JP2000050764A - Dissolved oxygen feeder and feeding method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a dissolved oxygen feeder mountable on aircraft and enabling the oxygen in the container to be used efficiently through allowing a specific oxygen-permeable element to contact with object water. SOLUTION: This dissolved oxygen feeder is so designed as to have an oxygen-permeable element 3 communicating with a volume-variable container holding oxygen gas under positive pressures therein and allowed to contact with object water 2; wherein it is preferable that the volume-variable container is flexible and immersed in the object water 2, part or the whole of the container is made of oxygen-permeable material, and this feeder has a means for discharging the oxygen gas in the above container and an oxygen feed means as well.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for supplying dissolved oxygen into target water, and is mainly used by being attached to a water tank for transporting aquatic organisms.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when supplying dissolved oxygen, a gas containing oxygen is diffused into a target water using a pump or a cylinder as a supply source, or dissolved through an oxygen permeable membrane which is connected to the supply source and disposed in the target water. Mechanism is used. However, when transporting aquatic organisms, especially by air, pumps and cylinders generate noise and are pressure vessels, so their use is often limited and is not an appropriate method.

Furthermore, when aquatic organisms are transported in units of 50 liters or less in water, such as a styrofoam container, it is excessive to attach a high-pressure cylinder to each container. When exhausted, there is a disadvantage that gas cannot be used even though gas remains in the cylinder.

[0004] Also, a method of containing water of interest in a plastic bag and containing oxygen in its gaseous phase is often used. However, dissolved oxygen increases in a very short time, causing oxygen inhibition in aquatic organisms and metabolized ammonia and carbonate. Since the gas remains sealed, its inhibition is unavoidable.

[0005] A solidified oxygen supply agent is also sold, but is expensive and has a drawback that the supply duration cannot be adjusted.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned drawbacks, and has as its object to provide a dissolved oxygen supply apparatus and method which can be mounted on an aircraft and can efficiently utilize oxygen in a storage container.

[0007]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present inventors have studied means for solving the above-mentioned problems, and have made a container for storing oxygen variable in volume so that the volume of oxygen becomes smaller as oxygen is consumed, so that the stored oxygen is pushed out. It has been found that the efficiency of oxygen utilization will be improved if this is achieved, and the present invention has been completed. Here, oxygen does not necessarily mean pure oxygen, but refers to a gas having an oxygen partial pressure higher than the dissolved oxygen partial pressure in the target water.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a dissolved oxygen supply apparatus having an oxygen permeable member connected to a variable volume container for storing oxygen gas at a positive pressure, wherein the oxygen permeable member is in contact with target water. It is.

The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that the variable volume container is a flexible container, and the container is immersed in target water. The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that part or all of the flexible container is formed of an oxygen permeable member.

[0010] The invention according to claim 4 is characterized in that it has means for discharging gas in the variable volume container and means for supplying oxygen.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for supplying dissolved oxygen, comprising discharging gas from a variable volume container of the above-mentioned dissolved oxygen supply device and then storing oxygen in the container.

[0012]

When oxygen gas is made positive pressure, dissolved oxygen is supplied to the target water through the oxygen permeable member. The oxygen permeable member is a member through which gas does not pass as bubbles and is dissolved through the member. Dissolution reduces the positive pressure and the volume of the variable volume container. Since the permeation rate can be adjusted according to the type, thickness and area of the member, the duration of oxygen supply can be easily adjusted.

[0013] As described in claim 2, the variable volume container is a flexible container, and when immersed in the target water, the container is always maintained at a positive pressure by water pressure. The oxygen permeable member does not need to be a separate structure from the container, and it is sufficient that a part or all of the flexible container is constituted by the oxygen permeable member as described in claim 3, whereby the structure of the apparatus is changed. Can be simplified.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when the gas in the variable volume container is discharged, oxygen can be stored at a high concentration without mixing with the original gas in the container when oxygen is supplied to the container.

[0015]

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The dissolved oxygen supply device of the present invention has an oxygen permeable member that communicates with a variable volume container that stores oxygen gas at a positive pressure, and the oxygen permeable member is in contact with target water. The variable volume container includes a form in which a piston hermetically slides in a syringe, a form in which it self-shrinks like a rubber balloon, a container formed at least in part of a flexible material, a bag formed of a flexible sheet, and the like. For example, oxygen may be stored in these containers while maintaining a positive pressure. There are various general methods for maintaining the positive pressure, but a simple method is to immerse the flexible container in the target water. The flexible container will maintain a positive pressure with water pressure.
Also, if a load is applied to the flexible bag to sink it against the buoyancy, the pressure will be positive even with the gravity of the load.

