Zebra Mussel Mitigation Or Treatment Patents (Class 210/931)
  • Patent number: 8926844
    Abstract: Systems and methods for reducing an amount of unwanted living organisms within an algae cultivation fluid are provided herein. According to some embodiments, methods may include subjecting the algae cultivation fluid to an amount of cavitation, the amount of cavitation being defined by a pressure differential between a downstream pressure and a vapor pressure, the pressure differential divided by half of a product of a fluid density multiplied by a square of a velocity of an apparatus throat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Aurora Algae, Inc.
    Inventors: Mehran Parsheh, Megan Hippler, Shahrokh A Naieni, Guido Radaelli
  • Patent number: 8211317
    Abstract: Ballast water treatment apparatus and methods for preventing foreign aquatic invasive species form entering marine ecological zones by translocation in ship's ballast water. The apparatus includes a housing, a filter member, and UV water treatment chambers. Methods include use of a ship's fire hydrant system or ballast water discharge port for moving ballast water from the ship's ballast tanks into the apparatus for filtration and treatment. In-port service vessels and barges as well as dock-side service vehicles are equipped with the various treatment and filtration apparatus to provided in-port or dock-side ballast water treatment services. Related methods are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Inventors: Hap Nguyen, William Murray Fowler, Howard Roop, Harriet Rae Bruckman Roop, legal representative, Ronald Yoshio Nishida
  • Patent number: 8147686
    Abstract: The present invention provides a ballast water treatment system including a reaction tank in which raw water and ozone are imported and made to react each other for a predetermined period of time to kill microorganisms existing in raw water, an ozone decomposer in which water containing residual ozone discharged from the reaction tank is imported and the residual ozone is decomposed, and a circulation pump installed between the reaction tank and ozone decomposer, forming a circulation system which removes the residual ozone by means of circulating the water containing the residual ozone between the reaction tank and ozone decomposer. Accordingly, this system dispenses with a deaeration tank which would require a wide space for installation, small cost and is able to be applied to existing ships easily.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Shuji Ueki, Masahiro Saito, Noboru Takemura, Yukirou Kadomoto, Takeo Nojiri, Izumi Onishi, Masahiro Kuwajima, Masabumi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 8147687
    Abstract: The present invention provides a ballast water treatment system including a reaction tank in which raw water and ozone are imported and made to react each other for a predetermined period of time to kill microorganisms existing in raw water, an ozone decomposer in which water containing residual ozone discharged from the reaction tank is imported and the residual ozone is decomposed, and a circulation pump installed between the reaction tank and ozone decomposer, forming a circulation system which removes the residual ozone by means of circulating the water containing the residual ozone between the reaction tank and ozone decomposer. Accordingly, this system dispenses with a deaeration tank which would require a wide space for installation, small cost and is able to be applied to existing ships easily.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuji Ueki, Masahiro Saito, Noboru Takemura, Yukirou Kadomoto, Takeo Nojiri, Izumi Onishi, Masahiro Kuwajima, Masabumi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 7967892
    Abstract: A water deaerating system and method are provided. The first end of an open-ended conduit is placed beneath the surface of a body of oxygen-rich water. The conduit extends into a housing and where the second end of the conduit resides at a location in the housing that is above the surface of the body of oxygen-rich water. A vacuum is applied to a spatial region defined within the housing above the location of the second end of the conduit. The oxygen-rich water is pumped through the conduit and exits the second end of the conduit to enter the spatial region of the housing. The oxygen-rich water descends through the housing due to gravity. The oxygen-rich water's descension is interrupted and the vacuum operates to remove oxygen from the oxygen-rich water so-descending to generate oxygen-depleted water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Sea Knight Corporation
    Inventors: Claude R. Thompson, William M. Lechler, Neil F. Marshall
  • Patent number: 7897045
    Abstract: Ballast water treatment apparatus and methods for preventing foreign aquatic invasive species form entering marine ecological zones by translocation in ship's ballast water. The apparatus includes a housing, a filter member, and UV water treatment chambers. Methods include use of a ship's fire hydrant system or ballast water discharge port for moving ballast water from the ship's ballast tanks into the apparatus for filtration and treatment. In-port service vessels and barges as well as dock-side service vehicles are equipped with the various treatment and filtration apparatus to provided in-port or dock-side ballast water treatment services. Related methods are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: MARENCO Technology Group, Inc.
