Apparatus for aerating a liquid

• US 3,880,965 A
• Filed: 11/24/1972
• Issued: 04/29/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Charles G. Dudis, Charles R. Kemper
• Original Assignee: Charles G. Dudis, Charles R. Kemper
• Inventors: Dudis, Charles G., Kemper, Charles R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lutter, Frank W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William
• Application Number:
  US05/309,257
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 261/122,124 239/145,542,450
• US Class Current: 261/122.1
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/231143 Mounting the bubbling elements or diffusors, e.g. on conduits, using connecting elements; Connections therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/231152 the bubbling devices being supported, e.g. on cables or laying on the bottom
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/231154 the bubbling devices being provided with ballast to keep them floating under the surface, i.e. when the bubbling devices are lighter than the liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/231233 comprising foam-like gas outlets
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/23124 consisting of flexible porous or perforated material, e.g. fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/231265 being tubes, tubular elements, cylindrical elements or set of tubes
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/201 Perforated, resilient plastic diffusers, e.g. membranes, sheets, foils, tubes, hoses
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/10 Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage

Abstract

Air is diffused into a liquid from a flexible tube of thermoplastics sheet material having an air permeable upper portion and an air impermeable lower portion. The upper portion of the tube is formed by an open cellular sheet material defining micropores and channels which produce a high density of microbubbles of air within the liquid to cause a high absorption of oxygen by the liquid. The diffuser tube is retained or held within the liquid by end support members and by intermediate straps which connect with a generally horizontal support cable or rod. Valve means are provided for automatically removing condensation from within the tube, and deflector members protect the diffuser tube from the moving liquid and minimize coalescence of the bubbles. The tube may be reinforced by an inner ply of woven fabric material.

Claims

1. APPARATUS FOR DIFFUSING A GAS INTO A LIQUID, COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE SHEET-LIKE THERMOPLASTICS MATERIAL FORMING AN ELONGATED TUBE HAVING OPPOSITE END PORTIONS, MEANS ENGAGING SAID END PORTIONS OF SAID TUBE AND ARRANGED FOR POSITIONING SAID TUBE GENERALLY HORIZONTALLY WITHIN THE LIQUID, SAID TUBE HAVING A GAS PERMEABLE UPPER PORTION CONTINUOUSLY ALONG THE LENGTH THEREOF AND FORMED BY PERMANENTLY OPENED PORES WITHIN SAID FLEXIBLE SHEET-LIKE MATERIAL TO PROVIDE FOR THE ESCAPE OF MICROBUBBLES OF GAS FROM SAID TUBE UPWARDLY INTO THE LIQUID ABOVE SAID TUBE, SAID TUBE HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY GAS IMPERMEABLE LOWER PORTION TO AVOID THE ESCAPE OF GAS FROM THE SAID LOWER PORTION OF SAID TUBE, SAID TUBE BEING INFLATABLE TO A SUBSTANTIALLY CIRCULAR CROSS-SECTIONAL CONFIGURATION WHEN SAID TUBE IS SUBMERGED IN THE LIQUID AND GAS IS SUPPLIED TO SAID TUBE TO PROVIDE FOR MAXIMUM GAS FLOW THROUGH SAID TUBE, SAID TUBE BEING COLLAPSIBLE TO A GENERALLY FLAT CONFIGURATION IN RESPONSE TO THE PRESSURE OF THE LIQUID WHEN THE GAS SUPPLY IS CUT OFF TO AVOID THE SEEPAGE OF LIQUID INTO SAID TUBE, SUPPORT MEANS INCLUDING AN ELONGATED SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID SUPPORT MEMBER EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY BELOW THE CENTER OF SAID TUBE, AND MEANS CONNECTING SAID TUBE TO SAID SUPPORT MEMBER INTERMEDIATE SAID END PORTIONS OF SAID TUBE AND COOPERATING TO PROVIDE FOR FLEXING OF SAID TUBE BETWEEN SAID SUBSTANTIALLY CIRCULAR CONFIGURATION AND SAID GENERALLY FLAT CONFIGURATION.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said connecting means for said tube comprise a plurality of flexible straps connecting said tube to said support member at longitudinally spaced intervals along said tube.

3. Apparatua as defined in claim 1 wherein said support member comprises a flexible cable-like member.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said support member comprises an elongated rigid rod.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 including elongated deflector means positioned adjacent said tube in generally parallel spaced relation for deflecting a flow of the liquid from direct impingement against said tube and for minimizing coalescence of the gas bubbles discharged from said tube.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said deflector means comprise a set of deflector members positioned in generally horizontally spaced opposed relation with said tube therebetween.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 including means responsive to moisture within said tube for automatically removing moisture from said tube.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said upper portion of said tube comprises a flexible porous vinyl sheet material having a non-uniform pattern of open cellular pores with an average size less than 0.005 inch.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said porous vinyl sheet material includes a cloth-like material secured to said sheet material to provide said material with additional strength adjacent said open cellular pores.

10. A method of diffusing a gas into a liquid, comprising the step of casting a flexible sheet of porous vinyl material with a non-Uniform pattern of permanently open cellular pores, forming an elongated collapsible tube with said sheet and locating said pores continuously along only an upper portion of said tube, submerging said tube within the liquid causing the tube to collapse to a generally flat configuration, supporting said tube within the liquid with said pores continuously along the upper portion of said tube, and directing a supply of gas into the tube for inflating the tube to a substantially circular cross-sectional configuration and to provide for the escape of gas through said pores upwardly into the liquid.

11. A method as defined in claim 10 wherein the step of casting said sheet of vinyl material includes the step of casting a mixture of said vinyl material and borax to provide for forming said pores with an average size less than 0.005 inch.

12. A method as defined in claim 10 wherein said step of supporting said tube comprises positioning a substantially rigid and longitudinally extending elongated support member below the center of said tube, and attaching said tube to said support member to provide for movement of said tube between the collapsed and inflated configurations.