Gas Delivering Patents (Class 261/87)
  • Patent number: 12109983
    Abstract: There is provided a system and method of cleaning surfaces of an enclosable environment of a contamination comprising a microbial and viral load. The method includes the steps of sealing the enclosable environment and placing water, and a solid or gel pack, into a container and generating a vortex the container by rotating an impeller. The agitation causes the solid or gel pack to release a gaseous cleaning agent. An air-borne spray exiting from the container spreads throughout the enclosable environment to contact the surfaces to be cleaned within the enclosable environment. The enclosable environment is maintained closed for an effective time period while the air-borne spray dwells on the surfaces to eliminate or substantially reduce the load of the contamination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Assignee: NUVINAIR, LLC
    Inventors: Kyle Bailey, Jason Bailey
  • Patent number: 12053746
    Abstract: The present application provides a high-gravity device for generating nano/micron bubble and a reaction system. In the device, the liquid phase is continuous phase and the gas phase is dispersed phase. A gas enters the interior of the device from a hollow shaft, and the gas is subjected to primary shearing under a shearing effect of aerating micropores to form bubbles; then, the bubbles rapidly disengage from the surface of a rotating shaft under the effect of the rotating shaft rotating at a high speed, and are subjected to secondary shearing under the high-gravity environment with the strong shearing force formed by the rotating shaft to form nano/micron bubbles. The device has the advantages of fastness, stability, and small average particle size. The average particle size of the formed nano/micron bubbles is between 800 nanometers and 50 microns, and the average particle size of the bubbles can be regulated in a range by adjusting the rotating speed of the rotating shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2024
    Assignee: BEIJING UNIVERSITY OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Yong Luo, Di Wang, Guangwen Chu, Yachao Liu, Zhihao Li, Yong Cai, Haikui Zou, Baochang Sun, Jianfeng Chen
  • Patent number: 11931703
    Abstract: A submersible aeration equipment (10) for wastewater treatment in which partial vacuum is generated by the rotation of the impellers (22) within the water, which results in the formation of micro-bubbles. The submersible aeration equipment (10) includes a spring-based air intake valve (18) that can control the flow of air through a hollow shaft (12), wherein the opening of the spring-based air intake valve (18) is based on the amount of vacuum in the hollow shaft (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Inventors: Satvinder Pal Singh Randhawa, Oriana Risa Randhawa
  • Patent number: 11925884
    Abstract: A flotation device having a flotation tank for receiving liquid to be purified, a saturator for receiving a pressurized liquid-gas mixture and at least one feeder. A line leads from the saturator to the feeder through which the pressurized liquid-gas mixture may be introduced into the flotation tank. The feeder includes a flow channel that has different flow cross sectional areas along the extension thereof. The flow channel may be a Venturi nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Valmet Technologies Oy
    Inventor: Peter Ohlenschlaeger
  • Patent number: 11773361
    Abstract: Miniature stirred tank bioreactor and system; the bioreactor configured for single use culturing providing unobstructed culturing volume with sensors, probes and ports using minimally invasive placement in-wall or across the wall methods; the bioreactor further capable of containing scaffolds and features for culturing cells and tissue, including structures providing surfaces for cell growth, and screens for retaining microparticles during media exchange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Inventor: Jerry Shevitz
  • Patent number: 11731090
    Abstract: A hyperboloid agitator for circulating liquids, in particular water, wastewater or the like, in the centre of which a connection portion (2) for connection to a hollow agitator shaft (1) is provided, characterised in that the hyperboloid agitator is formed as a hollow body, with a central aperture (3) for supplying air being provided in the connection portion (2), and in that an air distribution device (9, 10, 11) for distributing air supplied through the aperture (3) to a plurality of air outlet openings (14) provided in the hollow body is provided downstream of the aperture (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: INVENT Umwelt- und Verfahrenstechnik AG
    Inventors: Marcus Höfken, Thomas Hagspiel, Torsten Frey, Walter Steidl
  • Patent number: 11623185
    Abstract: A stirrer device, especially for the mixing of a fluid with at least one other fluid, includes at least one fluid dispersing unit able to turn about an axis of rotation, having at least one exit opening for at least one fluid discharge, and the stirrer device has at least one optimization unit, which in at least one operating state increases at least a differential pressure at the exit opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: EKATO Rühr-und Mischtechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Last, Dennis Bird
  • Patent number: 11596907
