US 8,523,151 B2Granted

Fine bubble generating apparatus

AssigneeLigaric Co., Ltd.

InventorHideyasu Tsuji

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A fine bubble generating apparatus that efficiently generates fine bubbles on the nanometer level. A cylindrical member has a cylindrical inner peripheral surface, a first end wall member closing one end of the cylindrical member, and a second end wall member closing the other end of the cylindrical member. The cylindrical member and the first and second end wall members define a fluid swirling chamber. The cylindrical member has a fluid inlet hole at a position close to the second end wall member to supply a gas-liquid mixed fluid in the tangential direction of the peripheral surface of the fluid swirling chamber. The second end wall member has a fluid outlet hole extending therethrough along the center axis of the inner peripheral surface of the fluid swirling chamber. The gas-liquid mixed fluid is introduced into the fluid swirling chamber at a position close to the second end wall member.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A washing method comprising the steps of:

providing a fine bubble generating apparatus comprising a gas swirling shearing unit, the gas swirling shearing unit including:
a cylindrical member having a cylindrical inner peripheral surface;
a first end wall member configured to close one end of the cylindrical member;
a second end wall member configured to close the other end of the cylindrical member;
a fluid swirling chamber defined by the cylindrical member, the first end wall member and the second end wall member;
a fluid inlet hole extending through a wall of the cylindrical member at a position closer to the second end wall member than a center in an axial direction of the cylindrical member to introduce a gas-liquid mixed fluid into the fluid swirling chamber in a tangential direction thereof;
and
a fluid outlet hole extending through the second end wall member along a center axis of the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical member;
wherein the fluid inlet hole has an axis intersecting with a hypothetical axis of the fluid inlet hole, that is assumed to intersect with an inner wall surface of the fluid swirling chamber and extend tangentially, at a point where the hypothetical axis touches the inner wall surface at an angle of from 10 to 30 degrees;
wherein the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical member is mirror-finished, and a portion of the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical member that circumferentially corresponds to the fluid inlet hole, which opens on the inner peripheral surface, is provided with a plurality of annular grooves spaced from each other in an axial direction of the inner peripheral surface, the annular grooves having a width and a depth that are not more than 1 millimeter;
producing water containing fine bubbles by using the fine bubble generating apparatus;
and,
washing an article with the water.

10 more elements

A method of activating activated sludge in an activated sludge wastewater treatment system, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a fine bubble generating apparatus comprising a gas swirling shearing unit, the gas swirling shearing unit including:
a cylindrical member having a cylindrical inner peripheral surface;
a first end wall member configured to close one end of the cylindrical member;
a second end wall member configured to close the other end of the cylindrical member;
a fluid swirling chamber defined by the cylindrical member, the first end wall member and the second end wall member;
a fluid inlet hole extending through a wall of the cylindrical member at a position closer to the second end wall member than a center in an axial direction of the cylindrical member to introduce a gas-liquid mixed fluid into the fluid swirling chamber in a tangential direction thereof;
and
a fluid outlet hole extending through the second end wall member along a center axis of the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical member;
wherein the fluid inlet hole has an axis intersecting with a hypothetical axis of the fluid inlet hole, that is assumed to intersect with an inner wall surface of the fluid swirling chamber and extend tangentially, at a point where the hypothetical axis touches the inner wall surface at an angle of from 10 to 30 degrees;
wherein the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical member is mirror-finished, and a portion of the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical member that circumferentially corresponds to the fluid inlet hole, which opens on the inner peripheral surface, is provided with a plurality of annular grooves spaced from each other in an axial direction of the inner peripheral surface, the annular grooves having a width and a depth that are not more than 1 millimeter;
and,
generating fine bubbles in water in the wastewater treatment system by using the fine bubble generating apparatus, thereby activating the activated sludge.

9 more elements

An extra-heavy oil mining method comprising the steps of:

providing a fine bubble generating apparatus comprising a gas swirling shearing unit, the gas swirling shearing unit including:
a cylindrical member having a cylindrical inner peripheral surface;
a first end wall member configured to close one end of the cylindrical member;
a second end wall member configured to close the other end of the cylindrical member;
a fluid swirling chamber defined by the cylindrical member, the first end wall member and the second end wall member;
a fluid inlet hole extending through a wall of the cylindrical member at a position closer to the second end wall member than a center in an axial direction of the cylindrical member to introduce a gas-liquid mixed fluid into the fluid swirling chamber in a tangential direction thereof;
and
a fluid outlet hole extending through the second end wall member along a center axis of the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical member;
wherein the fluid inlet hole has an axis intersecting with a hypothetical axis of the fluid inlet hole, that is assumed to intersect with an inner wall surface of the fluid swirling chamber and extend tangentially, at a point where the hypothetical axis touches the inner wall surface at an angle of from 10 to 30 degrees;
wherein the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical member is mirror-finished, and a portion of the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical member that circumferentially corresponds to the fluid inlet hole, which opens on the inner peripheral surface, is provided with a plurality of annular grooves spaced from each other in an axial direction of the inner peripheral surface, the annular grooves having a width and a depth that are not more than 1 millimeter;
producing water containing fine bubbles by using the fine bubble generating apparatus;
supplying an extra-heavy oil deposit with the water containing fine bubbles;
and,
sucking up the water together with extra-heavy oil.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/462,243Filed 2 May 2012 · division
Priority: JP 2006-16931023 May 2006
Published: US 2012/0282384 A18 Nov 2012
Granted: 3 Sep 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

B01F 23/2326
Using flow-mixing means for introducing the gases, e.g. baffles: adding the flowing main component by suction means, e.g. using an ejector
B01F 23/232
By introducing gases into liquid media, e.g. for producing aerated liquids: using flow-mixing means for introducing the gases, e.g. baffles
B01F 25/104
Mixing by creating a vortex flow, e.g. by tangential introduction of flow components: characterised by the arrangement of the discharge opening
B01F 25/53
Circulation mixers, e.g. wherein at least part of the mixture is discharged from and reintroduced into a receptacle: in which the mixture is…

Family

PCT/JP2007/060354Parent of this division · filed 21 May 2007
US 2012/0282384 A1Pre-grant publication · published 8 Nov 2012
Application12/227,524Parent of this division
US 8,186,653 B2Parent of this division
US 2009/0117241 A1Published application
US 8,523,151 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.