Design Criteria

The objectives of the design for a high volume water degasser are as follows:

*    Easy to operate

*    Degas water to contain less than 2 ppm of dissolved oxygen

*    Process 60 gallons of water within 30 minutes

Design Description

The innovative design features increased degassing efficiency and easier operation.  In the top compartment, two shower heads and divider plates cut with slits will be installed to efficiently use the area in the current design and decrease the amount of time required for water degassing.  The water running into one shower head will come directly from the source tank while the water running into the second shower head will recirculate from the water outlet hose.  This allows for a more efficient match between the flow rate at which the water is pumped from the column and the rate at which the vacuum pump pulls water into the column. 

Schematic of Degasser Top Compartment

In the bottom compartment, sensors will be strategically placed in the new design to shut off the power to the vacuum and water pumps.  A valve will be located in the cabinet compartment directly below the column so that the water can be manually evacuated.  The water pump and filter and the vacuum pump will be located in the other two cabinet compartments along with a user friendly control panel. 

Schematic of Degasser Bottom Compartment

Alternative Designs

An alternative approach would feature the substitution of three smaller tubes (and shower heads) for the upper compartment rather than one large diameter tube.  Each of the smaller tubes would contain bio-replacement balls and would empty out into the larger bottom compartment.  Each upper tube would have its own water supply and shower head to maximize the surface interaction.  The overall diameter of the column would also be increased.  The water level sensor system and testing procedure would be the same for this approach.