Patent Publication Number: US-2023159352-A1

Title: System and Method for Transporting Particulates in Water Using Directional Bubble Walls

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/283,102 filed on Nov. 24, 2021. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present description relates generally to a directional bubble system for transporting particulates in water and a method of using such a system. More specifically, the present description relates to a system including a plurality of bubble walls placed in successive order, for example, substantially in parallel and a method of using the system for moving water in order to transport particulates from one area of a body of water to another. 
     BACKGROUND 
     In many ponds, lakes, canals, docks, and beaches, removing duckweeds, algae, oil, debris, trash, and other contaminants or particulates (hereinafter collectively “particulates”) is a difficult and expensive job. These particulates are aesthetically unpleasant, and can cause damage to the environment and the aquatic ecosystem. Duckweeds and algae increase and decrease as the weather changes. Oil spills are mostly man-made and may devastate the water quality. Different kinds of particulates accumulate either near the surface of the water, underwater, or at the bottom floor of the water. 
     One of the ways to remove water particulates is using bubbles. Bubble plumes generated near the bottom floor of a body of water propel particulates in the water column upward toward the surface. When a substantially linear upstream of bubbles is ejected from the bottom of the water, it can block the drift of the detached particulates from spreading to the opposite side. The bubble “wall,” “curtain,” or “sheet” thus devised has been used to keep particulates away from a shoreline or canal and even contain particulates around a circle of the bubble curtain. 
     In order to clean a narrow waterway such as a canal, for example, a conventional bubble wall is installed on either side of the bank. When the bubble wall is turned on, they repel contaminants to the center of the waterway. Then the particulates need to be collected to complete the cleaning process. The collecting process is time-consuming and very expensive as well. Moreover, bubble walls often do not work to clean open water because bubble walls operate bidirectionally. When a bubble wall operates in open water, it splits and repels particulates in two directions perpendicular to itself, which does not help in isolating and collecting particulates. Therefore, a better way to clean waste water is needed. 
     SUMMARY 
     The disclosure presented herein relates to a system of directional bubble walls and method of using thereof for transporting particulates in water. More specifically, the present description relates to a system including a plurality of bubble walls and method of using the system for removing and advancing a particulate in water from one area of a body of water to another. 
     An embodiment of the system of directional bubble walls includes a plurality of bubble walls. Each bubble wall may have a shape elongated in one linear direction and has multiple air outlets directed in a perpendicular direction to the elongated direction. The air generated out of air outlets forms a blockade that either blocks particulates in water from moving through it and/or pushes the particulates away from it. The bubble walls may be placed in parallel to each other and separated from each other by a distance. An air source connected to the bubble walls may sequentially turn on and off the bubble walls such that the particulates may be removed and pushed in a desired direction. The bubble walls may also be turned on simultaneously, and other modes of operation may be adapted to effectively remove and move particulates. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings. The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  1 A  is a schematic view depicting an embodiment of a directional bubble water particulate treatment system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  1 B  is a partial perspective view depicting the system of  FIG.  1 A  showing a bubble wall in further detail. 
         FIG.  1 C  is a sectional view of the bubble wall of  FIG.  1 B  taken at the sectioning plane and in the direction indicated by section lines  1 C- 1 C. 
         FIG.  2    is a perspective view depicting another embodiment of the directional bubble water particulate treatment system installed near the edge of a shallow body of water. 
         FIG.  3 A  is a perspective view depicting another embodiment of the directional bubble water particulate treatment system installed under a canal. 
         FIG.  3 B  is a top view of the system of  FIG.  3 A . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the Summary above, this Detailed Description, the claims below, and in the accompanying drawings, reference is made to particular features of the invention. It is to be understood that the disclosure of the invention in this specification includes all possible combinations of such particular features. For example, where a particular feature is disclosed in the context of a particular aspect or embodiment of the invention, or a particular claim, that feature can also be used—to the extent possible—in combination with and/or in the context of other particular aspects and embodiments of the invention, and in the invention generally. 
     The term “comprises” and grammatical equivalents thereof are used herein to mean that other components, ingredients, steps, etc. are optionally present. For example, an article “comprising” (or “which comprises”) components A, B, and C can consist of (i.e., contain only) components A, B, and C, or can contain not only components A, B, and C but also contain one or more other components. 
