Abstract:
Defoaming equipment, and more particularly, removing, defoaming, and storing large amounts of foam after a Blast Mitigation or Decontamination Foam has been used in either an open area or in an contained area is described. An apparatus is provided for defoaming, comprising: a vacuum system, including a vacuum head for drawing the foam through a suction hose terminating in a nozzle, that feeds the foam into a holding tank that initially stores a quantity of defoaming agent, and a pump drawing the defoaming agent from the holding tank to at least one injector that is fitted on the vacuum-side of the vacuum system, whereby the defoaming agent is actively mixed with the collected foam, reducing the collected foam. The reduced foam and defoaming agent are recirculated through the pump and the nozzle, the suction hose, the vacuum system, the injector and holding tank are of chemical-resistant construction.

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to the field of defoaming equipment, and more particularly, to removing, defoaming, and storing large amounts of foam after a Blast Mitigation or Decontamination Foam has been used in either an open area or in a contained area. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   In the past, defoaming equipment was used primarily in the defoaming of carpets after a cleaning process. This was accomplished by vacuuming foam into a holding tank incorporated in a carpet cleaning machine and passively mixing it with some type of liquid defoamer. An example of such a system appears in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 5,813,086. This was done to break down the detergent in a simple and inexpensive manner, thereby reducing the space required to contain the spent liquid. 
   Current generations of Blast and Decontamination Foams are considerably thicker and more stable than industrial cleaning foams, are much harder to break down, and readily produce copious amounts of additional foam when agitated; all aspects that render conventional defoaming techniques impractical. These new foams include, for example, those described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 6,405,626, issuing on Jun. 18, 2002 and titled “Decontaminating and Dispersion Suppressing Foam Formulation”, and in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 6,553,887, issuing on Apr. 29, 2003 and titled “Foam Formulations”. There is a need for a method of, and an apparatus for breaking down and collecting these new foams. 
   These new foams may be employed in a variety of manners. For example, Blast Mitigation Structures have been developed such as those described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 6,439,120, issuing on Aug. 27, 2002, and titled “Apparatus and Method for Blast Suppression”. In short, this patent describes the process of placing a fabric tent-like structure over a suspect package, filling the tent with Blast Mitigation Foam, and detonating the suspect package. The tent-like structure and Blast Mitigation Foam absorb the energy of the explosion and contain any contaminants. The contents of the Blast Mitigation Structure must then be removed and disposed of, while minimizing the risk of exposing technicians and/or the environment to hazardous materials. This is also preferably done without coating the Blast Mitigation Structure with defoaming compound, which might compromise the use of the Blast Mitigation Structure in the future. Presently, there are no effective ways of doing this. 
   Similarly, various foams may be used to decontaminate vehicles or surface areas exposed to chemical, biological or radiological components or similar threats. No effective means or methods of collecting such decontaminant foams are currently available. 
   There is therefore a need for a method of and apparatus for defoaming, provided with consideration for the problems outlined above. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved method of, and an apparatus for defoaming, which obviates or mitigates at least one of the disadvantages described above. 
   The present invention allows for the defoaming of Blast Mitigation Foam systems (such as the Universal Containment System available from Allen-Vanguard Corporation) as well as small or large scale Area Decontamination or Containment Foams. 
   This is accomplished by first mixing a measured amount of defoaming liquid to the proper ratio of water in a holding tank. Any defoaming agent can be used with the mechanical system of the described invention. In order to break the foaming capability of the originally dispensed foam, the defoaming agent must simply have a lower surface tension than the surfactant used to generate the foam in the first place. 