    Abstract: An apparatus for treating fluids having improved aeration efficiency and operational durability has an aerator, an impeller, and a liquid reservoir containing liquid to be treated. The aerator has: a motor rotating the impeller at a blade tip speed less than 1,100 inches/second; an air line having an outlet submerged in the liquid and an inlet adjacent to the motor; and a blower. The blower forces air through the air line to the air line outlet. The impeller two blades extending radially from the hub. Each blade has: a low drag, pressure equalized foil shape absent of rake; a leading edge extending from the hub tangentially; a 0.47-0.55 impeller EAR; 0.59-0.87 Pmean/D; progressive pitch distribution based on radius where from 50% R and out is constant and from 50% R to the hub is reduced; and 60-75 degree skew with a linear distribution from 50% radius to blade tip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Inventor: Jing Huang
  • Patent number: 11524269
    Abstract: The present invention provides a mixing impeller and the like capable of properly performing mixing. A mixing impeller includes multiple blade pairs each having two blades, wherein the blades included in the multiple blade pairs are attached around a rotational shaft extending in a lateral direction, so as to be positioned at a same position in an axial direction of the rotational shaft, the two blades of each blade pair each have a shape that is symmetric about a symmetry plane that is a plane perpendicular to the rotational shaft, the two blades of each blade pair are formed so as to extend from the rotational shaft side toward an outer circumferential side, which is a side opposite to the rotational shaft side, and blade outer portions that are on the outer circumferential side are bent toward a side on which the two blades face each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: MICROWAVE CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masahiro Imai, Takanobu Murata, Hisao Watanabe, Hideshi Kurihara
  • Patent number: 11484848
    Abstract: An apparatus for aerating bodies of water includes a floating platform, a motor supported by the floating platform, a transmission which is coupled to the motor and whose output shaft is in the form of a hollow shaft, a fan for supplying air through an air supply line connected thereto, wherein the air supply line is connected to one end of the hollow shaft, a hollow stirring shaft coupled to the other end of the hollow shaft, an stirrer affixed to the free end of the approximately vertical stirring shaft, wherein the stirrer is designated as a hollow body and has a central opening through which air supplied by the stirring shaft can pass, and a multiplicity of air outlet openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: INVENT Umwelt—und Verfahrenstechnik AG
    Inventors: Marcus Höfken, Thomas Hagspiel, Torsten Frey, Walter Steidl
  • Patent number: 11406943
    Abstract: An apparatus for treating fluids such as waste streams with improved aeration efficiency and dual function operation has a blower-assisted aerator, an impeller, a baffle structure circumscribing an air line that includes a first baffle and a second perforated baffle downstream from the first baffle, and a liquid reservoir containing a liquid. The impeller is fully submerged, and located upstream of the fully submerged baffle structure. A fully submerged air outlet is located downstream of the baffle structure, preferably in close proximity to the perforated baffle. When the blower is stopped and the impeller rotating, the baffle structure prevents aspiration into the liquid. In some embodiments, the baffle structure is removably affixed to an air outlet from the blower-assisted aerator, and so may be applied to pre-existing blower-assisted aerators. In some embodiments, one or both of the first and second baffles may resemble flat, domed, cupped, or hemispherical washers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Inventors: Jing Huang, Raymond P. Hedelson, Sherif S. Saleh
  • Patent number: 11286939
    Abstract: A molten metal rotor receives and retains an end of a molten metal rotor shaft. The rotor shaft has one or more projections at the end received in the rotor. The rotor has an inner cavity, a top surface with an opening leading to the inner cavity, and at least one abutment. The opening includes one or more portions for allowing each projection to pass through the opening and into the inner cavity. The rotor and/or shaft are then rotated so at least one of the outwardly-extending projections is under the top surface of the rotor and is against an abutment. A molten metal pump, rotary degasser scrap melter or other device used in molten metal may utilize a rotor/shaft combination as disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Molten Metal Equipment Innovations, LLC
    Inventor: Paul V. Cooper
  • Patent number: 11192798
    Abstract: A system and method are provided in at least one embodiment to process water to produce gas that can be separated into at least two gas flows using a water treatment system having a disk-pack rotating in it to cause out gassing from the water. In a further embodiment, the method and system use the gas released from the water to produce substantially fresh water from the processed salt water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: QWTIP LLC
    Inventor: Whitaker Ben Irvin, Sr.
