IP Library Granted Patent US 6,913,251
Granted Patent B2
US 6,913,251 · App. 10/365,027 · Granted Jul 5, 2005

Deep well sparging

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 6,913,251
App. No.
10/365,027
Granted
Jul 5, 2005
Kind
B2
Abstract

Method and apparatus for treating contaminants on a site, especially a deep well site includes delivering a first stream of a first gas to a first port of a laminar microporous diffuser and delivering a second stream of a second gas to a second port of the laminar microporous diffuser to effect mixing of the first and second streams of gases within the laminar microporous diffuser.

Claims (55)

1. Apparatus comprises:

a top cap member defining a pair of inlets;

bottom cap member;

an outer cylinder member that is secured between the top cap and the bottom cap, the outer cylinder member defining a first interior opening that is in fluid communication with a first one of the inlets;

an inner cylinder of a microporous material disposed within the first interior opening and, which defines a second interior opening with the inner cylinder secured between the bottom and top cap members;

a solid insert disposed within an upper portion of the second interior opening and secured in place in the microporous material cylinder; and

a solid nozzle member disposed within and spaced from sidewalls of a lower portion of the second interior opening, and a portion of the solid nozzle member protruding from the bottom cap member.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a pin to secure the solid insert to the microporous material.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a shroud disposed about the bottom end cap member; and

a second pin that secures the nozzle member to the shroud.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the microporous material has a pore size in a range of 1 to 80 microns.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the microporous material has a pore size in a range of 1 to 200 microns.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the nozzle member has an elongated portion in the lower portion of the second interior opening and where the portion that protrudes is a flared portion disposed adjacent an egress portion of the apparatus.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the insert is a solid cylindrical member that has a taper starting at a diameter to fit snuggly into the interior of the second member and which diameter tapers down to a smaller diameter at the bottom of the member.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the taper allows for manual adjustment of the solid cylindrical insert within the cavity of the second member to provide an adjustment of shearing properties of a fluid as it passes over the inner surface of the microporous material and exits the apparatus.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus is a microbubbler.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the outer cylinder is “PVC schedule 40”, having an inner diameter of 2″, the cylinder member has a diameter of 1 inch, and an inner diameter of 0.5 inches, leaving a sidewall of microporous materials 0.25 inches thick.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the nozzle member has an elongated portion in the lower portion of the second interior opening and with the protruding portion being flared.

12. Apparatus comprises:

a top cap member with the top cap defining a pair of inlets;

bottom cap member having an aperture to provide an egress port for the apparatus;

an outer cylinder member that is secured between the top cap and the bottom cap, the outer cylinder member defining a first interior region that is in fluid communication with a first one of the inlets;

an inner cylinder of a microporous material that defines a second interior region aligned with the egress port of the apparatus with the inner cylinder secured between the bottom and top cap members;

a solid insert disposed within an upper portion of the second interior region and secured in place in the microporous material cylinder; and

a solid nozzle member disposed within and spaced from sidewalls of a lower portion of the second interior opening, the solid nozzle member having a flared portion adjacent to and protruding from the egress port of the apparatus.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising:

a pin to secure the solid insert to the microporous material.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising:

a shroud disposed about the bottom end cap member shielding the egress port of the apparatus; and

a second pin that secures the nozzle member to the shroud.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the microporous material has a pore size in a range of 1 to 200 microns.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the nozzle member further has an elongated portion in the lower portion of the second interior opening.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the insert is a solid cylindrical member that has a taper starting at a diameter to fit snuggly into the interior of the second member, and which the taper of the solid cylindrical member tapers down at the bottom of the member.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the taper allows for manual adjustment of the solid cylindrical insert within the cavity of the second member to provide an adjustment of shearing properties of a fluid as it passes over the inner surface of the microporous material and exits the apparatus.

19. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the apparatus is a microbubbler.

20. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the outer cylinder is “PVC schedule 40”, having an inner diameter of 2″, the cylinder member has a diameter of 1 inch, and an inner diameter of 0.5 inches, leaving a sidewall of microporous materials 0.25 inches thick.

21. A microbubbler apparatus comprises:

a top cap member defining a pair of inlets, a first one of the inlets receiving a gas and a second one of the inlets receiving a liquid;

bottom cap member;

an outer cylinder member that is secured between the top cap and the bottom cap, the outer cylinder member defining a first interior opening that is in fluid communication with the first one of the inlets that receives the gas;

an inner cylinder of a microporous material disposed within the first interior opening and, which defines a second interior opening that is in fluid communication with the second one of the inlets that receives the liquid;

a solid insert disposed within an upper portion of the second interior opening, secured in place in the microporous material cylinder;

a solid nozzle member disposed within and spaced from a lower portion of the second interior opening, a portion of the solid nozzle member protruding from the apparatus adjacent an egress of the apparatus with gas under pressure being forced through the microporous materials, where the gas meets the liquid to form bubbles of the gas with a coating of the liquid, and with the solid cylindrical insert and solid nozzle providing dispersion of the bubbles through the bottom end cap over an outer periphery of the solid nozzle.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 further comprising:

a pin to secure the solid insert to the microporous material.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 further comprising:

a shroud disposed about the bottom end cap member; and

a second pin that secures the nozzle member to the shroud.

24. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the microporous material has a pore size in a range of 1 to 200 microns.

25. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the nozzle member has an elongated portion in the lower portion of the second interior opening and the portion that protrudes from the egress portion of the apparatus being flared.

26. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the insert is a solid cylindrical member that has a taper starting at a diameter to fit snuggly into the interior of the second member and which tapers down to a smaller diameter at the bottom of the member.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the taper allows for manual adjustment of the solid cylindrical insert within the cavity of the second member to provide an adjustment of shearing properties of a fluid as the fluid passes over the inner surface of the microporous material and exits the apparatus.

28. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the outer cylinder is “PVC schedule 40″, having an inner diameter of 2″, the cylinder member has a diameter of 1 inch, and an inner diameter of 0.5 inches, leaving a sidewall of microporous materials 0.25 inches thick.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2015
From: THINKVILLAGE-KERFOOT, LLC
To: KERFOOT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 035834/0089 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 17, 2009
From: KERFOOT, WILLIAM B.
To: KERFOOT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 022117/0557 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 10, 2008
From: KERFOOT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: THINKVILLAGE-KERFOOT, LLC
Reel/Frame 021217/0168 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20040155371A1 · Aug 12, 2004