Patent ID: 8382075

Claim:
An air stripper comprising: a vessel having an interior for receiving a contaminated liquid; a tube disposed within the vessel, the tube forming a fluid path for transporting a gas into the interior of the vessel; a weir disposed within the vessel adjacent the tube; a gas exit port forming a fluid path out of the vessel for transporting the gas from the interior of the vessel; a contaminated liquid inlet, the contaminated liquid inlet forming a liquid path for supplying contaminated liquid to the interior of the vessel; a process fluid outlet port, the process fluid outlet port forming a liquid path for withdrawing process fluid from the interior of the vessel; and a level sensor and control that measures a level of process fluid within the vessel and controls the rate of contaminated liquid supplied into the vessel through the contaminated liquid inlet and the amount of process fluid withdrawn out of the vessel through the process fluid outlet port in order to maintain process fluid within the vessel at a predetermined operating level; wherein the weir includes a first weir end and a second weir end and is disposed within the vessel to define a first process fluid circulation gap between the first weir end and a first wall of the vessel and to define a second process fluid circulation gap between the second weir end and a second wall of the vessel which enables process fluid in a continuous liquid phase within the vessel to flow through the first and second circulation gaps when gas is introduced into the vessel from the tube, the first and second weir ends being disposed below the predetermined operating level of the process fluid within the vessel, and wherein the contaminated liquid includes volatile compounds.