Flow-through oxygenator

• US 7,396,441 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2003
• Issued: 07/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oxygenator Water Technologies, Inc., Roy H. Lecy
• Original Assignee: Aqua Innovations, Inc.
• Inventors: Senkiw, James Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): King; Roy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zheng; Lois L.
• Application Number:
  US10/732,326
• Publication Number:
  US 20040118701A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,672 Days
• Field of Search: 205628-639, 205/742, 204/242, 204/245, 204/275.1, 204/278.5, 204/290.1, 204/232, 204/278, 204/286.1, 204/554, 204/660, 210/243, 210/748
• US Class Current: 204/278
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 31/00 Soilless cultivation, e.g. hydroponics growth substrates therefor A01G24/00; cultivation of seaweed A01G33/00
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 31/02 Special apparatus therefor self-acting watering devices A01G27/00
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 63/042 Introducing gases into the water, e.g. aerators, air pumps
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/46109 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/4672 by electrooxydation
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/68 by addition of specified substances, e.g. trace elements, for ameliorating potable water medicinal water A61K
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/727 using pure oxygen or oxygen rich gas
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2001/46133 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2001/46138 Electrodes comprising a substrate and a coating
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2001/46157 Perforated or foraminous electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/4612 Controlling or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/4615 Time
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/02 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/26 using pure oxygen or oxygen-rich gas
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 7/00 Aeration of stretches of water
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/36 Hydrogen production from non-carbon containing sources, e.g. by water electrolysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/21 Dinitrogen oxide [N2O], e.g. using aquaponics, hydroponics or efficiency measures
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/10 Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage

Abstract

An oxygen emitter which is an electrolytic cell is disclosed. When the anode and cathode are separated by a critical distance, very small microbubbles and nanobubbles of oxygen are generated. The very small oxygen bubbles remain in suspension, forming a solution supersaturated in oxygen. A flow-through model for oxygenating flowing water is disclosed. The use of supersaturated water for enhancing the growth of plants is disclosed. Methods for applying supersaturated water to plants manually, by drip irrigation or in hydroponic culture are described. The treatment of waste water by raising the dissolved oxygen with the use of an oxygen emitter is disclosed.

Claims

1. A flow through oxygenator comprising:

a fluid conduit having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet fluidly connected with a conduit lumen;

an oxygen emitter for electrolytic generation of microbubbles of oxygen from an aqueous medium, the oxygen emitter including three matched sets of anodes and cathodes wherein the matched sets of anodes and cathodes are mounted to stabilizing hardware such that the oxygen emitter is positioned within the conduit lumen and each matched set resides at a 120°

angle to the adjacent matched sets; and

a power source in electrical communication with the oxygen emitter.

2. The flow through oxygenator of claim 1, wherein each anode is a metal or a metallic oxide or a combination of a metal and a metallic oxide and each cathode is a metal or metallic oxide or a combination of a metal and a metallic oxide.

3. The flow through oxygenator of claim 1, wherein the anode and cathode within each matched set are separated by a spacer such to maintain a gap of 0.005 to 0.140 inches between the anode and cathode.

4. The flow through oxygenator of claim 3, wherein the gap is 0.045 to 0.060 inches.

5. The flow though oxygenator of claim 1 wherein each anode is platinum and iridium oxide on a support and each cathode is a metal or metallic oxide or a combination of a metal and a metallic oxide.

6. The flow though oxygenator of claim 1, wherein the power source is electrically connected to the stabilizing hardware for powering the plurality of matched sets of anodes and cathodes.

7. The flow through oxygenator of claim 1, wherein the plurality of matched sets of anodes and cathodes are attached to the stabilizing hardware with the anodes proximate a conduit wall and the cathodes proximate a conduit center.

8. The flow through oxygenator of claim 1, wherein the plurality of matched sets of anodes and cathodes define plates positioned parallel to a flow axis of the conduit lumen.

9. The flow through oxygenator of claim 1, wherein each cathode comprises a mesh screen.

10. The flow through oxygenator of claim 1, further comprising:

a controller selectively operating the power source, such that the power source supplies power to the plurality of matched sets of anodes and cathodes when the aqueous medium is flowing through the conduit lumen and withholds power when the aqueous medium is not flowing through the conduit lumen.

11. The flow through oxygenator of claim 1, wherein the oxygen emitter is sized to generate oxygen sufficient to form a supersaturated aqueous medium.

12. The flow through oxygenator of claim 1, wherein the aqueous medium is water.

13. The flow through oxygenator of claim 12, wherein the oxygen emitter is sized to generate oxygen sufficient to form superoxygenated water.

14. The flow through oxygenator of claim 1, wherein the fluid conduit is a watering hose.

15. The flow through oxygenator of claim 1, wherein the fluid conduit is a hydroponic circulating system.

16. A flow through oxygenator comprising:

a watering hose having a hose lumen; and

an oxygen emitter operably mounted within the hose lumen, the oxygen emitter including three matched sets of anodes and cathodes mounted to stabilizing hardware such that each matched set resides at a 120°

angle to the adjacent matched sets.

17. A flow though oxygenator comprising:

a hydroponic circulating system having a circulating lumen; and

an oxygen emitter operably mounted within the circulating lumen, the oxygen emitter including three matched sets of anodes and cathodes mounted to stabilizing hardware such that each matched set resides at a 120°

angle to the adjacent matched sets.