Liquid purification or separation – Processes – Including controlling process in response to a sensed condition
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-02
2001-05-22
Hruskoci, Peter A. (Department: 1724)
Liquid purification or separation
Processes
Including controlling process in response to a sensed condition
C210S747300, C210S748080, C210S760000, C210S764000, C210S765000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06235206
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique for inactivating organisms and more particularly to a method and system for inactivating red tide algae and harmful dinoflagellates.
II. Description of the Related Art
Ozone is a tri-atomic oxygen (O
3
) gas that is created commercially when oxygen (O
2
) is exposed to a high-voltage electrical discharge. Ozone is a powerful oxidizing agent that is highly efficient in the removal of soil and other contamination materials (e.g., from textiles). This property makes ozone especially suited for washing laundry. The application of ozone to commercial laundry system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,493,743, entitled “OZONE ASSISTED LAUNDRY WASH PROCESS AND WASTE WATER TREATMENT SYSTEM”, issued Feb. 27, 1996; U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,720 entitled “LAUNDRY WASTE WATER TREATMENT AND WASH PROCESS”, issued Sep. 7, 1993; U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,399, entitled “LAUNDRY WASTE WATER TREATMENT AND WASH APPARATUS”, issued Jan. 26, 1996; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,097,556, entitled “LAUNDRY WASTE WATER TREATMENT AND WASH PROCESS”, issued Mar. 24, 1992. These patents are incorporated herein by reference.
In a seemingly unrelated field, red tide algae and other harmful dinoflagellates are organisms that usually live below the water surface (i.e., three to four feet below the surface). Red tide algae and dinoflagellates generate odor naturally in warm temperature and absorb organic compounds in water. Red tide algae and dinoflagellates also consume oxygen in the water, thereby depleting the oxygen content and causing fishes (and others) to die due to lack of oxygen. In addition, red tide algae can attach to the gill of fishes. This can cause infection in fishes that can eventually lead to death.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a method and process to inactivate red tide algae and harmful dinoflagellates without harming the fishes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The inventors of the present invention have discovered an unusual application of a relatively obscure technology—the use of ozone to inactivate red tide algae and harmful dinoflagellates. The inventors reached the present invention through the realization that: (1) ozone is one of the most powerful oxidizing agent known; (2) ozone is a disinfectant and biocide that kills viruses and potential pathogenic microbiological organisms such as bacteria; (3) ozone can be used to inactivate red tide algae and harmful dinoflagellates; and (4) ozone can provide oxygen to the water supply, thereby improving the conditions for fishes, shellfish, and others.
The present invention provides a method for inactivating harmful organisms (e.g., red tide algae and dinoflagellates). The method includes the steps of supplying ambient air to a “conditioning” unit to generate conditioned air; passing the conditioned air to an ozone generator to generate ozone; mixing the ozone with water, from a water source, that contains the harmful organisms to generate ozonated water; delivering the ozonated water back to the water source to achieve dilution of the harmful organisms; at least partially isolating the water source from external water to prevent quick dilution of the ozonated water; and continually circulating water in the water source through the mixing step. The harmful organisms are inactivated by exposure to the ozone.
The present invention further provides a system for inactivating harmful organisms. The system includes a “conditioning” unit for receiving ambient air and providing conditioned air; an ozone generator coupled to the conditioning unit for receiving the conditioned air and generating ozone; an injector operably coupled to the ozone generator for receiving the ozone and also operably coupled to a water source for receiving water that contains harmful organisms, the injector mixing the ozone with the water to generate ozonated water; an ozone sensor for measuring an ozone concentration level in the water source; and an ozone monitor coupled to the ozone sensor and operably coupled to the injector, the ozone monitor generating a signal indicative of the ozone concentration level in the water source. Again, the harmful organisms are inactivated by exposure to the ozone.
The foregoing, together with other features and advantages of this invention, will become more apparent when referring to the following specification, claims and the accompanying drawings.
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patent: 5106497 (1992-04-01), Finnegan
patent: 5273664 (1993-12-01), Schulz
patent: 5493743 (1996-02-01), Schneider et al.
patent: 5683576 (1997-11-01), Olsen
patent: 5695635 (1997-12-01), Sasaki et al.
patent: 5711887 (1998-01-01), Gastman et al.
patent: 5785864 (1998-07-01), Teran et al.
patent: 5851407 (1998-12-01), Bowman et al.
patent: 5942161 (1999-08-01), Pate
Chan Yi Ping
Leung Bernice W. Y.
Dinh Truong
Hruskoci Peter A.
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