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US-12616916-B1 - Apparatuses, systems and methods for draining an air moisture separator

US12616916B1US 12616916 B1US12616916 B1US 12616916B1US-12616916-B1

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatuses to drain an air moisture separator are provided herein. A blower may be configured to draw air through the air moisture separator, such that moisture is separated from the air and collected within the air moisture separator. A valve may be configured to permit the moisture to exit the air moisture separator based on a pressure within the air moisture separator. A controller may be configured to deactivate the blower based on a first determination and activate the blower based on a second determination. The first determination and the second determination may be based on measurements detected by one or more sensors.

Inventors

  • Jason Stewart

Assignees

  • ADVANCED CLEANUP TECHNOLOGIES INC.

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20230602

Claims (14)

  1. 1 . An apparatus for draining an air moisture separator, the apparatus comprising: a blower fluidly coupled to the air moisture separator and configured to draw air through the air moisture separator when the blower is activated, such that moisture is separated from the air and collected within the air moisture separator; a valve connected to the air moisture separator, wherein the valve permits the moisture to exit the air moisture separator based on an amount of moisture collected within the air moisture separator; one or more sensors; and a controller that deactivates the blower based on a first determination and activates the blower following deactivation of the blower based on a second determination, wherein the first determination is based on a first measurement detected by the one or more sensors, and wherein the valve is a check valve that permits the moisture to exit the air moisture separator when a threshold amount of pressure is applied to the valve by the moisture collected within the air moisture separator.
  2. 2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first determination is that a first pre-determined amount of moisture is collected within the air moisture separator.
  3. 3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the second determination is one of: that a pre-determined period of time has elapsed since the controller deactivated the blower, or that a second pre-determined amount of moisture is collected within the air moisture separator that is less than the first pre-determined amount, and wherein the second determination is based on a second measurement detected by the one or more sensors.
  4. 4 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the one or more sensors includes one or more pressure sensors.
  5. 5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the first measurement is a difference between a first pressure within the air moisture separator and a second pressure between the moisture separator and the blower.
  6. 6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to deactivate the blower based on a third determination that a magnitude of a pressure vacuum between the blower and the air moisture separator is above a threshold value, wherein the third determination is based on a third measurement, and wherein the third measurement is the pressure between the moisture separator and the blower.
  7. 7 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the one or more sensors includes a high voltage switch and a fluid float.
  8. 8 . An apparatus for draining an air moisture separator, the apparatus comprising: a blower fluidly coupled to the air moisture separator and configured to draw air through the air moisture separator when the blower is activated, such that moisture is separated from the air and collected within the air moisture separator; a valve connected to the air moisture separator, wherein the valve permits the moisture to exit the air moisture separator based on an amount of moisture collected within the air moisture separator; one or more sensors; and a controller that deactivates the blower based on a first determination and activates the blower following deactivation of the blower based on a second determination, wherein the first determination is based on a first measurement detected by the one or more sensors, and wherein the first determination is that a first pre-determined amount of moisture is collected within the air moisture separator.
  9. 9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the one or more sensors includes one or more pressure sensors.
  10. 10 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the one or more sensors includes a high voltage switch and a fluid float.
  11. 11 . An apparatus for draining an air moisture separator, the apparatus comprising: a blower fluidly coupled to the air moisture separator and configured to draw air through the air moisture separator when the blower is activated, such that moisture is separated from the air and collected within the air moisture separator; a valve connected to the air moisture separator, wherein the valve permits the moisture to exit the air moisture separator based on an amount of moisture collected within the air moisture separator; one or more sensors; and a controller that deactivates the blower based on a first determination and activates the blower following deactivation of the blower based on a second determination, wherein the first determination is based on a first measurement detected by the one or more sensors, and wherein the first determination is that a rate at which the amount of moisture collected within the air moisture separator is changing over time has eclipsed a pre-determined threshold.
  12. 12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the valve is a check valve that permits the moisture to exit the air moisture separator when a threshold amount of pressure is applied to the valve by the moisture collected within the air moisture separator.
  13. 13 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the one or more sensors includes one or more pressure sensors.
  14. 14 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the one or more sensors includes a high voltage switch and a fluid float.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a non-provisional of and claims priority to and benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 63/348,067 filed Jun. 2, 2022; and U.S. Patent Application No. 63/348,499 filed Jun. 3, 2022, each of which are incorporated by reference in their entireties. A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the reproduction of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT Not applicable. REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING OR COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING INDEX Not applicable. BACKGROUND The present invention relates generally to environmental remediation and mitigation. More particularly, the present disclosure pertains to draining air moisture separators within remedial systems. “Environmental remediation” refers to the removal of pollution or contaminants from soil, groundwater, sediment, or surface water. For example, remediation is often required for soil beneath infrastructural systems such as buildings, roads, and so on. In many instances, routine remediation is required in order for such infrastructural systems to retain compliance with various governmental standards. As applied to remediation of soil beneath such infrastructural systems, as well as groundwater remediation and soil vapor mitigation, air is typically drawn (e.g., extracted) from the soil. Typically, a blower or compressor is used to draw the air from the soil. The air may carry entrained water and/or other contaminants (moisture) and thus, prior to removal of such moisture, may be considered “moisturized air.” In turn, the moisturized air may be drawn through an air moisture separator, which removes the moisture for disposal. Accordingly, the blower or compressor ejects dehydrated air (e.g., air with the moisture removed via the separator device). Typically, such remediation systems require periodic intervention in order to maintain proper function. For example, and as suggested above, moisture is typically collected within the air moisture separator. Accordingly, the air moisture separator must be drained periodically in order to provide room for oncoming moisture. Conventional systems often require manual operation in order to accomplish such drainage, and thus present numerous issues associated with labor, cost, and inefficiency. Moreover, during drainage and other circumstances associated with operation of such remediation systems, operation of the blower is unnecessary. For instance, when the moisture collected within the air moisture separator accumulates to a degree that requires drainage, operation of the blower is unnecessary and, in some cases, persistent operation of the blower in such circumstances can cause damage to the blower. Deactivation of the blower is typically accomplished manually, or not done at all. Cases of manual deactivation of the blower present issues associated with labor, cost, and cases of failure to deactivate the blower present issues associated with cost, inefficiency, and damage to the blower. It would be advantageous to automatically drain the separator and, in some cases, deactivate the blower based on the varying conditions experienced by the remediation system. What is needed, therefore, are improved systems, methods, and apparatuses for draining air moisture separators within environmental remediation systems. BRIEF SUMMARY This Brief Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. Some aspects of the present disclosure provide an apparatus for draining an air moisture separator. The apparatus may include a blower fluidly coupled to the air moisture separator and configured to draw air through the air moisture separator when the blower is activated, such that moisture is separated from the air and collected within the moisture separator. The apparatus may further include a valve connected to the air moisture separator. The valve may be configured to selectively permit the moisture to exit the air moisture separator based on an amount of moisture collected within the air moisture separator. The apparatus may further include a one or more sensors and a controller. The controller may be configured to make one or more determinations based on measurements detected by the sensors, deactivate the blower based on such determinations, and activate the blower based on other determinations. Other aspects of the present disclosure provide a system for draining an air moisture separator.