Patent Publication Number: US-2013233782-A1

Title: Atomizing spray heads, atomizing methods, and fluid systems operating therewith

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/530,566, filed Sep. 02, 2011, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to fluid treatment apparatuses, and more particularly to spray heads capable of delivering an atomized spray of a fluid so that, for example, the fluid is able to absorb a second fluid. 
     Spray heads are generally devices adapted to disperse fluids in a spray containing droplets of the fluid. Spray heads are used for many purposes such as distributing a fluid over an area, increasing liquid surface area, and creating impact force on a solid surface. Generally, as fluid pressure increases, flow through the spray head increases, and droplet size decreases. Many configurations of spray heads are used depending on the spray characteristics desired. 
     Systems are known for pumping a fluid through a spray head to atomize the fluid so that the fluid is able to absorb a second fluid. One such example is a spray head adapted to introduce an atomized fluid (for example, potable water or sewage water) into a chamber containing oxygen at a high pressure, with the result that the fluid becomes saturated with oxygen. The oxygen-saturated fluid can then be introduced into a source of wastewater with the result that the wastewater contains sufficiently high levels of oxygen to promote the activity of aerobic microorganisms capable of biodegrading waste in the wastewater. 
     Current atomizing spray heads have a variety of designs. Typically, the atomizing spray heads include a tube with one or more orifices on an end of the tube and a deflector adjacent to the orifices. Pressurized fluid is pumped through the tube of the spray head, exiting the orifices, and contacting the deflector thereby atomizing the fluid. If the fluid contains solids, the tube may become blocked and flow restricted, requiring the spray head to be cleaned or replaced. 
     One method of reducing blockage within an atomizing head is to provide means by which the orifice size increases in response to blockage. As a nonlimiting example, an atomizing spray head may include a tapered screw and spring that cooperate such that, as fluid is pumped through the tube, contaminants trapped in the orifice build pressure upstream, causing the spring to expand, which in turn moves the screw to increase the size of the orifice such that the contaminants are able to pass through the orifice and out of the spray head. However, contaminants may catch on the internal spring itself, thereby blocking flow within the spray head. 
     Another method of reducing blockage within an atomizing spray head is to increase the cross-sectional area of the orifice and form the deflector in a spiral shape. The enlarged orifice reduces the likelihood of contaminants blocking the flow of the fluid, but may produce a less uniform spray pattern and density. 
     In view of the above, it can be appreciated that improved spray heads are desirable that are capable atomizing a fluid and reduce blockage while maintaining a desirable spray pattern and density. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides an atomizing spray heads, atomizing methods, and systems using such heads and methods to deliver an atomized fluid spray. 
     According to a first aspect of the invention, an atomizing spray head includes an inlet having a passage therein, a female tapered seat fluidically coupled to the passage of the inlet, and a male tapered plunger seated against the female tapered seat. The male tapered plunger is adjustably biased against the female tapered seat to pressurize a fluid that flows into the passage and causes the male tapered plunger to be unseated from the female tapered seat. A window that circumferentially surrounds the male tapered plunger, through which a pressurizing fluid that unseats the male tapered plunger from the female tapered seat is able to exit the spray head as an atomized spray in radial directions relative to the male tapered plunger. 
     According to a second aspect of the invention, a method of atomizing a first fluid so that the first fluid is capable of absorbing a second fluid includes providing a spray head including an inlet having a passage therein, a female tapered seat fluidically coupled to the passage of the inlet, a male tapered plunger seated against the female tapered seat, and a window that circumferentially surrounds the male tapered plunger. The male tapered plunger is adjustably biased against the female tapered seat to pressurize a fluid that flows into the passage and causes the male tapered plunger to be unseated from the female tapered seat. The method further includes pumping a first fluid into the passage of the spray head through the inlet, pressurizing the first fluid that flows into the passage to cause the male tapered plunger to be unseated from the female tapered seat, and releasing the first fluid through the window of the spray head as an atomized spray in radial directions relative to the male tapered plunger. 
     According to a third aspect of the invention, a system for treating wastewater includes a spray head including inlet having a passage therein, a female tapered seat fluidically coupled to the passage of the inlet, and a male tapered plunger seated against the female tapered seat. The male tapered plunger is adjustably biased against the female tapered seat to pressurize a fluid that flows into the passage and causes the male tapered plunger to be unseated from the female tapered seat. A window that circumferentially surrounds the male tapered plunger, through which a pressurizing fluid that unseats the male tapered plunger from the female tapered seat is able to exit the spray head as an atomized spray in radial directions relative to the male tapered plunger. The system is adapted to deliver water to the spray head where the water is atomized with the atomizing spray head to produce an atomized spray and adapted to introduce the water atomized by the atomizing spray head into a source of wastewater to biodegrade waste in the wastewater by promoting the activity of aerobic microorganisms. 
     A technical effect of the invention is the ability to atomize a fluid and reduce blockage while maintaining a desirable spray pattern and density. In particular, the invention utilizes a biasing means adapted to allow contaminants to pass through the spray head without the contaminants interfering with the function of the biasing means. 
     Other aspects and advantages of this invention will be better appreciated from the following detailed description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side view representing an atomizing spray head in accordance with an aspect of this invention. 
         FIG. 2  represents a cross-sectional view of the atomizing spray head of  FIG. 1  along section line B-B. 
         FIG. 3  is an end view of the atomizing spray head of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded view representing the atomizing spray head of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic representing a wastewater treatment system in accordance with an aspect of this invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIGS. 1 through 4  represent an atomizing spray head  10  that is capable of atomizing a fluid so that the fluid is capable of absorbing a second fluid. A preferred use of the spray head  10  is in a system  48  intended to treat wastewater, such as represented in  FIG. 5 . In such a system  48 , the spray head  10  can be used to atomize water within a chamber or vessel  52  that contains a pressurized gas (as nonlimiting examples, oxygen, nitrogen, ozone (O 3 ), air, and mixtures thereof) for the purpose of supersaturating the water with the gas. The supersaturated water can then be introduced into a source of wastewater to biodegrade waste in the wastewater by promoting the activity of aerobic microorganisms. Other uses of the spray head  10  are also possible and within the scope of this invention. 
       FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3  represent side, cross-sectional and end views of the spray head  10 , respectively, and  FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the spray head  10 . As labeled in  FIGS. 1 through 4 , the spray head  10  is an assembly comprising an inlet fitting  12 , a bushing  14 , an extension  16  that defines a female seat  36 , a plunger  18  having a head  38  for engaging the female seat  36 , and a housing  20  that defines a pocket  40  containing a stem portion of the plunger  18  opposite the plunger head  38 . The pocket  40  of the housing  20  is represented as further containing a compression coil spring  22  and thrust washer  24  assembled on the plunger  18 . The housing  20  is equipped with an adjustment screw  26  and lock nut  28  by which the axial movement of the plunger  18  within the pocket  40  can be adjusted. The female tapered seat  36  and housing  20  are axially spaced apart from each other to define a spray window  30  that circumferentially surrounds the plunger head  38 .  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3  further represent the spray head  10  as comprising a pass-through hole  32  within the plunger  18  that fluidically connects oppositely-disposed surfaces of the plunger  18  defined by the plunger head  38  and stem portion. A vent hole  34  is defined in the housing  20  for venting the pocket  40 . The fitting  12  defines an inlet passage  46  that is coaxially aligned with the female seat  36 , the plunger  18  and its head  38 , and the spring  22 . The female seat  36  and plunger head  38  are preferably complementarity tapered, as evident from  FIG. 2 . As a result, fluid flow to the plunger head  38  is axial, but fluid exits the window  30  of the spray head  10  in radial directions away from the plunger head  38 . 
     The fitting  12  is assembled to the bushing  14  and extension  16  to form a subassembly. The plunger  18 , spring  22  and washer  24  are placed within the spring pocket  40  and secured by inserting one end  42  of the housing  20  into the extension  16 , causing the tapered head  38  of the plunger  18  to engage the tapered seat  36  and the plunger  18  to compress the spring  22 . The screw  26  (with its lock nut  28 ) is threaded into a threaded bore in the opposite end  44  of the housing  20 . 
     A fluid entering the spray head  10  through the passage  46  within the fitting  12  is pressurized against the plunger  18 , resulting in the plunger head  38  being unseated from the tapered seat  36  to allow the fluid to exit the spray head  10  through the window  30  as an atomized spray. The screw  28  can be adjusted and locked into place to adjust the compression of the spring  22 , which in turn adjusts the pressure required to unseat the plunger  18 . Preferably, the fluid is atomized in a manner so that the fluid is capable of absorbing a second fluid. For example, it is believed that the atomized spray created by the spray head  10  includes both a fine mist and droplets of the fluid. The mist increases the surface area of the fluid increasing the likelihood that the fluid will absorb the second fluid, thereby increasing the likelihood that the fluid will become supersaturated. 
     The atomizing spray head  10  of  FIGS. 1 through 4  is capable of providing various benefits and advantages relating to the control of the atomized fluid spray to produce a desired level of gas saturation. The atomized spray created by the spray head  10  contains aeration bubbles whose size is controlled by pressure and the flow rate of the fluid between the tapered seat  36  and plunger head  38 . The pattern of the atomized spray can be adjusted with the screw  26  to adjust pressure against the plunger  18 . 
     The spray head  10  has a self-cleaning capability as a result of the spring  22  allowing the plunger  18  to further retract into the housing  20  if pressure builds up due to contaminants restricting or blocking the fluid flow between the tapered seat  36  and plunger head  38 , thereby allowing the build-up of contaminants to pass between the seat  36  and head  38 . Further, since the spring  22  is enclosed in the housing  20  and external to the fluid flow, contaminants are less likely to interfere with the function of the spring  22 . 
     In a similar manner, the spray head  10  has a self-adjusting capability to maintain a desired flow rate. The pass-through hole  32  in the plunger  18  is adapted to maintain a more optimal pressure balance across the plunger  18 . The vent hole  34  of the housing  20  vents the spring pocket  40 , and is thereby adapted to eliminate a hydraulic condition that might occur if the plunger  18  were to be fully retracted into the housing  20 . 
     As mentioned previously, a notable use of the spray head  10  is in a system  48  intended to treat wastewater, as represented in  FIG. 5 . The wastewater treatment system  48  is shown in  FIG. 5  as comprising a wastewater source  54  fluidically coupled to the spray head  10  and aforementioned pump  50  and vessel  52 . The pump  50  delivers water (or another suitable liquid) to the spray head  10  resulting in an atomized spray. The atomized spray is collected in the vessel  52  which may contain pressurized oxygen (or another suitable gas) for the purpose of supersaturating the water with the gas. The supersaturated water can then be introduced into the source of wastewater  54  to biodegrade waste in the wastewater by promoting the activity of aerobic microorganisms. 
     While the invention has been described in terms of a specific embodiment, it is apparent that other forms could be adopted by one skilled in the art. For example, the physical configuration of the spray head  10  and its components could differ from that shown, and materials and processes other than those noted could be used. Furthermore, while the spring  22  is shown as a compression coil spring, other types of springs, mechanical biasing means, and nonmechanical biasing means could be utilized to bias the plunger head  38  against the tapered seat  36 . Therefore, the scope of the invention is to be limited only by the following claims.