Aerator and aeration tank
By introducing a float valve and slide valve structure into the aerator, the resistance loss is increased and the air bubbles are cut off, which solves the problem of uneven aeration under low organic load and improves aeration efficiency and uniformity.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202520488231.5
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-03-19
- Publication Date
- 2026-02-24
- Estimated Expiration
- 2035-03-19
AI Technical Summary
Under low organic load conditions, insufficient aeration volume of the aerator leads to excessively low resistance loss, uneven aeration, reduced aeration efficiency, and increased installation difficulty.
An aerator including a float valve and a slide valve was designed. The slide valve increases the resistance loss at low aeration rates to ensure uniform gas distribution, and the toothed structure cuts the bubbles to improve aeration efficiency.
It achieves uniform aeration of the aerator under low aeration volume, improves aeration efficiency, reduces installation difficulty, and enhances the aeration effect by cutting air bubbles.
Smart Images
Figure CN223936329U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to an aerator and an aeration tank, and more specifically, to an aerator that makes the aeration in the aeration tank more uniform. Background Technology
[0002] In wastewater treatment, aeration increases the oxygen content in the wastewater, which promotes the growth and reproduction of aerobic microorganisms and enhances their ability to purify the wastewater. Aeration typically takes place in an aeration tank, which contains multiple aerators. These aerators inject gas from air distribution pipes into the water, thus achieving the aeration process.
[0003] Under conditions of low sludge organic loading, the design aeration rate of a single aerator calculated based on the organic loading is often lower than the lower limit of its recommended aeration range. Furthermore, the actual pollutant concentration in the wastewater during operation is often lower than the design value, resulting in the actual aeration rate of a single aerator being even lower than the lower limit of its recommended aeration range. As the aeration rate decreases, the resistance loss of the aerator decreases accordingly. However, excessively low resistance loss amplifies the uneven aeration caused by installation level errors between different aerators. This increases installation difficulty, and in engineering practice, it is difficult to completely eliminate installation level errors, thus making it difficult to eliminate the aforementioned uneven aeration phenomenon and reducing aeration efficiency.
[0004] Therefore, it is desirable to propose an aerator that improves upon the shortcomings of the aforementioned prior art. Utility Model Content
[0005] According to a first aspect of the present invention, an aerator is provided, comprising: a cavity having a cylindrical structure, wherein an air inlet and an air outlet are respectively provided at the lower and upper ends of the cavity; a float valve including a valve cover and a valve body fixed together, the valve cover being located above the valve body, the valve body extending at least partially into the cavity from the upper part of the cavity, the float valve being configured to move upward from a first position, wherein when the float valve is in the first position, the valve cover contacts the upper end of the cavity and closes the air outlet, and when the float valve moves away from the first position, the valve cover is spaced apart from the upper end of the cavity and allows gas to leave the cavity from the air outlet; wherein the aerator further includes a slide valve having a slide rod and a bottom valve fixed together, the slide rod extending at least partially into the valve body from below and being slidable relative to the valve body, the bottom valve being located below the slide rod, the slide valve being configured to move upward from a second position, wherein when the slide valve is in the second position, the bottom valve closes the air inlet, and when the slide valve moves away from the second position, the bottom valve does not close the air inlet to allow gas to enter the cavity from the air inlet.
[0006] According to this scheme, during aeration, the gas first pushes the slide valve upward, thus unblocking the air inlet of the bottom valve. After the gas enters the chamber, the continuous gas pressure then pushes the float valve upward, unblocking the air outlet and allowing gas to enter the water body where the aerator operates, thus achieving the aeration function. When the aeration volume is small, the upward movement distance of the slide valve is also small, resulting in a smaller gap between the bottom valve and the lower end of the chamber for gas flow. This leads to a higher gas velocity, thus increasing resistance loss. The increased resistance loss helps to achieve uniform aeration among multiple aerators in the aeration tank, thereby improving aeration efficiency.
[0007] In some designs, when the aerator is not aerating, the float valve is in the first position and the bottom valve is in the second position. When the aerator starts aerating, the bottom valve moves upward from the second position and the float valve moves upward from the first position.
[0008] In some designs, the valve body may have a slide rail extending in the vertical direction, with the slide rod extending into the slide rail.
[0009] In some designs, the lateral dimension of the bottom valve is larger than the lateral dimension of the air inlet.
