Device and system for preparing chemical solution

Abstract

The invention provides a device for preparing a chemical solution. The apparatus includes a dissolution bowl having an open top for receiving a solid chemical substance and a closed bottom. A grid member is disposed between the top and bottom to support a chemical species on its top surface, defining an array of grid openings and different flow openings therefrom. A nozzle is located near the bottom and directs an aqueous fluid flow to contact and dissolve at least a portion of the chemical species and produce a chemical solution thereof. An insert disposed proximate the mesh member impedes flow of the aqueous fluid through the one or more mesh openings to increase fluid turbulence within the dissolution bowl and / or redirect fluid exiting from the flow openings to flow in one or more directions on the mesh member.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 366,404, filed on June 15, 2022, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates generally to water treatment and, more particularly, to apparatus and systems for producing chemical solutions for water treatment. Background Art

[0004] Water is used in many commercial, industrial, and recreational applications. Depending on the specific end use, specific treatment of the water may be required. End uses may include, but are not limited to, drinking, industrial water supply, irrigation, river flow maintenance, water recreation, or many other uses, including the safe return of used water to the environment. Water treatment generally improves the quality of water by removing or reducing the concentration of contaminants and undesirable components, thereby making the water suitable for its desired end use. If left untreated, the water may cause corrosion or mechanical failure in equipment, resulting in expensive repairs. In addition, in certain applications, if left untreated, the water may breed bacteria, algae, and other undesirable organisms, so people exposed to untreated water sources through ingestion or direct physical contact may become ill and face serious medical problems, or even die.

[0005] Common water treatment practices usually rely on the regular or continuous introduction of treatment chemicals to control such organisms. For example, some water treatment systems use chemical feeders that contact water with solid dry treatment chemicals. The feeder is designed to dissolve the treatment chemicals in water in a controlled manner. In traditional chemical feeders, solid pellets of calcium hypochlorite ("cal hypo") are dissolved to introduce chlorine into the water stream. Chlorine in water is usually expressed as the concentration of free available chlorine (FAC). In order to dissolve at the desired rate to maintain the desired FAC concentration, traditional chemical feeders usually require extensive maintenance. Treatment chemicals must be added to the device frequently, and maintenance is also required to remove sediments or residues (such as calcium carbonate deposits) on the device. Therefore, traditional chemical feeder designs usually require a large amount of supervision and intervention (i.e., monitoring the device and treating the chemical) to ensure that the chemical feeder operates as expected, which may be arduous and time-consuming and also cause users to be exposed to chemicals during treatment.

[0006] In addition to the above, the fluid within the chemical feeder may contain solid insoluble particles that can settle in stagnant or slow-flowing fluids. The accumulation of such insoluble particles within the chemical feeder may cause operational problems and may even cause the system to fail over time.

[0007] Therefore, there is a need for water treatment devices and / or systems that can reduce the accumulation of insoluble particulates within the devices and / or systems relative to existing devices and systems. Summary of the invention

[0008] This summary is intended to describe selected concepts in a simplified form that are further described in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0009] The present invention provides an apparatus for preparing a chemical solution. The apparatus includes a dissolution bowl, the dissolution bowl including an open top for receiving solid chemical substances therethrough and a closed bottom. A grid member is disposed in the dissolution bowl between the top and the bottom. The grid member is arranged to support the solid chemical substances on the top surface of the grid member, defining an array of grid openings and flow openings different from the grid openings. A nozzle is disposed in the dissolution bowl and is located near the bottom. The nozzle is arranged to guide an aqueous fluid to flow into the dissolution bowl from the bottom toward the grid member, so that the aqueous fluid contacts and dissolves the solid chemical substances and produces a chemical solution of the aqueous fluid and the solid chemical substances dissolved therein. The grid opening allows the chemical solution to flow therethrough toward the bottom of the dissolution bowl. The nozzle is directed toward the flow opening of the grid member to provide fluid flow from the nozzle toward the flow opening of the grid member. An insert is disposed in the dissolution bowl and is located near the grid member. The insert is arranged to obstruct the flow of the aqueous fluid through one or more grid openings sufficiently to increase the fluid turbulence in the dissolution bowl and / or redirect the fluid flowing out of the flow opening to flow in one or more directions on the top surface of the grid member.