  • Patent number: 10632431
    Abstract: A helical blade body attachable to a food mixer by a shaft, the helical blade body formed from at least three helical blade members each of which has a first end connecting with a cap portion and a second end connecting with a base portion for creating a mixing zone within the helical blade body, each of the helical blade members having a spiraled configuration and extending from the cap portion to the base portion, wherein each of the helical blade members have the spiral angled in the same rotational direction, and wherein each of the helical blade members comprises a leading edge and a trailing edge with an upward facing spiraled flat surface in between with a predefined width and thickness so that during rotation of the blade body in a select rotational direction the spiraled flat surface will urge product being mixed upward, and wherein each helical blade is formed integrally with the cap portion and the base portion of a high strength plastic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: Spectrum Brands, Inc.
    Inventors: James Stuart Saunders, Rolando Antonio Cavazos Jimenez, Aaron Layton Brunner, Joseph Valdon Krebs
  • Patent number: 10343123
    Abstract: A device for loading an in particular higher-viscosity liquid, such as a silicon resin, for example, with air or another gas. The device has a pressure vessel receiving the liquid and the gas, in which pressure vessel an agitator, having a drive shaft set through the pressure vessel at least in part, is arranged. In order to enable the particularly fast and homogeneous intermixing of the liquid and gas, the drive shaft is arranged in a conveying pipe and drives a conveying organ, in particular a screw conveyor, which transports the liquid through the conveying pipe to at least one outlet, and there is an running-off surface underneath the outlet from the conveying pipe for the liquid flowing out of the outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: Sonderhoff Engineering GmbH
    Inventors: Mario Metzler, Günter Baldauf
  • Patent number: 10245774
    Abstract: A blow-molding plastic bubble-generating device is provided, including a board-like shell body. The board-like shell body is formed through blowing a hollow embryo placed in a mold, the hollow embryo is blown and expanded, the hollow embryo is penetrated through by a plurality of needle posts on an inner wall of the mold to form the board-like shell body, the board-like shell body is integrally formed and hollow and has a shell wall which completely and continuously surrounds the board-like shell body, and the shell wall has a plurality of through holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: LIH YANN INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Po-Lin Liao
  • Patent number: 9731252
    Abstract: An aeration nozzle is provided, having on one end an air supply port (16a) connected to an aeration pump (13) and a waste water suction port (17) for suctioning waste water in a processing tank (3, 4), and having a micro-bubble generation unit (18), provided facing the air supply port, for mixing air supplied by the air supply port and waste water suctioned from the waste water suction port and generating micro-bubbles (9), wherein a plurality of blades of cylindrical micro-bubble generators (19) included in the micro-bubble generation unit (18) is configured such that tip ends of the blades are formed so as to face one another around the center of the cylindrical micro-bubble generators (19a, 19b); and by being formed from an elastic member (such as rubber), the tip ends of the blades are configured so as to bend with the base ends as starting points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: KABUSHIKIKAISHA SEIWA
    Inventor: Akinori Ikeda
  • Patent number: 9682348
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for dispersing and entraining and controlling the residence time, absorption and release of gas bubbles or particles in a fluid without losing gas utilization efficiency from escaping surface gas events. A mechanical, rotating plurality of hollowed blades that induce both an axial and radial controlled circulatory flow and provide a means of gas introduction into the discharge flow that has a conical helical, axial and radial outward flow from the axis of rotation and allows entrained gas bubbles to be trapped as particles and recirculated by means of a circulatory flow back into the intake vortex of said mechanical, rotating plurality of blades. The flow is characterized by a forced intake vortex caused by a low pressure zone with a radial component, and subsequent axial component drawing fluid in a circular fashion toward the eye of the rotating device and impelling fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: Enevor Inc.
    Inventor: Carl Roy Bachellier
  • Patent number: 9656217
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a disperser which can be easily installed without any air pump, a transfer pope and a porous disperser in such a way to install an impeller, which is employed to discharge water and at the same time to suck air, at an end portion after a shaft employed to transfer the driving force of a driving motor has been connected underwater, wherein the disperser of the present inventive concept is easy to maintain without cleaning due to the plugging, whereupon maintenance is easy and the applicability of the product is good.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Inventor: Wook-do Jeong
  • Patent number: 9616398
    Abstract: The present invention provides a stirring device and gear train, the stirring device comprises at least one gear; at least one stirring tube; and at least one connecting portion connecting the gear and the stirring tube. Wherein the gear, the connecting portion, and the stirring portion are hollow, and the gear rotates the stirring tube via the connecting portion. Stirring is performed by utilizing the gear and the stirring tube in the stirring device of the present invention. Not only does the biggest flux be achieved per area, but the problem about cross contamination can also be reduced. In addition, in the gear train, the collimation of the stirring device can be increased by a specific hollow gear and a lengthened hollow bearing train forth in the gear train.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: TAIWAN ADVANCED NANOTECH INC.
