Patent ID: 11947369
Assignee: AQUACYCL, INC.
Field: Environmental technology (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC G  C  Y | IPC C  G

Claim 7:
8. A system for controlling a flow rate of a fluid, comprising:
a fluid containment tank structured to enclose a first interior space to contain the fluid, the fluid containment tank comprising a first access opening to the first interior space to allow the fluid to enter the first interior space, a second access opening to the first interior space to allow the fluid to exit the first interior space, a third access opening to the first interior space to allow the fluid to exit the first interior space, and an overflow conduit fluidically coupled to the fluid containment tank at the third access opening at a first end of the overflow conduit, the overflow conduit having a portion extending from the first end into the first interior space to a second end of the overflow conduit wherein the second end of the overflow conduit provides a fourth access opening into a hollow channel within the overflow conduit, the hollow channel spanning to the first end, and wherein the overflow conduit is configured to control an upper level of the fluid contained in the fluid containment tank;
a receiving tank fluidically coupled to the fluid containment tank and structured to enclose a second interior space to contain the fluid, the receiving tank comprising a fifth access opening to the second interior space to allow the fluid to enter the second interior space, and a sixth access opening to the second interior space to allow the fluid to exit the second interior space; and
a flow controller fluidically coupled to the receiving tank and comprising an enclosure having (i) an inflow port, (ii) an outflow port, and (iii) an internal volume between the inflow port and the outflow port, wherein the inflow port is configured to allow the fluid to enter the internal volume, and wherein the outflow port is configured to allow the fluid to exit the internal volume, and an actuator assembly configured to move the enclosure along a vertical direction aligned with the direction of gravity so as to control a flow of the fluid through and out of the flow controller,
wherein the flow controller is configured to control a flow rate of the fluid through the internal volume by changing a position of the internal volume relative to (1) a position of the receiving tank and (2) the upper level of the fluid in the fluid containment tank along the vertical direction, wherein a change of the position of the internal volume changes a hydraulic resistance of a path from the fluid containment tank to the outflow port of the flow controller through the internal volume.