[0010] The present invention provides a system for preparing a chemical solution. The system includes a chemical feeder, the chemical feeder includes a dissolution bowl, the dissolution bowl includes an open top for receiving solid chemical substances therethrough and a closed bottom. A grid member is disposed in the dissolution bowl between the top and the bottom. The grid member is arranged to support the solid chemical substances on the top surface of the grid member, defining an array of grid openings and flow openings different from the grid openings. A nozzle is disposed in the dissolution bowl and is located near the bottom. The nozzle is arranged to guide an aqueous fluid to flow into the dissolution bowl from the bottom toward the grid member, so that the aqueous fluid contacts and dissolves the solid chemical substances and produces a chemical solution of the aqueous fluid and the solid chemical substances dissolved therein. The grid opening allows the chemical solution to flow therethrough toward the bottom of the dissolution bowl. The nozzle is directed toward the flow opening of the grid member to provide fluid flow from the nozzle toward the flow opening of the grid member. An insert is disposed in the dissolution bowl and is located near the grid member. The insert is arranged to obstruct the flow of the aqueous fluid through one or more grid openings sufficiently to increase the fluid turbulence in the dissolution bowl and / or redirect the fluid flowing out of the flow opening to flow in one or more directions on the top surface of the grid member.

[0011] Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the apparatus and systems will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing background. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The present invention will be described with reference to the following drawings, in which like numerals represent like elements, and in which:

[0013] Figure 1 A front view showing an embodiment of a water treatment device according to certain aspects of the present invention;

[0014] Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a water treatment device;

[0015] Figure 3 Shown is fixed Figure 1 and Figure 2 An enlarged cross-sectional view of an insert near a grid member of a water treatment device;

[0016] Figure 4 Shows Figures 1 to 3 A perspective cross-sectional view of a grid member of a water treatment device, wherein inserts are omitted for clarity;

[0017] Figure 5 Shown is fixed Figure 2 and 3 A bottom perspective view of a flow obstruction member of an insert near a grid member;

[0018] Figure 6 Shown is fixed Figure 2 and 3 A top perspective view of a flow redirecting member of an insert near a grid member;

[0019] Figure 7 Shows Figures 1 to 6 A top view of the dissolving bowl of a water treatment device and showing the absence of Figure 2 , 3 , 5 and 6 inserts after operating the water treatment device; and

[0020] Figure 8 Shows Figures 1 to 6 A top view of the dissolving bowl of a water treatment device and showing the presence of Figure 2 , 3 , 5 and 6 inserts after operating the water treatment device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The following specific embodiments are merely exemplary and are not intended to limit the invention or the application and use of the invention. As used herein, the word "exemplary" means "used as an example, instance or illustration". Therefore, any embodiment described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be interpreted as being superior to or advantageous over other embodiments. All embodiments described herein are exemplary embodiments, intended to enable those skilled in the art to implement or use the invention, rather than to limit the scope of the invention as defined by the claims. In addition, there is no intention to be bound by any express or implied theory presented in the aforementioned technical field, background technology, summary of the invention or the following specific embodiments.

[0022] In summary, the present invention relates to devices and related systems for preparing chemical solutions and inserts that can be installed in such devices to improve their function. The present invention can be used for water treatment because these devices and systems can be used to prepare chemical solutions by mixing chemicals with aqueous fluids (e.g., water) and provide chemical solutions to the water being treated. In certain embodiments, the chemical can be calcium hypochlorite (Ca(OCl)2), also known as cal hypo. However, it should be noted that any chemical can be used. Typically, the chemical is provided in a solid form such as a mass or tablet. The device of the present invention dissolves the mass or tablet to prepare a chemical solution for water treatment. Therefore, these devices may be referred to as erosion feeders or chemical feeders, for example, in this article. The device of the present invention may be particularly useful for commercial swimming pool chlorination, municipal drinking water chlorination, agricultural water chlorination, and industrial water chlorination.

