Importance

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Abstract

In order to efficiently mass transfer from gas, particularly air, into liquid or liquid suspensions with enhanced efficiency in terms of the mass of the gas transferred to the liquid, the gas is released or sparged through a plurality of open pipes which are disposed in a space between the bottom of the tank containing the liquid or liquid suspension and an axial flow impeller which creates a flow path downwardly past the outlet ends of the pipes. Turbulence is enhanced even though the air leaves the pipes at low velocity rather than in a jet through the use of a Bernoulli air trapping ring and plates. The ring and plates encounter the flow produced by the axial flow impeller successively. The ring distributes the air and assists in defining a low pressure region below the ring. A low pressure region also is defined by the plates on the underside thereof. The underside of the plates is in the vicinity of the outlets of the pipes. Distribution fins taper away from the outlet and provide for a spacial distribution of the low pressure gas. The low pressure air may exit the outlets of the pipes at a pressure of a few PSI greater than the liquid pressure at the outlets which may be in the range of 10% greater pressure than the liquid pressure at these outlets. The plates, especially at their edges, provide turbulence in the liquid flow to facilitate transfer of the mass of the gas to the liquid.

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First Claim