System and method for cleaning hydrocarbon contaminated water

• US 10,343,133 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2018
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jacob G. Appelbaum
• Original Assignee: Jacob G. Appelbaum
• Inventors: Appelbaum, Jacob G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Griffin, Walter D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Allen, Cameron J
• Application Number:
  US15/875,172
• Publication Number:
  US 20180221846A1
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/008 Processes for carrying out reactions under cavitation conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/085 Electron beams only
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0869 Feeding or evacuating the reactor
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0871 Heating or cooling of the reactor
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0875 Gas
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/001 Processes for the treatment of water whereby the filtration technique is of importance C02F1/44 takes precedence; construction of filters in general B01D24/00 - B01D41/00
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/305 with electrons
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/34 with mechanical oscillations
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/74 with air aeration of stretches of water C02F7/00
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 11/08 Wet air oxidation
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2101/32 Hydrocarbons, e.g. oil
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2305/023 Reactive oxygen species, singlet oxygen, OH radical
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 50/00 Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from lower carbon number hydrocarbons, e.g. by oligomerisation

Abstract

A system and method removes petroleum from water by cavitating the petroleum/water mixture with air bubbles; irradiating the cavitated petroleum/water mixture with an electron beam to create ozone within air bubbles; and filtering the water from the irradiated mixture.

Claims

1. A method for removing hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon/water mixture, comprising:

creating air bubbles in the hydrocarbon/water mixture to create a hydrocarbon/water mixture containing air bubbles therein;

agitating the hydrocarbon/water mixture containing air bubbles therein to reduce size of the air bubbles within the hydrocarbon/water mixture;

ejecting the hydrocarbon/water mixture with reduced size air bubbles contained therein as a jet spray of hydrocarbon/water mixture with reduced size air bubbles contained therein;

irradiating the jet spray of the hydrocarbon/water mixture with reduced size air bubbles contained therein with an electron beam to create ozone within the reduced size air bubbles contained in the hydrocarbon/water mixture; and

filtering, after irradiating the hydrocarbon/water mixture containing the reduced size air bubbles therein, hydrocarbons from the irradiated hydrocarbon/water mixture.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the jet spray of the hydrocarbon/water mixture with reduced size air bubbles contained therein is generated by an expansion nozzle.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the jet spray of the hydrocarbon/water mixture with reduced size air bubbles contained therein is generated by a nozzle and pressurized gas.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reduced size air bubbles contained in the hydrocarbon/water mixture are micro-sized bubbles.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reduced size air bubbles contained in the hydrocarbon/water mixture are nano-sized bubbles.

6. A method for removing hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon/water mixture, comprising:

creating air bubbles in the hydrocarbon/water mixture to create a hydrocarbon/water mixture containing air bubbles therein;

agitating the hydrocarbon/water mixture containing air bubbles therein to reduce size of the air bubbles within the hydrocarbon/water mixture;

ejecting the hydrocarbon/water mixture with reduced size air bubbles contained therein as a jet spray of hydrocarbon/water mixture with reduced size air bubbles contained therein;

irradiating the jet spray of the hydrocarbon/water mixture with reduced size air bubbles contained therein with an electron beam sustained non-thermal discharge to create ozone within the reduced size air bubbles contained in the hydrocarbon/water mixture; and

filtering, after irradiating the hydrocarbon/water mixture containing the reduced size air bubbles therein, hydrocarbons from the irradiated hydrocarbon/water mixture.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the jet spray of the hydrocarbon/water mixture with reduced size air bubbles contained therein is generated by an expansion nozzle.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the jet spray of the hydrocarbon/water mixture with reduced size air bubbles contained therein is generated by a nozzle and pressurized gas.

9. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the reduced size air bubbles contained in the hydrocarbon/water mixture are micro-sized bubbles.

10. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the reduced size air bubbles contained in the hydrocarbon/water mixture are nano-sized bubbles.

11. A system for removing hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon/water mixture, comprising:

a cavitator to create air bubbles in the hydrocarbon/water mixture to create a hydrocarbon/water mixture containing air bubbles therein, agitate the hydrocarbon/water mixture containing air bubbles therein to reduce size of the air bubbles within the hydrocarbon/water mixture, and eject the hydrocarbon/water mixture with reduced size air bubbles contained therein as a jet spray of hydrocarbon/water mixture with reduced size air bubbles contained therein;

an electron beam accelerator to irradiate the jet spray of the hydrocarbon/water mixture with the reduced size air bubbles contained therein with an electron beam to create ozone within the reduced size air bubbles contained in the hydrocarbon/water mixture; and

a filter to filter hydrocarbons from the irradiated hydrocarbon/water mixture.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said jet spray of the hydrocarbon/water mixture with reduced size air bubbles contained therein is generated by an expansion nozzle.

13. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said jet spray of the hydrocarbon/water mixture with reduced size air bubbles contained therein is generated by a nozzle and pressurized gas.

14. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the reduced size air bubbles contained in the hydrocarbon/water mixture are micro-sized bubbles.

15. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the reduced size air bubbles contained in the hydrocarbon/water mixture are nano-sized bubbles.

16. A system for removing hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon/water mixture, comprising:

a cavitator to create air bubbles in the hydrocarbon/water mixture to create a hydrocarbon/water mixture containing air bubbles therein, agitate the hydrocarbon/water mixture containing air bubbles therein to reduce size of the air bubbles within the hydrocarbon/water mixture, and eject the hydrocarbon/water mixture with reduced size air bubbles contained therein as a jet spray of hydrocarbon/water mixture with reduced size air bubbles contained therein;

an electron beam accelerator to irradiate the jet spray of the hydrocarbon/water mixture with the reduced size air bubbles contained therein with an electron beam sustained non-thermal discharge to create ozone within the reduced size air bubbles contained in the hydrocarbon/water mixture; and

a filter to filter hydrocarbons from the irradiated hydrocarbon/water mixture.

17. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein said jet spray of the hydrocarbon/water mixture with reduced size air bubbles contained therein is generated by an expansion nozzle.

18. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein said jet spray of the hydrocarbon/water mixture with reduced size air bubbles contained therein is generated by a nozzle and pressurized gas.

19. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the reduced size air bubbles contained in the hydrocarbon/water mixture are micro-sized bubbles.

20. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the reduced size air bubbles contained in the hydrocarbon/water mixture are nano-sized bubbles.