The oxygen permeable member communicating with the variable volume container may communicate with the variable volume container by a tube or a pipe, or may form a part or all of the variable volume container. As the oxygen permeable member, a plastic porous film, a water-repellent porous film of stainless steel or ceramic, rubber or the like can be used, but a member that does not pass a liquid and does not pass a gas as a bubble but permeates as dissolved oxygen. is there. The shape can be exemplified by a tube shape or a flat film shape, but a preferable shape may be selected depending on the shape of the target water container and the form of attachment thereto.

[0017] Desirably, a means for discharging gas from the variable volume container and a means for supplying oxygen may be provided. As a means for discharging, the variable volume container may be provided with at least one openable and closable gas inlet / outlet. Then, oxygen gas may be sent in and stored.

[0018]

[Embodiment 1] The present invention will be described in more detail with reference to embodiments. FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of the first embodiment. A water tank 1 is filled with water 2. A gas permeable tube 3 is fixed to the bottom of the water tank with a fixture 4. In a cylinder 6 having an opening 5, a piston 8 sealed by an O-ring 7 and slidably sealed in the cylinder is pushed upward by a spring 9. The inside of the cylinder 6 is inside the gas permeable tube 3 and the tube 1
It communicates with 0. The cylinder has a gas port 11 and a valve 12.

An embodiment of the first embodiment will be described. When the valve 12 is opened, the piston 8 is pushed by the spring 9 and moves in the cylinder 6 to discharge gas from the gas port 11. Next, when the gas inlet / outlet is connected to an oxygen cylinder and oxygen is supplied, the piston 8 is pushed downward and oxygen gas is stored in the cylinder 6. When the valve 12 is closed, the pressure in the cylinder becomes positive and oxygen is supplied from the gas permeable membrane 3 to the water 2 as dissolved oxygen.

In this embodiment, a combination of a cylinder and a piston is exemplified as a variable volume container. However, a balloon made of elastic rubber may be used, or a flexible bag is used to store oxygen and apply a force to shrink the bag. You may. The gas inlet / outlet may be inserted through a rubber stopper to insert an injection needle, and when unnecessary, may be withdrawn to keep the airtight.

[0021]

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of a second embodiment. A part of the bag 20 formed of soft vinyl chloride is replaced with a porous vinyl chloride film 21 which is an example of an oxygen permeable member, and is sealed. The porous vinyl chloride membrane is formed and reinforced on a nonwoven fabric. The buoyancy of the bag 20 containing gas is extinguished and submerged by the load of the scale 22.

In the second embodiment, the variable-volume container is a flexible bag, which is disposed in water, and the inside of the container is at a positive pressure by water pressure and the load of the water. The porous vinyl chloride film 21 is water-repellent, does not generate foamy gas, does not transmit water, but transmits oxygen because of gas-liquid contact through porous holes. In this embodiment, the bag is formed of soft vinyl chloride. However, if the bag is formed of silicon rubber, the silicon rubber plays a role of an oxygen permeable member, so that an oxygen permeable member such as a porous vinyl chloride film may be omitted.

Although some embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0024]

The present invention does not require a power source, can supply dissolved oxygen to the target water, does not make noise, and does not need to carry a high-pressure cylinder, so that air transportation is easy. Further, since the stored oxygen gas is pushed out from the variable volume container and used, the utilization efficiency of oxygen can be increased as compared with a cylinder. It is especially effective for transporting live fish such as fish, shrimp and shellfish.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic sectional view of a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Water tank 2 Water 3 Gas permeation tube 6 Cylinder 7 O-ring 8 Piston 9 Spring 10 Tube 11 Gas inlet / outlet 12 Valve 20 Soft vinyl chloride bag 21 Porous vinyl chloride membrane 22

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A dissolved oxygen supply device, comprising: an oxygen permeable member connected to a variable volume container for storing oxygen gas at a positive pressure, wherein the oxygen permeable member is in contact with target water. 2. The dissolved oxygen supply device according to claim 1, wherein the variable volume container is a flexible container, and the container is immersed in target water. 3. The dissolved oxygen supply device according to claim 1, wherein a part or the whole of the variable volume container is constituted by an oxygen permeable member. 4. A dissolved oxygen supply apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for discharging gas in said variable volume container and means for supplying oxygen. 5. A method for supplying dissolved oxygen, comprising: discharging gas from a variable volume container of the apparatus for supplying dissolved oxygen according to any one of claims 1 to 4, and then storing oxygen in the container.