[0023] Figures 1 to 4 Certain aspects of an embodiment of a water treatment device 100 consistent with the present disclosure are shown. Certain other aspects of the water treatment device 100 are disclosed in U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 864,372 to Blanchette et al. (hereinafter referred to as Blanchette et al.), which was published as U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0346175, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein.

[0024] Generally speaking, the device 100 includes a housing 110, which includes an upper chamber 120 and a lower chamber 150. A solid form of chemical substance (not shown) such as a mass or tablet can be loaded (inserted) into the upper chamber 120 through an opening 185 at its upper portion. The upper chamber 120 may also include a cover 115 for selectively covering the opening 185.

[0025] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the device 100 is shown. Figure 2 , the lid 115 or hopper of the upper chamber 120 is open. The dissolving bowl 125 is disposed at the interface of the lower chamber 150 and the upper chamber 120. The dissolving bowl 125 includes an open top communicating with the upper chamber 120 for receiving chemicals from the upper chamber 120 and a closed bottom 129.

[0026] The grid member 131 is disposed within the upper chamber 120 and suspended above the bottom 129 of the dissolution bowl 125. As shown, the grid member 131 is generally in the shape of a disk, and the disk is shaped and / or sized to be correspondingly mounted within the upper chamber 120 in a nested manner so that the grid member 131 is maintained at a certain distance from the bottom 129 of the dissolution bowl 125. The grid member 131 is configured to support solid undissolved chemicals (of a specific size and / or dimensions) on its top surface and to keep the chemicals (in their original size and / or dimensions) at least physically separated from the bottom 129 of the dissolution bowl 125. As shown, the grid member 131 includes a central flow opening 133 that is substantially aligned with the nozzle 135 to allow fluid to flow from the nozzle 135 through the grid member 131. However, this arrangement is non-limiting, as the flow opening 133 can be located at other locations (i.e., non-central locations) of the grid member 131 and the nozzle 135 can be aligned with and / or oriented toward the flow opening 133.

[0027] The nozzle 135 is disposed within the dissolution bowl 125 and is located near the bottom 129. The nozzle 135 is arranged to direct an aqueous fluid into the dissolution bowl 125 and toward the grid member 131, so that the aqueous fluid contacts and dissolves at least a portion of the solid chemicals therein and produces a chemical solution of the aqueous fluid and the dissolved chemicals based at least in part on the flow of fluid from the nozzle 135. In this embodiment, the nozzle 135 is located centrally within the dissolution bowl 125. However, as previously described, the nozzle 135 can be located at other locations within the dissolution bowl 125. In some examples, the nozzle 135 includes an ejector oriented to discharge fluid in a direction toward the grid member 131 and away from the bottom 129 of the dissolution bowl 125.

[0028] The dissolution bowl 125 includes an outlet 175 disposed along a portion of a sidewall of the dissolution bowl 125 and located proximate to the grid member 131 at the base of the grid member 131. As shown, the outlet 175 is generally in fluid communication with the lower chamber 150 and allows the chemical solution to flow from the dissolution bowl 125 into the lower chamber 150. The outlet flow from the dissolution bowl 125 is directed to fall into the lower chamber 150 proximate to the chemical solution outlet port of the device 100. The lower chamber 150 includes a contoured base 155 defining a low area 157 at the center of the contoured base 155. The inlet flow provided to the lower chamber 150 acts in conjunction with the contoured base 155 to direct any solid insoluble particles contained in the chemical solution to flow toward the low area 157 of the contoured base 155, thereby removing the insoluble particles from the chemical solution and away from the outlet port of the device 100.

[0029] Figure 3 and 4 Various aspects of the grid component 131 are shown. For clarity, Figure 4 Insert 200 is omitted (described in more detail below). Grid member 131 includes a frame of first and second groups of beams 140 arranged relative to each other, each of the first and second groups of beams 140 including a substantially elliptical cross-sectional shape. The first group of beams 140 are substantially parallel to each other and spaced apart and oriented along a first direction 181, while the second group of beams 140 are substantially parallel to each other and spaced apart and oriented along a second direction 183 perpendicular to the first direction 181. The first and second groups of beams 140 intersect each other to form a grid. As shown, grid member 131 includes a plurality of square grid openings 180 defined between the first and second groups of beams 140 to allow fluid to flow therethrough. In a preferred embodiment, each of the grid openings 180 is approximately 0.25 square inches (1.6 square centimeters). As previously noted, grid member 131 includes flow openings 133 substantially aligned with nozzles 135 to allow fluid to flow from nozzles 135 through grid member 131. Preferably, flow openings 133 are larger than individual grid openings 180.

