Shear mixing apparatus and use thereof
AssigneeThe Dow Chemical Company
InventorsRobert Page Shirtum, David L. Trent, Cheryl A. Tirtowidjojo, Paul A. Gillis
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Abstract
Shear mixing apparatuses and associated methods are disclosed for producing small gas bubbles of a diameter of less than about 0.1 millimeters in a liquid, whereby mass transfer of the gas into the liquid is improved (as compared to the mass transfer achieved by conventional large bubble generators under the same circumstances) in applications benefiting by such improved mass transfer, involving injecting a gas under pressure via one or more orifices into a liquid that is flowing at a velocity sufficient to cause bubbles formed at the orifice(s) to subdivide to the desired small bubble size.
Claims15
A method of generating gas bubbles in a liquid, comprising:
- a. placing a gas under a pressure that is sufficient to generate gas bubbles when the gas is introduced into a liquid by way of at least one aperture in a member or element separating the gas from the liquid;
- and
- b. causing the gas bubbles produced from said at least one aperture to subdivide in a controlled manner and to an extent whereby bubbles having a diameter of less than about 0.1 millimeters are produced in the liquid, by means of a substantially uniform shear field established through flowing the liquid past the said at least one aperture at a rate of linear flow selected to provide a Weber number that exceeds a critical Weber number for the gas and liquid and that will enable the degree of subdivision required to achieve bubble diameters of less than about 0.1 millimeters.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.