Device for producing drinking water containing ultra-fine bubbles

Abstract

To provide a drinking water production device that produces drinking water that exhibits various effects by modifying drinking water by mixing fine bubbles from a fine bubble generator into the drinking water. [Solution] The drinking water production device 1 is a drinking water production device 1 that produces drinking water containing ultrafine bubbles by mixing gas as ultrafine bubbles with drinking water from a drinking water tank 3, and is equipped with a supply passage 4 that supplies drinking water from the drinking water tank 3, and a fine bubble generator 11 that discharges multiple gases into the drinking water as ultrafine bubbles, and the fine bubble generator 11 is equipped with fine bubble generating media 24, 24 that are porous materials, and the fine bubble generating media 24, 24 have a main surface 24s with the largest area in the plane parallel to the flow direction of the drinking water in the supply passage 4.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a drinking water production device, and more particularly to a technology for a drinking water production device containing ultrafine bubbles. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, a technique for producing drinking water containing fine bubbles by providing a fine bubble generating unit in a drinking water production device has been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Ultrafine bubbles are microbubbles with a diameter of more than 200 nm and smaller than microbubbles of several micrometers or less. These bubbles have a diameter of approximately 200 nm or less and can exist in water for a long time. Because they have a small diameter of approximately 200 nm or less, they have high surface tension and are difficult to burst. In addition, they have low buoyancy and can remain in water for a long time.

[0004] It is known that adding ultrafine bubbles to drinking water can have various effects. For example, adding oxygen to drinking water as ultrafine bubbles can efficiently supply oxygen to the body, promoting metabolism and improving immunity. Also, adding hydrogen to drinking water as ultrafine bubbles can suppress oxidation in the body, preventing aging and maintaining health.

[0005] Furthermore, when coffee is extracted using water containing ultrafine bubbles, the ultrafine bubbles increase the contact area between the water (hot water) and the coffee powder, shortening the extraction time and resulting in a more flavorful coffee. Furthermore, while small bubbles generated in water usually disappear when boiled, ultrafine bubbles persist even when boiled, allowing for sufficient extraction power. By incorporating oxygen into the coffee using ultrafine bubbles, antioxidants such as caffeine and polyphenols are neutralized, resulting in a rich, deep flavor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6815397 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In recent years, there has been a demand for drinking water production apparatuses that mix hydrogen gas and oxygen gas into drinking water, rather than supplying either gas alone.

[0008] The two gases can be obtained from water and air found in nature, making it possible to provide a sufficient supply of raw gases. Furthermore, when hydrogen gas and oxygen gas are mixed with drinking water, if a large amount is added to the drinking water as large bubbles, most of the gas is released into the air, preventing the drinking water from fully utilizing its benefits.

[0009] In view of the above, the present invention provides a drinking water production device that can produce drinking water that exhibits various effects by mixing fine bubbles into drinking water. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The problem to be solved by the present invention is as described above, and the means for solving this problem will now be described.

[0011] That is, in this invention, a drinking water production device that produces drinking water containing ultrafine bubbles by mixing gas as ultrafine bubbles with drinking water from a drinking water tank, The drinking water supply system includes a supply passage for supplying drinking water from the drinking water tank, and a micro-bubble generator for discharging a plurality of gases into the drinking water as ultra-fine bubbles, The micro-bubble generating device includes a micro-bubble generating medium that is a porous material, The fine bubble generating medium has a main surface with the largest area parallel to the direction of flow of drinking water.

[0012] In addition, in the present invention, the micro-bubble generating device is disposed midway through the drinking water supply passage.

[0013] In addition, in the present invention, a plurality of internal spaces are formed for supplying two or more gases, Different types of gases may be discharged from the plurality of internal spaces, respectively, so that the plurality of gases are discharged as ultrafine bubbles.

[0014] In addition, in the present invention, the micro-bubble generating device may include a plurality of micro-bubble generating media, each of which may have a different surface area.

[0015] In addition, in the present invention, the gas supplied to the micro-bubble generator may be hydrogen and oxygen.

[0016] The present invention also provides an electrolysis device that electrolyzes water to generate hydrogen and oxygen, The hydrogen and oxygen supplied to the fine bubble generator may be supplied from the electrolyzer. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] The present invention has the following advantages:

[0018] In this invention, by mixing ultra-fine bubbles from a micro-bubble generator into drinking water, the drinking water can be improved to produce drinking water with various beneficial effects. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a drinking water production apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the microbubble generating medium inside the supply passage. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view showing a micro-bubble generating device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view showing a micro-bubble generating device according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] First Embodiment Next, an embodiment of the invention will be described. First, the overall configuration of a drinking water producing apparatus 1 for producing drinking water containing ultrafine bubbles according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, the drinking water production device 1 includes a drinking water tank 3 for storing drinking water, and a supply passage 4 for passing the drinking water supplied from the drinking water tank 3.

