Liquid purification or separation – Processes – Treatment by living organism
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-18
2004-10-19
Barry, Chester T. (Department: 1724)
Liquid purification or separation
Processes
Treatment by living organism
C210S759000, C210S760000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06805798
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to remediation systems, and more particularly to remediation systems for water, soil, and sediment bodies.
BACKGROUND
There is a well-recognized need for remediation, or clean-up, of contaminants (e.g. chemicals) that exist in a variety of settings, including ground and surface water, aquifers, water supply pipes, soil, and sediment collections. These settings are frequently contaminated with various constituents such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These contaminated areas pose a threat to the environment, and ultimately to the health and safety of all living creatures. Thus, equipment and methods for effectively and safely dealing with remediation of environmental contaminants is of significant importance.
SUMMARY
According to one aspect of the invention, a remediation process includes generating microbubbles comprising a gas, coated with a thin layer of liquid compounds suitable for promoting biological degradation of organic compounds.
According to another aspect of the invention, a remediation process includes generating microbubbles comprising a gas, coated with a thin layer of liquid compounds suitable for promoting chemical degradation of organic compounds and generation of microbubbles comprising a gas, coated with a thin layer of liquid compounds suitable for promoting biological degradation of organic compounds.
According to another aspect of the invention, a remediation process includes generating microbubbles comprising a gas, coated with a thin layer of liquid compounds suitable for promoting chemical degradation of organic compounds wherein the microbubble is coated by introducing a liquid as an aerosol to a gas, which mixture is forced through a microporous material, resulting in the coated microbubble, and contacting the coated microbubble with the area to be remediated.
According to another aspect of the invention, an apparatus for remediating a contaminated area using a liquid-coated microbubble including one or more gases includes an injection well and a source of a liquid suitable for promoting biological degradation of organic compounds. The apparatus also includes a source for delivering a gas, an aerosolizer for aerosolizing the gas and a microporous diffuser disposed in the well for generating coated microbubbles of a controlled size comprising the gas and a liquid coating.
According to another aspect of the invention, an aerosol head includes a reservoir of liquid and a tube supply with compressed air. The head also includes a mixing chamber where the liquid is drawn into the flowing gas and a spray head which controls the particle size and distribution of the aerosols.
According to another aspect of the invention, a microbubble includes a gas, coated with a thin layer of liquid compound suitable for promoting biological degradation of organic compounds.
One or more aspects of the invention may include one or more of the following advantages. Thin-layer microbubbles with chemical or biological remediative characteristics, can be selected and engineered for particular remediation applications. The use of these coated microbubbles results in remediative processes wherein the microbubbles offer improved dispersion characteristics, improved reactivity characteristics, enhanced reestablishment of indigenous organisms in the treatment area, and broad applicability to a variety of treatment settings.
This invention relates to thin-layer coated microbubbles and their use, including remediation systems, and more particularly to remediation systems for water, soil, and sediment bodies. The remediation can be in the form of chemical reaction (i.e., degradation) of various contaminants or in the form of enhancing environmental conditions, or the food or nutrient supply, to indigenous organisms (e.g., bacteria) in order to promote their activity in remediating the contaminants or by-products of the contaminant remediation.
The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3814394 (1974-06-01), Murray
patent: 3997447 (1976-12-01), Breton et al.
patent: 4064163 (1977-12-01), Drach et al.
patent: 4178239 (1979-12-01), Lowther
patent: 4203837 (1980-05-01), Hoge et al.
patent: 4351810 (1982-09-01), Martinez et al.
patent: 4614596 (1986-09-01), Wyness
patent: 4639314 (1987-01-01), Tyer
patent: 4684479 (1987-08-01), D'Arrigo
patent: 4696739 (1987-09-01), Pedneault
patent: 4966717 (1990-10-01), Kern
patent: 5116163 (1992-05-01), Bernhardt
patent: 5122165 (1992-06-01), Wang et al.
patent: 5167806 (1992-12-01), Wang et al.
patent: 5180503 (1993-01-01), Gorelick et al.
patent: 5205927 (1993-04-01), Wickramanayake
patent: 5215680 (1993-06-01), D'Arrigo
patent: 5221159 (1993-06-01), Billings et al.