[0030] The mesh openings 180 in the mesh member 131 allow sufficient fluid to flow through the mesh member 131 while retaining solid undissolved chemicals (of a particular size and / or dimension) above the mesh member 131, at least until the partially dissolved solid particles thereof are small enough to pass through the mesh openings 180. Preferably, the mesh openings 180 are sized such that the partially dissolved solid particles passing therethrough are small enough to not cause any consequences, i.e., not negatively affect the operation of the apparatus 100. For example, if the partially dissolved solid particles are too large and fall to the bottom of the dissolution bowl 125 where the nozzle 135 is located, the nozzle 135 may become clogged. Specifically, if the partially dissolved solid particles are too large, the nozzle 135 may experience a reduced flow rate due to the obstruction of the entrainment feature, thereby reducing the dissolution rate of the chemical and the chemical (e.g., chlorine) output rate of the apparatus 100. Preferably, the mesh openings 180 between the beams 140 of the mesh member 131 provide a highly concentrated chemical solution without allowing solid particles large enough to prevent entrainment to fall through the mesh member 131 into the dissolution bowl 125.

[0031] The mesh structure 131 can be improved and / or adjusted by adding an insert 200 therein adjacent to the mesh structure 131. Figures 1 to 4 Insert 200 may modify the flow of an aqueous fluid through grid member 131 adjacent to flow opening 133, through flow opening 133, and / or away from flow opening 133. In certain embodiments, insert 200 may be capable of modifying the flow of fluid around flow opening 133 in a manner that reduces the accumulation of insoluble particles in dissolution bowl 125, reduces the likelihood of undesirable or less than ideal conditions occurring within upper chamber 120, and / or promotes uniform contact between the aqueous fluid and the solid chemical on grid member 131.

[0032] Figure 3 , 5 6 show a non-limiting embodiment of an insert 200, which includes a flow obstruction member 202 ( Figure 5 ) and flow redirecting member 214 ( Figure 6 ) component. The flow obstruction member 202 is disposed in the dissolution bowl 125 and is located near the bottom surface of the grid member 131, and the flow redirection member 214 is disposed in the upper chamber 120 and is located near the top surface of the grid member 131. The flow obstruction member 202 includes a disc-shaped portion 204 having an upper surface and a lower surface and a tubular portion 206 located in the center, and the tubular portion 206 is configured to be located in the flow opening 133 of the grid member 131. The flow redirection member 214 includes a rectangular lower portion 216, a circular upper portion 218, and a side wall 220 with an annular profile located between and connecting the lower portion 216 and the upper portion 218.

[0033] The flow obstruction member 202 and the flow redirection member 214 may be fixed relative to the grid member 131 in various ways. As a non-limiting example, Figure 5 and 6 The flow redirecting member 214 is shown as including an elongated connecting member 224 protruding from the lower surface of the lower portion 216. The connecting member 224 is configured to be received (received) within and extend through some of the grid openings 180 of the grid member 131. The flow obstructing member 202 includes an engagement opening 208 arranged to receive a distal portion of the connecting member 224 extending from the bottom surface of the grid member 131. The connecting member 224 and the engagement opening 208 can jointly function to releasably couple the flow obstructing member 202 and the flow redirecting member 214 to each other on opposite sides of the grid member 131 in a snap-fit ​​type connection.

[0034] Specifically, the connecting member 224 can be offset in a radially outward direction from the centrally located internal opening 230 of the flow redirecting member 214 and include a flange located near its distal end. When the distal end is inserted through the engagement opening 208 to an extent sufficient to position the flange below the lower surface of the flow obstruction member 202, the offset of the connecting member 224 can cause the flange to be located above the lower surface and act as an obstacle to the relative movement of the flow obstruction member 202 and the flow redirecting member 214. The distal portion of the connecting member 224 can also include a chamfered edge from the internal opening 230 toward the radially outward side to facilitate the insertion of the connecting member 224 into the engagement opening 208. In this arrangement, the flow obstruction member 202 and the flow redirecting member 214 are coupled to each other and maintained in a fixed position relative to the grid member 131 without directly engaging the grid member 131.

