Patent Publication Number: US-2012039146-A1

Title: Dual tube gas diffusion system

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a gas diffusion system that can be used in any application where it is necessary to introduce a gas into a fluid or liquid. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Gas diffusion into a fluid or liquid is an important operation for many industrial applications, including waste water treatment and aquaculture. Prior art gas diffusers can consist of a pipe that supplies gas through holes or perforations in the walls of the pipe to a surrounding liquid. For example, a gas supply pipe can be positioned on the bottom of a pond so that gases, such as oxygen or carbon dioxide can be added to the water in the pond for water treatment or aquaculture purposes. However, such pipes are subject to clogging and other mechanical problems and may be easily damaged. Other prior art gas diffusers can be relatively complicated, take up a considerable amount of space and have a high cost. 
     Therefore, there is a need in the art for improvements to gas diffusion systems. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a gas diffusion system that provides gas injection close to the point of use, with good diffusion into the liquid flow, and no gas loss. Further, the gas diffusion system of the present invention requires minimal equipment (or additional equipment if a diffuser is already in place), and a minimal amount of extra space. The gas diffuser of the present invention allows for easy control of the gas, is low cost and can easily be installed in existing systems. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a gas diffusion system according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a gas diffusion system that can be used in any application where it is necessary to introduce a gas into a fluid or liquid. The present invention will be described in greater detail with reference to  FIG. 1 . 
     In particular,  FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a gas diffuser according to one embodiment of the present invention comprising a gas inlet pipe  10 , a fluid or liquid inlet pipe  20 , a Y-connector  30 , and a dual pipe outlet  40 . The gas inlet pipe  10 , connects with the Y-connector  30 , through an adapter  32 , that provides for leak-proof connection. Similarly, the fluid inlet pipe  20 , connects with the Y-connector  30 , through an adapter  34 , that provides for leak-proof connection. The dual pipe outlet  40 , is connected to the outlet side  36 , of the Y-connector  30 , and comprises an outer pipe  42 , through which the fluid or liquid flows, and an inner pipe  44 , through which the gas flows. The inner pipe  44 , includes holes or perforations  46  that allow the gas to exit the inner pipe  44 , and diffuse into the liquid in outer pipe  42 . The liquid into which the gas has been diffused can then exit the system into the surrounding fluid or liquid in which the gas diffuser system in situated. 
     To assure leak proof connections, the adapters  32  and  34  can provide clamping action between the inlet pipes and the Y-connector and may include o-rings or other sealing means. The gas inlet pipe  10 , and the fluid inlet pipe  20 , and the outer pipe  42  of the dual pipe outlet  40  may be made of any suitable material for the desired application, including steel, aluminum, copper, plastic, PVC, etc. The inner pipe  44 , of the dual pipe outlet  40 , may also be made of any of the materials noted above, but is preferably made of a flexible material. The perforations  46 , can be of any desired size or shape to provide for optimal diffusion in the desired operation. While the invention has been described with a Y-connector, any other connector, such as a T-connector or another configuration is also within the scope of the present invention. 
     The present invention provides a gas diffusion system having many advantages over those known in the prior art. In particular, the gas diffusion system of the present invention offers flexible construction parameters that may be adapted to the desired operation at low cost. The gas diffusion system of the present invention provides efficient gas diffusion into the liquid or fluid with easy gas control and delivery to the point of use if desired. In addition, the gas diffusion system of the present invention requires minimal space and minimal equipment (or additional equipment if a diffuser is already in place), and may be easily installed in existing systems. 
     It will be understood that the embodiments described herein are merely exemplary and that one skilled in the art may make variations and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. All such variations and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention as described above. Further, all embodiments disclosed are not necessarily in the alternative, as various embodiments of the invention may be combined to provide the desired result.