Water Oxygen Enrichment Through Suction-Side Injection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing oxygen-enrichment systems for animal watering and irrigation face challenges such as high capital costs, inefficiencies in oxygen delivery, and safety risks due to cavitation and insufficient pressure from oxygen concentrators, which hinder effective oxygen supply to meet the metabolic needs of rapidly growing animals and plants.
Innovation Solution
A facility that incorporates an oxygen concentrator on the suction side of the water pump, with a water pressure sensor and flow sensor on the discharge side, ensuring safe and efficient oxygen injection by controlling the pump's operation and using backup gas cylinders to maintain oxygen supply, along with a dual gas source system for redundancy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If oxygen is injected into water using existing systems, then oxygen content in water increases, but the system becomes complex and expensive with multiple components including compressors, tanks, and injection devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates unnecessary components from existing oxygen-enrichment systems. By removing compressors, storage tanks, and complex injection devices, the system is reduced to essential elements only: an oxygen source connected directly to a water source, simplifying the overall system architecture while maintaining oxygen-enrichment functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal oxygen-enrichment system that can serve multiple purposes (animal watering, irrigation, hydroponics) through a single simplified apparatus. The system's modular design with interchangeable oxygen sources and compatible water source connections enables it to adapt to various applications without requiring application-specific modifications.
2Ease of manufacture
If oxygen concentrators are used to provide oxygen, then capital costs are reduced, but the oxygen pressure is insufficient for effective injection into water
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (the direct connection system between oxygen source and water source) that enables low-pressure oxygen from concentrators to effectively transfer into water without requiring high pressure. The system uses the water flow itself as the driving force for oxygen transfer, eliminating the need for pressure-intensive compression equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of oxygen delivery by abandoning the conventional high-pressure approach in favor of a low-pressure, flow-driven oxygen transfer method. This parameter change allows the use of affordable oxygen concentrators while maintaining effective oxygen dissolution in water through optimized contact time and flow dynamics.
3Productivity
If oxygen is injected at high pressure to ensure delivery, then oxygen reaches animals effectively, but cavitation occurs damaging the pump and reducing system reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by preventing cavitation before it can occur. The system design inherently avoids high-pressure injection that causes cavitation by using a direct, low-pressure oxygen delivery method. By anticipating and preventing the harmful effect, the system protects the pump and maintains reliability without sacrificing oxygen delivery effectiveness.
4Reliability
If multiple oxygen sources and complex control systems are implemented, then system reliability improves, but device complexity and operational difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the oxygen supply system into independent, interchangeable modules (oxygen sources) that can be easily swapped without affecting the rest of the system. This modular segmentation allows for reliable oxygen supply through redundancy while maintaining operational simplicity, as users can replace a concentrator with a cylinder or vice versa without reconfiguring the entire system.
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 system ensures stable and safe oxygen enrichment in water, preventing cavitation and maintaining optimal oxygen levels for animal health and crop growth, enhancing productivity and reducing operational risks.
Implementation Method 1
injecting a gas into water... a coil: the length of the coil enables selection of a gas/water contact time... capable of receiving water charged with dissolved oxygen
Implementation Method 2
a water circulation pump: the water pump enables high water-speeds in the coil... injecting a gas into water... upstream end of this gas line being in this case connected to a store of oxygen
Implementation Method 3
a coil 64: the length of the coil enables selection of a gas/water contact time, preferably usually greater than 10 seconds, and more preferably usually between 10 and 30 seconds
Data Source
AI summary
Facility for oxygen-doping of water used to irrigate crops or to water animals (40) comprises an injector (7, 8), a water inlet line (20), at least one gas inlet line (3, 4, 5, 6), at least one source (1, 60) of oxygen or of a gas mixture including oxygen, a tank (17) of water at atmospheric pressure, a pump (9), a coil (10), a water pressure sensor (90), and a water flow sensor (80).