   The defoaming agent is then pumped through a series of hoses dispensing it into the collected foam through one or more injectors located near a vacuum nozzle head and again through one or more injectors located where the suction hose enters the holding tank. The defoaming agent is constantly re-circulated throughout the system to continually provide contact with the foam that is being extracted. 
   When used with a Blast Mitigation Structure (BMS), the foam is brought in through an arcuate vacuum suction nozzle, specifically designed to accommodate the BMS. The arcuate nozzle has been designed to present a very low profile to minimize any residue remaining in the tent, and is shaped to match the floor opening of the BMS so that it can extract the foam from within the tent over the largest possible area, with minimum risk of coming into contact with and possibly triggering, an explosive device that the system is containing. 
   The same process and apparatus may be used to collect foam from the decontamination of vehicles or areas. It is preferred to use an elongated nozzle to perform such defoaming, the elongated nozzle having a squeegee surface on three sides to help direct the suction and draw the foam in. 
   The system will break down and retain Blast Mitigation Foam and Area Decontaminating Foam containing pertinent forensic evidence. The system will also break down and retain Blast Mitigation Foam and Decontaminating Foam containing the by-products of chemical, biological, and radiological particles. 
   The holding tank on this system can be removed and replaced when full capacity is reached. This allows continued defoaming, almost immediate gathering of evidence, and quick containment and scientific study for the presence of chemical and biological by-products as well as radiological particles. 
   According to an embodiment of the invention there is provided an apparatus for defoaming, comprising: a vacuum system for collecting foam, the vacuum system including a vacuum head for drawing the foam through a suction hose terminating in a nozzle, the vacuum system feeding the foam into a holding tank; the holding tank initially storing a quantity of defoaming agent; and a pump for drawing the defoaming agent from the holding tank and feeding the defoaming agent to at least one injector, the at least one injector being fitted on the vacuum-side of the vacuum system, whereby the defoaming agent is actively mixed with the collected foam, reducing the collected foam, and the reduced foam and defoaming agent are recirculated through the pump; the nozzle, the suction hose, the vacuum system, the at least one injector and the holding tank being of chemical-resistant construction. 
   According to another embodiment of the invention there is provided a method of defoaming comprising the steps of: collecting foam using a vacuum system, the vacuum system including a vacuum head for drawing the foam through a suction hose terminating in a nozzle, the vacuum system feeding the foam into a holding tank; initially storing a quantity of defoaming agent in the holding tank; and drawing the defoaming agent from the holding tank and feeding the defoaming agent to at least one injector using a pump, the at least one injector being fitted on the vacuum-side of the vacuum system, whereby the defoaming agent is actively mixed with the collected foam, reducing the collected foam, and the reduced foam and defoaming agent are recirculated through the pump; the nozzle, the suction hose, the vacuum system, the at least one injector and the holding tank being of chemical-resistant construction. 
   This summary of the invention does not necessarily describe all features of the invention. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     These and other features of the invention will become more apparent from the following description in which reference is made to the appended drawings wherein: 
       FIG. 1  presents a perspective, partially-exploded view of a defoaming system in an embodiment of the invention; 
       FIGS. 2A and 2B  present front and side views respectively, of the defoaming system of  FIG. 1 , further including a holding tank and lid for the holding tank; 
       FIG. 3  presents an electrical and process schematic in an embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 4  presents a detail of the electrical wiring in an embodiment of the invention; 
       FIGS. 5A ,  5 B and  5 C present top, side and perspective views of an arcuate nozzle in an embodiment of the invention; and 
       FIGS. 6A ,  6 B and  6 C present bottom, side and perspective views of an elongated nozzle in an embodiment of the invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   An exemplary apparatus for implementing the invention will be described with respect to the embodiments appearing in  FIGS. 1-6 . A partial parts list of the components used in these embodiments is summarized in the following table: 
   
