Vertical Gas Injection Pipe for Sludge Tank Circulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sludge tanks experience issues with sludge deposition and lack of circulation, leading to stable deposits and operational failures due to ineffective gas injection methods that cause turbulence only at the top, not the bottom, resulting in compression and formation of a disruptive sludge layer.
Innovation Solution
A sludge tank with a gas injection device featuring vertically arranged individual pipes connected via a flexible suspension, where gas is introduced at the lower end, causing gas bubbles to expand and continuously suck and churn the sludge, preventing deposition and solidification, and the pipes are designed with increasing diameters and trumpet-shaped openings to enhance circulation and prevent blockages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If gas is pressed from above into the pipe or hose of a gas lance, then gas bubbles are introduced into the sludge tank, but turbulence occurs only at the top of the liquid with very little turbulence at the bottom where it should be
Solution Approach 1:
The gas injection system is inverted by introducing gas at the lower end of the pipe instead of from above. This reversal causes gas bubbles to rise through the pipe from bottom to top, creating turbulence at the bottom of the sludge tank where it is most needed for preventing sludge deposition, while the pipe structure guides the bubbles upward for efficient circulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The pipe acts as an intermediary structure that channels gas from the injection point at the lower end through the sludge column. The pipe serves as a conduit that organizes the gas flow path, ensuring bubbles rise through the sludge in a controlled manner to maximize turbulence and circulation effectiveness throughout the tank volume.
2Quantity of substance
If gas bubbles escape at the bottom of the digestion tower, then gas injection is provided, but vibrations lead to compression of the deposited old sludge
Solution Approach 1:
The gas bubbles, which could potentially cause harmful vibrations and sludge compression when escaping at the bottom, are instead channeled through a pipe structure that directs their upward movement. The pipe confines the bubbles to a controlled path, converting the potentially harmful uncontrolled escape into a beneficial organized flow that creates useful turbulence without excessive vibrations.
3Shape
If a chimney forms around the gas lance, then gas flows upwards, but the injected gas flows ineffectively upwards
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful chimney effect is eliminated by extracting the gas flow from the uncontrolled external path around the gas lance and redirecting it through the internal pipe structure. The pipe serves as a dedicated channel that captures the gas flow and directs it efficiently upward through the sludge, preventing the formation of the ineffective external chimney and maximizing injection productivity.
4Productivity
If individual pipes are arranged vertically with different diameters, then gas bubbles expand suddenly, but particles or solids of large dimensions can lead to blockages
Solution Approach 1:
The pipe system employs varying diameters along its vertical length, creating a dynamic structure that adapts to the expanding gas bubbles. The diameter increases from bottom to top, allowing the pipe to accommodate the expanding bubble volume while maintaining structural integrity and preventing blockages from large particles or solids that might be present in the sludge.
Solution Approach 2:
The pipe diameter parameter is changed along the vertical axis, with the diameter increasing from the lower end to the upper end. This parameter variation allows the pipe to accommodate expanding gas bubbles while maintaining sufficient flow cross-section to prevent blockages from large particles, optimizing both circulation efficiency and blockage resistance.
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 solution effectively prevents sludge deposition and solidification, ensuring continuous circulation and reducing the need for complex sludge removal, while the flexible suspension and distributed gas introduction minimize blockages and enhance the conveying effect across large sludge tanks.
Implementation Method 1
the gas bubbles expand suddenly, particularly in the region of the individual tubes that open into one another
Implementation Method 2
By introducing gas at least at the lower end of the substantially vertically arranged tube, the sludge present or settling in the sludge tank or generally the fluid containing solids or particles is entrained in the tube and thus continuously sucked out through the tube
Implementation Method 3
The gas bubbles escaping upwards and sideways prevent or reduce the formation of a disruptive layer of floating sludge, so that the solids or particles contained in the fluid in such a sludge container are prevented from being deposited and solidified
Implementation Method 4
individual pipes which are connected to one another in the vertical direction are coupled to one another via a flexible suspension
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
In a device and a method for injecting gas into a sludge container (1), wherein at least one line (2) for introducing gas is provided above the bottom of the sludge container (1) filled with a fluid containing, in particular, solids or particles, it is provided that the at least one line (2) opens into a pipe (3) arranged substantially vertically in the sludge container (1) and open at both ends for introducing gas at least at the lower end (4) of the pipe (3), thereby reliably preventing the accumulation of solidifying sludge deposits in a sludge container (1).