Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

An apparatus for creating microbubbles of gas in a liquid, and for using such created microbubbles to purify said liquid of undesirable materials therein. A vertical pipe member is adapted to receive a liquid-gas mixture having gas bubbles of relatively large diameter therein. A series of horizontally-extending apertures are provided to permit the pipe member to expel such liquid-gas mixture radially outwardly from such pipe member. A plug means is provided in a lowermost distal end of the pipe member, so that such liquid-gas mixture is only expelled horizontally outwardly. The expelled liquid-gas mixture may contact the sides of a containment vessel. A baffle may further be provided in such containment vessel. In a refinement of the invention, a specific relationship is further specified between the exit area of the apertures and the interior cross-sectional area of the pipe member, in order to most suitably convert the gas bubbles in such liquid-gas mixture to microbubbles of a desired small size when expelled under pressure from such pipe member via such apertures. A limitation on the aperture maximum dimension, as a function of the pipe interior cross-sectional area and outer circumference, is also disclosed. A method of converting gas bubbles in such liquid-gas mixture to gas microbubbles, and for exposing such gas microbubbles to material entrained in such liquid-gas mixture so as to permit such gas microbubbles to physically or chemically react with such materials, is further disclosed.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim