Ballast water ozone injection method and system

• US 6,869,540 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2003
• Issued: 03/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NUTECH 03
• Original Assignee: NUTECH 03
• Inventors: Mueller, Richard A., Robinson, Jack H., Jennings, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): LAWRENCE JR, FRANK M
• Application Number:
  US10/402,298
• Publication Number:
  US 20030196967A1
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 210/760, 210/764, 210/192, 210/199, 210/205, 210/242.1, 422/28, 422/186.07, 114/74.R, 114/125
• US Class Current: 210/760
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 13/00 Conduits for emptying or ballasting; Self-bailing equipment; Scuppers draining means for hatches B63B19/26; centrifugal bilge-water separators B04; arrangements of installations for treating ballast water B63J4/002; pipes in general F16L
• CPC Class Codes: B63J 4/002 for treating ballast water
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 13/10 Preparation of ozone
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/78 with ozone C02F1/4672 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/008 Originating from marine vessels, ships and boats, e.g. bilge water or ballast water
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/782 Ozone generators
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/005 Processes using a programmable logic controller [PLC]
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/40 Liquid flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 210/931 Zebra mussel mitigation or treatment

Abstract

A method to treat ballast water comprises injecting ozone into water loading into a sea faring vessel prior to charging the water into a ballast tank; and charging the ozone injected water into the ballast tank. A system for treating ballast water comprises a sea faring vessel including at least one ballast tank; an ozone generator that generates ozone, a ballast water conduit that uptakes water through a loading port of a sea faring vessel and conducts the water to load the ballast tank; and an ozone feed line that injects ozone from the generator into water in the conduit at an injection point located upstream to an intersection of the conduit with the ballast tank.

Claims

1. A method of ozone treatment, comprising:

injecting ozone into water loading into a sea faring vessel prior to charging the water into a ballast tank;

charging the ozone injected water into the ballast tank; and

adjusting a rate of injection of the ozone into the water and adjusting the rate of water loading into the vessel to provide a target biokill of species within the water.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising injecting ozone into water loading into the vessel at a single point prior to charging the water into the ballast tank.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising injecting the ozone into the water at or near a point of loading the water into the sea faring vessel.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising injecting the ozone into the water at a point intermediate between a ballast water port of the vessel and the ballast tank.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising in-line injecting the ozone into the water in a conduit at a location prior to charging of the water into the ballast water tank of a sea faring vessel.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising pumping water into the sea faring vessel, injecting the ozone into the water and then charging the ozone injected water into the ballast tank.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising injecting ozone into the water, then dividing the water into at least two streams for charging into ballast tanks of respective at least two batteries of ballast tanks.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising injecting ozone into the water at an injection point and recycling at least a portion of the injected water to a location upstream of the injecting point so that the recycle portion is further injected with ozone at the injecting point.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising injecting ozone into a plurality of water streams prior to charging each stream into a respective ballast tank of a plurality of ballast tanks.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising adjusting a rate of injection of the ozone into the water to provide a target biokill of species within the water.

11. The method of claim 1, comprising adjusting a rate of injection of the ozone into the water to provide a concentration of ozone of 1.0 to 4.5 mg/l in the water.

12. The method of claim 1, comprising adjusting a rate of injection of the ozone into the water to provide a concentration of ozone of 1.5 to 4.0 mg/l in the water.

13. The method of claim 1, comprising adjusting a rate of injection of the ozone into the water to provide a concentration of ozone of 2.0 to 3.0 mg/l in the water.

14. The method of claim 1, comprising adjusting a rate of injection of the ozone into the water and adjusting the rate of water loading into the vessel to provide a concentration of ozone of 1.0 to 4.5 mg/l in the water.

15. The method of claim 1, comprising adjusting a rate of injection of the ozone into the water and adjusting the rate of water loading into the vessel to provide a 95% or greater species biokill in the water.

16. The method of claim 1, comprising adjusting a rate of injection of the ozone into the water;

adjusting the rate of water loading into the vessel and providing a residence time for the water prior to charging into the ballast tank to provide a target biokill of species within the water charging into the ballast tank.

17. The method of claim 1, comprising:

injecting ozone into the water;

loading the ozone injected water into a tank;

permitting the ozone injected water to reside in said tank; and

then

charging ozone injected water from the tank to another tank.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising adjusting a rate of injection of the ozone into the water;

adjusting the rate of water loading into the vessel and providing a residence time for the water prior to charging into another tank to provide a target biokill of species within the water charging into the another ballast tank.

19. A ballast-water treatment system comprising:

a sea faring vessel including at least one ballast tank;

an ozone generator that generates ozone,

a ballast water conduit that uptakes water through a loading port of a sea faring vessel and conducts the water to load the ballast tank;

an ozone feed line that injects ozone from the generator into water in the conduit at an injection point located upstream to an intersection of the conduit with the ballast tank;

a controller operatively connected to the conduit to regulate water flow within the conduit;

a controller operatively connected to the ozone generator to regulate injection of ozone into the water flowing within the conduit.

a computer usable medium comprising a set of instructions to operate the water flow controller to regulate water flow within the conduit and operatively connected to the ozone generator controller to regulate injection of ozone into the water flowing within the conduit.

