GB2032792A - Apparatus for aerating water e.g. in a fish tank - Google Patents
Apparatus for aerating water e.g. in a fish tank Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2032792A GB2032792A GB7932499A GB7932499A GB2032792A GB 2032792 A GB2032792 A GB 2032792A GB 7932499 A GB7932499 A GB 7932499A GB 7932499 A GB7932499 A GB 7932499A GB 2032792 A GB2032792 A GB 2032792A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- chamber
- gas
- vessel
- liquid
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 title claims abstract description 38
- 241000251468 Actinopterygii Species 0.000 title description 7
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 27
- 239000007789 gas Substances 0.000 claims description 47
- QVGXLLKOCUKJST-UHFFFAOYSA-N atomic oxygen Chemical compound [O] QVGXLLKOCUKJST-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 9
- 239000001301 oxygen Substances 0.000 claims description 9
- 229910052760 oxygen Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 9
- 230000000284 resting effect Effects 0.000 claims 1
- 210000001364 upper extremity Anatomy 0.000 abstract description 3
- 238000005273 aeration Methods 0.000 abstract 2
- 238000006213 oxygenation reaction Methods 0.000 description 6
- CURLTUGMZLYLDI-UHFFFAOYSA-N Carbon dioxide Chemical compound O=C=O CURLTUGMZLYLDI-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 4
- IJGRMHOSHXDMSA-UHFFFAOYSA-N Atomic nitrogen Chemical compound N#N IJGRMHOSHXDMSA-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 238000013019 agitation Methods 0.000 description 2
- 229910002092 carbon dioxide Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 239000001569 carbon dioxide Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000004575 stone Substances 0.000 description 2
- 241000894006 Bacteria Species 0.000 description 1
- 239000000853 adhesive Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000001070 adhesive effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 231100001245 air toxic agent Toxicity 0.000 description 1
- 230000015572 biosynthetic process Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000004140 cleaning Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000001914 filtration Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 229910052757 nitrogen Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 231100000252 nontoxic Toxicity 0.000 description 1
- 230000003000 nontoxic effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000035515 penetration Effects 0.000 description 1
- 229920003023 plastic Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 239000004033 plastic Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000008262 pumice Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000000630 rising effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000009182 swimming Effects 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
- A01K—ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
- A01K63/00—Receptacles for live fish, e.g. aquaria; Terraria
- A01K63/04—Arrangements for treating water specially adapted to receptacles for live fish
- A01K63/042—Introducing gases into the water, e.g. aerators, air pumps
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
- B01F23/00—Mixing according to the phases to be mixed, e.g. dispersing or emulsifying
- B01F23/20—Mixing gases with liquids
- B01F23/23—Mixing gases with liquids by introducing gases into liquid media, e.g. for producing aerated liquids
- B01F23/231—Mixing gases with liquids by introducing gases into liquid media, e.g. for producing aerated liquids by bubbling
- B01F23/23105—Arrangement or manipulation of the gas bubbling devices
- B01F23/2312—Diffusers
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
- B01F23/00—Mixing according to the phases to be mixed, e.g. dispersing or emulsifying
- B01F23/20—Mixing gases with liquids
- B01F23/23—Mixing gases with liquids by introducing gases into liquid media, e.g. for producing aerated liquids
- B01F23/231—Mixing gases with liquids by introducing gases into liquid media, e.g. for producing aerated liquids by bubbling
- B01F23/23105—Arrangement or manipulation of the gas bubbling devices
- B01F23/2312—Diffusers
- B01F23/23126—Diffusers characterised by the shape of the diffuser element
- B01F23/231265—Diffusers characterised by the shape of the diffuser element being tubes, tubular elements, cylindrical elements or set of tubes
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
- C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
- C02F3/00—Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
- C02F3/02—Aerobic processes
- C02F3/12—Activated sludge processes
- C02F3/20—Activated sludge processes using diffusers
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
- C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
- C02F3/00—Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
- C02F3/02—Aerobic processes
- C02F3/12—Activated sludge processes
- C02F3/26—Activated sludge processes using pure oxygen or oxygen-rich gas
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02W—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT
- Y02W10/00—Technologies for wastewater treatment
- Y02W10/10—Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
Landscapes
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Biodiversity & Conservation Biology (AREA)
- Environmental Sciences (AREA)
- Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Hydrology & Water Resources (AREA)
- Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
- Water Supply & Treatment (AREA)
- Organic Chemistry (AREA)
- Marine Sciences & Fisheries (AREA)
- Animal Husbandry (AREA)
- Microbiology (AREA)
- Farming Of Fish And Shellfish (AREA)
- Aeration Devices For Treatment Of Activated Polluted Sludge (AREA)
Abstract
An inverted tray 6 is disposed in the bottom of a tank 2 to define an aeration chamber therein. Air is supplied to this chamber by a pump 12 so that a pocket of air is formed in the upper part 8a of the chamber and aeration takes place at the interface between the air pocket and the water in the chamber. An outlet pipe 18 leads from a position below the upper extremity of the chamber to a position within the tank and is arranged so that, as the pump supplies air to the chamber, the pocket of air forces the water in the chamber downwardly to a level at which air from the pocket may enter the outlet pipe and move upwardly therethrough in the form of bubbles. These bubbles force water in the pipe to move upwardly, and thus further water may be drawn into the chamber via openings in the side of the tray. The device may be used for contacting any gas with any liquid. <IMAGE>
Description
SPECIFICATION
Apparatus for providing contact between a gas and
a liquid
This invention relates to apparatus for providing contact between a gas and a liquid, particularly to apparatus used for supporting aquatic life, particularly fish.
