Gas separation: processes – Degasification of liquid – By stripping with gas
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-28
2001-06-26
Smith, Duane (Department: 1724)
Gas separation: processes
Degasification of liquid
By stripping with gas
C095S012000, C095S024000, C096S157000, C096S165000, C096S172000, C096S206000, C210S188000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06251167
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of water treatment, and more particularly to a machine and method for removing dissolved gases from liquids.
2. Description of Prior Art
Liquids such as potable water supplies may contain unwanted dissolved gases such as radon and hydrogen sulfide. There is a need to remove these gases to improve the quality, esthetics and potability of water with a minimum of expense and plumbing without the creation of contaminated filtering media needing future disposal. Similar problems exist in various industrial processes where dissolved gases must be removed from liquids.
The prior art for removal of dissolved gases includes aeration and filtering. Aeration has been achieved by injection of a stream of air or other gas into the liquid, either by mechanical agitation of the liquid or by spraying the liquid into itself. Aeration requires a vessel with means to increase the effective liquid/gas surface area and subsequent transport of the dissolved gas out of the liquid. Filtering uses media such as activated charcoal, which adsorbs the unwanted contaminants by virtue of its large effective surface area and structure.
Examples of the prior art are found in the following U.S. patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,721 Apparatus For Treatment Of Well Water Provided Through A Well Water Supply Line
U.S. Pat. No. 3,784,008 Ozonating Apparatus For Drinking Water
U.S. Pat. No. 4,508,545 Closed Loop Water Treating System And Method
U.S. Pat. No. 4,526,692 Process For Purification Of Contaminated Groundwater
U.S. Pat. No. 4,582,610 Well Water Aeration System
U.S. Pat. No. 4,608,163 Apparatus For Purification Of Contaminated Groundwater
U.S. Pat. No. 4,659,463 System To Remove Contaminants From Water
U.S. Pat. No. 4,756,724 Extracting Radon Gases From A Domestic Water Supply
U.S. Pat. No. 4,798,034 Method And Apparatus For Collecting And Discharging Radon Gas And Fluids
U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,786 Enclosure Conditioned Housing System
U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,832 Radon Removal Method
U.S. Pat. No. 4,957,394 Method And Apparatus For Sub-Floor Collection And Disposal Of Radon Gas
U.S. Pat. No. 4,988,237 Soil Gas Reduction System
U.S. Pat. No. 5,003,750 Method For Reducing Immunogenic And/Or Toxic Substances In Indoor Air
U.S. Pat. No. 5,045,215 Removing Hazardous Contaminants From Water
U.S. Pat. No. 5,100,555 Method And System For Removing Radon From Radon Containing Water
U.S. Pat. No. 5,104,554 Removing Radon By Downhole Sparging Of Air
U.S. Pat. No. 5,107,642 Arrangement In Screening Of Objects, Especially Residential Houses
U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,606 Arrangement For Cleaning Contaminated Ground Water
U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,530 Well Water Removal And Treatment System
U.S. Pat. No. 5,149,343 Method For Filtering Radon From A Gas Stream
U.S. Pat. No. 5,194,158 Radon Removal System And Process
U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,746 Process And Apparatus For Removing Radon From Water
U.S. Pat. No. 5,354,459 Apparatus And Method For Removing Odorous Sulfur Compounds From Potable Water
U.S. Pat. No. 5,403,234 Radon Gas Evaluation System And Method.
Shortcomings of the prior art are its complexity, size, and cost. Aeration as described in the above citations requires secondary pumps scaled to the main supply pump, large reaction vessels and elaborate piping. In addition, these systems do not contain provision for control of the degassing process by sensing the exhaust contamination level.
Approaches using activated charcoal or other filtering media suffer from the limited capacity of the filtering media, the need to recharge or replace it and the attendant cost. Recharging of filtering media contaminated with gaseous contaminants generally requires removal of the media to a recycling facility and the use of chemical cleaners or elevated temperatures, all of which are difficult or impossible to employ on-site.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary object of the invention is removal of radon and other dissolved gases from water or other liquids without a large aeration tank. Another object of the invention is removal of radon or other dissolved gases from liquids without a secondary liquid pump. A further object of the invention is removal of radon or other dissolved gases from liquids with an in-line on-demand device. Yet another object of the invention is removal of radon or other dissolved gases from liquids without a disposable liquid filtering medium. Another object is provision of a small, inexpensive radon removal mechanism for residential water that can be implemented in models for a whole house, under the sink, and countertop.
These objectives are achieved in a device with an enclosed tank having a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet, a gas inlet, and a gas outlet. A liquid to be cleaned is forced to flow turbulently through the tank from the liquid inlet to the liquid outlet. Simultaneously a scrubbing gas is pumped through the tank from the gas inlet to the gas outlet. Turbulence induced in the liquid encourages gasses dissolved in the liquid to transfer to the scrubbing gas and thence to exit the gas outlet. The liquid has inlet pressure provided externally to the invention, such as water pressure provided by a water utility or house water pump. The liquid inlet has a nozzle that injects the liquid against baffles in the tank to create turbulence. The liquid level in the tank is stabilized by controlling the scrubbing gas pressure, so that both a lower layer of liquid and an upper layer of scrubbing gas are maintained at all times in the tank as they flow through the tank together. A model of this device small enough for kitchen countertop installation was found highly effective in removing radon gas from tap water. Various liquid level stabilizing means are shown as examples herein. An example is shown that additionally controls the scrubbing gas flow rate according to the contamination level of the liquid.
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Berson Research Corp.
Greene Jason M.
Smith Duane
Stewart John V.
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