[0035] A particular advantage of the above arrangement is that flow obstruction member 202 and flow redirection member 214 are coupled to each other rather than directly to grid member 131, which allows insert 200 to be backward compatible with various pre-existing water treatment devices, and / or compatible with devices 100 of various sizes and capacities.

[0036] The insert 200 may include an alignment feature configured to align the engagement opening 208 of the flow obstruction member 202 with the connection member 224 of the flow redirection member 214. For example, the radially outer surface of the tubular portion 206 of the flow obstruction member 202 may have outwardly protruding alignment ribs 210 extending along its longitudinal length, the alignment ribs 210 defining valleys therebetween, and the flow redirection member 214 may include inwardly protruding alignment ribs 232 extending along the sidewall 220 between the radial openings 222. During assembly of the insert 200, the inwardly protruding alignment ribs 232 may align with and insert into the valleys, thereby ensuring that the connection member 224 is aligned with and received within the engagement opening 208. The flow obstruction member 202 may include a grid alignment pin 212 for orienting the flow obstruction member 202 so that the engagement opening 208 is aligned with the grid openings 180.

[0037] Alternatively, the flow obstruction member 202 and the flow redirection member 214 may be secured relative to the mesh member 131 by independent means and / or directly secured to the mesh member 131. For example, one or both of the flow obstruction member 202 and the flow redirection member 214 may be releasably coupled directly to the mesh member 131 by a snap-fit ​​type connection.

[0038] The flow redirecting member 214 includes an internal opening 230 in the lower portion 216 that is configured to receive fluid flowing through the central passage 213 of the tubular portion 206 of the flow obstruction member 202. The fluid flowing through the internal opening 230 is received within a housing defined by the upper portion 218 and the inner surface of the sidewall 220. With this arrangement, the fluid flowing through the tubular portion 206 of the flow obstruction member 202 is blocked by the inner surface of the upper portion 218 and redirected through one or more radial openings 222 in the sidewall 220.

[0039] In this embodiment, the insert 200 is arranged to increase fluid turbulence within the dissolution bowl 125 below the grid member 131 to reduce the accumulation of insoluble particles therein, and to change the flow direction and / or reduce the velocity of the aqueous fluid exiting the flow opening 133, which may lead to undesirable conditions within the upper chamber 120.

[0040] Specifically, the flow obstruction member 202 is arranged to partially block the flow of the aqueous fluid flow from the nozzle 135 within the bottom 129 of the dissolution bowl 125, thereby causing an increase in fluid turbulence within the dissolution bowl 125. The flow obstruction member 202 allows the aqueous fluid flowing from the nozzle 135 to pass through the central channel 213 of the tubular portion 206 and thus through the flow opening 133, while restricting or blocking the upward fluid flow through at least a portion of the grid openings 180 adjacent to or surrounding the flow opening 133. In this way, the flow obstruction member 202 can significantly increase the fluid turbulence within the dissolution bowl 125, thereby reducing the accumulation of insoluble particles therein. Such insoluble particles are preferably carried by the fluid through the outlet 175 and into the lower chamber 150, where they can be removed from the device 100.

[0041] In addition, the flow redirecting member 214 is arranged to redirect the fluid flowing through the flow opening 133 from the original direction (e.g., aligned with the longitudinal axis of the flow opening 133) to flow in one or more other directions on the top surface of the grid member 131, such as in multiple directions substantially parallel to the top surface of the grid member 131. As previously noted, the fluid flowing through the interior opening 230 is received within the housing defined by the upper portion 218 and the inner surface of the sidewall 220. With this arrangement, the fluid flowing through the tubular portion 206 of the flow obstruction member 202 is blocked by the inner surface of the upper portion 218 and redirected through the radial openings 222 in the sidewall 220. Thus, the flow redirecting member 214 changes the flow direction and reduces the velocity of the aqueous fluid exiting the flow opening 133, which can reduce the likelihood of undesirable conditions occurring within the upper chamber 120.

