Gas dissolving apparatus and method

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

• an inlet means for receipt of the fluid;
• a gas inlet means for introduction of the gas into the fluid;
• a bubble contact chamber, the chamber having an open upper end and a closed bottom end having at least one aperture therethrough, the chamber operatively connected to the gas inlet means;
• an outlet means positioned adjacent to the at least one aperture of the bottom end of the chamber;
• an acceleration means for accelerating fluid therethrough, the acceleration means positioned at the upper end of the chamber proximate to the inlet means;
• a helix-shaped bubble harvester located proximate to the bottom end of the chamber;
• and
• a vertically oriented substantially cylindrical tube member located within the chamber and extending through the harvester, the tube member having an open bottom end located within the bottom end of the chamber, an open upper end within the upper end of the chamber, and at least one aperture located within the bottom end of the chamber proximate to the harvester.