PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR GAS-ENRICHING A LIQUID

摘要

Methods and apparatuses are described for enriching a first liquid with a gas and introducing the gas-enriched first liquid into a second liquid. In an embodiment, the apparatus comprises a vessel containing the gas at an elevated pressure, a liquid fluid inlet into the vessel such that the first liquid enters the vessel and becomes enriched with the gas, a variable internal valve defining an opening through which the gas-enriched first liquid flows after exiting the vessel, the internal valve opening adapted to generate bubbles of the gas within the gas-enriched first liquid as the gas-enriched first liquid flows therethrough, and a tube through which the gas-enriched first liquid flows into the second liquid, the tube comprising an inlet section comprising an inlet, a coiled section fluidically coupled to the inlet section, an outlet section fluidically coupled to the coiled section, and an outlet fluidically coupled to the outlet section, the tube adapted to maintain the bubbles of the oxygen-containing gas generated within the gas-enriched first liquid by the valve means.