Gas injection and recycling apparatus and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10683221-B2
Application number	US-201816210914-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2018
Priority date	Dec 14, 2017
Publication date	Jun 16, 2020
Grant date	Jun 16, 2020

Abstract

A device and method for injection of oxygen-rich gas into a body of liquid with oxygen recycling are disclosed. The device comprises a rotary hollow shaft vertically passing through a float partially immersed in the liquid, an impeller attached to the lower end of the rotary hollow shaft, a columnar structure, surrounding the rotary hollow shaft, mounted on the bottom side of the float and vertically extending into the liquid, a gas diffusion chamber formed by the columnar structure, the float and the liquid surface under the float, and a gas injection conduit passing through the float for delivering the oxygen gas into the gas diffusion chamber, wherein a vacuum is generated in the body of the liquid around the impeller when the impeller is driven to rotate, so that the oxygen-rich gas in the gas diffusion chamber is sucked into the body of the liquid and mixed therein.

First claim

We claim:

1. A device for injection of oxygen gas or oxygen-rich gas into a body of liquid or wastewater, the device comprising:
a rotary hollow shaft vertically passing through a float partially immersed in the liquid, the rotary hollow shaft having at least one gas suction aperture disposed at an upper portion of the rotary hollow shaft above a liquid surface;
an impeller attached to a lower end of the rotary hollow shaft, drivable by the rotary hollow shaft and immersed in the liquid, the impeller having a vertical gas jet hole fluidly connected to a hollow of the rotary hollow shaft;
a columnar structure, surrounding the rotary hollow shaft, mounted on the bottom side of the float and vertically extending into the liquid;
a gas diffusion induction chamber formed by the columnar structure, the float and the liquid surface under the float; and
a gas injection conduit passing through the float for delivering the oxygen gas into the gas diffusion induction chamber, wherein the device is adapted and configured to generate a vacuum in the body of the liquid around the impeller when the impeller is driven to rotate, so that the oxygen gas in the gas diffusion induction chamber is sucked into the hollow of the rotary hollow shaft via the gas suction aperture and into the body of the liquid via the vertical gas jet hole, where the oxygen gas is mixed with the liquid and undissolved oxygen gas rises up and is returned to the gas diffusion induction chamber for reuse.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one gas suction apertures of the rotary hollow shaft exposes to the gas diffusion induction chamber for suction of the oxygen gas from the gas diffusion induction chamber to the rotary hollow shaft.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the columnar structure has a plurality of gas recovery orifices above the liquid surface for collection of the undissolved oxygen gas returned to the gas diffusion induction chamber for reuse.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the rotary hollow shaft and the gas inlet each pass through the float through a hydraulically sealed opening in the float.

5. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a drive device provided with a vertical output shaft connected to an upper end of the rotary hollow shaft, the drive device configured and adapted to drive the rotary hollow shaft.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the drive device sits on a support device above the float, wherein the support device is at least 5 inches above the float to reduce the combustion risk of electrical components with the oxygen gas.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein an extended hood is connected to an outer rim of the float extending into the liquid for capturing the undissolved oxygen gas.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the length of the extended hood immersed in the liquid is approximately the same as that of the rotary hollow shaft immersed in the liquid.

9. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a recovery room surrounding the gas diffusion induction chamber, the recovery room formed by the float, the columnar structure and the liquid surface.

10. A method for injection of oxygen gas or oxygen-rich gas into a body of liquid or wastewater using a floating oxygenator, the floating oxygenator including: a rotary hollow shaft vertically passing through a float, partially immersed in the liquid; an impeller attached to a lower end of the rotary hollow shaft, drivable by the rotary hollow shaft and immersed in the liquid, the impeller having a gas injection hole fluidly connected to a hollow of the rotary hollow shaft; a columnar structure, surrounding the rotary hollow shaft, mounted on a bottom side of the float and vertically extending into the liquid; a gas diffusion induction chamber formed by the columnar structure, the float and the liquid surface under the float; and a gas inlet passing through the float surrounded by the columnar structure for delivering an oxygen containing gas, the method comprising the steps of:
disposing the floating oxygenator on a surface of the liquid (i) to form a gas diffusion induction chamber enclosed by the columnar structure, the float and the liquid surface under the float and (ii) to immerse the impeller into a body of the liquid;
delivering the oxygen gas into the gas diffusion induction chamber from the gas inlet; and
driving the impeller to rotate and generate a vacuum in the body of the liquid around the impeller, wherein the oxygen gas in the gas diffusion induction chamber is sucked into the body of the liquid through the hollow of the rotary hollow shaft and the gas injection hole of the impeller, where the oxygen gas is mixed and reacted with the liquid and undissolved oxygen gas rises up and is collected in the gas diffusion induction chamber for reuse.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of driving the impeller to rotate comprises initiating a drive device to start, wherein a solid shaft at the bottom of the drive device connected to an upper end of the rotary hollow shaft drives the impeller to rotate.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the drive device is disposed above the float for at least 5 inches high to avoid contact of oxygen gas or oxygen-rich gas with electrical components.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the columnar structure has a plurality of gas recovery orifices above the liquid surface for collection of the undissolved oxygen gas.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the sidewall of the rotary hollow shaft has at least one gas suction aperture exposed to the gas diffusion induction chamber for suction of the oxygen gas.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein an extended hood is connected to an outer rim of the float extending into the liquid body for capturing the undissolved oxygen gas.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein a length of the extended hood extending into the liquid body is 80-120% of a length of the rotary hollow shaft immersed into the liquid body.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the rotary hollow shaft and the gas inlet pass through the top portion of the float through a hydraulically sealed opening in the float.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the oxygen gas in the gas diffusion induction chamber has a positive pressure.

19. The method of claim 10 , wherein the velocity of the oxygen gas inside the impeller ranges from 0.5 m/s to 5 m/s.

20. The method of claim 10 , wherein the velocity of the oxygen gas inside the impeller is about 2 m/s.

Assignees

• Air Liquide
• Air Liquide American

Inventors

• Carvalho Milson
• Neryz Maicon
• Pajolli Ivan
• Schwerdt Joerg
• Rasanayagam Vasuhi
• Shi Chunqiong

Classifications

• B01F23/23351

  the gas moving along the axis of rotation · CPC title

• B01F23/234211

  Stirrers thereof · CPC title

• B01F23/2333

  Single stirrer-drive aerating units, e.g. with the stirrer-head pivoting around an horizontal axis · CPC title

• B01F2101/305

  Treatment of water, waste water or sewage · CPC title

• B01F35/605

  Safety devices concerning the operation of the mixer · CPC title