System and method of water treatment

Abstract

The present invention generally offers a system and a method that allows a vessel to treat water while providing corrosion inhibition. A nitrogen source produces nitrogen gas that may be pumped directly to, preferably but optionally, a venturi injector, or may first be pumped into an empty tank and then delivered to the injector means. Water being pumped through the injector via a transfer piping means comes into contact with the nitrogen, and dissolved oxygen in the water transfers to micro-fine nitrogen bubbles generated by the injector. The water and the micro-fine bubbles are pumped from the injector and into the tank, where the micro-fine bubbles float to the surface, and the oxygen is released into the tank's headspace. The deoxygenated water may be re-circulated through the system for additional deoxygenation or released from the tank into the surrounding waterways.

Description

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention[0002] A system and method of water treatment using a venturi injector facilitates the removal of dissolved oxygen from water thereby reducing the population of undesirable aquatic organisms present in the water while inhibiting corrosion. The system and method of water treatment has particular utility for use in connection with a vessel by allowing the vessel to treat ballast water that is being transported from one port area to another, thereby limiting environmentally adverse effects, while inhibiting corrosion.[0003] For instance, before a ship leaves a port empty, or partially loaded, it takes on water into ballast tanks to maintain stability and adjust buoyancy. In virtually every case, this ballast water will contain living organisms which are affected by levels of dissolved oxygen in the water. When the ship reaches its destination and prepares to load its cargo, it discharges this ballast water, thus introducing potentially invasive species t...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0022] In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of water treatment systems and methods now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved system and method to treat water using nitrogen gas that is injected though an injector means, preferably but optionally a venturi injector, to facilitate deoxygenation of the water and overcomes the disadvantages and drawbacks noted in the prior art. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved system and method for water treatment which has all the advantages of the prior art mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a system and method for water treatment which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by the prior art, either alone or in any combination thereof.

[0027] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved system and method for water treatment that has the advantages of the prior art water treatment apparatuses and methods plus additional advantages and benefits.

[0028] Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new system and method of water treatment that provides in the systems and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.

[0029] Still yet another object of the present invention is a system that provides for the use of nitrogen and thus offers more efficient nitrogen delivery than other traditional sparging or bubble diffusion nitrogen delivery methods. This allows for an economically favorable and efficient manner by which to limit the environmentally adverse effects that may result when the untreated water is released into an environment that is ecologically different from that in which the water was originally obtained.

[0030] Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a system and method of water treatment for allowing a vessel to treat water with nitrogen gas that is injected into a stream of the water, preferably but optionally, by a venturi injector. This makes it possible to efficiently treat water, preferably but optionally ballast water, while providing corrosion inhibition, thereby decreasing the overall maintenance and costs associated with the water treatment.

[0032] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved method for deoxygenating water, preferably but not limited to the purposes of inhibiting the survival of aquatic organisms and / or corrosion inhibition. The method comprises utilizing an injector means, preferably but optionally a venturi injector, having an inlet port that is adapted to receive water, an injector port that is adapted to receive nitrogen gas, and an outlet port that is adapted to expel the water where water to be treated is supplied to the inlet port and nitrogen gas, preferably but optionally comprised of at least 90% nitrogen, is supplied to the injector port, thereby inducing within the water a myriad of micro-fine bubbles wherein oxygen in the water diffuses from an aqueous phase to a gaseous phase within said micro-fine bubbles. The method further involves expelling the water and the micro-fine bubbles from the outlet port of the injector means to a receptacle, which is preferably but optionally a ballast tank, wherein the micro-fine bubbles are released from the water and the oxygen is thereby diffused from the water. The method for deoxygenating water may further comprise re-circulating said water through the injector means to provide further deoxygenation, and may also include re-oxygenating the water before releasing the water to the surrounding waterways from the receptacle, which is preferably but optionally a ballast tank, or alternatively, but not exclusively, a closed tank or a water conduit connecting to surrounding waterways.

[0034] Lastly, it is an object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved system and method for water treatment that has a relatively low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then capable of relatively low prices of sale to the consuming public and industries.

Problems solved by technology

Such treatment limits the environmentally hazardous effects that may result when the water is later released into an environment that is ecologically different from that in which the water was originally obtained.

However, the Browning '508 patent does not use nitrogen to deoxygenate the ballast water and consequently fails to disclose any corrosion inhibition properties, and has further drawbacks of using a less efficient vacuum mechanism to remove the dissolved oxygen from the ballast water.

However, the Rodden '778 patent does not provide for corrosion, and fails to use the more efficient venturi-injector facilitated means of to treat the ballast water.

However, the Gill '451 patent does not allow for water treatment without the occurrence of a chemical reaction, and does not provide for any corrosion inhibition properties.

However, neither the '282 nor the '116 patent provides for a more efficient venturi injector-facilitated delivery of nitrogen to deoxygenate the ballast water and have the further disadvantages of failing to provide for corrosion inhibition effects during the removal of dissolved oxygen from the water.

However, the Decker '842 patent, although providing an efficient ozone-based treatment system using a venturi injector, does not disclose the treatment of ballast water on a vessel nor does the '842 patent offer the even greater advantages obtained using nitrogen such as increased efficiency and corrosion inhibition.

However, the Hartwig '052 patent does not disclose the injection of nitrogen gas into the water through venturi injectors in order to deoxygenate the water, and has the additional deficiency of failing to provide for any corrosion inhibition effects during the process described.

However, the Savard '111 patent does not use nitrogen for the deoxygenation of water, preferably but optionally ballast water, further fails to provide for corrosion inhibition.

However, the Nold '983 patent requires cavitation of the liquid and does not use a venturi injector to more efficiently enhance the degassing of the liquid.

While the above-described inventions fulfill their particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a system and method for water treatment which allows a vessel to treat ballast water that is being transported from one port area to another while providing corrosion inhibition.

The aforementioned patents and other water treatment systems and methods currently known in the art make no provisions for the treatment of water using an injector means to facilitate nitrogen gas deoygenation while also providing corrosion inhibition.

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