     
       
             
           
             
             
             
             
             
           
         
             
                 
             
             
               DEFOAMER MATERIALS LIST 
             
           
        
         
             
               Item 
               Part 
               Part Description 
               Part # 
               Supplier 
             
             
                 
             
             
               10 
               Vacuum Head 
               ShopVac 
                 
               ShopVac 
             
             
               12 
               BMF Nozzle 
               Suction Nozzle (BMF) 
               TD-DF-007 
               VRS 
             
             
               14 
               SDF Nozzle 
               Suction Nozzle (SDF) 
               TD-DF-008 
               VRS 
             
             
               16 
               Suction Hose 
               2½″ Hose 
             
             
               18 
               Holding Tank 
               65 Gal. Overpack 
               1065-YE 
               Enpac 
             
             
               20 
               Pump 
               Diaphragm Pump 
               2088-594-500 
               SHURflo 
             
             
               22 &amp; 24 
               Mixing Nozzle 
               Kynar VeeJet 
               H-1/8-V V -KY 120 08 
               John Brooks 
             
             
               26 &amp; 28 
               Return Nozzle 
               Kynar VeeJet 
               H-1/8-V V -KY 120 08 
               John Brooks 
             
             
               30, 32 &amp; 
               Outlet Line 
               ⅛″ Tubing G3 
             
             
               34 
             
             
               36 &amp; 38 
               Return line 
               ⅛″ Tubing G3 
             
             
               40 
               Ball Valve 
               ¼″ Female × Female 
             
             
               42 
               Drop Tube 
               ⅝″ Tubing 
             
             
               44 
               Inlet Line 
               ½″ Tubing 
             
             
               46 
               Outlet Line 
               ½″ Tubing 
             
             
               48 
               Holding Tank Lid 
                 
                 
               Enpac 
             
             
                 
             
           
        
       
     
   