Normally, an apparatus for supporting aquatic life comprises a tank or other vessel which contains water and which is open to the atmosphere so that the water may be oxygenated as necessary to support the aquatic life. The rate of oxygenation is limited by the area of the surface of the water in contact with the atmosphere. Such area is frequently inadequate to provide a sufficiently rapid rate of oxygenation to support the amount of fish or other life contained in the water.
According to the present invention, there is provided apparatus for providing contact between a gas and a liquid comprising a vessel for containing the liquid, means defining a chamber which is in communication with said vessel so that liquid is movable from the vessel to the chamber and from the chamber to the vessel, and means for supplying gas to the chamber so that a pocket of gas is formed therein and contact is provided between the gas in said pocket and the liquid in said chamber.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the apparatus is suitable for supporting aquatic life, the liquid comprising water and the gas comprising air, an oxygen containing gas or oxygen per se. Thus, if the water in the vessel is exposed to atmosphere, oxygenation takes place both at the surface of the water in the vessel and within the chamber.
Preferably the apparatus comprises a vessel for containing liquid, means within the vessel defining a chamber therein at a position to be below the level of liquid in the vessel when the apparatus is in use, said chamber being in communication with the vessel, and means for supplying a gas, for example air or other oxygen containing gas or oxygen per se to said chamber to permit contact between the gas and the liquid within said chamber. The chamber may be at the bottom of the vessel and is may be defined by an inverted tray. In a particularly preferred embodiment, a gas outlet leads from a position within but below the upper wall of the chamber to a position within the vessel and the gas is supplied to the chamber so that a pocket of gas is formed therein.
The gas may be supplied to an upper part or to a lower part of the chamber, in the latter case to below the level of liquid in the chamber so that bubbles are formed. Preferably the gas is supplied continuously or intermittently so that gas and liquid are forced through the outlet from the chamber into the vessel, and further liquid is drawn into the chamber, for example through inlet means thereof. The gas may be supplied under pressure from the pump, or may be introduced by feeding a stream of gas-containing liquid to the chamber so that bubbles of gas are created in the liquid contained in the chamber.
The invention is described further by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a perspective diagrammatic view of apparatus embodying the invention.
In the drawings, a tank 2 contains water 4 and is provided in its bottom with an inverted tray 6 defining a chamber 8 at the bottom of the vessel 2. Recesses 10 are formed in the lower edges of the tray 6 so that water may enter the chamber 8 from the main part of the vessel 2. An air pump 12 supplies air through a tube 14 and inlet pipe 16 to the upper part 8a of the chamber 8 so that in this part 8a an air pocket is formed forcing the level of the water within the chamber downwardly.
The inlet pipe 16 may alternatively open below the surface of the water in the chamber 8, so as to cause agitation of the water and the formation of air bubbles when air is pumped into the chamber. The air entry position into chamber 8 may also be fitted with an air stone, for example a porous stone such as pumice, which would break up the air to form smaller bubbles, although this is not essential.
An outlet pipe 18 fixed in the tray 6 has its lower end 18a within the chamber 8 and its upper end 18b projecting upwardly into the main part of the vessel.
