Temperature adjusted water aerator and circulation system

• US 5,996,977 A
• Filed: 10/05/1998
• Issued: 12/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Harry L. Burgess
• Original Assignee: Harry L. Burgess
• Inventors: Burgess, Harry L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chiesa, Richard L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hopkins, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US09/166,439
• Time in Patent Office: 428 Days
• Field of Search: 261/93, 261/120, 261/121.1, 261/121.2, 261/131, 261/136, 261/140.1, 261/140.2, 261/141, 261/142, 261/124, 210/220, 210/242.2
• US Class Current: 261/140.1
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/233 using driven stirrers with completely immersed stirring elements
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/23342 the stirrer being of the centrifugal type, e.g. with a surrounding stator
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/23363 the gas being introduced above the stirrer
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/111 Centrifugal stirrers, i.e. stirrers with radial outlets; Stirrers of the turbine type, e.g. with means to guide the flow
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/25 Mixers with both stirrer and drive unit submerged in the material being mixed
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/80 with stirrers rotating about a substantially vertical axis
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/503 Floating mixing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/21 Measuring
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/2215 Temperature

Abstract

The present invention provides for an aquatic environment an aerator having a temperature adjusted air inlet for aerating a quantity of water in a container, where the temperature of air pumped through an aerator may be cooled or heated, the temperature adjusted air entrained with water, and exhausted through an outlet into a bait well or a larger container, such as a pond for raising aquatic livestock. The temperature adjusted air may be supplied from an air conditioning unit in an automobile, a portable or fixed refrigeration unit, or gas flowing through an chilled environment of cooled liquid. In another embodiment, the temperature adjusted air may be drawn through an underground or underwater thermal stabilized conduit, using the natural temperature stability of underlying formations or layers. In another embodiment, where warm air is preferred, alternative sources of temperature adjusted air may be used, as for instance, an automobile heater, heaters using combustible fuels or electrical resistance heating, and even the underground or underwater thermal stabilization conduit that is also used for cooling during summer months. In some embodiments, the aerator may float, may be positioned at some relatively fixed point in the container, such as on the bottom, or may be a variable buoyancy aerator that varies the level at which the aerator is situated in the container. In another embodiment, multiple aerators are controlled in a larger container for aerating and mixing the container, where the aerators draw temperature adjusted air from a manifold.

Claims

1. A system for maintaining an aqua-culture environment, comprising:

a) an aerator having an outlet, a gas inlet connected to a pump;

b) a temperature adjusting source adapted to adjust the temperature of incoming ambient gas upstream from the gas inlet of the aerator; and

c) a conduit fluidicly connected between the gas inlet of the aerator and the temperature controlled source.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the temperature adjusting source comprises a cooling member.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the temperature adjusting source comprises an air conditioning unit.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the temperature adjusting source comprises a refrigeration unit.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the temperature adjusting source comprises gas drawn through a chilled environment of cooled liquid.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the temperature of the gas is higher than ambient air.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the temperature adjusting source comprises an automobile heater.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the temperature adjusting source comprises a heating unit.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the temperature adjusting source comprises an underground thermally stabilized conduit.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the temperature adjusting source comprises an underwater thermal stabilized conduit.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the aerator comprises a liquid inlet separate from the gas inlet and the gas inlet comprises an upwardly extending gas inlet tube wherein the aerator is adapted to mix a quantity of liquid and gas before passing through the outlet.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the aerator comprises a centrifugal pump having a generally vertical axis and a centrifugal impeller adapted to move liquid from the liquid inlet and gas from the gas inlet, mix the liquid and gas to form a mixed fluid, and pump the mixed fluid through the outlet.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the aerator comprises an evacuable float having a chamber fluidicly connected to the gas inlet of the pump.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the aerator comprises an adjustably sized control annulus opening fluidicly connected to the liquid inlet to control an amount of liquid entering the liquid inlet.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the aerator comprises an evacuable float having a chamber fluidicly connected to the gas inlet of the pump.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one controller connected to the power source and aerator to regulate activation of the aerator.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a plurality of aerators and wherein the controller activates the aerators in regulated order to control agitation of an aqua-culture environment wherein at least one of the aerators is activated at a different time than another aerator of the plurality of aerators.

18. A system for maintaining an aqua-culture environment, comprising:

a) an aerator having an outlet, a pump; and

b) a gas inlet fluidicly connected to the aerator for receiving a gas having a non-ambient temperature into the aerator wherein the non-ambient temperature gas is temperature adjusted upstream from the pump and motor of the aerator.

19. A method for maintaining an aqua-culture environment, comprising:

a) providing an aerator having a pump for an aqua-culture environment;

b) delivering a non-ambient temperature gas upstream from the aerator; and

c) pumping the non-ambient temperature gas through the aerator into the aqua-culture environment.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein delivering the non-ambient temperature gas comprises cooling the gas from an ambient temperature.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein cooling the gas comprises using an air conditioner.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising heating the gas from an ambient temperature.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein heating the gas comprises using an automotive heater.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein heating the gas comprises using a heating unit.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein pumping the non-ambient temperature gas comprises pumping through an underground thermally stabilized conduit.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein pumping the non-ambient temperature gas comprises pumping through an underwater thermally stabilized conduit.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein cooling the gas comprises using a refrigeration unit.

28. The method of claim 20, wherein cooling the gas comprises drawing the gas through a chilled environment of cooled liquid.

29. The method of claim 19, wherein pumping the non-ambient temperature gas comprises drawing liquid from a liquid inlet into the pump, mixing the gas with the liquid into a fluid, and pumping the fluid into the aqua-culture environment.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein mixing the gas with the liquid comprises at least partially cavitating the aerator to pump the gas.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising controlling an amount of fluid entering the aerator with an adjustable control annulus.

32. A system for maintaining an aqua-culture environment, comprising:

a) an aerator having an outlet, a liquid inlet, a pump and an upwardly extending gas inlet adapted to allow gas to enter the pump, the aerator adapted to mix the gas and liquid prior to leaving the outlet;

b) an evacuable float having a chamber fluidicly connected to the gas inlet of the pump;

c) a conduit fluidicly connected to the gas inlet and adapted to receive a gas having a non-ambient temperature; and

d) a power source adapted to operate the aerator.

33. A system for maintaining an aqua-culture environment, comprising:

a) an aerator having an outlet;

a gas inlet connected to a pump;

b) a temperature adjusting source adapted to cool the temperature of incoming ambient gas upstream from the gas inlet of the aerator; and

c) a conduit fluidicly connected between the gas inlet of the aerator and the temperature controlled source.