[0042] The radial openings 222 can have various sizes, shapes and quantities, which may affect the concentration of the chemical solution produced by the device 100. In some embodiments, the concentration of the chemical solution can be controlled by manipulating the position and / or size of the radial openings 222 so that it is within certain limits. In experimental studies leading to certain aspects of the present invention, it was observed that for embodiments including smaller radial openings 222, the concentration of the chemical solution was lower. The preferred concentration of the chemical solution will depend on the specific application. As a non-limiting example, for embodiments that produce chlorinated solutions (e.g., for treating pool water), the chlorine concentration of the chemical solution can be equal to or less than about 0.4 wt. %, preferably between 0.2 and 1.2 wt. %, and more preferably between 0.3 and 0.7 wt. %.

[0043] The flow redirecting member 214 can include a pull ring 226, optionally with a hole 228 therethrough. The pull ring 226 provides a fingerhold that can facilitate installation of the flow redirecting member 214.

[0044] The device 100 can be used in a variety of applications, such as, but not limited to, commercial swimming pool chlorination, municipal drinking water chlorination, agricultural water chlorination, and industrial water chlorination. Exemplary but non-limiting operating parameters of the device 100 can include a fluid temperature between about 50 and 110°F (10 and 43°C), a fluid flow rate between about 0.2 and 5 gpm (0.8 and 18.9 lpm), preferably between 0.5 and 4.0 gpm (1.9 and 15.1 lpm), and a fluid pressure of about 10 to 30 psi (69 to 207 kPa).

[0045] The insert 200 and / or its components may be formed from a variety of materials (e.g., polymers, metals, ceramics, or composites) and produced by a variety of manufacturing processes (e.g., molding, milling, additive manufacturing, etc.). In certain embodiments, both the flow obstruction member 202 and the flow redirection member 214 may be formed from a polymer material and produced by an injection molding process.

[0046] Figure 7 and 8 1 shows a top view of the dissolution bowl 125 showing exemplary accumulation of solid insoluble particles after operating the device 100 for a specific period of time in the absence and presence of the insert 200, respectively, during a study, which results in a non-limiting aspect of the present invention. As shown, operation without the insert 200 ( Figure 7 ) resulted in a moderate accumulation of insoluble particles (black particulate material) in the bottom 129 of the dissolution bowl 125. In contrast, operation with the insert 200 present ( Figure 8 ) resulted in significantly less accumulation of insoluble particles.

[0047] In this document, relational terms such as first and second are used only to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual such relationship or order between these entities or actions. Unless the language of the claim clearly defines otherwise, numerical ordinals such as "first", "second", "third", etc., merely represent different singles among a plurality, and do not imply any order or sequence. Unless the language of the claim clearly defines otherwise, the order of the words in any claim does not mean that the process steps must be performed in that order in terms of time or logical order. The process steps may be interchanged in any order without departing from the scope of the invention, provided that such interchange does not contradict the words of the claim and is not logically meaningless.

[0048] In addition, depending on the context, words (such as "connect" or "coupled") used to describe the relationship between different elements do not imply that there must be a direct physical connection between these elements. For example, two elements can be connected to each other physically, electronically, logically or in any other way through one or more additional elements.

