maximum dispensing vessel head when filled to said top surface (102) with said second liquid (20);
- fluidly coupling a bottom (101) of said dispensing vessel (100) to a pressure limiter (700), said pressure limiter (700) adapted to restrict the pressure of said second liquid (20) intermediate a container (22) and a valve (150) in communication with said container (22) to not in excess of said maximum dispensing vessel head;
- fluidly coupling the pressure limiter (700) to said container (22) having said second liquid (20) stored therein;
- filling said dispensing vessel (100) with said second liquid (20) from said container (22) by lowering the pressure in said dispensing vessel (100) by draining said reservoir (12);
- fluidly coupling said bottom (101) of said dispensing vessel to the top (13) of said reservoir (12);
- and
- dispensing said second liquid (20) from said dispensing vessel (100) into said reservoir (12) by raising the pressure in said dispensing vessel (100) by filling said reservoir (12) with said first liquid (10).
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.