Apparatus for aerating and maintaining an ice free surface area on a body of water

• US 4,279,537 A
• Filed: 05/21/1980
• Issued: 07/21/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: William H. Tweedy
• Original Assignee: William H. Tweedy
• Inventors: Tweedy, William H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Granger, Theodore A.
• Application Number:
  US06/151,922
• Time in Patent Office: 426 Days
• Field of Search: 405/60, 405/61, 210/195.1, 210/136
• US Class Current: 405/61
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 1/003 Mechanically induced gas or liquid streams in seas, lakes or water-courses for forming weirs or breakwaters; making or keeping water surfaces free from ice, aerating or circulating water, e.g. screens of air-bubbles against sludge formation or salt water entry, pump-assisted water circulation moving sediments E02B3/023; for ice breakers B63B35/08; aerating or circulating water in fish-tanks A01K63/042; purification of waste water with addition of air C02F; distributing gases in liquids in general B01F23/20

Abstract

The apparatus comprises an air diffusion or dispersion unit mounted on a weighted concrete base submerged at the bottom of a body of water. The unit has a vertical pipe upstanding from the concrete base. An air line extends from an air compressor on shore into the bottom of the vertical pipe where it collects air and releases it periodically from the top of the pipe in a series of relatively large volume, intermittent, discharges into the water. A check valve is located in the air line or diffusion unit to prevent back flow of water to below-freezing locations where the air line extends through ice at the water surface.

Claims

1. Apparatus for aerating and maintaining a surface area ice free in a body of water such as a pond or lake comprising:

an air diffusion unit comprising an imperforate vertical pipe with a closed bottom end and an open upper end anchored below the surface of said body of water;

an air line extending from a source of air under pressure to the interior of the pipe at the closed bottom end thereof;

the pipe having a large transverse cross-section relative to the cross-section of the air line enabling continual, discrete, large-volume air discharges through repetition of a cycle in which air collects in the bottom of the pipe until it is displaced by a rapid inrush of water into the top end expelling air in a sudden large volume release followed by a period of no discharge while air collects in the pipe for the next discharge; and

check valve means in a portion of said air line in water which is sufficiently deep to remain permanently unfrozen at the bottom of said body of water, said check valve means thereby maintaining said air line ice free by preventing the back flow of water from said air diffusion unit to below-freezing locations near or above the surface level.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said check valve means is located immediately adjacent said air diffusion unit.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said check valve means is located within said air diffusion unit.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said air diffusion unit is a vertical pipe and said air line directs air into the bottom of said vertical pipe causing air bubbles to release from the top of the vertical pipe into the water in a series of relatively large volume intermittent discharges to create powerful convection water currents in said body of water.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 4 wherein a screen is provided at the top of the vertical pipe to keep foreign material from accumulating inside the pipe.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said source of air under pressure is an air compressor located on shore adjacent said body of water.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein adjustable timer means controls on and off cycles of said air compressor enabling operation thereof to be regulated in accordance with need.