[0049] Although at least one exemplary embodiment is provided in the above-mentioned specific embodiments of the present invention, it should be recognized that there are a large number of variations. It should also be recognized that the one or more exemplary embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the present invention in any way. On the contrary, the above-mentioned specific embodiments will provide a convenient roadmap for implementing the exemplary embodiments of the present invention for those skilled in the art. It should be understood that various changes may be made to the functions and arrangements of the elements described in the exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Finally, although the accompanying claims set forth certain aspects that are considered to be relevant to the present invention, they do not necessarily limit the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A device for preparing a chemical solution, comprising: a dissolution bowl including an open top and a closed bottom for receiving the solid chemical; a grid member disposed within the dissolution bowl between the top and the bottom, the grid member arranged to support the solid chemical substance on a top surface thereof, the grid member defining an array of grid openings and flow openings distinct from the grid openings; a nozzle disposed within the dissolution bowl and located near the bottom, the nozzle being arranged to direct an aqueous fluid to flow into the dissolution bowl from the bottom toward the grid member so that the aqueous fluid contacts and dissolves the solid chemical substance and produces a chemical solution of the aqueous fluid and the solid chemical substance dissolved therein, wherein the grid opening allows the chemical solution to flow therethrough toward the bottom of the dissolution bowl, wherein the nozzle is directed toward a flow opening of the grid member to provide a flow of fluid from the nozzle toward the flow opening of the grid member; and An insert disposed within the dissolution bowl and adjacent the grid member is arranged to impede the flow of aqueous fluid through the one or more grid openings sufficiently to increase fluid turbulence within the dissolution bowl and / or redirect fluid flowing out of the flow openings to flow in one or more directions over a top surface of the grid member.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the insert comprises a flow obstruction member arranged to obstruct the flow of aqueous fluid through the one or more mesh openings sufficient to increase fluid turbulence within the dissolution bowl.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the flow obstruction member comprises a disc-shaped portion.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the flow obstruction member is arranged to allow fluid to flow through the flow opening while obstructing aqueous fluid from flowing through the one or more mesh openings surrounding the flow opening.

5. The device of claim 2, wherein the flow obstruction member comprises a tubular portion arranged to be inserted into the flow opening.

6. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the insert comprises a flow redirecting member arranged to redirect fluid flowing out of the flow opening to flow in one or more directions over the top surface of the grid member.

7. A device according to claim 6, wherein the flow redirecting member includes a main body having an upper portion and a side wall fixed to the upper portion and defining one or more openings, wherein the upper portion and the side wall define a housing, and the housing is configured to receive an aqueous fluid flowing out of the flow opening and guide the aqueous fluid through the one or more openings in the side wall.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the body of the flow redirecting member has a lower portion fixed to the side wall opposite to the upper portion, the lower portion being arranged to contact the top surface of the grid member.

9. The device of claim 6, wherein the flow redirecting member has a pull ring arranged to act as a finger grip to facilitate installation of the flow redirecting member.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the insert comprises an assembly of a flow obstructing member and a flow redirecting member, wherein the flow obstructing member is located near a bottom surface of the grid member and is arranged to obstruct the flow of an aqueous fluid through the one or more grid openings sufficiently to increase fluid turbulence within the dissolution bowl, wherein the flow redirecting member is located near a top surface of the grid member and is arranged to redirect fluid flowing out of the flow openings to flow in one or more directions on the top surface of the grid member, and wherein the flow obstructing member and the flow redirecting member are coupled to one another so as to remain in a fixed position relative to the grid member.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the flow redirecting member comprises an elongated connecting member arranged to extend through one or more mesh openings and engage with the flow obstructing member to releasably couple the flow redirecting member and the flow obstructing member to each other.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the insert includes an alignment feature configured to align the elongated connection member with the engagement opening of the flow obstruction member.

13. A system for preparing a chemical solution, comprising: A chemical feeder comprising: a dissolution bowl including an open top and a closed bottom for receiving the solid chemical; a grid member disposed within the dissolution bowl between the top and the bottom, the grid member arranged to support the solid chemical substance on a top surface thereof, the grid member defining an array of grid openings and flow openings distinct from the grid openings; a nozzle disposed within the dissolution bowl and located near the bottom, the nozzle being arranged to direct an aqueous fluid to flow into the dissolution bowl from the bottom toward the grid member so that the aqueous fluid contacts and dissolves the solid chemical substance and produces a chemical solution of the aqueous fluid and the solid chemical substance dissolved therein, wherein the grid opening allows the chemical solution to flow therethrough toward the bottom of the dissolution bowl, wherein the nozzle is directed toward a flow opening of the grid member to provide a flow of fluid from the nozzle toward the flow opening of the grid member; and An insert disposed within the dissolution bowl and adjacent the grid member is arranged to impede the flow of aqueous fluid through the one or more grid openings sufficiently to increase fluid turbulence within the dissolution bowl and / or redirect fluid flowing out of the flow openings to flow in one or more directions over a top surface of the grid member.

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