    Inventors: Chien-Hsing Chien, Yu-Sheng Yang, Jing-Ru Huang
  • Patent number: 9517439
    Abstract: Systems to store and agitate fuel can include a fuel storage tank and a fuel agitation system coupled to the fuel storage tank and operable to agitate a fuel that is stored in the fuel storage tank. The fuel agitation system can include an elongate fuel agitation member with a lumen, an air passageway in pneumatic communication with the elongate fuel agitation member, and a circular disk connected to the elongate fuel agitation member and having a plurality of valves. The air passageway can be coupled to the elongate fuel agitation member by a rotational coupling located in the fuel tank and pneumatically actuated by air flow from the air passageway to cause the elongate fuel agitation member to rotate. Each of the plurality of valves can be in pneumatic communication with the elongate fuel agitation member to release air into the fuel in the fuel storage tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
    Inventors: Ruben Valdez, Cindi K. Scheele
  • Patent number: 9303243
    Abstract: Disclosed is a dry anaerobic composting facility. More specifically, disclosed is a dry anaerobic composting facility which mixes organic waste with a water controller by a pre-treatment unit, followed by pressing, grinding and substitution to convert the organic waste into an anaerobic substance, continuously subjects the anaerobic compound to fermentation, mixing/grinding, transport and discharge using an agitator by an anaerobic fermentation unit to improve production of compost, ages the produced compost by a post-aging unit to provide high-quality compost, and collects biogas produced by the anaerobic fermentation unit and uses the biogas as an energy source of a self-generator or a combined heat and power generator, to realize energy self-generation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Resourcification Research Center for Crop-Animal Farming
    Inventor: Hong Lim Choi
  • Patent number: 9032864
    Abstract: A container assembly (10) for retaining a liquid (16) during aging of the liquid (16) comprises a container (12) and an oxygenator (230). The container (12) includes a container body (14) that defines a chamber (14A) that receives and retains liquid (16). The oxygenator (230) is positioned substantially within the chamber (14A). The oxygenator (230) includes a fluid source (662), one or more diffusers (672), and a valve (670). The one or more diffusers (672) are in fluid communication with the fluid source (662). The valve (670) selectively controls the introduction of a fluid from the fluid source (662) into the liquid (16) through the one or more diffusers (672). The container assembly (10) further comprises an insert retainer assembly (338) and one or more flavor inserts (440) that are received and retained by the insert retainer assembly (338).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Inventor: Jonathan W. Roleder
  • Patent number: 8998179
    Abstract: An aeration ship including a ship body, a ship bottom, and an aerator. The aerator includes an air cylinder having an upper section and a lower section. The upper section of the air cylinder is fixed on the ship body, and the lower section of the air cylinder penetrates the ship bottom and extends downwards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Inventors: Shulin Sun, Jian Sun
  • Patent number: 8894047
    Abstract: The invention relates to a stirring arrangement having a rotating stirring body (2) for stirring fluids. The stirring body (2) has stirring blades (4) attached on a stirring body hub (3). The stirring body further includes a gas supply device (5) supplying a gas, such as air, for dispersing with the stirring body (2). The gas supply device (5) includes a distribution bushing (6) which rotates with the hub (3) of the stirring body (2) and has an interior for receiving the gas. The distribution bushing (6) and the interior thereof are in fluid communication with co-rotating outlet lines (7). Outlet openings of the outlet lines (7) are disposed in the immediate vicinity of the stirring blades (4) and within the volume swept by the stirring body (2) or in the immediate outflow zones, and discharge the gas at respective desired locations in the corresponding desired flow direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Ekato Ruehr- und Mischtechnek GmbH
    Inventor: Werner Himmelsbach
  • Patent number: 8888075
    Abstract: Device for adding a fluid to a liquid, for example of gas and/or particles to liquid metal. A rotor is rotated immersed in the liquid, comprising a hollow rotational body 10 with a first inner annular wall 16 with at least one radial opening 18 from a central, cylindrical chamber 19 and with an opening directed downwards. The rotational body is carried by a generally vertical shaft 12 which is connected to a powering unit and which may be arranged to lift the rotational body out of, respectively lower it into the liquid. Outside the central annular wall 16 of the rotational body 10 a further annular wall 14 which forms an annular chamber 17 is arranged, which communicates with the central chamber through the one or more radial openings 18. Advantages are achieved by that the one or more of the radial openings 18 are arranged in the lower part of the inner annular wall 16 of the rotational body, in a area which projects down under the surrounding additional annular wall 14.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: ALU Innovation AS
    Inventor: Karl Venaas
  • Patent number: 8770497