     FIG. 1  presents a perspective view of the components of the system, with the holding tank  18  removed so that the interior drop tube  42  can be seen. The lid  48  of the holding tank  18  is also not shown in  FIG. 1  so that the relationship of the pump  20  and other components can be seen. All of these components, including the lid  48  and holding tank  18 , are shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B . The pump  20  and other components are shown in a partially exploded view in  FIG. 1 , but are generally mounted on the lid  48  of the holding tank  18  as shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B . The pump  20  may be mounted directly on the lid  48 , supported by standoffs or some other for of bracket. 
     FIG. 3  presents the same system schematically, showing both the electrical control and process flow. The electrical control is quite simple in this embodiment as the pump  20  and vacuum head  10  are powered and controlled independently of one another, from 120 VAC sources via separate electrical cords V 1  and V 2 . These two devices may be are turned on and off with manual electrical switches, or alternatively, a simple electrical interlock system may be employed to ensure that the pump  20  only operates when the vacuum head  10  is running (to prevent defoaming agent from accidentally pouring out through the nozzle  12 ,  14 ). Other safety interlocks may also be provided, for example, to shut the system down in the event that the holding tank  18  is full, or missing. 
     FIG. 4  presents an exemplary electrical control system in which the pump is hard-wired to a toggle switch  50 , which receives power from the line side of a 120 VAC insulated receptacle  52 . The insulated receptacle  52  is used to bring power to the vacuum head  10 , and is powered by an electrical cord V 3 . 
   In the operation of the defoaming system a measured amount of defoaming solution is mixed with a measured amount of water and is poured into the holding tank  18 . The holding tank  18  may consist of any suitable container that vacuum head  10  may be mounted on, or may be connected to via suitable pipes or hoses. This may include, for example, a stock plastic container from ShopVac, or a sealable container suitable for storage and transport of radioactive or biological waste, or even containers permanently mounted on vehicles or trailers. The Enpac 1065-YE has the particularly convenient features of being nestable, having a gasketed lid which seals the contents, being approved for use as a waste handling container and being fabricated of a relatively chemically inert polyethylene. 
   The pump  20  is turned to the on position and the defoaming solution is drawn up the drop tube  42  through inlet line  44  to pump  20 . The defoaming solution is then brought through the pump  20  into outlet line  46 , it is allowed free travel down return line  38  to tank return nozzle  26  through return line  36  and into tank return nozzle  28 . This is the re-circulate only mode. 
   Pump  20  identified above is a self-priming diaphragm pump which operates on 120 VAC, and deliveries a flow rate of up to 3 gallons per minute (though the flow rate does vary with the back pressure). Like the other components of the system, the portions of the pump  20  that are in contact with the defoaming agent and foam being collected are made of chemically resistant materials. Of course, other similar pumps could also be used. The voltage for the pump, for example could be specified to match whatever voltage is locally available. 
   The spray nozzles  22 ,  24 ,  26  and  28  are KYNAR™ VeeJet™, small capacity injectors, which provide a flat spray that is easy to align. They are also made out of chemical and corrosion-resistant material. Other injectors could also be used. 
   There are many suitable wet/dry vacuum heads  10  available, which again, are preferably of chemical resistant construction. The voltage for the vacuum head  10  should also match whatever is locally available. 
   As the remaining liquid flows past tank return nozzle  26  it is directed by a directional control valve  40 , such as a ball valve. If the solution reaches valve  40  in the closed position it is only allowed to circulate as described above. When valve  40  is in the opened position the solution travels down outlet line  30  diverting at the junction of outlet line  32  and outlet line  34  and out mixing nozzle  22  and mixing nozzle  24 . 
   Turning the power on at vacuum head  10  causes a vacuum in suction hose  16 . The vacuum in suction hose  16  causes the foam to be drawn in through suction nozzle  12  into suction hose  16  where it comes into contact with defoaming solution through mixing nozzles  22  and  24 . The foam continues up suction hose  16  through vacuum head  10  where it is hit again with the defoaming solution through return nozzles  26  and  28 . 
   At this point the foam has been brought back to a liquid state, falls into holding tank  18  is steadily sprayed from return nozzles  26  and  28  and the cycle continues. 
   The appropriate fittings, adapters, tubing, couplings, elbows, bushing, tees, straps and strainers required for any given implementation would be clear to the person skilled in the art. 
     FIGS. 5 and 6  present exemplary vacuum nozzles that could be used with the invention. Of course, other designs could also be used depending on the application. The details of these two designs are given hereinafter, with respect to the description of their particular applications. Exemplary applications of the invention are as follows: 
   Blast Mitigation Foam (BMF) 
   This form of defoaming can be used for many scenarios, three examples of which are given below: 
   1) In the case where a trained Security Guard discovers a suspect package, he would place a Blast Mitigation Structure (BMS) over the suspect package and fill said structure with Mitigating Foam (MF) rendering the area relatively safe. A suitable BMS would be, for example, the Universal Containment System available from Vanguard Response Systems. A suitable MF would be, for example, GCE-2000 available from Vanguard Response Systems. 
   The BMS would remain in place until the proper Law Enforcement Agency arrives at the scene. At this time Law Enforcement may wish to determine (through x-ray) whether the suspect package is a serious threat. At this point the MF must be evacuated in order to x-ray and place the desired detonating device. The system of the invention provides the only suitable way of performing this evacuation of the MF. 
   2) A BMS is placed over a suspect package by a trained Law Enforcement Officer and the desired detonating device is placed. The BMS is filled with MF and the package detonated. It is now desirable to collect any blast related evidence. The BMS can be lifted and the MF allowed to flow, but then the evidence would also be allowed to flow with it into tall grass or into drains, or through cracks and crevices. Similarly, if the package was a “dirty bomb” containing some form of contaminant, lifting the BMS would allow the contaminant to escape. Clearly, this is not desirable. 