     Where reference is made herein to a method comprising two or more defined steps, the defined steps can be carried out in any order or simultaneously (except where the context excludes that possibility), and the method can include one or more other steps which are carried out before any of the defined steps, between two of the defined steps, or after all the defined steps (except where the context excludes that possibility). 
     The term “at least” followed by a number is used herein to denote the start of a range including that number (which may be a range having an upper limit or no upper limit, depending on the variable being defined). For example, “at least 1” means 1 or more than 1. The term “at most” followed by a number is used herein to denote the end of a range, including that number (which may be a range having 1 or 0 as its lower limit, or a range having no lower limit, depending upon the variable being defined). For example, “at most 4” means 4 or less than 4, and “at most 40%” means 40% or less than 40%. When, in this specification, a range is given as “(a first number) to (a second number)” or “(a first number)— (a second number),” this means a range whose limits include both numbers. For example, “25 to 100” means a range whose lower limit is 25, upper limit is 100, and includes both 25 and 100. 
     As a preface to the detailed description, it should be noted that, as used in this specification, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements. 
     The present disclosure relates to a system of directional bubble walls for transporting water particulates and the method of using it. More specifically, the present description relates to a system of a plurality of bubble walls placed in a successive order, for example, substantially in parallel, and a method of using the system for removing and advancing a particulate in water from one area of a body of water to another. 
     Turning to  FIGS.  1 A- 1 C , an embodiment of the directional bubble water particulate treatment system  10  includes a bubble blockade  100  and an air source  200 . The bubble blockade  100  includes a plurality of bubble walls, sheets, or curtains. In  FIG.  1 A , four bubble walls/sheets/curtains  110 ,  120 ,  130 ,  140  are shown as a non-limiting example. Each of the bubble walls  110 ,  120 ,  130 ,  140  may have similar inner structures to each other as described hereinafter. Alternatively, the bubble walls  110 ,  120 ,  130 ,  140  may have different shapes and inner structures to each other. Notably, the bubble walls  110 ,  120 ,  130 ,  140  may have different lengths. Hereinafter, bubble wall  110  will be described in detail as a representative example. 
     As shown in  FIG.  1 C , an embodiment of the bubble wall  110  has a hollow area  112  inside it, so that air, oxygen, nitrogen, or any other gas known to a person having ordinary skill in the art may fill the hollow area  112 , as further described below. The bubble wall  110  is connected to the air source  200  at an air connection port  114  via a connecting air pipe/hose  210 . The connection between the air source  200  and the connecting air pipe/hose  210  at the air connection port  114  may be detachable, such that the air source  200  portion and the bubble walls  110 ,  120 ,  130 ,  140  may be separately stored and maintained when the system  10  is not deployed in the water. Alternatively, the connection between the air source  200  and the connecting air pipe/hose  210  at the air connection port  114  may be permanent and not detachable. The bubble wall  110  also has multiple air outlets  116 . The air outlets  116  may be in the form of simple openings. Alternatively, the air outlets  116  may include diffuser heads that are similar to shower heads. The air outlets  116  may take different forms as well known to a person in the art depending on the particulates so that the generated air bubbles may be optimal in removing and/or transporting specific particulates the system  10  targets. 
     Because the bubble wall  110  may be laid on the bottom floor of the water following the varying contour of the terrain at the bottom, the bubble wall  110  may be made of flexible and pneumatic material capable of containing pressurized gas in the hollow area  112  without leaking. For example, such material may be polyurethane, polyethylene, nylon, any other plastic, stainless steel, rubber with or without braid reinforcement, or any combination thereof. 
     When the air source  200  injects pressurized gas to the bubble wall  110  via the air connection port  114 , the hollow area  112  is pressurized. In a non-limiting embodiment where the bubble wall  110  is made of flexible material, the bubble wall  110  may inflate due to the pressurized gas. The cross-section of the bubble wall  110  in its inflated state may be of circular (as shown in  FIG.  1 C ), elliptical, or any other similar shape allowing the pressurized gas to fill in the hollow area  112 . If the bubble wall  110  is non-inflating, the cross-section of the bubble wall  110  may be in any other shape allowing the pressurized gas to fill in the hollow area  112 . The cross-sectional area of the hollow area  112  is sufficient to allow for an optimal inside pressure throughout the full length of the bubble wall  110 , whose pressure is enough to generate gas bubbles out to the water with sufficient pressure, as described in further detail below. 
