APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING SMALL GAS BUBBLES IN LIQUIDS

摘要

An apparatus for creating microbubbles of gas in a liquid. A vertical pipe member is adapted to receive a liquid-gas mixture having gas bubbles of larger diamete r therein. A series of horizontally-extending apertures are provided to permit the pipe member to expel such liquid-gas mixture radially outwardly from such pipe member. The expelled liquid-gas mixture may contact the sides of a containment vessel. In a refinement of the invention, a specific relationship is further specified between the exit are a of the apertures and the interior cross-sectional area of the pipe member, in order to most suitably convert the gas bubbles in such liquid-gas mixture to microbubbles of a desired smal l size when expelled under pressure from such pipe member via such apertures. A method o f converting gas bubbles in such liquid-gas mixture to gas microbubbles is further disclosed.