    Abstract: Device for distributing a fluid in a controlled manner, in particular for distributing a gas loaded with particles, the device comprising a pipe (1) provided with at least one inlet orifice (2) and with a series of outlet orifices (3) spread along the pipe (1) and cut in the side wall of this pipe, characterized in that at least one section (4) of the wall, located downstream of at least one outlet orifice and limited by a section (5) of the edge of this orifice, has a shape such that this section of the edge of this orifice is positioned inside the pipe so that, when the device is in service, the flow direction of the fluid exiting this orifice and travelling along said wall section is controlled by the shape of the latter section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Solvay (Societe Anonyme)
    Inventors: Thierry Cartage, Olivier Jacques F. J. G. Bodson, Marc Thijssen
  • Patent number: 8678356
    Abstract: There is provided a microbubble generating method including: supplying a gas to a rotator 2 while rotating the rotator 2 in a liquid; injecting the gas into the liquid from bubble injection holes formed in the surface of the rotator 2; and applying a shear force, produced by the relative movement between the liquid and the rotator, to gas bubbles present on and in the vicinity of the surface of the rotator 2 to generate microbubbles. The microbubble generating method can easily generate a large amount of microbubbles without forcibly creating a swirling flow of fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Chikako Iwaki, Kazuyoshi Aoki, Hideo Komita
  • Patent number: 8673145
    Abstract: An apparatus for the treatment of faeces, includes a tank (200) for housing faeces that has been subjected to treatment. There is a process vessel (202) in which the faeces is treated and which is located inside the tank (200) having an inlet (204) for feeding faeces into the process vessel (202). A rotary device (300) is provided for stirring the faeces in the process vessel (202) and for introducing oxygen into the faeces, which is operable in two modes of operation at different speeds of rotation. A partitioning member (212) separates the interior of the process vessel in a lower (216) and an upper (218) portion, while at the same time allowing communication between the lower and upper portions. The rotary device (300) is arranged to at least cause a suction of material mainly from the lower compartment in a first mode of operation and into the rotary device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Inventor: Rolf Ahlstrom
  • Patent number: 8651766
    Abstract: Circulation and aeration systems for ponds, lakes, sounds, treatment basins, and other bodies of water. In one set of embodiments, water is pumped in a downward direction to circulate ambient oxygen from the atmosphere and produced by plant photosynthesis to deeper strata. In other embodiments, water is circulated within predetermined depth strata. Each system preferably includes a wind turbine, a drive shaft, and an impeller array. Some systems include conduits for conveying and mixing water from and to selected depth strata, or configured as an open impeller-mixing apparatus. Alternative embodiments include systems which incorporate electrical power generation by the wind turbine, solar power generation and use hybrid wind-solar apparatus, and combinations of land-based and in-water based apparatus. A pneumatic pump diffuser and a control flow centered orifice diffuser line are employed in some embodiments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Inventor: Robert W. Kortmann
  • Publication number: 20140042088
    Abstract: A bubble generating system is provided for use with a gas supply and a container having liquid therein. The gas supply can supply a flow of gas. The bubble generating system includes a gas provider, a first bubble generator and a second bubble generator. The gas provider has an input port, a first output port and a second output port, wherein input portion can connect to the gas supply. Each bubble generator has an inlet and an outlet and is connected to the gas provider. The first bubble generator is arranged to output the first portion of the flow of gas in a first direction. The second bubble generator is arranged to output the second portion of the flow of gas in a second direction, wherein the first direction is different from the second direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2012
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Inventors: Norifumi Yoshida, Akinori Ikeda, Chengguo Zhang
  • Patent number: 8646757
    Abstract: A submersible aeration pump includes a motor housing, an air inlet conduit carried by the motor housing, a pump motor in the motor housing, a rotatable armature drivingly engaged by the pump motor and disposed in air communication with the air inlet conduit and at least one air discharge conduit carried by and disposed in air communication with the armature. Air is drawn from the air inlet conduit, through at least a portion of the armature and is discharged from the at least one air discharge conduit, respectively, by centrifugal force responsive to operation of the pump motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Inventor: Henry E. McGrew, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8632058