The upper end 18b may be bent at the top so that its outlet does not face towards the water surface as shown in the drawing, to avoid agitation at the surface. The upper and lower ends 18b and 18a of the pipe 18 are open and in addition the lower end 18a is provided with at least one vertical slot 1 & which is preferably tapered as shown. More than one slot may be provided, and the or each slot should be narrower at the top than at the bottom end. The pipe 18 may be detachable from the tray for cleaning purposes.
Thus, the air forced into the upper part 8a of the chamber8 by the pump 12 may leave the chamber8 through the slot 1 & and the pipe 18, the upper extremity of the slot 18c thus defining the level to which the water in the chamber 8 is forced by the air from the pump 12. The air rising through the pipe 18 form bubbles and it is found that these tend to force water upwardly through the pipe 18 so that water is also drawn up through the pipe 18 from the chamber 8, which water is replaced by a water flow from the main part of the vessel through the recesses 10 into the chamber 8.
The vessel 2 is open at its top, and thus oxygenation ofthewater4takes place both atthe uppersurface of the water in the vessel and at the boundary between the air pocket formed in the portion 8a of the chamber 8 and the water in this chamber. Hence, virtually double the rate of oxygenation is achieved with the invention without any increase in the area of water open to atmosphere and with only a relatively small loss of volume for the aquatic life within the vessel 2.
Gravel 20 is provided on top of the tray 6 to prevent the tray from floating and for decorative purposes. It also acts as a filtration medium in which debris in the aquarium is decomposed by bacteria.
Alternatively the tray could be attached to the bottom of the tank by an adhesive or it could be held down by other means such as struts. A grid 22 is provided at the top of the pipe 18 to prevent fish from swimming down that pipe and becoming trapped therein.
As an alternative, it would be possible, within the scope of the invention, to provide a loose-fitting lid or cover to the vessel 2, with or without exhaust openings. This would have the advantage that foreign matter could notfall into the vessel.
Although the embodiment shown is arranged so that the chamber within which the water is oxygenated by the air from the pump 12 is within and at the bottom of the vessel 2, this is not essential. For example, a chamber could be provided part way up the vessel in which case its area may be sufficiently smaller than that of the vessel to permit fish to pass the chamber so as to swim within the vessel both above and below the chamber. In this case, the chamber may be defined by a substantially closed box or by an open-based box for enclosing a body of air. Where such modification is made, the upper extremity of the pipe 18 should be positioned so as still to be within the water in the vessel in order to obtain the water circulation described above.
Where the chamber is an open-based box the pipe 18 may be completely dispensed with and the air allowed to escape by means of a slot or slots along one or more sides of the chamber. The recesses 10 would not be required in this case.
Several chambers may be provided, one above another, in the vessel so that it can be relatively tall, the depth of water not being limited by the penetration depth of oxygen. The chambers may be supplied with air from a common pump or from several pumps. Where a common pump is used the air may be supplied from one chamber to another up the tank. A framework may be provided in the tank to support the chambers.
As a further alternative, the chamber could be provided to one side of the vessel and could be connected thereto by suitable conduits. One chamber could then be used to aerate the water in several tanks, is desired. As external chamber takes up extra space, however, and thus it is generally preferred that the chamber be inside the vessel.
The chamber defining means may conveniently be made of any suitable material which can be
immersed in or contain water and should be impervious to air and non-toxic to fish. Plastics material is
preferred.
Further, although the invention has been described as applied to vessels, it could also be
applied to ponds or other bodies of water for containing fish or other aquatic life.
Although the invention has been described as
providing additional oxygenation of the water,
where it is desired to remove gases, such as carbon
dioxide, from the water and where this may be done
by permitting the water to contact gases other than
air or oxygen, such other gases may be delivered to
the chamber instead of or in addition to the air or
oxygen. For example, nitrogen may be used where it is desired to remove carbon dioxide from the water.
The invention could also be used to provide close contact between any gas and any liquid.
Claims (26)
1. Apparatus for providing contact between a gas and a liquid comprising a vessel for containing the liquid, means defining a chamber which is in communication with said vessel so that liquid is movable from the vessel to the chamber and from the chamber to the vessel, and means for supplying gas to the chamber so that a pocket of gas is formed therein and contact is provided between the gas in said pocket and the liquid in said chamber.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which a gas outlet leads from a position within but below an upper portion of the chamber to a position within the vessel so that the gas supplied to the chamber may form the pocket of gas therein.
