Patents Represented by Law Firm Reed Smith Shaw & McClaw LLP
  • Patent number: 5914046
    Abstract: The method of reducing the acidity in effluent discharges comprises charging the effluent with carbon dioxide, intermittently fluidizing and expanding at least one pulsed limestone bed with the charged effluent, treating the charged effluent with the limestone in the bed, displacing the limestone treated effluent with untreated charged effluent, stripping excess carbon dioxide from the effluent after treatment in the limestone bed, and discharging the limestone treated effluent. The method includes treating the charged effluent in the limestone beds for preferably at least two minutes, more preferably about 4 to 8 minutes. The step of intermittently fluidizing and expanding at least one pulsed limestone bed with the charged effluent includes generally concurrently intermittently fluidizing and expanding at least one other pulsed limestone bed with charged effluent, so that each limestone bed is expanded and fluidized alternately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 22, 1999
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Interior
    Inventor: Barnaby J. Watten