[0010] In some designs, the foot valve can be approximately spherical.
[0011] In some designs, the cavity has a bottom, and an air inlet is defined by a portion of the bottom. When the slide valve is in the second position, the bottom valve contacts this portion of the bottom and closes the air inlet. When the slide valve moves upward away from the second position, the bottom valve is spaced apart from this portion of the bottom and allows gas to enter the cavity from the air inlet.
[0012] In some designs, as the slide valve moves upward from the second position, the gap between the bottom valve and the bottom gradually increases.
[0013] In some designs, the upper end of the cavity may have a knife-edge structure with its outer wall sloping upward and inward, and when the float valve is in the first position, the valve cover contacts the upper surface of the knife-edge structure.
[0014] According to the design, the knife-edge structure improves the sealing between the valve cover and the cavity when not aerated, preventing sludge and impurities in the sewage from entering the cavity of the aerator.
[0015] In some designs, the outer circumferential edge of the valve cover may have a serrated structure comprising multiple teeth projecting outward in a radial direction, the serrated structure being configured to cut air bubbles.
[0016] According to this scheme, the toothed structure cuts the bubbles, thereby significantly reducing the bubble diameter and improving aeration efficiency.
[0017] In some designs, the aerator may also include a limiting ring fixed to the cavity. The valve body has a limiting part. When the float valve moves upward by a threshold distance, the limiting ring contacts the limiting part, thereby preventing the float valve from moving further upward.
[0018] According to the scheme, the limit ring restricts the excessive upward movement of the float valve to prevent the float valve from falling out of the cavity.
[0019] According to a second aspect of the present invention, an aeration tank is provided, comprising a plurality of aerators as described in the first aspect of the present invention.
[0020] According to this scheme, even under low aeration conditions, the resistance loss of each aerator in the aeration tank will not be too small, thus ensuring that the gas in the air distribution pipe flows through the multiple aerators in a roughly uniform manner, achieving relatively uniform aeration and improving aeration efficiency. Attached Figure Description
[0021] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an aeration tank according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;
[0022] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of an aerator according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown, wherein the aerator is in a non-aerated state;
[0023] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of an aerator according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown, wherein the aerator is in an aeration state;
[0024] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a valve cover cutting bubbles according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;
[0025] Figure 5 A schematic diagram showing the relationship between resistance loss and aeration rate is presented.
[0026] Figure Labels
[0027] 10 Aeration Tank
[0028] 12 Air distribution pipe
[0029] 100 Aerator
[0030] 110 cavity
[0031] 112 Air Inlet
[0032] 114 Air outlet
[0033] 116 Bottom
[0034] 118 knife-edge structure
[0035] 120 float valve
[0036] 122 Valve Cover
[0037] 123 Tooth-like structure
[0038] 124 Valve body
[0039] 126 Slides
[0040] 130 slide valve
[0041] 132 Sliding bar
[0042] 134 Bottom Valve
[0043] 140 Limiting Ring Detailed Implementation
[0044] To make the objectives, solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise stated, the terms used herein have their ordinary meanings in the art. The same reference numerals in the drawings represent the same parts.
[0045] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an aeration tank 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The aeration tank 10 includes an air distribution pipe 12 and a plurality of aerators 100. The air distribution pipe 12 is connected to the air inlet 112 of each aerator 100 (e.g., ...). Figure 2 As shown), gas in the air distribution pipe 12 enters the corresponding aerator 100 through the air inlet 112 of each aerator 100 to achieve the aeration function. It should be understood that, although... Figure 1 Three aerators 100 are shown, but the present invention is not intended to limit the number of aerators 100 in the aeration tank 10. The aeration tank 10 may include two, four or any other suitable number of aerators 100.
[0046] Figure 2 and Figure 3 A schematic diagram of an aerator 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown, wherein... Figure 2 The aerator 100 is in a non-aeration state. Figure 3 The aerator 100 is in the aeration state. The non-aeration state refers to the state in which no gas is introduced into the air distribution pipe 12 and no gas flows through the aerator 100 in a directional manner; the aeration state refers to the state in which gas is introduced into the air distribution pipe 12 and the gas flows through the aerator 100 in a directional manner.
[0047] like Figure 2 As shown, the aerator 100 mainly includes a cavity 110 and a float valve 120.