3. Apparatus according to claim 2, arranged such that bubbles of gas formed in the liquid in the gas outlet force liquid to be drawn along the gas outlet from the chamber into the vessel.
4. Apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, in which gas is supplied to an upper part of the chamber within the gas pocket.
5. Apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, in which gas is supplied to a lower part of the chamber below the liquid level in the chamber so that bubbles of gas are formed.
6. Apparatus according to any of claims 2 to 5, in which the gas outlet comprises a pipe extending between the chamber and the vessel.
7. Apparatus according to claim 6, in which said pipe has an upwardly directed portion located in the chamber, said portion having at least one tapered slit in its side, the direction of taper being such that the widest end of the slit is lowermost.
8. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, in which the apparatus is suitable for supporting aquatic life, the liquid comprising water and the gas consisting at least partly of oxygen.
9. Apparatus according to claim 8, in which the gas is oxygen.
10. Apparatus according to claim 8, in which the gas is air.
11. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, in which the chamber is located within the vessel at a position below the level of liquid in the vessel when the apparatus is in use.
12. Apparatus according to claim 11, in which the chamber is at the bottom of the vessel.
13. Apparatus according to claim 12, in which the chamber is defined by an inverted tray resting on the bottom of the vessel.
14. Apparatus according to claim 13, in which the tray has openings permitting communication between the chamber and the vessel.
15. Apparatus according to claim 11, in which the chamber is positioned part way up the vessel.
16. Apparatus according to claim 15, in which
several chambers are provided one above the other
in the vessel.
17. Apparatus according to claim 15 or claim 16,
the or each chamber comprising a substantially
closed box.
18. Apparatus accordingto claim 15 or claim 16, the or each chamber comprising an open-based box.
19. Apparatus according to claim 18 and claim 2, in which the gas outlet comprises one or more slits in the side walls of the chamber.
20. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 10, in which the chamber is located outside the vessel and connected thereto by conduits.
21. Apparatus according to claim 20, in which a single chamber is connected to a plurality of vessels.
22. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, in which the gas is supplied under pressure from a pump.
23. Apparatus according to claim 16 and claim 22, in which a single pump supplies gas to the chambers, which are interconnected so that gas travels from one chamber to another up the vessel.
24. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, in which the vessel is open at the top.
25. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 23, in which the vessel is closed at the top by a lid.
26. Apparatus for providing contact between a gas and a liquid substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB7932499A GB2032792A (en) | 1978-09-19 | 1979-09-19 | Apparatus for aerating water e.g. in a fish tank |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB7837334 | 1978-09-19 | ||
| GB7932499A GB2032792A (en) | 1978-09-19 | 1979-09-19 | Apparatus for aerating water e.g. in a fish tank |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB2032792A true GB2032792A (en) | 1980-05-14 |
Family
ID=26268902
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB7932499A Withdrawn GB2032792A (en) | 1978-09-19 | 1979-09-19 | Apparatus for aerating water e.g. in a fish tank |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB2032792A (en) |
Cited By (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP0402468A4 (en) * | 1988-03-01 | 1991-11-13 | Yuugen Kaisya Parasight | Continuous perfusion apparatus utilizing aeration |
| US5640930A (en) * | 1995-08-17 | 1997-06-24 | Kirby; Michael J. | Automatic cleaning aquarium |
| EP0803190A3 (en) * | 1996-04-24 | 1998-02-11 | Farmer's Design Inc. | Hydroponic culture apparatus |
| CN111066438A (en) * | 2019-12-13 | 2020-04-28 | 燕山大学 | Liquid fertilizer adding device and liquid fertilizer adding method |
-
1979
- 1979-09-19 GB GB7932499A patent/GB2032792A/en not_active Withdrawn
Cited By (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP0402468A4 (en) * | 1988-03-01 | 1991-11-13 | Yuugen Kaisya Parasight | Continuous perfusion apparatus utilizing aeration |
| US5640930A (en) * | 1995-08-17 | 1997-06-24 | Kirby; Michael J. | Automatic cleaning aquarium |
| EP0803190A3 (en) * | 1996-04-24 | 1998-02-11 | Farmer's Design Inc. | Hydroponic culture apparatus |
| CN111066438A (en) * | 2019-12-13 | 2020-04-28 | 燕山大学 | Liquid fertilizer adding device and liquid fertilizer adding method |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAP | Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1) |