Controlled bypass flow and ozone proportion method and system

• US 7,402,253 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2005
• Issued: 07/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nutech O3 Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nutech O3 Incorporated
• Inventors: van Leeuwen, Johannes, Mueller, Richard A, Robinson, Jack H., Jennings, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): LAWRENCE JR, FRANK M
• Application Number:
  US11/226,359
• Publication Number:
  US 20060243673A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: 210/760, 210/764, 210/192, 210/199, 210/205, 210/242.1, 210/931, 422/28, 422/186.07, 114/74.R, 114/125
• US Class Current: 210/760
• 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 2209/006 comprising a software program or a logic diagram
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2301/043 Treatment of partial or bypass streams
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 210/931 Zebra mussel mitigation or treatment

Abstract

A method and system of ozone treatment diverts a portion of water from a flow of water in a conduit; injects an ozone-containing gas into the portion to provide an ozonated portion; recombines the ozonated portion with the flow of water in the conduit; and controls and regulates the diverted portion to provide a minimum diverted portion flow rate according to flow in the conduit and proportion of ozone in the injected gas.

Claims

1. A ballast-water treatment system comprising:

a vessel including at least one ballast tank and at least one conduit conveying water to or from an intake/outlet to the ballast tank;

a regulator to divert a portion of the water from the conduit;

an injector to provide an ozone injection rate into the portion of water; and

a controller operatively connected to the regulator and the injector to regulate the diverted portion to provide a minimum diverted portion flow rate according to flow in the conduit and proportion of ozone in the injected gas.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller regulates the diverted portion to provide a diverted portion flow of at least 0.25% of the main conduit flow for every mg/L of ozone injected into the bypass.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller regulates the diverted portion to provide a diverted portion flow of at least 0.3% of the main conduit flow for every mg/L of ozone injected into the bypass.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller regulates the diverted portion to provide a diverted portion flow of at least 0.35% of the main conduit flow for every mg/L of ozone injected into the bypass.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a computer usable medium comprising a set of instructions to operate the controller to adjust the diverted portion of water and injection rate of the ozone into the portion to attain target biokill when the portion is recombined with the water.

6. The system of claim 1, comprising computer usable medium comprising a set of instructions to operate the controllers to coordinate flow of the diverted portion and injection of ozone to provide a concentration of ozone of 1.0 to 4.5 mg/l in the water.

7. The system of claim 1, comprising computer usable medium comprising a set of instructions to operate the controllers to coordinate flow of the diverted portion and injection of ozone to provide a concentration of ozone of 1.5 to 4.0 mg/l in the water.

8. The system of claim 1, comprising computer usable medium comprising a set of instructions to operate the controllers to coordinate flow of the diverted portion and injection of ozone to provide a concentration of ozone of 2.0 to 3.0 mg/l in the water.

9. The system of claim 1, comprising computer usable medium comprising a set of instructions to operate the controllers to coordinate flow of the diverted portion and injection of ozone to provide a 95% or greater species biokill in the water.

10. The system of claim 1, comprising a mixer located within bypass conduit downstream to the injector;

and a reinjector to reinject the diverted portion with ozone back to the water conduit at return point;

wherein the vessel is a sea faring vessel.

11. A method of ozone treatment, comprising:

determining a target biokill of species for water charging into a ballast tank of a vessel;

diverting a portion of water from a flow of the water charging into the ballast tank;

injecting ozone into the diverted portion at a rate determined to attain the target biokill when the portion is recombined into the water for charging to the ballast tank; and

regulating the diverted portion of the water to a minimum diverted portion flow rate according to flow in the conduit and proportion of ozone in the injected gas.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the diverted portion is regulated to at least 0.25% of the main conduit flow for every mg/L of ozone injected into the bypass.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the diverted portion is regulated to at least 0.3% of the main conduit flow for every mg/L of ozone injected into the bypass.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the diverted portion is regulated to at least 0.35% of the main conduit flow for every mg/L of ozone injected into the bypass.

15. The method of claim 11, additionally comprising charging the ozone injected water into the ballast tank.

16. The method of claim 11, additionally comprising charging the ozone injected water into a plurality of ballast tanks.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the target biokill is one microbe per cubic meter of water or less.

18. The method of claim 11, comprising adjusting the regulating of the diverted portion of water and a rate of injection of the ozone into the portion of water to provide a concentration of ozone of 1.0 to 4.5 mg/l in the water charging into the ballast tank.

19. The method of claim 11, comprising adjusting the regulating of the diverted portion of water and a rate of injection of the ozone into the portion of water to provide a concentration of ozone of 1.5 to 4.0 mg/l in the water charging into the ballast tank.

20. The method of claim 11, comprising adjusting the regulating of the diverted portion of water and a rate of injection of the ozone into the portion of water to provide a concentration of ozone of 2.0 to 3.0 mg/l in the water charging into the ballast tank.

21. The method of claim 11, comprising injecting ozone into the diverted portion at a single point prior to charging the water into the ballast tank.

22. The method of claim 11, comprising injecting ozone into a diverted portion of each of a plurality of water streams prior to charging each stream into a respective ballast tank of a plurality of ballast tanks.

23. 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;

a regulator to divert a portion of the water from the conduit; and

an injector to provide an ozone injection rate into the portion of water;

wherein the regulator regulates the diverted portion to provide a minimum diverted portion flow rate according to flow in the conduit and proportion of ozone in the injected gas.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the regulator regulates the diverted portion to provide a diverted portion flow of at least 0.25% of the main conduit flow for every mg/L of ozone injected into the bypass.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the regulator regulates the diverted portion to provide a diverted portion flow of at least 0.3% of the main conduit flow for every mg/L of ozone injected into the bypass.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the regulator regulates the diverted portion to provide a diverted portion flow of at least 0.35% of the main conduit flow for every mg/L of ozone injected into the bypass.