patent: 5227184 (1993-07-01), Hurst
patent: 5238437 (1993-08-01), Vowles et al.
patent: 5246309 (1993-09-01), Hobby
patent: 5277518 (1994-01-01), Billings et al.
patent: 5389267 (1995-02-01), Gorelick et al.
patent: 5425598 (1995-06-01), Pennington
patent: 5427693 (1995-06-01), Mausgrover et al.
patent: 5451320 (1995-09-01), Wang et al.
patent: 5472294 (1995-12-01), Billings et al.
patent: 5525008 (1996-06-01), Wilson
patent: 5560737 (1996-10-01), Schuring et al.
patent: 5698092 (1997-12-01), Chen
patent: 5851407 (1998-12-01), Bowman et al.
patent: 5855775 (1999-01-01), Kerfoot
patent: 5879108 (1999-03-01), Haddad
patent: 6007274 (1999-12-01), Suthersan
patent: 6083407 (2000-07-01), Kerfoot
patent: 6210955 (2001-04-01), Hayes
patent: 6217767 (2001-04-01), Clark
patent: 6283674 (2001-09-01), Suthersan
patent: 6391259 (2002-05-01), Malkin et al.
patent: 6403034 (2002-06-01), Nelson et al.
patent: 6428694 (2002-08-01), Brown
patent: 03267196 (1991-11-01), None
patent: 2185901 (1985-12-01), None
patent: 4-171036 (1992-06-01), None
patent: 6-023378 (1994-03-01), None
Joseph Arthur Martone, “Sampling Submicrometer Particles Suspended in near Sonic and Supersonic Free Jets of Air”,doctoral dissertation submitted to Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, pp. 117-124 (Jun. 1991).
Dowideit et al., “Reaction of Ozone with Ethene and It's Methyl . . . ”, 1998, Environ. Sci. Technol., vol. 32, No. 8:1112-1119.
William B. Kerfoot, U.S. patent application No. 09/610,830, filed Jul. 6, 2000.
William B. Kerfoot, “Soil Gas Movement—Monitoring Under . . . ”, Remediation of Hazardous Waste Contaminated Soils, 1994:791-828.
Dahmani et al. “Laboratory Study of Air Sparging: Air Flow Visualization”, 1993, GWMR:115-126.
Nelson et al., “Adapting ozonation for soil and groundwater cleanup”, Chem. Eng., 1994:EE19-EE22.
“Factors Controlling the Removal of Organic Pollutants in an Ozone Reactor”, M.D. Gurol, AWWA 1984 Annual Conference, Dallas, TX, Jun. 10-14, 1984, pp. 2-21.
“In-situ Air Sparging Without Inorganic Nutrient Amendment: An Effective Bioremediation Strategy for Treating Petroleum-Contaminated Groundwater Systems”, R. Schaffner, Jr., et al., http://www.bioremediationgroup.org/BioReferences/Tier1Papers/insitu.htm, Jul. 30, 2003, pp. 1-14.
“Environmental Management”, DON Environmental Restoration Plan for Fiscal Years 1997-2001, Sep. 30, 1996, pp. 4-1 to 4-8.
“How to Evaluate Alternative Cleanup Technologies for Underground Storage Tank Sites”,U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Oct. 1994.
“Yuma Pilot-Testing Ozone Sparging, Stripping”,Pasha Publications, Defense Cleanup, Nov. 8, 1996, pp. 5-6.
“Chemical Degradation of Aldicarb in Water Using Ozone”, F.J. Beltran et al.,Journal of Chemical Technology&Biotechnology, 1995, pp. 272-278.
“Modelling Industrial Wastewater Ozonation in Bubble Contactors”,Ozone Science&Engineering, vol. 17, 1995, pp. 355-378, 379-398.
“Kinetics of the Bentazone Herbicide Ozonation”,Journal of Environmental Science and Health, vol. A31, No. 3, 1996, pp. 519-537.
“Field Applications of In Situ Remediation Technologies: Chemical Oxidation”,U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Sep. 1998, pp.
Barry Chester T.
Fish & Richardson P.C.
LandOfFree
Environmental remediation method and apparatus does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Environmental remediation method and apparatus, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Environmental remediation method and apparatus will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3305787