Oxygen-Enriched Air DAF for Wastewater Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) systems are energy intensive, require slow throughput rates, and need large amounts of pre-treatment chemicals to effectively remove particulate matter from wastewater.
Innovation Solution
The use of an oxygen enrichment system, which employs oxygen-enriching membranes to increase the oxygen content in the air used for microbubble generation, thereby enhancing the efficiency of the DAF process by reducing energy consumption and chemical oxidant demand.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If traditional DAF uses ambient air for microbubble generation, then the process can remove suspended particles, but it requires high energy consumption to dissolve air into liquid
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the compositional parameter of the gas from ambient air (21% oxygen) to oxygen-enriched air (30-50% oxygen) by passing air through oxygen-enriching membranes. This parameter change increases the solubility and dissolution efficiency of the gas in liquid, reducing the energy required for microbubble generation while maintaining effective particle removal capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses oxygen-enriched air as a strong oxidizing agent compared to ambient air. The higher oxygen concentration accelerates the oxidation process during flotation, enhancing the effectiveness of particle removal while reducing the energy input needed for gas dissolution into the liquid medium
2Productivity
If traditional DAF uses ambient air, then the system can operate, but it requires slow throughput rates to allow microbubbles to float particles to the surface
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the gas composition to oxygen-enriched air, the patent increases the density and rise velocity of microbubbles. This parameter change allows particles to float to the surface more quickly, enabling faster throughput rates without sacrificing separation effectiveness, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity and time loss
3Quantity of substance
If traditional DAF uses ambient air, then the process can remove particles, but it requires large amounts of pre-treatment chemicals including oxidants
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces chemical oxidants with oxygen-enriched air as the primary oxidizing agent. The high concentration of dissolved oxygen in the microbubbles provides sufficient oxidation capacity for particle removal and sterilization, significantly reducing or eliminating the need for additional chemical oxidants while maintaining reliable particle removal effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes the need for chemical oxidants from the traditional DAF process by using oxygen-enriched air instead. This extraction of unnecessary chemicals simplifies the process, reduces chemical consumption, and maintains effective particle removal through the oxidizing power of concentrated oxygen in microbubbles
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The oxygen-enriched air system reduces power consumption for gas dissolution, increases the rate of oxidation, and decreases the need for chemical oxidants, resulting in a more efficient and cost-effective method for removing particulate matter from wastewater.
Implementation Method 1
an oxygen enrichment system comprised of an intake for ambient air, and at least one oxygen enriching membrane, wherein passing the air through the at least one oxygen enriching membrane increases an amount of oxygen and decreases an amount of nitrogen in the air to form oxygen enriched air
Implementation Method 2
The pressurized liquid containing dissolved air is introduced into a flotation tank or basin. At this point the pressure is released on the liquid and returns to ambient conditions, causing the gas to release from the liquid and forming the microbubbles
Implementation Method 3
Following Henry's law, the solubility of oxygen is approximately two times greater than that of nitrogen in water, and by increasing the ratio of oxygen to nitrogen in the air, the amount of total dissolved gas will be proportionally increased in the system
Data Source
AI summary
A particle separation apparatus and method forms oxygen enriched air that contains an increased amount of oxygen and a decreased amount of nitrogen compared to ambient air, by passing air through at least one oxygen enriching membrane, introduces the oxygen enriched air into a fluid to form a fluid containing the oxygen enriched air, and uses the fluid containing the oxygen enriched air to generate microbubbles of the oxygen enriched air that float particulate matter in a waste fluid for separation from the waste fluid.