IP Library Granted Patent US 12,196,505
Granted Patent B2
US 12,196,505 · App. 17/644,596 · Granted Jan 14, 2025

Ecological system for cooling towers algae control

Inventors: Khalid Hamed Al Ghamdi (Dhahran, SA); Abdulraheem Mohammad Al Arfaj (Dhahran, SA)
Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
F28F19/00C02F1/008C02F1/50C02F2103/023C02F2201/005C02F2209/005C02F2301/046C02F2303/04F28F2025/005F28F2265/20
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,196,505
App. No.
17/644,596
Granted
Jan 14, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system includes a cooling tower, an algae inhibitor skid, and at least one pump fluidly connected between the cooling tower and the algae inhibitor skid. The algae inhibitor skid includes a first water tank containing a first water supply fluidly connected to the cooling tower and barley straw suspended within the first water tank above the first water supply.

Claims (19)

1. A recirculating cooling tower water algae control system comprising:

a cooling tower;

an algae inhibitor skid system including:

a skid;

a first water tank containing a first water supply;

a quantity of barley straw secured within the first water tank within a flow path of water being recirculated to the cooling tower;

a treatment inlet line fluidly connecting the algae inhibitor skid system to the cooling tower;

a treatment outlet line fluidly connecting the algae inhibitor skid system to the cooling tower; and

at least one pump fluidly connected between the cooling tower and the first water tank;

wherein, water pumped from the cooling tower is circulated through the first water tank where it contacts the barley straw and then back to the cooling tower.

2. The recirculating cooling tower water algae control system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one pump is provided on the skid and comprises:

a primary pump; and

a standby pump fluidly connected in parallel with the primary pump.

3. The recirculating cooling tower water algae control system of claim 1 , further comprising a second water tank mounted on the skid and fluidly connected to the cooling tower.

4. The recirculating cooling tower water algae control system of claim 3 , further comprising a programmable logic controller in operable controlling communication with at least one inlet valve and at least one outlet valve to the first water tank and the second water tank.

5. The recirculating cooling tower water algae control system of claim 4 , wherein the programmable logic controller is programmed to automatically switch water flow between the first water tank and the cooling tower to between the second water tank and the cooling tower every six months.

6. The recirculating cooling tower water algae control system of claim 1 , wherein the barley straw is secured in the first water tank atop a strainer.

7. The recirculating cooling tower water algae control system of claim 1 , wherein the barley straw is held in a porous carrier, and wherein the porous carrier is connected inside the first water tank.