    Abstract: A micro-bubble generating device is provided which is capable of mixing or dispersing micro-bubbles into a liquid with high stability and has a simple structure that permits reduction of a cost of manufacture. A first member and a first packing are superposed on each other on one side of a gas-permeable film, while a second member and a second packing are superposed on each other on the other side of the gas-permeable film. A pressurized gas delivered via a gas inlet of the first member flows through a fluid passage of the first packing, permeates through the gas-permeable film, and is ejected as micro-bubbles into a liquid flowing through a fluid passage in the form of a narrow shallow strip-like groove provided in the second packing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: Nakashima Kogyo Corporation
    Inventors: Yoji Nakashima, Koji Yamada
  • Patent number: 8585023
    Abstract: An apparatus for mixing gas and liquid is disclosed. The apparatus includes a draft tube having a gas conduit, a liquid inlet and a gas-liquid outlet, and an impeller rotatably mounted within the draft tube. The gas can be entrained into the liquid by rotation of an impeller having relatively high angular velocity, which generates relatively low axial velocity of the liquid and relatively low angular velocity of the liquid. Floats may support the impeller and the impeller may maximize aeration of the liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Inventor: Blair H. Hills
  • Publication number: 20130127073
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for stirring a liquid in a reactor and for injecting a gas into the said liquid in order to form a gas-liquid dispersion, comprising a) a drive device (1) positioned above the reactor, provided with a vertical output shaft (2) fitted at its lower end with at least one axial flow rotor (4) immersed in the liquid, b) means for introducing gas (3 and 7) above the axial flow rotor (4), c) a deflector (5) placed above the axial flow rotor (4) preventing the gas-liquid dispersion from rising, and d) a deflector (6) placed below the axial flow rotor (4) converting the axial flow of the said axial flow rotor into a radial flow. This device may be used in shallow basins.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2012
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicant: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour I'Etude et I'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventor: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour I'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
  • Publication number: 20130091830
    Abstract: An assembly for mixing liquid within a gas flow includes a hollow conduit that is configured for containing a flow of gas and liquid droplets. The assembly also includes multiple spaced blades and an impingement element. Each of the blades is operatively connected to and extends from the impingement element and is connected to an inner wall of the conduit. The impingement element is upstream of the blades in the flow of gas. The impingement element and the blades are configured to create a preferred distribution of the liquid droplets within the gas flow downstream of the blades within the conduit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2011
    Publication date: April 18, 2013
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Jianwen Li, James B. Rodgers, Chijou Wang, Rahul Mital
  • Patent number: 8366312
    Abstract: Systems to store and agitate fuel can include a fuel storage tank including an air valve, and a fuel agitation system coupled to the fuel storage tank that can include an elongate fuel agitation member, a lumen, a plurality of valves extending from the elongate fuel agitation member, and an air passageway in fluid communication with the elongate fuel agitation member, where the air passageway is coupled to the first end of the elongate fuel agitation member by a rotational coupling located in the fuel storage tank that can be pneumatically actuated by air flow to rotate the elongate fuel agitation member as the air flow is introduced via the plurality of valves into the fuel storage tank, where the introduced air flow exits the fuel storage chamber out of the air valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: United Services Automobile Association (USAA)
    Inventors: Ruben Valdez, Cindi Kathleen Scheele
  • Publication number: 20130003485
    Abstract: A micro-bubble generating device is provided which is capable of mixing or dispersing micro-bubbles into a liquid with high stability and has a simple structure that permits reduction of a cost of manufacture. A first member and a first packing are superposed on each other on one side of a gas-permeable film, while a second member and a second packing are superposed on each other on the other side of the gas-permeable film. A pressurized gas delivered via a gas inlet of the first member flows through a fluid passage of the first packing, permeates through the gas-permeable film, and is ejected as micro-bubbles into a liquid flowing through a fluid passage in the form of a narrow shallow strip-like groove provided in the second packing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicant: Nakashima Kogyo Corporation
    Inventors: Yoji NAKASHIMA, Koji Yamada
  • Patent number: 8308146
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for the treatment of gaseous effluents involving contact with a liquid may include a gas/liquid contact chamber which can receive a liquid in the lower part thereof and which is topped with a gas cover, wherein the chamber allows a gas to be treated. The chamber may also release residual gases following treatment involving contact with the liquid. The apparatus may also include a turbine that includes one or more stages which ensure improved contact between the gas and the liquid, the upper part of the turbine being equipped with an opening for drawing the gas situated in the gas cover above the liquid; and, preferably, a sensor for measuring the pH of the liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Hervé Dulphy, Pascal Moine, Thierry Laederich