[0048] The cavity 110 is roughly cylindrical in shape, with an air inlet 112 at the lower end and an air outlet 114 at the upper end. During aeration, gas from the air distribution pipe 12 flows into the cavity 110 through the air inlet 112, then flows out of the cavity 110 through the air outlet 114, and finally enters the aeration working area, thereby increasing the oxygen content in the water in that area and improving the wastewater purification capacity.
[0049] The float valve 120 includes a valve cover 122 and a valve body 124 fixed together. The valve cover 122 is located above the valve body 124, which extends at least partially into the cavity 110 from above. In the non-aeration state, the float valve 120 is in a first position under its own weight (e.g., ...). Figure 2 (As shown). When the float valve 120 is in the first position, the valve cover 122 of the float valve 120 contacts the upper end of the cavity 110 and closes the air outlet 114 of the cavity 110. The lower surface of the valve cover 122 of the float valve 120 seals the upper edge of the cylinder of the cavity 110 to prevent sludge and impurities in the sewage from entering the cavity 110 of the aerator 100.
[0050] During aeration, the float valve 120 moves upward from its first position under the action of the airflow flowing into the chamber 110 (e.g., Figure 3 As shown, as the float valve 120 moves upward away from the first position, the valve cover 122 of the float valve 120 is spaced apart from the upper end of the cavity 110, thereby allowing gas to leave the cavity 110 from the air outlet 114 and finally enter the aeration working area to achieve the aeration function.
[0051] For traditional aerators, at low aeration rates (e.g., aeration rate less than 3 Nm³), 3 In the case of aeration rate of 0.06 m / h, the resistance loss of the aerator may be too small. However, excessively low resistance loss will amplify the uneven aeration caused by installation level errors between different aerators. This will increase the difficulty of installation, and in engineering practice, it is difficult to completely eliminate installation level errors, thus making it difficult to eliminate the above-mentioned uneven aeration and reducing aeration efficiency.
[0052] To improve upon the aforementioned shortcomings of traditional aerators, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the aerator 100 of this embodiment further includes a slide valve 130, which has a slide rod 132 and a bottom valve 134 fixed together. The slide rod 132 extends at least partially into the valve body 124 of the float valve 120 from below and is movable up and down relative to the valve body 124. The bottom valve 134 is located below the slide rod 132 and may be generally spherical.
[0053] In the absence of aeration, the slide valve 130 is in the second position under its own weight (e.g., Figure 2 (As shown). When the slide valve 130 is in the second position, the bottom valve 134 of the slide valve 130 contacts the lower end of the cavity 110 and closes the air inlet 112 of the cavity 110. In order for the bottom valve 134 of the slide valve 130 to close the air inlet 112 of the cavity 110, the lateral dimension (e.g., diameter) of the bottom valve 134 is designed to be larger than the lateral dimension (e.g., diameter) of the air inlet 112. In this way, in the non-aeration state, the bottom valve 134 seals the air inlet 112 of the cavity 110, creating the initial conditions for the expected increase in resistance loss when aeration starts (when the aeration volume is very small).
[0054] During aeration, the slide valve 130 moves upward from the second position under the action of the airflow entering the air distribution pipe 12 (e.g., Figure 3 (As shown). As the slide valve 130 moves upward away from the second position, the bottom valve 134 of the slide valve 130 is spaced apart from the lower end of the cavity 110, thereby allowing gas to enter the cavity 110 from the air inlet 112. Subsequently, the gas entering the cavity 110 exerts an upward force on the float valve 120, thereby causing the float valve 120 to move upward from its first position, thus realizing the aeration function.
[0055] Even with a low aeration rate, the resistance loss of the aerator 100 in this embodiment of the present invention will not be too small. This is because, at a low aeration rate, the bottom valve 134 of the slide valve 130 moves upward a smaller distance, resulting in a smaller gap between the bottom valve 134 and the lower end of the cavity 110. This leads to a smaller cross-sectional area of the airflow path, increasing the airflow velocity and consequently increasing the airflow resistance loss. Because the resistance loss of the aerator 100 is not too small, aeration uniformity can be improved without requiring a particularly small installation level error, thereby improving aeration efficiency and reducing installation difficulty. Furthermore, the slide valve 130 and the float valve 120 are designed as separate structures. The slide valve 130 itself is not heavy, allowing it to be lifted upwards without a particularly large aeration rate, thus achieving the aeration function.
