A DEVICE FOR SUPPLYING OXYGEN INTO A VOLUME OF WATER

Abstract: The present invention refers to a device for supplying oxygen into a volume of water (15), which is to be oxygenated through at least one air intake (3). The air intake (3) is provided to supply at least one injector (6) with air (9), as at least one pump (6) sucks in water (10) from the volume of water (15), resulting in a water-air mixture (17) being fed into the volume of water (15) below a surface of water (19).

Description: A device for supplying oxygen into a volume of water The present invention refers to a device in an oxygen supplying unit into a volume of water and which is located in the water and cooperates with a pump, an injector and an intake air device, which together produce a mixture of water and air that oxygenates and agitates the water. Different types of oxygen supplying structures are used on the market today, which consist of several oxygen supplying units connected to each other to feed air to a volume of water e.g. a watercourse, a lake, a basin, a tank or similar, so that oxygen essential for life is added to the organisms living in said volume of water. All these oxygen supplying units add air through intake air devices, operated with positive pressure from compressors, located above the surface of the water. If it is needed to oxygenate greater volumes of water in a larger area the air is supplied to several oxygen supplying units at the same time and water is supplied in separate water pipes, which makes it necessary to connect a net of hoses and pipes to each oxygen supplying unit. This leads to a low flexibility as it is difficult to place each air intake and each water pipe where they are most needed at the moment and these units must therefore be connected anew or be totally rebuilt for the new circumstances that arise. This is complicated, expensive and time consuming. Furthermore it will be extra complicated, since all oxygen supplying units work with separate water pumps and intake air devices which are located above the water surface. The water is pumped down through separate water pipes in order to agitate the water that is to be oxygenated so that sediment and other objects are moved around in the volume of water which makes the oxygenation take place in the depth. All these pipes and connections to pumps and air intakes cost a lot to install, operate and maintain and consume much energy. Furthermore their structure is so complicated that each oxygen supplying unit must be designed with separate oxygen supplying units according to its range of application. They are also easily silted up with gravel, mud and stones circulating in the system. Their compressors and pumps are mainly located above the surface of the water and noisy and therefore disturb the surroundings. One object of the present invention is to eliminate the disadvantages of above mentioned structures and to simplify and cheapen the production, use and maintenance of these. Thanks to the present invention a simple oxygen supplying unit has been produced, a unit mixing air and water into an air- water mixture which is pressed through an injector on a predetermined depth preferably close to the bottom, where the amount or volume of water to be oxygenated and agitated is located. According to the invention air or oxygen is obtained from above the water surface through an air intake preferably consisting of a hose or a pipe. The air intake is connected to a pump placed close to the bottom where it also draws in water that is mixed with air and where it is also connected to an injector. All this is anchored to an anchorage unit preferably a floating arrangement consisting of a landing stage, a buoy, a boat or similar and together it forms an oxygen supplying unit. This unit is in a short time easily moved to any chosen place and there is no need for any special installation, which also makes it easy to supply with current through a cable which is attached to the pump through the air intake, said cable always moves together with the unit. It is therefore only the cable that has to be connected and no water pipes or air compressors are needed. As the pump is started through current supply from above, water is drawn into the pump directly from the volume of water preferably close to the bottom and is thereafter pressed into the injector. The motion of the water in the injector automatically draws in air from the air intake and the water and air are mixed in the injector. The pressure established in the pump against the now drawn in water-air mixture presses it out into the water volume, which is to be oxygenated and agitated. The injector ejects the water-air mixture with such a force that air bubbles and water agitate the surrounding amount of water so that mud, sediment and other particles are moved around and made accessible for oxygenation which makes marsh gas and bad smell disappear at the same time as the vital oxygenation takes place without hurting living organisms such as fish and crawfish in piscicultures. As the pump and injector are submerged in the water the surroundings are not disturbed by noise. A swimming particles strainer is fitted to the inlet of the pump, which prevents the clogging of the oxygen supplying unit by gravel, mud and stones. The air bubbles are smaller at the beginning depending on the water pressure being higher at the bottom than closer to the surface, enabling them to agitate small particles at the bottom to get an effective oxygenation. Thereafter the bubbles rise and thanks to the diminished water pressure they will grow bigger and bigger and also lighter, which make them rise faster and faster the closer to the surface they get. This will spread the oxygenation capacity to a greater volume of water at me same time as me volume or water ctoser to tne suriace is aiso pux into strong motion. The greatest advantages of the invention therefore is that it is simple and cheap to manufacture, install, handle and maintain and is therefore suitable for the oxygenation of small volumes of water such as aquariums as well as greater volumes of water such as big basins and pools, lakes and similar. This is made possible through the use of number of oxygen supplying units necessary, each of which is working independently but together form a flexible and complete oxygen supplying unit which during the oxygenation work easily may be adapted to the prevailing circumstances, since each oxygen supplying unit is separately movable. The invention will now be described in more detail below with the aid of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, on which: Figure 1 shows a schematic view of an oxygen supplying unit placed in a volume of water, which is to be oxygenated and Figure 2 shows a schematic section of the connection of the pump to the injector. As can be seen from the embodiment of the invention illustrated in fig. 1 an oxygen supplying unit 1 is mainly submerged into a volume of water 15 below a surface of water 19, said oxygen supplying unit comprises an anchorage unit 2 such as a landing-stage or a quay. It can also be a floating device 20 such as a boat, a buoy or similar which is easily movable. To this anchorage unit 2 an air intake 3 is connected, which may be in the form of a hose, a pipe or similar and adjustably connected, so that it when needed may be adjusted in the directions 13, 14 upwards and downwards. To this, closer to the bottom 4, an injector 5 and a pump 6 are attached, said pump 6 is powered by a cable 7. As a result of the negative pressure built up when this water passes the injector 5, the air intake 3 draws in air 9, as the pump 6 draws in water 10 through a strainer 11 fitted to a water intake on the pump 6. The air 9 and the water 10 are mixed in the injector 5 and this water- air mixture 17 is pressed out through a nozzle 12 at the injector 5 in a pre-set distance 16 from the bottom 4, said distance 16 is adjustable in the directions 13,14. The air- water mixture 17 agitates the volume of water 15, so that mud, particles, sand and gravel are put in motion and water bubbles 18 coming out of the nozzle 12 oxygenate the volume of water 15. As can be seen from the embodiment example of the invention illustrated in fig. 2, an ejection device 21 is fitted to the pump 6, which discharges into a connection place 22 of the air intake 3, where the water 10 and the air 9 are mixed in the injector 5. The length 23 of the ejection device 21 is kept as short as possible to minimise the friction of the water against the ejection device 21 to keep energy consumption as low as possible, when the pump 6 is pumping water into the injector 5. The invention can of course be used by powering the pump 6 with some other kind of energy than electricity.

