Mass transfer system

• US 6,547,855 B1
• Filed: 09/28/2001
• Issued: 04/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aeromix Systems Incorporated (Fluence Corp. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Aeromix Systems Incorporated (Fluence Corp. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Schmidtke, Troy D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Duane
• Assistant Examiner(s): Greene, Jason M.
• Application Number:
  US09/967,135
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 952/45, 952/54, 952/60, 952/62, 952/63, 951/49, 951/51, 952/23, 952/26, 95/19, 95/23, 95/24, 952/16, 952/18, 952/21, 952/37, 952/41, 952/58, 961/55--57, 961/74, 962/04, 962/15, 962/20, 962/43, 962/44, 962/45, 962/52, 962/53, 962/62, 963/29, 963/51--53, 261/122.1, 261/123, 261/124, 261/DIG.19, 261/121.1, 210/188, 210/750
• US Class Current: 95/149
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 19/00 Degasification of liquids
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 19/0005 with one or more auxiliary substances
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/1487 Removing organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/18 Absorbing units; Liquid distributors therefor B01D3/16, B01D3/26, B01D3/30 take precedence; packing elements B01J19/30, B01J19/32
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/20 by degassing, i.e. liberation of dissolved gases degasification of liquids in general B01D19/00; arrangement of degassing apparatus in boiler feed supply F22D
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2101/322 Volatile compounds, e.g. benzene
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/06 Contaminated groundwater or leachate
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/38 Gas flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 261/19 Degassers

Abstract

A mass transfer machine removes dissolved gases or volatile organic compounds from air or a liquid. The mass transfer machine includes a vessel capable of containing a liquid and having a liquid inlet and an air inlet at a near end. It further includes a liquid outlet at a far end. Two or more baffles are located transversely inside of the vessel. The baffle located nearest to the far end of the vessel has a window. Two or more diffusers are located near a bottom surface of the vessel. The diffusers are in communication with the air inlet and have two or more orifices through a wall. An adjustable plate is releasably mounted over the window of the baffle located closest to the far end of the vessel. The plate is adjustable in a vertical direction. In one embodiment, an air source supplies air to the air inlet located on the near end of the vessel. In another embodiment, an air source is connected to the an air exit located on the far side of the vessel.

Claims

1. A method of transferring dissolved gases or volatile organic compounds between air and a liquid, the method comprising:

supplying liquid to a vessel wherein the liquid flows horizontally through the vessel and the vessel is comprised of a plurality of transversely disposed interconnected chambers;

injecting air into the liquid through orifices in a plurality of diffusers;

controlling a height of the liquid within the chambers of the vessel, wherein controlling the height of the liquid is performed by an adjustable height passage located at an exit passageway of one of the chambers; and

controlling a flow rate and a pressure of the air injected into the liquid.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein supplying liquid to the vessel is performed by a pump.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the liquid has a serpentine flow through the interconnected chambers of the vessel.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein baffles define the interconnected chambers, each baffle having an opening at one end to allow the liquid to flow from chamber to chamber.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein injecting air into the liquid is performed by a blower in communication with an air inlet of the vessel.

6. The method of claim 1, and further comprising placing a diffuser sleeve over at least one of the plurality of diffusers to create a manifold external to the orifices of at least one diffuser, the diffuser sleeve having a plurality of sleeve orifices of a diameter different than a diameter of the orifices of the at least one diffuser.

7. The method of claim 1, and further comprising capturing the air exiting the vessel through an exhaust vent.

8. The method of claim 7, and further comprising treating the air exiting the exhaust vent to remove hazardous components.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein injecting air into the liquid is performed by a fan in communication with an air outlet of the vessel to create a negative pressure in the vessel causing air to be drawn through an air inlet into the vessel.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the adjustable height passage is controlled by a weir plate.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein controlling the flow rate and the pressure of the air is performed by a throttle.

12. A method of transferring dissolved gases or volatile organic compounds between air and a liquid, the method comprising:

supplying liquid to a vessel wherein the liquid has a serpentine and substantially horizontal flow through the vessel;

injecting air into the liquid through orifices in a plurality of diffusers;

controlling a height of an adjustable exit passageway from the vessel to vary a height of the liquid in the vessel; and

controlling a flow rate and a pressure of the air injected into the liquid.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising placing a diffuser sleeve over at least one of the diffusers to create a manifold external to the orifices of the at least one diffuser, the diffuser sleeve having a plurality of sleeve orifices of a diameter different than the diameter of the orifices of the at least one diffuser.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein injecting air into the water is performed by a blower.

15. The method of claim 12, and further comprising capturing air exiting the vessel through an exhaust vent and treating the air to remove hazardous components.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein injecting air into the water is performed by using a fan located at an exit to the vessel to create a negative pressure in the vessel causing air to be drawn through an inlet to the vessel from the outside.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein controlling the flow rate and the pressure of the air is performed by a throttle.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the vessel is comprised of a plurality of transversely disposed interconnected chambers.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein baffles define the interconnected chambers, each baffle having an opening at one end to allow the liquid to flow from chamber to chamber.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein controlling the height of the adjustable exit passageway is performed by a weir plate located in the adjustable exit passageway.

21. A method of transferring dissolved gases or volatile organic compounds between air and a liquid, the method comprising:

supplying liquid to a vessel wherein the liquid flows horizontally through the vessel and the vessel is comprised of a plurality of transversely disposed interconnected chambers;

injecting air into the liquid through orifices in a plurality of diffusers;

controlling a height of an adjustable height plate located in an opening of one of the chambers to vary a height of the liquid within the vessel; and

controlling a flow rate and a pressure of the air injected into the liquid.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein baffles define the interconnected chambers, each baffle having an opening at one end to allow the liquid to flow from chamber to chamber.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the liquid has a serpentine flow through the interconnected chambers of the vessel.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the adjustable height plate is a weir plate.

25. The method of claim 21, and further comprising placing a diffuser sleeve over at least one of the plurality of diffusers to create a manifold external to the orifices of at least one diffuser, the diffuser sleeve having a plurality of sleeve orifices of a diameter different than a diameter of the orifices of the at least one diffuser.

26. The method of claim 21, and further comprising capturing air exiting the vessel through an exhaust vent and treating the air to remove hazardous components.

27. The method of claim 21 wherein injecting air into the liquid is performed by a blower in communication with an air inlet of the vessel.

28. The method of claim 21 wherein injecting air into the liquid is performed by a fan in communication with an air outlet of the vessel to create a negative pressure in the vessel causing air to be drawn through an air inlet into the vessel.

29. The method of claim 21 wherein the opening of at least one of the chambers is an exit passageway from the vessel.