    Inventor: Hap Nguyen
  • Patent number: 7837874
    Abstract: A water treatment system to be installed in a tanker or other cargo ship for destruction of aquatic organisms and microorganisms that may be contained in the water, usually seawater, being pumped into the ship's ballast tank or tanks. Included is a ballast pump having an intake conduit for drawing water from the sea, and a delivery conduit for delivering the water under pressure to the ballast tank. The delivery conduit has mounted therein a slitted or otherwise open-worked screen for mechanically killing the aquatic lifeforms contained in the water by shearing action. For chemical treatment, on the other hand, part of the water being delivered by the ballast pump is bypassed into an ozone impregnator thereby to be impregnated with ozone from an ozonizer. A bypass pump repressurizes the ozone-impregnated water for returning the same into the delivery conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignees: The Japan Association of Marine Safety, M.O. Marine Consulting, Ltd., Shinko Ind, Ltd., Laboratory of Aquatic Science Consultant Co., Ltd., Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuwo Fukuyo, Takeaki Kikuchi, Jun Waki, Seiji Kino, Kazunobu Hirao, Katsumi Yoshida, Izumi Ohnishi, Masahiro Saito
  • Patent number: 7833411
    Abstract: The present invention provides a ballast water treatment system including a reaction tank in which raw water and ozone are imported and made to react each other for a predetermined period of time to kill microorganisms existing in raw water, an ozone decomposer in which water containing residual ozone discharged from the reaction tank is imported and the residual ozone is decomposed, and a circulation pump installed between the reaction tank and ozone decomposer, forming a circulation system which removes the residual ozone by means of circulating the water containing the residual ozone between the reaction tank and ozone decomposer. Accordingly, this system dispenses with a deaeration tank which would require a wide space for installation, small cost and is able to be applied to existing ships easily.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuji Ueki, Masahiro Saito, Noboru Takemura, Yukirou Kadomoto, Takeo Nojiri, Izumi Onishi, Masahiro Kuwajima, Masabumi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 7416660
    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 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: Nutech 03, Inc.
    Inventors: Johannes van Leeuwen, Michael D. Jennings, Richard A. Mueller, Jack H. Robinson
  • Patent number: 7407592
    Abstract: A method and system of ozone treatment diverts a portion of water from a flow of water in a conduit, injects ozone into the portion to provide an ozonated portion, and recombines the ozonated portion with the flow of water in the conduit. Another method and system identifies a species-destructive reaction product of ozone with a water constituent, determines a life of the reaction product, and contacts ozone with a water containing the species for a period determined according to the determined life of the reaction product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: Nutech 03, Inc.
    Inventors: Johannes van Leeuwen, Michael D. Jennings, Richard A. Mueller, Jack H. Robinson
  • Patent number: 7402253
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: Nutech 03, Inc.
    Inventors: Johannes van Leeuwen, Michael D. Jennings, Richard A Mueller, Jack H. Robinson
  • Patent number: 7381338
    Abstract: A method and system treat ballast-water with ozone without release of detrimental off-gas into the atmosphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignee: Nutech 03, Inc.
    Inventors: Johannes van Leeuwen, Michael D. Jennings, Richard A. Mueller, Jack H. Robinson
  • Patent number: 7374681
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a composition and a method for reducing the level of oxygen, preferably dissolved oxygen in an aqueous environment. The composition comprises deoxygenating microorganisms that, when growing, consume the oxygen that is present in the environment. The effect of reducing the oxygen level in the environment causes the death or inhibition of other undesired living organisms, prokaryotes as well as eukaryotes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Ecologiq, LLC
    Inventor: Michel De Blois
  • Patent number: 7351336
    Abstract: Ballast water treatment apparatus and methods for preventing foreign aquatic invasive species form entering marine ecological zones by translocation in ship's ballast water. The apparatus includes a housing, a filter member, and UV water treatment chambers. Methods include use of a ship's fire hydrant system for moving ballast water from the ship's ballast tanks into the apparatus for filtration and treatment. In-port service vessels and dock-side service vehicles are equipped with the treatment and filtration apparatus to provided in-port or dock-side ballast water treatment services. Related methods are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2008
    Inventors: Hap Nguyen, William Murray Fowler, Howard Roop, Ronald Yoshio Nishida
  • Patent number: 7273562
    Abstract: A target biokill of species for water to be discharged from a ballast tank of a sea faring vessel is determined. A diverted portion of sea water is regulated prior to charging the water into the ballast tank. Regulation of the diverted portion of water and a rate of injection of the ozone into the portion are adjusted to attain the target biokill. Then ozone at the determined rate into the regulated diverted portion to attain the target biokill when the portion is recombined into the water for charging to the ballast tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: Nutech 03, Inc.
    Inventors: Jack H. Robinson, Michael D. Jennings, Richard A. Mueller
  • Patent number: RE41859
    Abstract: Aquatic nuisance species (ANS) in ship's ballast water are killed by permeating to equilibrium a gaseous mixture consisting essentially of, preferably, ?84% nitrogen, ?11% carbon dioxide and ?4% oxygen through ship's ballast water until the ballast water itself becomes (i) hypercapnic to ?20 ppm carbon dioxide, and, by association, (ii) acidic to pH?7, while preferably further, and also, being rendered (iii) hypoxic to ?1 ppm oxygen. The permeating is preferably realized by bubbling the gaseous mixture preferably obtained from an inert gas generator through the ballast water over the course of 2+ days while the ballast water is continually maintained a pressure less than atmosphere, preferably ?2 p.s.i. or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Inventors: Mo Husain, Robert Apple, Dmitry Altshuller, Henry Hunter