Chemical apparatus and process disinfecting – deodorizing – preser – Chemical reactor – Inorganic sulfur acid or anhydride producing type
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-27
2004-02-10
Johnson, Jerry D. (Department: 1764)
Chemical apparatus and process disinfecting, deodorizing, preser
Chemical reactor
Inorganic sulfur acid or anhydride producing type
C422S160000, C423S522000, C423S539000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06689326
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. The Field of the Invention
Only a fraction of the earth's total water supply is available and suitable for agriculture, industry and domestic needs. The demand for water is great and new technologies together with growing populations increase the demand for water while pollution diminishes the limited supply of usable water. The growing demand for water requires efficient use of available water resources.
Agricultural use of water places a large demand on the world's water supply. In some communities, the water supply may be adequate for farming but the quality of the water is unsuitable for agriculture because the water is alkaline. Alkalinity is an important factor affecting the quality, efficiency and performance of soil and irrigation water. A relative increase in irrigation alkalinity due to the water's sodium to calcium ratio or a high pH renders irrigation water detrimental to soil, crop growth and irrigation water efficiency. Such water can be reclaimed for soil rehabilitation and irrigation by adding lower pH sulphur acid or sulphurous acid to the alkaline water to reduce its alkalinity or pH.
Use and quality of culinary water is also rising. In most populated areas, treatment of water for culinary and household use is necessary. Many water treatment facilities use various forms of chlorine to kill bacteria in the water. A necessary step in such processes include subsequently removing residual chlorine before introducing the treated water back into streams or rivers or into public culinary water systems.
The invention of this application is directed toward a device which generates quantities of sulphur dioxide gas or sulphur acid in a simplified, controllable, safe and efficient way. In particular, it is directed toward a sulphur dioxide or sulphurous acid generator which produces sulphurous compounds by burning elemental sulphur to produce sulphur gases. The sulphur gases are then drawn toward and held in contact with water eventually reacting with the water and producing sulphur acids, while substantially reducing dangerous emissions of sulphur gases to the air.
2. The Relevant Technology
There are several sulphurous acid generators in the art. The prior art devices utilize sulphur burn chambers and absorption towers. However, known systems utilize countercurrent current flow or pressurized systems as the principle means to accomplish the generation of sulphurous acid. For example, many devices employ the absorption tower to introduce the majority of the water to the system in countercurrent flow to the flow of sulphur dioxide gas. U.S. Pat. No. 4,526,771 teaches introducing 90% of the system water for the first time in countercurrent flow at the top of the absorption tower. In such devices, the integrity of the absorption towers is vital, and any deficiencies or inefficiencies of the absorption tower lead to diminished reaction and results. Other devices utilize pressurized gas to facilitate flow of gas through the system, see U.S. Pat. No. 3,226,201. Pressurized devices, however, require expensive manufacture to ensure the containment of dangerous sulphur dioxide gas to avoid leakage. Even negative pressure machines have the drawback of requiring a source of energy to power the negative pressure generator such as an exhaust fan. Still other devices rely upon secondary combustion chambers to further oxidize the sulphur, see U.S. Pat. No. 4,526,771. Many sulphurous acid generators emit significant or dangerous levels of unreacted sulphur dioxide gas, a harmful and noxious pollutant, into the surrounding environment.
Known processes exist for dechlorinating water. These processes typically employ storage, containment and use of liquid or pressurized sulphur gases to remove harmful chlorine compounds from the water. Many of the known systems require expenses and large transportation and storage needs such as trains, train tracks, tankers, tanks, semitrucks and other equipment. Liquid and pressurized sulphur gases are hazardous and require elaborate and regulated usage and handling as well as hazardous release evacuation plans and specialized training of personnel and coordination with public health and safety officials, officers and servants.
What is needed is a method and apparatus for on-site, safe and controllable generation of needed sulphur gases. What is needed are methods and apparatuses which alleviate the need for expensive equipment or machinery for the transportation, storage and use of sulphur gases. What is needed is an onsite sulphur gas generator which can supply needed sulphur gases on demand without the need for expensive and elaborate hazardous material management and emergency contingencies.
SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a sulphur gas generator which can be used to improve alkaline irrigation water, dechlorinate water or treat landfill deposits. By adding sulphur gases or sulphur acids to alkaline water, the alkalinity and/or pH of the water is reduced. In addition to making the water less alkaline, adding sulphur acids to alkaline water increases the availability of sulphur in the water to act as a nutrient, improves capillary action of the soil, increases cation exchange capacity, and decreases tail water run-off and tillage and fertilizer costs. For purposes of this patent the term “sulphurous acid” shall mean ultimate and intermediate acids of sulphur created when sulphur gases created by combustion of sulphur react or mix with aqueous solution.
In many agricultural settings, complicated farm machinery is not practical because it requires technical training to operate and special skills to service and maintain. For sulphur gas generators, improved design can reduce costs, simplify operation, service and maintenance and increase efficiency and safety thereby making the machine more practical for agricultural use. The present invention is directed toward a sulphur gas generator that is simple to produce, operate, service and maintain, and which efficiently produces, contains and reacts sulphur dioxide gas, and sulphurous acid if desired, without exposing the user or other living things in proximity to the machine to dangerous sulphur dioxide emissions.
It will be appreciated that a specific energy source is not necessarily required by the present invention, and therefore its use is not necessarily restricted to locations where a particular power source, like electricity, is available or can be generated for use. All of the above objectives are met by the present invention.
Unlike the prior art, the present invention is designed to generate, regulate and control the amount of sulphur dioxide gas generated on-site and on-demand for the combustion of elemental sulphur or sulfur and the duration of the contact of water with sulphur gases without creating or by minimizing back pressure in the system or without relying upon pressurization of the gas to cause the sulphur dioxide gas to flow through the generator or for introduction of the gas into aqueous solution. This reduces the complexity of the sulphur gas generator and the need for additional equipment such as air compressors used by prior art devices, or transportation, storage and other equipment typically associated with the use of liquid or pressurized sulphur gases.
The invention primarily relates to a sulphur hopper, a burn chamber and a gas pipeline. Additionally, an injector, a mixing tank, an exhaust pipeline, and an exhaust scrubbing tower may be employed.
The sulphur hopper preferably has a capacity of several hundred pounds of sulphur in powder, flake, split-pea or pastile form. The sulphur hopper can be constructed of various materials or combinations thereof. In one embodiment, the sulphur hopper is constructed of stainless steel and plastic. In the preferred embodiment the hopper is constructed of Saggregate™ concrete. The sulphur hopper is connected to the burn chamber by a passageway positioned at the base of the sulphur hopper. The conduit joins the burn chamber at its base. The weight of th
AAPA Trust
Doroshenk Alexa A
Johnson Jerry D.
Kirton & McConkie
Zenger Todd E.
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