8. The recirculating cooling tower water algae control system of claim 1 , wherein the first water tank comprises a tank inlet located at a top side of the first water tank, and wherein at least one water distribution nozzle is provided at the tank inlet.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 8, 2022
From: AL GHAMDI, KHALID HAMED; AL ARFAJ, ABDULRAHEEM MOHAMMAD
To: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
Reel/Frame 062026/0526 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230194194A1 · Jun 22, 2023
References Cited (116)
US 2891574A · Dahlberg · 1959 [cited by examiner]
US 3361150A · Horner · 1968 [cited by examiner]
US 3592212A · Schleimer · 1971 [cited by examiner]
US 3598372A · Schneider, Jr. · 1971 [cited by examiner]
US 3627032A · Glad · 1971 [cited by examiner]
US 3628663A · Derham · 1971 [cited by examiner]
US 3788340A · O'Leary · 1974 [cited by examiner]
US 4018592A · Buckman · 1977 [cited by examiner]
US 4172786A · Frosch · 1979 [cited by examiner]
US 4306967A · Trautwein · 1981 [cited by examiner]
US 4464315A · O'Leary · 1984 [cited by examiner]
US 4475356A · Lewis · 1984 [cited by examiner]
US 4532045A · Littmann · 1985 [cited by examiner]
US 4610783A · Hudson · 1986 [cited by examiner]
US 4836239A · Kinkead · 1989 [cited by examiner]
US 4931187A · Derham · 1990 [cited by examiner]
US 5145585A · Coke · 1992 [cited by examiner]
US 5211855A · Antelman · 1993 [cited by examiner]
US 5213694A · Craig · 1993 [cited by examiner]
US 5268092A · Eden · 1993 [cited by examiner]
US 5300225A · Fischer · 1994 [cited by examiner]
US 5332494A · Eden · 1994 [cited by examiner]
US 5342510A · Eden · 1994 [cited by examiner]
US 5424032A · Christensen · 1995 [cited by examiner]
US 5468377A · Clavin · 1995 [cited by examiner]
US 5525241A · Clavin · 1996 [cited by examiner]
US 5527462A · Davis · 1996 [cited by examiner]
US 5552058A · Fanning · 1996 [cited by examiner]
US 5611933A · Cleveland · 1997 [cited by examiner]
US 5622632A · Gallup · 1997 [cited by examiner]
US 5858219A · Kusmierz · 1999 [cited by examiner]
US 5879565A · Kusmierz · 1999 [cited by examiner]
US 6149929A · Friedman · 2000 [cited by examiner]
US 6274054B1 · Murphy, Jr. · 2001 [cited by examiner]
US 6596160B2 · Lee · 2003 [cited by examiner]
US 6716340B2 · Meyer · 2004 [cited by examiner]
US 6733654B1 · Itzhak · 2004 [cited by examiner]
US 6887389B2 · Judd · 2005 [cited by examiner]
US 7223337B1 · Franzino · 2007 [cited by examiner]
US 7252801B2 · Coffey · 2007 [cited by examiner]
US 7261285B2 · Kienbock · 2007 [cited by examiner]
US 7282156B2 · Franzino · 2007 [cited by examiner]
US 7497953B2 · Dart · 2009 [cited by examiner]
US 7802774B2 · Facius · 2010 [cited by examiner]
US 8088287B2 · Dart · 2012 [cited by examiner]
US 8223495B1 · Carlson · 2012 [cited by examiner]
US 8287732B2 · Chen · 2012 [cited by examiner]
US 8476196B2 · Paul, III · 2013 [cited by examiner]
US 8506797B2 · Niazi · 2013 [cited by examiner]
US 8553416B1 · Carlson · 2013 [cited by examiner]
US 8617315B2 · Mantelatto · 2013 [cited by examiner]
US 8668886B2 · Niazi · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 9062471B2 · Fischmann · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 9334518B2 · Medoff · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 9347303B2 · Horst · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 9464334B2 · Medoff · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 9491892B1 · Carlson · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 9540250B2 · Schubert · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 9926212B2 · Davie · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 10083767B2 · Smith · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 10144656B2 · Kimball · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 10752528B2 · Razavi-Shirazi · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 11067346B2 · Creati · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 11505474B2 · Trujillo · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 11549321B2 · Larchar · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 11585167B2 · Hoskins · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 11760671B2 · Zheng · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 20020014464A1 · Murphy, Jr. · 2002 [cited by examiner]
US 20040222166A1 · Van Vossen · 2004 [cited by examiner]
US 20050011839A1 · Dart · 2005 [cited by examiner]
US 20050211627A1 · Zahn · 2005 [cited by examiner]
US 20070114186A1 · Dart · 2007 [cited by examiner]
US 20070119787A1 · Dart · 2007 [cited by examiner]
US 20070284316A1 · Yamasaki · 2007 [cited by examiner]
US 20080197515A1 · Facius · 2008 [cited by examiner]
US 20110036785A1 · Martin · 2011 [cited by examiner]
US 20110198286A1 · Niazi · 2011 [cited by examiner]
US 20110232343A1 · Mantelatto · 2011 [cited by examiner]
US 20130056413A1 · Miranzadeh · 2013 [cited by examiner]
US 20130105416A1 · Whitehead · 2013 [cited by examiner]
US 20130134611A1 · Colclasure · 2013 [cited by examiner]
US 20130200012A1 · Holmes · 2013 [cited by examiner]
US 20140175001A1 · Willis, II · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 20140251881A1 · Duesel, Jr. · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 20140284495A1 · Medoff · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 20140342443A1 · Bohn · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 20150041401A1 · Williamson · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 20150279488A1 · Smith · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 20150299583A1 · Kelsey · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 20150367259A1 · Imler · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 20160017444A1 · Medoff · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 20160222476A1 · Medoff · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 20170009541A1 · Cox · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20170036145A1 · Duhon · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20170043278A1 · Kelsey · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20170080364A1 · Duhon · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20170159077A1 · Medoff · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20180215640A1 · Earman · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20180223611A1 · Cox · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20190023589A1 · Norman · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20190277586A1 · Creati · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20200025451A1 · Stone · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200172409A1 · Trujillo · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200263512A1 · Hoskins · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200378200A1 · Krohn · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20220371922A1 · Cioanta · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20230194194A1 · Al Ghamdi · 2023 [cited by examiner]
CN 104528931B · 2016 [cited by applicant]
EP 1647527A1 · 2006 [cited by applicant]
WO 2007114528A1 · 2007 [cited by applicant]
Ball, Andrew S. et al., “Algal growth control by a barley straw extract”, Bioresource Technology, vol. 77, Iss. 2, pp. 177-181, 2001 (5 pages). [cited by applicant]
Ridge, Irene et al., “Towards understanding the nature of algal inhibitors from barley straw”, Management and Ecology of Freshwater Plants, pp. 301-305, 1996 (5 pages). [cited by applicant]
Butler, Bryan et al., “Barley Straw: A Potential Method of Algae Control in Ponds”, Water Quality Workbook Series, Maryland Sea Grant Extension Program, University of Maryland College Park, Maryland, USA, 2001 (4 pages). [cited by applicant]
Guyer, J. Paul., “An Introduction to Cooling Tower Water Treatment”, Continuing Education and Development, Inc., 2014 (73 pages). [cited by applicant]
Islami, H.R. et al., “Use of barley straw to control nuisance freshwater algae”, Journal of American Water Works Association, pp. 111-118, 2011 (9 pages). [cited by applicant]
Office Action issued in corresponding Saudi Arabian Application No. 122440889, dated Apr. 24, 2024 (6 pages). [cited by applicant]
Cited By (1)
US 12,544,693