[0021] The supply passage 4 is made of a metal or resin pipe, and the drinking water tank 3 is connected to the upstream side of the supply passage 4.

[0022] A micro-bubble generator 11 is disposed midway through the supply passage 4. The micro-bubble generator 11 is a device that supplies gas into drinking water as ultra-fine bubbles. As a micro-bubble generator, a water jet type, a gas-liquid two-phase swirling type, or a Venturi tube type may also be used. In this embodiment, the micro-bubble generator 11 is configured with a micro-bubble generating medium 24 that is a carbon-based porous material.

[0023] In this embodiment, two microbubble generating media 24 are arranged in parallel. The microbubble generating medium 24 is a device that generates ultrafine bubbles by releasing pressurized gas into drinking water through fine holes 24A. Ultrafine bubbles have a size (diameter) of less than 100 μm at room temperature and normal pressure, and are particularly bubbles with a size of several hundred nanometers to several μm. Ultrafine bubbles have a negative charge on their surface and are covered with a shell of condensed ions. Due to their negative charge, ultrafine bubbles are constantly undergoing Brownian motion, and because this force is greater than the buoyancy of the bubbles, they have the property of remaining in drinking water for a long time.

[0024] As shown in Figure 2, the micro-bubble generating medium 24 is arranged and connected to the gas passage 23. The micro-bubble generating medium 24 is formed in a polygonal or ellipsoidal shape. The micro-bubble generating medium 24 has a main surface 24s, which is the largest surface among the polygonal surfaces (in the case of an ellipsoidal shape, the spherical surface closest to a flat surface). The main surface 24s is arranged parallel to the flow direction of the drinking water in the supply passage 4 (the direction of the black arrow in Figure 2). The micro-bubble generating medium 24 is provided with an internal space 24a.

[0025] The micro-bubble generating medium 24 is made of a carbon-based porous material and has a large number of fine pores 24A with diameters of several μm to several tens of μm, as shown in FIG. 2. The micro-bubble generating medium 24 is an electrical conductor, and the bubbles generated from the micro-bubble generating medium 24 are negatively charged. In other words, free electrons are added to ultra-fine bubbles as they pass through the electrically conductive micro-bubble generating medium 24, causing them to become negatively charged. This negative charge causes the bubbles to repel each other, preventing them from coalescing and forming larger bubbles.

[0026] The carbon-based porous material is an inorganic material that is composed of only carbon or a composite material containing carbon and ceramic. A film several nanometers thick is formed on the surface of the carbon-based porous material. This film is made of an inorganic film containing silicon. The carbon-based porous material is oxidation-resistant, does not rust, and does not deteriorate due to oxidation even when placed in the supply passage 4 for a long period of time. Furthermore, the surface is made of an inorganic film containing silicon, which makes it difficult for a paraffin-like film to form.

[0027] The gas sent to the internal space 24a passes through fine holes 24A with diameters of several μm to several tens of μm provided in the fine bubble generating medium 24 and moves to the surface of the fine bubble generating medium 24. The gas that has moved to the surface of the fine bubble generating medium 24 becomes ultrafine bubbles and is released into the drinking water by the flow of the drinking water flowing through the supply passage 4.

[0028] The gases supplied to each fine bubble generating medium 24 of the fine bubble generator 11 include hydrogen, oxygen, air, ozone, nitrogen, etc. In this embodiment, hydrogen and oxygen are supplied to each fine bubble generating medium 24, and are discharged as ultrafine bubbles.

[0029] The drinking water production apparatus 1 further includes an electrolyzer 21 that supplies hydrogen and oxygen to each fine bubble generating medium 24. The electrolyzer 21 is a device that generates hydrogen from water and is configured as either an alkaline type or a PEM (polymer electrolyte membrane) type. An alkaline type electrolyzer produces hydrogen by electrolyzing an aqueous solution of potassium hydroxide. A solid polymer type water electrolyzer electrolyzes water and produces hydrogen by placing a solid polymer (PEM: Polymer Electrolyte Membrane) between electrodes 21a. In this embodiment, a PEM type electrolyzer is used.

[0030] The electrolyzer 21 generates hydrogen and oxygen from water at a molar ratio of 2:1. Therefore, it is desirable that the surface area of ​​the fine bubble generating medium 24 that supplies hydrogen as ultrafine bubbles be twice the surface area of ​​the fine bubble generating medium 24 that supplies oxygen as ultrafine bubbles.

[0031] The hydrogen and oxygen generated in the electrolyzer 21 are each sent through a gas passage 23 into the internal space 24a of the micro-bubble generating medium 24. A compressor, which is a pressure booster 22, is provided midway through the gas passage 23, and is configured to be able to pump out the hydrogen and oxygen at a pressure 0.5 MPa to 1.0 MPa higher than the air pressure.