   3) A BMS is placed over a suspect package by a trained Law Enforcement Officer, the package is X-rayed and then disruptors are suitably positioned for maximum effect. The BMS is filled with MF and the disruptors fired. It is now desirable to remove the foam to establish whether the disruptors had the desired effect, or if additional means have to be employed and the BMS refoamed. At the same time It is necessary to ensure that there is no loss of valuable forensic evidence throughout this process. 
   The suction nozzle of  FIGS. 5A ,  5 B and  5 C is specifically developed for non-interference with suspect packages when covered by the BMS. As shown, this suction nozzle is Vacuum Formed from a chemically-resistant polymer. The low profile of this suction nozzle allows it to be slipped under the edge of the BMS. 
   The indentations in the two arc-shaped plates  60  not only hold the nozzle together and space the two plates apart, and help distribute the suction from the vacuum. Without such distribution, the vacuum would tend to draw foam from a very small area, simply creating a hole, rather than drawing all of the foam more uniformly from the BMS. 
   In operation, the suction nozzle of  FIGS. 5A ,  5 B and  5 C is inserted into the BMS, and a vacuum applied to pull the MF from the BMS. As the MF is evacuated it is sprayed with the defoaming solution as it enters the vacuum hose first and then again as it enters the holding tank. This recycling of the defoaming solution continues until the MF is brought to a low enough height within the BMS to allow properly trained Law Enforcement personnel to safely perform their required tasks. The holding tank is then removed, capped and replaced. This allows each holding tank to be removed and its contents examined for possible forensic evidence. 
   Note that it may be desirable in some applications to include a strainer or screen over the suction nozzle. This might be desirable, for example, when used with a BMS to ensure that small items such as detonators are not collected into the holding tank of the defoaming system. 
   This operation remains the same with the presence of a chemical, biological or radiological threat. 
   Area Decontamination or Containment Foams 
   Area decontamination and containment foams are used where Chemical, Biological, Radiological or other hazardous materials have been discovered. 
   The Decontamination or Containment Foam is applied over the contaminated area eliminating the risk of further air born particles, and neutralizing chemical and biological agents. 
   Chemical and Biological Surface Decontamination 
   In the case of military type chemical or biological threats, Decontamination Foam will neutralize the Contaminating Agent after application and a stated contact time. In the case of other Hazardous materials foam can be used to contain dangerous off gassing to reduce the surrounding area affected. The Defoamer in this instance is primarily used as a high capacity clean up tool. It does however, hold the remaining active agent in close proximity with the decontamination solution allowing the contact time to effect more complete neutralization, and assists in the retention of any forensic evidence that may be present, and will help to suck up and store, for subsequent clean up operations, any hazardous liquids or powders that might be present. 
   Radiological Surface Decontamination 
   In the case of a radiological cleanup, decontamination solution is applied to prevent the radiological particles from becoming air born. During cleanup, the Defoamer holding tank  18  will contain this hazard allowing the clean up operation for transfer to another permanent storage container if required. 
   In the case of area decontamination a modified elongated nozzle  14  as shown in  FIGS. 6A ,  6 B and  6 C is used to collect the Surface Decontamination Foam (SDF) and allow it to be vacuumed into the path of the defoaming solution. This elongated nozzle  14  is quite similar to conventional elongated vacuum nozzles, except that it only has a squeegee surface on three sides—the two short sides  70 ,  72  and one long side  74  (the side closest to the vacuum hose  16 ). 
   As the SDF enters the suction hose  16  it is sprayed with this defoaming solution by two (2) nozzles  22 ,  24  oriented at approximately 120° with respect to the direction of flow of the foam being collected. The mixture continues up the suction hose  16  in constant contact with one another and is again sprayed with defoaming solution as it enters the holding tank  18 . The 120° orientation is against the direction of flow of the foam entering the holding tank to encourage mixing. The foam head in the holding tank  18  is also constantly sprayed with defoaming solution to further increase the defoaming rate. 
   The Defoaming Chemical: 
   Any defoaming agent can be used with the mechanical system of the described invention. The defoamer, in order to break the foaming capability of the originally dispensed foam, must simply have a lower surface tension than the surfactant used to generate the foam in the first place. This will provide the desired thinning and collapse of the lamella. 
   Possible chemical structures for defoamers are molecules with a low surface tension, such as silicone, mineral oils, fatty acids and fluorocarbons. The mechanical system of this invention provides the search stress to the solution in order to ensure the distribution of the chosen chemical defoamer. 
   The system is also designed to provide a means for the defoamer chemical to be recycled in order to continually provide contact to the foam that is being extracted. This improves the mechanical mixing, the contact between the defoaming chemicals and the foam, and minimizes the use of defoaming chemicals in this application for maximum cost effectiveness. Therefore, the ratio of defoamer to surfactant should be great enough to provide defoaming capability to the complete liquid volume of the holding tank. If these parameters are simply unknown to the end user (e.g. surface tension values, total volume), the system at any time can be stopped and more chemical defoamer can simply be added to the holding tank  18 . This does not in any way jeopardize the application. 
   It should be noted however, that although the type of defoamer is not a critical component, care should be taken to ensure that a non-hazardous chemical solution is chosen in order to ensure the safety of the operator. Several non-toxic, biodegradable and environmentally friendly defoamers are available on the market to choose from. The selection of a suitable defoaming solution would be clear to one skilled in the art. 
   All citations are hereby incorporated by reference. 
   The present invention has been described with regard to one or more embodiments. However, it will be apparent to persons skilled in the art that a number of variations and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.