[0056] Figure 5 A schematic diagram showing the relationship between the resistance loss of an aerator and the aeration rate is presented, where the horizontal axis represents the aeration rate of the aerator (unit: Nm³). 3 / h), the vertical axis represents the resistance loss of the aerator (unit: cm head). The curve with circles in the legend represents a traditional aerator, and the curve with triangles in the legend represents the aerator 100 proposed in this utility model. The target curve represents the resistance loss under ideal conditions. From Figure 5It can be seen that for traditional aerators, the resistance loss value decreases sharply as the aeration rate decreases; while for the aerator 100 proposed in this invention, the resistance loss value decreases relatively slowly as the aeration rate decreases. This ensures that even at lower aeration rates, the resistance loss value will not be too low, thereby improving aeration efficiency. Preferably, the weight of the slide valve 130 can be optimized through calculation and testing to achieve dynamic changes in the gap between the bottom valve 134 of the slide valve 130 and the air inlet 112 of the cavity 110 under different aeration rates, thereby meeting the requirements for the optimal resistance loss value under different aeration rates (e.g., as shown in the figure). Figure 5 (Target curve shown).
[0057] Preferably, such as Figure 4 As shown, the circumferential outer edge of the valve cover 122 may have a toothed structure 123, which includes a plurality of teeth projecting outward in the radial direction. The toothed structure 123 is configured to cut bubbles flowing near the valve cover 122. The toothed structure 123 cuts the bubbles, thereby significantly reducing the bubble diameter and improving the aeration efficiency of the aerator 100. The aforementioned toothed structure 123 is particularly advantageous for situations with low aeration rates, because at low aeration rates, the vibration frequency of the aerator 100 is low, and the generated bubble volume tends to be larger. Therefore, it is even more necessary for the toothed structure 123 to cut the bubbles to reduce their volume.
[0058] Preferably, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the valve body 124 of the float valve 120 may be provided with a slide rail 126 extending in the vertical direction. The slide rod 132 of the slide valve 130 extends into the slide rail 126 and can move up and down relative to the float valve 120 within the slide rail 126. More preferably, by selecting appropriate diameters for the slide rod 132 and the slide rail 126, it is ensured that the slide rod 132 slides smoothly within the slide rail 126, and the gap between the slide rod 132 and the slide rail 126 is reasonably controlled to avoid significant deflection of the slide rod 132 during sliding.
[0059] Optionally, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the cavity 110 has a bottom 116, and an air inlet 112 is defined by a portion of the bottom 116 (i.e., the lateral edge of the bottom 116). In the non-aeration state, the slide valve 130 is in a second position, with its bottom valve 134 contacting this portion of the bottom 116 of the cavity 110 and closing the air inlet 112 of the cavity 110. In the aeration state, the slide valve 130 moves upward away from the second position, with its bottom valve 134 spaced apart from this portion of the bottom 116 of the cavity 110 and allowing gas to enter the cavity 110 from the air inlet 112.
[0060] Optionally, the part where the bottom 116 of the cavity 110 contacts the bottom valve 134 of the slide valve 130 is chamfered. On the one hand, this optimizes the required resistance loss value, and on the other hand, the chamfer makes the part where the bottom 116 of the cavity 110 contacts the bottom valve 134 of the slide valve 130 smoother, thereby minimizing the reduction in service life caused by collisions between the bottom 116 and the bottom valve 134 during a large number of start-ups and shutdowns.
[0061] Preferably, the bottom valve 134 of the slide valve 130 can be designed to have a smooth transition surface (e.g., a generally spherical surface). In this way, even if some dirt accumulates on the surface of the bottom valve 134, the smooth transition surface of the bottom valve 134 will help the dirt to be removed during the up and down sliding of the slide valve 130.