20. The system of claim 19, comprising the computer usable medium comprising a set of instructions to operate the controllers to coordinate water flow and injection of ozone to provide a target level of biokill in the water.

21. The system of claim 19, comprising the computer usable medium comprising a set of instructions to operate the controllers to coordinate water flow and injection of ozone to provide a concentration of ozone of 1.0 to 4.5 mg/l in the water.

22. The system of claim 19, comprising the computer usable medium comprising a set of instructions to operate the controllers to coordinate water flow and injection of ozone to provide a concentration of ozone of 1.5 to 4.0 mg/l in the water.

23. The system of claim 19, comprising the computer usable medium comprising a set of instructions to operate the controllers to coordinate water flow and injection of ozone to provide a concentration of ozone of 2.0 to 3.0 mg/l in the water.

24. The system of claim 19, comprising the computer usable medium comprising a set of instructions to operate the controllers to coordinate water flow and injection of ozone to provide a 95% or greater species biokill in the water.

25. A method of ozone treatment, comprising:

injecting ozone into water discharging from a ballast tank at a location downstream from the tank; and

unloading the ozone injected water to the sea.

26. The method of claim 25, comprising injecting ozone into water discharging from a ballast tank at a single location downstream from the tank.

27. The method of claim 25, comprising injecting the ozone into the water at or near a point of discharge from the ballast tank.

28. The method of claim 25, comprising injecting the ozone into the water at a point intermediate between the ballast tank and a ballast water unloading port of the vessel.

29. The method of claim 25, comprising charging water into the ballast tank of a sea faring vessel;

thereafter discharging water from the ballast tank;

injecting the ozone into the discharging water and unloading the ozone injected water into the sea.

30. The method of claim 25, comprising adjusting a rate of injection of the ozone into the water and adjusting a rate of water discharging from the ballast tank to provide a target biokill of species within the water prior to unloading to the sea.

31. The method of claim 25, comprising adjusting a rate of injection of the ozone into the water to provide a concentration of ozone of 1.0 to 4.5 mg/l.

32. The method of claim 25, comprising adjusting a rate of injection of the ozone into the water to provide a concentration of ozone of 1.5 to 4.0 mg/l in the water.

33. The method of claim 25, comprising adjusting a rate of injection of the ozone into the water to provide a concentration of ozone of 2.0 to 3.0 in the water.

34. The method of claim 25, comprising adjusting a rate of water flow and injection of ozone to provide a concentration of ozone of 1.0 to 4.5 mg/l in the water.

35. A ballast-water treatment system comprising:

a sea faring vessel including at least one ballast tank;

an ozone generator that generates ozone,

a ballast water conduit that discharges water from the ballast tank and conducts the water to an unloading port of the sea faring vessel;

an ozone feed line that injects ozone from the generator into water in the conduit at an injection point located downstream to an intersection of the conduit with the ballast tank;

a controller operatively connected to the conduit to regulate water flow within the conduit;

a controller operatively connected to the ozone generator to regulate injection of ozone into the water flowing within the conduit.

a computer usable medium comprising a set of instructions to operate the water flow controller to regulate water flow within the conduit and operatively connected to the ozone generator controller to regulate injection of ozone into the water flowing within the conduit.

36. The system of claim 35, comprising the computer usable medium comprising a set of instructions to operate the controllers to coordinate water flow and injection of ozone to provide a target level of biokill in the water.

37. The system of claim 35, comprising the computer usable medium comprising a set of instructions to operate the controllers to coordinate water flow and injection of ozone to provide to provide a concentration of ozone of 1.0 to 4.5 mg/l in the water.

38. The system of claim 35, comprising the computer usable medium comprising a set of instructions to operate the controllers to coordinate water flow and injection of ozone to provide to provide a concentration of ozone of 1.5 to 4.0 mg/l in the water.

39. The system of claim 35, comprising the computer usable medium comprising a set of instructions to operate the controllers to coordinate water flow and injection of ozone to provide to provide a concentration of ozone of 2.0 to 3.0 mg/l in the water.

40. The system of claim 35, wherein ozone feed line injects ozone from the generator into water in the conduit at a single injection point located downstream to an intersection of the conduit with the ballast tank.

41. A method of ozone treatment, comprising:

injecting ozone into water loading into a sea faring vessel prior to charging the water into a ballast tank;

charging the ozone injected water into the ballast tank; and

adjusting a rate of injection of the ozone into the water and adjusting the rate of water loading into the vessel to provide a concentration of ozone of 1.0 to 4.5 mg/l in the water.

42. The method of claim 41, comprising adjusting the rate of injection of the ozone into the water and adjusting the rate of water loading into the vessel to provide a 95% or greater species biokill in the water.

43. The method of claim 41, comprising adjusting the rate of injection of the ozone into the water;

adjusting the rate of water loading into the vessel and providing a residence time for the water prior to charging into the ballast tank to provide a target biokill of species within the water charging into the ballast tank.