Apparatus for dissolving gas into a liquid

An apparatus for dissolving a gas into a liquid, the apparatus comprising:

• a liquid inlet for supplying the liquid into the apparatus;
• a liquid inlet pump in fluid communication with and upstream of the liquid inlet, wherein the liquid inlet pump is arranged to pump the liquid through the apparatus and deliver a flow rate of between 0.01 mL/min and 100 L/min;
• a gas inlet for injecting gas into the liquid within the apparatus, the gas inlet being in fluid communication with, and downstream of, the liquid inlet;
• a diffusion chamber in fluid connection with, and downstream of, the gas inlet, arranged such that the gas is injected through the gas inlet into the diffusion chamber, wherein the diffusion chamber is configured to promote break-up of the gas into a plurality of gas bubbles;
• wherein the diffusion chamber comprises a diffusion chamber inlet in fluid communication with and downstream of the liquid inlet, and a diffusion chamber outlet;
• wherein the diffusion chamber inlet and diffusion chamber outlet extend along an axis perpendicular to the gas inlet;
• wherein the diffusion chamber has a circular cross-section in a plane that is perpendicular to the gas inlet and that is parallel to the axis of the diffusion chamber inlet and diffusion chamber outlet;
• a venturi in fluid communication with, and downstream of, the diffusion chamber outlet, wherein the venturi is configured to dissolve the gas into the liquid passing through the venturi;
• and
• an outlet for the liquid and dissolved gas in fluid communication with, and downstream of, the venturi, the outlet for the liquid and dissolved gas being configured to supply the liquid and dissolved gas to a downstream consuming device;
• wherein at least part of the liquid inlet, at least part of the gas inlet, at least part of the venturi, and at least part of the outlet are integrally formed as a unitary piece of material.