     The bubble wall  110  also has multiple air outlets  116  disposed generally along the elongated direction  500 . Each of the air outlets  116  may be separated from each other by, for example, between 3 cm and 1 m. As shown in  FIG.  1 C , the air outlets  116  are generally directed in a bubble discharge direction  510  perpendicular to the elongated direction  500 , such that the bubbles generated out of the air outlets  116  are directed in the bubble discharge direction  510  and form a substantially two-dimensional bubble barrier. 
     In a non-limiting embodiment (not shown), the air outlets  116  may be generally directed in more than one bubble discharge directions, where each of the bubble discharge directions are angled with respect to one another, such that the bubbles generated out of the air outlets  116  form two or more substantially two-dimensional bubble barriers. For example, the bubble wall  110  may have two sets of air outlets  116 , one set of which are directed in a first bubble discharge direction, and the other set of which is directed in a second bubble discharge direction, such that the first bubble discharge direction and the second discharge direction are at 90° of each other. This configuration may be useful when the bubble wall  110  is placed at the bottom floor of the water and used to remove water particulates along the bottom surface of the water and simultaneously form a barrier directed upwards. 
     The cross-section of each air outlet  116  may be circular, elliptic, square, slit-shaped, or of any other shape of perforation having a diameter or size to allow for the generated pressurized bubbles to sustain their general direction along the bubble discharge direction  510  for a desired distance, or desired barrier height  520 , without being dissipated in the water. The desired barrier height  520  is defined as the height up to which strong bubbles are formed enough to remove and/or block water particulates. The desired barrier height  520  may be different depending on the type of water particulates the bubble wall  110  is intended to repel. Accordingly, the effect of the system  10  may vary depending on the type of water particulates. For a non-limiting example, the desired barrier height  520  for a certain type of water particulates may be between 30 cm and 3 m. In order to achieve the desired barrier height and thereby achieve an optimal bubble barrier effect, various parameters including the size and shape of the air outlets  116  and the gas pressure in the hollow area  112  may be adjusted. 
     The description about the bubble wall  110  is not limited to the specific bubble wall  110 , but other bubble curtains  120 ,  130 ,  140  or any other bubble walls used in the present invention may have the properties described above. 
     Turning to  FIG.  2   , an example of the directional bubble water particulate treatment system  10  installed in a shore of a shallow water  250  is shown. The shallow water may be a swimming pool. The system  10  has four bubble walls  110 ,  120 ,  130 ,  140  connected to the air source  200  (not shown). Where the system  10  is not installed in the open water, the connecting air pipes/hoses  210  (as shown in  FIG.  1 A ) between the bubble walls  110 ,  120 ,  130 ,  140  of the bubble blockade  100  and the air source  200  may be buried underground in order to minimize the chance of water waste forming around the connecting air pipes/hoses  210 . As with the bubble walls  110 ,  120 ,  130 ,  140 , the air pipes/hoses  210  are constructed to withstand pressures as known to a person having ordinary skill in the art sufficient to generate gas bubbles out to the water that can remove and/or block water particulates. 
     In one embodiment, each of the bubble walls  110 ,  120 ,  130 ,  140  is laid down to the bottom floor of the water by its own weight. Alternatively, an additional weight (not shown) may be attached to the bubble wall  110  so that it may overcome the buoyant force due to the gas in the hollow area  112  and sink under water. The bubble discharge direction  510  may be aligned upwards when the bubble wall  110  is underwater by attaching the additional weight on the opposite side of the bubble discharge direction  510 . In another embodiment, each of the bubble walls  110 ,  120 ,  130 ,  140  is affixed to the bottom floor of the water. For example, the bubble wall  110  may be tied to a bottom structure such as a rock or anchored to the bottom with a stake. The bubble wall  110  shown in  FIG.  2    is placed at the outermost edge of water  250 . Next, the bubble walls  120 ,  130 ,  140  are placed one after another. In this non-limiting example, each of the bubble walls  120 ,  130 ,  140  is separated from one another by about 3 m. However, any other distances deemed suitable to effectively remove particulates for a person having ordinary skill in the art may be possible. 