[0062] Preferably, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the aerator 100 may further include a limiting ring 140, which is fixed to the cavity 110. The valve body 124 is provided with a limiting part. When the float valve 120 moves upward by a threshold distance, the limiting ring 140 contacts the limiting part, thereby preventing the float valve 120 from continuing to move upward. In this way, the limiting ring 140 restricts the excessive upward movement of the float valve 120, preventing the float valve 120 from falling off the cavity 110 during aeration. Specifically, the limiting ring 140 is a semi-circular clamp type with two toes. The outer side is fixed to the outside of the cylinder of the cavity 110 of the aerator 100. The two toes are inserted into the cavity 110 of the aerator 100 through a small hole in the cavity 110 and are arranged on the upper part of the bottom plate of the valve body 124 of the float valve 120, forming a blockage in the upward movement of the float valve 120, thereby limiting the excessive upward movement of the float valve 120.
[0063] Preferably, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the upper end of the cavity 110 may have a knife-edge structure 118 with an upwardly and inwardly inclined outer wall. In the non-aeration state, the float valve 120 is in the first position, and the valve cover 122 of the float valve 120 is in contact with the upper surface of the knife-edge structure 118 of the cavity 110. In the aeration state, the float valve 120 moves upward away from the first position, and the valve cover 122 of the float valve 120 is separated from the knife-edge structure 118 of the cavity 110, thereby forming a channel for airflow. The lower bottom surface of the valve cover 122 of the float valve 120 may be smooth and flat. In the non-aeration state, the valve cover 122 of the float valve 120 falls on the knife-edge structure 118 of the cavity 110 of the aerator 100 under its own weight, and forms a natural seal with it, thereby effectively preventing sludge and impurities in the sewage from entering the cavity 110, protecting the aerator 110 and its pipes from clogging.
[0064] This document describes in detail several exemplary embodiments of the present invention with reference to preferred embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and alterations can be made to the above specific embodiments without departing from the concept of the present invention, and various technical features and structures proposed in the present invention can be combined without exceeding the protection scope of the present invention, which is determined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. An aerator, characterized in that, include: The cavity has a cylindrical structure, with an air inlet and an air outlet at the lower and upper ends of the cavity, respectively. A float valve includes a valve cover and a valve body fixed together, the valve cover being located above the valve body, the valve body extending at least partially into the cavity from above, the float valve being configured to move upward from a first position, wherein when the float valve is in the first position, the valve cover contacts the upper end of the cavity and closes the outlet, and when the float valve moves away from the first position, the valve cover is spaced apart from the upper end of the cavity and allows gas to exit the cavity from the outlet; The aerator further includes a slide valve having a slide rod and a bottom valve fixed together. The slide rod extends at least partially into the valve body from below and is slidable relative to the valve body. The bottom valve is located below the slide rod. The slide valve is configured to move upward from a second position. When the slide valve is in the second position, the bottom valve closes the air inlet. When the slide valve moves away from the second position, the bottom valve does not close the air inlet to allow gas to enter the cavity from the air inlet.
2. The aerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the aerator is in a non-aeration state, the float valve is in the first position and the bottom valve is in the second position. When the aerator starts aeration, the bottom valve moves upward from the second position and the float valve moves upward from the first position.
3. The aerator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The valve body is provided with a slide rail extending in the vertical direction, and the slide rod extends into the slide rail.
4. The aerator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The lateral dimension of the bottom valve is larger than the lateral dimension of the air inlet.
5. The aerator according to claim 4, characterized in that, The bottom valve is approximately spherical.
6. The aerator according to claim 5, characterized in that, The cavity has a bottom, and the air inlet is defined by a portion of the bottom. When the slide valve is in the second position, the bottom valve contacts the portion of the bottom and closes the air inlet. When the slide valve moves upward away from the second position, the bottom valve is spaced apart from the portion of the bottom and allows gas to enter the cavity from the air inlet.
7. The aerator according to claim 6, characterized in that, As the slide valve moves upward from the second position, the gap between the bottom valve and the bottom gradually increases.
8. The aerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper end of the cavity has a knife-edge structure with the outer wall inclined upward and inward. When the float valve is in the first position, the valve cover is in contact with the upper surface of the knife-edge structure.
9. The aerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer circumferential edge of the valve cover has a toothed structure, the toothed structure including a plurality of teeth protruding outward in a radial direction, the toothed structure being configured to cut bubbles.
10. The aerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a limiting ring, which is fixed to the cavity. The valve body is provided with a limiting part. When the float valve moves upward by a threshold distance, the limiting ring contacts the limiting part, thereby preventing the float valve from moving upward further.
11. An aeration tank, characterized in that, It includes a plurality of aerators according to any one of claims 1 to 10.