Claims: Claims 1. A device for supplying oxygen into a volume of water (15), said volume of water is to be oxygenated through at least one air intake (3), characterized in that the air intake (3) is provided to supply at least one injector (6) with air (9), as at least one pump (6) sucks in water (10) from the volume of water (15), resulting in that a water-air mixture (17) being fed into the volume of water (15) below a surface of water (19). 2. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the pump (6) being attached directly or indirectly to the air intake (3). 3. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the pump (6) and the injector (5) being located close to a bottom (4). 4. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the pump (6) comprises at least one strainer (11) straining the water (10) from unwanted particles. 5. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the injector (5) comprises at least one nozzle (12) from which the water-air mixture (17) is ejected. 6. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the injector (5) being vertically adjustable in directions (13, 14) enabling the variation of a distance (16). 7. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the air intake (3) being attached to at least one anchorage unit (2). 8. A device according to claim 7, characterized in that the anchorage unit (2) consists of at least one floating device (20). 9. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the pump (6) comprises at least one ejection unit (21) ejecting water into a connection place (22) located in the injector (5), where the water (10) and the air (9) create said water-air mixture (17). 10. A device according to claim 9, characterized in that the length (23) of the ejection unit (21) being shorter than the extension of the connection place (22) in the same direction. 11. A device according to claim 3, characterized in that the water (10) being sucked in at the pump (6) or at its upper part enabling the injector (5) to work with mud and sediment close to the bottom. 12. A device according to claim 1 or 8, characterized in that the the water-air mixture (17) is used as a force to move and steer the anchorage unit (2).

Inventors: ELOFSSON BENGT, ELOFSSON, BENGT
Applicants: ELOFSSON BENGT, ELOFSSON, BENGT
Application year: 2001
Main classification: B01F3
IPC codes: A01K63, B01F5, B01F13, C02F3