US 12,351,481 B2
Systems and processes for injecting gas-infused additives
Franklin Defraine Mackin, Shepherdsville, KY (US); and Jeffrey Gordon Bacchus, Georgetown, KY (US)
Assigned to Ecolab USA Inc., St. Paul, MN (US)
Filed by ECOLAB USA INC., St. Paul, MN (US)
Filed on May 3, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/735,428.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/184,916, filed on May 6, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0356079 A1, Nov. 10, 2022
Int. Cl. C02F 1/24 (2023.01); B01D 17/02 (2006.01); B01D 21/00 (2006.01); B03D 1/14 (2006.01); B03D 1/24 (2006.01); C02F 101/32 (2006.01)
CPC C02F 1/24 (2013.01) [B01D 17/0205 (2013.01); B01D 21/0027 (2013.01); B03D 1/1431 (2013.01); B03D 1/145 (2013.01); B03D 1/1456 (2013.01); B03D 1/247 (2013.01); C02F 2101/32 (2013.01); C02F 2301/046 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A gas-floatation system for separating solids or oils from a liquid within a suspension, the gas-floatation system comprising:
a consolidator configured to separate the solids or oils from the liquid;
a consolidator supply pump configured to supply the suspension to the consolidator from a suspension source;
a gas-infusion apparatus configured to infuse a gas into an additive to produce a gas-infused additive;
an additive supply pump configured to supply the additive to the gas-infusion apparatus from an additive source; and
an additive injection tap configured to inject the gas-infused additive into the suspension or a liquid derived from the suspension;
wherein:
the consolidator supply pump is operatively connected to the suspension source via a suspension-inlet conduit and to the consolidator via a suspension-outlet conduit, and is configured to supply the suspension to the consolidator from the suspension source via the suspension-inlet and suspension-outlet conduits;
the additive supply pump is operatively connected to the additive source via an additive-inlet conduit and to the gas-infusion apparatus via an additive-outlet conduit, and is configured to supply the additive to the gas-infusion apparatus from the additive source via the additive-inlet and additive-outlet conduits;
the additive injection tap is located downstream of the consolidator supply pump and is operatively connected to the gas-infusion apparatus via an injection-tap conduit; the additive injection tap is in-line with the suspension-outlet conduit and is configured to inject the gas-infused additive into the suspension as the suspension is supplied to the consolidator; and
the gas-floatation system is configured to infuse the additive with the gas prior to the additive contacting the suspension or a liquid derived from the suspension.