Method of mixing gases and liquids employing concentric helical flowpaths

Abstract

A generally columnar chamber for uniformly mixing a gas, such as ozone, into a liquid, such as water. The mixing chamber is assembled from a series of round tray sections each having an outer and an inner helical conduit sections and a central vertical tube section. The trays are stacked and secured together to form a continuous outer helix, inner helix and central column. A port at the bottom of the column directs liquid into the outer helical conduit spiraling up to the top of the column where a crossover port directs the liquid into the inner helical conduit downwardly to a cylindrical sump. The outlet of the inner helix into the sump is angled so as to create a vortex in the sump, forcing heavy particles outwardly to the sump wall. Heavy particles are allowed to migrate down the wall to a collection region at the bottom of the sump for later removal. The liquid from the sump passes upwardly through an aperture plate or vortex buster into the vertical column and finally out an outlet at the top of the column. The vortex in the sump forces gas bubbles to the center of the sump from which they are directed upwardly through the column, carrying buoyant particles and continuing the gas/liquid mixing.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.