  • Publication number: 20120230145
    Abstract: A low-turbulent aspirating type aerator, introduced into a body of liquid, comprising of: a gas conveyance tube having a gas inlet end and a gas outlet end; a gas-liquid mixture chamber incorporating; an impeller affixed to a rotatable shaft, at the least one gas intake opening and at the least one gas-liquid discharge opening at or near bottom end of gas-liquid mixture chamber. Rotation of the impeller creates a low-pressure zone (vacuum) allowing gas conveyed via gas conveyance tube to come into contact with rotating impeller forming a gas-liquid mixture at the impeller interface wherein bubbles are formed. Gas-liquid mixture chamber confines gas bubbles thereby allowing the action of impeller and liquid shearing force to produce and discharge micro-sized gas bubbles of predominantly less than 0.85 millimeters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Inventor: Richard Ladouceur
  • Patent number: 8146895
    Abstract: An apparatus for mixing gas and liquid is disclosed. The apparatus may have a plurality of blades rotated about a common shaft. The blades may have a forward portion, which cuts through a liquid, and a trailing portion, which forms the leading part of a gas cavity. The gas cavity is in communication with a gas inlet and the bulk fluid. As the blades pass through a liquid, a reduced pressure zone is formed immediately behind the blade. The reduced pressure zone allows air to be aspirated from the gas inlet into the gas cavity adjacent to the blade. Gas in the gas cavity is sheared into discrete bubbles and transferred to the liquid by the action of the trailing blade wake currents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Inventor: Blair H. Hills
  • Patent number: 8056886
    Abstract: An aspirator includes a plurality aspirator tubes, each preferably extending at approximately 70 degrees from a central axis and including a fin extending a limited distance below the aspirator tube outlet. The design improves mixing and gas contact, yet has reduced power requirements, by using a plurality of debris-shedding, finned aspirator tubes to inject approximately 35% more air than the best prior art designs at the same rotational speed. Further, the aspirator of the present invention improves motor life by reducing the average current draw on the motor. The aspirator is useful in many applications, including sewage and wastewater treatment, oxygenation, fermentation, aeration, hydrogenation, oxidation, and oil-sand separation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Jet Inc.
    Inventors: Trent Lydic, Nilesh Dingankar
  • Publication number: 20110259196
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for the treatment of gaseous effluents, such as those originating from the production of semi-conductors involving contact with a liquid. The inventive apparatus consists of: a gas/liquid contact chamber which can receive a liquid in the lower part thereof and which is topped with a gas cover, said chamber comprising means for introducing a gas to be treated and means for releasing residual gases following treatment involving contact with the liquid; turbine-type gas/liquid contacting means comprising one or more stages which ensure improved contact between the gas and the liquid, the upper part of said means being equipped with an opening for drawing the gas situated in the gas cover above the liquid; and, preferably, means for measuring the pH of the liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Publication date: October 27, 2011
    Applicant: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et L'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Hervé Dulphy, Pascal Moine, Thierry Laederich
  • Patent number: 8016271
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for the treatment of gaseous effluents, such as those originating from the production of semi-conductors involving contact with a liquid. The inventive apparatus consists of: a gas/liquid contact chamber which can receive a liquid in the lower part thereof and which is topped with a gas cover, said chamber comprising means for introducing a gas to be treated and means for releasing residual gases following treatment involving contact with the liquid; turbine-type gas/liquid contacting means comprising one or more stages which ensure improved contact between the gas and the liquid, the upper part of said means being equipped with an opening for drawing the gas situated in the gas cover above the liquid; and, preferably, means for measuring the pH of the liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme a Directoire et conseil de Surveillance pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Hervé Dulphy, Pascal Moine, Thierry Laederich
  • Patent number: 7997788
    Abstract: An aerating propeller for attaching to the end of a drive shaft includes blades having a chamber to receive a flow of fluids from a conduit in a drive shaft. A trailing face of the blade includes a first opening into the chamber to permit the flow of fluids in the chamber to exit the propeller and a tip of the blade includes a second opening extending into the chamber to permit the flow of fluids in the chamber to exit the propeller. The first opening of the first blade is aligned generally in the same plane with the leading face of the second blade which follows the first blade when the propeller is rotated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Midan Industries Ltd.
    Inventors: Jostein Bell, Jody Michael Bell
  • Patent number: 7954790
    Abstract: A composite hollow aspirator shaft is formed of fiberglass-reinforced phenolic resin that resists abrasion and reduces the amount of vibration that is transferred to the motor rotating the shaft, and the motor's bearings to extend motor and bearing life. An aspirator tip is adhesively attached to the composite aspirator shaft and includes an access hole for cleaning inside the hollow aspirator shaft. The hole is in axial alignment with the hollow aspirator shaft and a selectively-removable plug is used to seal the hole during aspirator use. When the aspirator tip is rotated in a liquid, fluidic forces are transferred to the shaft where they are attenuated. A splined hub is used to attach a foam restrictor near the other end of the shaft. The composite shaft material has a flexural modulus, or ratio, within the elastic limit of any applied stress.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Jet, Inc.
    Inventors: B. James Elliott, Trent Lydic, Terry Fischer
  • Patent number: 7954789
    Abstract: A composite hollow aspirator shaft is formed of fiberglass-reinforced phenolic resin that reduces the amount of vibration that is transferred to the motor rotating the shaft, and the motor's bearings. This extends motor and bearing life. When the aspirator tip is rotated in a liquid, fluidic forces are transferred to the shaft. Rather than transmitting those forces into the motor and its bearings, the composite aspirator shaft attenuates the forces to prevent most of them from reaching the motor and its bearings. The composite shaft material has a flexural modulus, or ratio, within the elastic limit of any applied stress, and is sufficiently low to allow the transfer of the flexural or oscillatory energy into heat within the shaft instead of conveying the energy in the form of vibration/oscillations along the axial length of the shaft. As an added advantage, the fiberglass resists abrasion better in wastewater than stainless steel used in the prior art.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Jet, Inc.
    Inventors: B. James Elliott, Trent Lydic
  • Patent number: 7934705
    Abstract: A multi-direction submersible floating aerator has a gas-ring compressor (4), a base (6), a gas inlet tube (9), a seat (11), multiple submersible hollow shaft motors (13), and multiple propellers (14). The base (6) is disposed between the gas-ring compressor (4) and the gas inlet tube (9). The propeller (14) is coaxially connected to the submersible hollow shaft motor (13). The seat (11) is disposed between the gas inlet tube (9) and the submersible hollow shaft motor (13). The seat (11) is hollow. A first opening is disposed at the top of the seat (11), and multiple second openings are disposed on one side of the seat (11). The seat (11) is used for evenly distributing compressed air. Thus, the aeration is more even and stable, and aeration efficiency is greatly improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Inventors: Shulin Sun, Jian Sun
  • Patent number: 7887765
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for the conversion of aromatic alkyls to aromatic carboxylic acids in a reactor are provided, wherein the location of the feeding of the reaction mixture into the reactor significantly increases the conversion efficiency of the precursor materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Tereftalatos Mexicanos, S.A. de C.V.
    Inventors: Fernando Varela-Fuentes, Arturo Bulbarela-Croda, Guillermo Ramirez-Aguilar, Bertha Moran-Delgado
  • Patent number: 7886912
    Abstract: The invention provides an agitator (1) is disposed to agitate slurry within a flotation tank (2). The agitator includes a rotor (6) mounted on one end of a centrally disposed drive shaft (7) extending axially downwardly into the tank and driven by a motor (8) and associated gearbox (not shown). The other end of the drive shaft includes a mounting flange (9) adapted for connection to the motor. A stator (10) is also provided around the rotor. A froth deflection cone (11) extends around the drive shaft adjacent the top of the tank. The deflection cone is oriented such that its smallest diameter is located at its lower-most end nearest the rotor (6). An auxiliary agitator (12) is connected to the drive shaft at a position substantially midway between the underside of the deflection cone (11) and the top of the rotor (6), as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. The auxiliary agitator (12) includes agitation blades (13) extending radially outwardly from diametrically opposite sides of the shaft (7).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Outotec Oyj
    Inventor: Peter Gerard Bourke