     The air source  200  has a control unit (not shown) that a user may adjust various parameters such as power on/off, time duration, modes of sequential operation, and gas pressure. In a non-limiting example, turning on and off of each bubble wall may be done by operation of one or more solenoid valves, but any other method known to a person having ordinary skill in the art may be used. In some embodiments, a user also can choose different modes of sequential operation. As a non-limiting example, in one mode of sequential operation, the bubble wall  110  is turned on first for about 30 seconds. Then, while keeping the bubble wall  110  on, its adjacent bubble wall  120  is turned on for about 30 seconds. Next, while keeping the bubble walls  110 ,  120  on, their adjacent bubble wall  130  is turned on for about 30 seconds. Next, while keeping the bubble walls  110 ,  120 ,  130  on, their adjacent bubble wall  140  is turned on for about 1 minute. Finally, all the bubble walls  110 ,  120 ,  130 ,  140  are turned off. The mode of operation described above may be repeated several times with the intervals between the operations having varying lengths of time. A non-limiting example of the total length of time may be between a few seconds and a few days. The modes of sequential operation may be programmable within the control unit, for example, by using a microprocessor and a memory. 
     In another non-limiting example, each of the bubble walls  110 ,  120 ,  130 ,  140  may be sequentially turned on, kept on for 40 seconds, then turned off, while overlapping for 10 seconds with the next bubble wall. For example, 30 seconds after bubble wall  110  is turned on, bubble wall  120  is turned on, then 10 seconds later bubble wall  110  is turned off, and so forth. This sequential operation may be repeated as many times as needed for removing particulates. 
     In yet another non-limiting example of a mode of operation, all the bubble walls  110 ,  120 ,  130 ,  140  are turned on simultaneously and left on for a certain duration of time, for example for about 5 minutes. Alternatively, the duration of operation for each bubble wall may be up to a few hours. 
     Turning to  FIGS.  3 A- 3 B , another non-limiting embodiment of the bubble system is shown. As shown in  FIGS.  3 A- 3 B , multiple bubble blockades may be installed in different locations near the shore of the water. For example, in a narrow canal  400  having one end  410  and two banks  420 ,  430  opposite each other, a pair of bubble walls  450 ,  460  similar to the bubble wall  110  of  FIGS.  1 B- 1 C  are installed along the banks  420 ,  430 . Additionally, a bubble blockade  300  similar to the bubble blockade  100  of  FIGS.  1 A and  2    is installed between the two bubble walls along the banks  420 ,  430 . The bubble blockade  300  is comprised of five bubble walls  310 ,  320 ,  330 ,  340 ,  350  disposed in parallel to each other, separated by 3 m from each other. In one mode of operation, bubble walls  450 ,  460  and bubble wall  310  of the bubble blockade  300  are turned on for a certain duration of time. Next, bubble walls  320 ,  330 ,  340 ,  350  are sequentially turned on, in a similar fashion described above for the modes of operation for bubble walls  110 ,  120 ,  130 ,  140 . The water particulates are removed and pushed away from the end  410  of the canal  400  toward open water, whose direction is represented generally by open water direction  470 . 
     Alternatively, in another mode of operation, bubble walls  450 ,  460  and bubble wall  350  of the bubble blockade  300  are turned on for a certain duration of time. Next, bubble walls  340 ,  330 ,  320 ,  310  are sequentially turned on. The water particulates may be removed and pushed toward the end  410  of the canal  400  and later collected by workers. 
     While embodiments have been illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TRANSPORTING PARTICULATES IN WATER USING DIRECTIONAL BUBBLE WALLS. Accordingly, the scope of the SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TRANSPORTING PARTICULATES IN WATER USING DIRECTIONAL BUBBLE WALLS is not limited by the disclosure of these preferred and alternate embodiments. Instead, the scope of the invention title is determined entirely by reference to the claims. Insofar as the description above and the accompanying drawings (if any) disclose any additional subject matter that is not within the scope of the claims below, the inventions are not dedicated to the public and Applicant hereby reserves the right to file one or more applications to claim such additional inventions. 
     The reader&#39;s attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with this specification and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference. 
     All the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent, or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example of a generic series of equivalent or similar features. 
     Any element in a claim that does not explicitly state “means for” performing a specified function, or “step for” performing a specific function is not to be interpreted as a “means” or “step” clause as specified in 35. U.S.C. § 112 ¶ 6. In particular, the use of “step of” in the claims herein is not intended to invoke the provisions of U.S.C. § 112 ¶ 6.