[0032] Next, a method for producing drinking water using the drinking water production device 1 of the present invention will be described. Drinking water is supplied from a drinking water tank 3 through a supply passage 4. Hydrogen and oxygen are mixed into the drinking water as ultrafine bubbles from a fine bubble generating medium 24 of a fine bubble generator 11 provided midway through the supply passage 4. The hydrogen and oxygen mixed into the drinking water as ultrafine bubbles each have an electric charge, which is a characteristic of ultrafine bubbles, and therefore the individual bubbles do not easily combine. Therefore, there is less opportunity for different gases to combine, and the individual gases can remain dissolved in the drinking water as individual gases.

[0033] Drinking water containing ultrafine bubbles of hydrogen and oxygen is discharged from the downstream end of the supply passage 4. The addition of ultrafine bubbles increases the gas filling efficiency. This increases the oxygen and hydrogen concentrations in the drinking water, improving the water's quality. This means that oxygen-containing drinking water can boost metabolism and boost immunity, while hydrogen-containing drinking water can boost antioxidant and anti-aging effects. Furthermore, the addition of ultrafine bubbles increases the body's penetration rate of drinking water through physical effects such as a reduction in the surface tension of the water and promotion of atomization of sprayed droplets, as well as chemical effects such as an increase in the amount of oxygen and radicals contained.

[0034] As described above, the drinking water production device 1 is a drinking water production device 1 that produces drinking water containing ultrafine bubbles by mixing gas as ultrafine bubbles with drinking water from the drinking water tank 3, and is equipped with a supply passage 4 that supplies drinking water from the drinking water tank 3, and a fine bubble generator 11 that discharges multiple gases into the drinking water as ultrafine bubbles, and the fine bubble generator 11 is equipped with fine bubble generation media 24, 24 that are made of a porous material, and the fine bubble generation media 24, 24 have a main surface 24s with the largest area in the plane parallel to the flow direction of the drinking water in the supply passage 4. This configuration allows gases of different components to be mixed into drinking water, thereby enhancing the metabolism-promoting and immune-boosting effects of oxygen-containing drinking water, as well as the antioxidant and anti-aging effects of hydrogen-containing drinking water. Furthermore, the incorporation of ultrafine bubbles has physical effects, such as reducing the surface tension of the drinking water and promoting the atomization of sprayed droplets, and chemical effects, such as increasing the amount of oxygen and radicals contained, thereby increasing the rate at which drinking water penetrates the body.

[0035] The fine bubble generator 11 is disposed midway through the supply passage 4 . By configuring in this manner, the flow of drinking water in contact with the fine bubble generating medium 24 can be utilized to the maximum extent to separate the ultra-fine bubbles from the fine bubble generating medium 24.

[0036] In addition, a plurality of internal spaces 24a, 24a for supplying two or more gases are formed, and different types of gases are discharged from the plurality of internal spaces 24a, 24a, respectively, so that the plurality of gases are each discharged as ultrafine bubbles. By configuring it in this way, gases of different components can be mixed into the drinking water, thereby enhancing the metabolism-promoting and immune-boosting effects of drinking water containing oxygen, as well as enhancing the antioxidant and anti-aging effects of drinking water containing hydrogen. The micro-bubble generating device 11 is provided with a plurality of micro-bubble generating media 24, 24, each of which has a different surface area. This configuration allows different gases to be mixed into the drinking water in the desired proportions, so that gases that may combust when mixed, such as hydrogen and oxygen, can be supplied separately.

[0037] The gases supplied to the micro-bubble generator 11 are hydrogen and oxygen. This configuration enhances the metabolism-promoting and immune-boosting effects of drinking water containing oxygen, as well as the antioxidant and anti-aging effects of drinking water containing hydrogen.

[0038] The apparatus also includes an electrolyzer 21 that electrolyzes water to generate hydrogen and oxygen, and the hydrogen and oxygen supplied to the fine bubble generator 11 are supplied from the electrolyzer 21. This configuration allows drinking water to be reformed using hydrogen and oxygen generated from water found in nature. Also, gases can be mixed in accordance with the ratio of hydrogen and oxygen generated, improving the efficacy of drinking water.

[0039] <Another example of gas used to reform drinking water> In this embodiment, modified drinking water is produced by mixing hydrogen and oxygen as ultrafine bubbles with drinking water, but the gases used for modification are not limited to this and may be, for example, nitrogen and oxygen.

[0040] Second Embodiment 3, the micro-bubble generator 11 can be configured as a piping unit 41 arranged midway through the supply passage 4. The piping unit 41 includes an inlet pipe 42 and an outlet pipe 43 connected to the supply passage 4, a pipe 44 through which drinking water flowing in from the inlet pipe 42 passes, and a plate-shaped micro-bubble generating medium 45 provided inside the pipe 44.

[0041] The micro-bubble generating medium 45 has two internal spaces 45a arranged from both ends of the medium in the longitudinal direction to the center. The internal spaces 45a are separated by a partition wall 45b provided in the center of the medium in the longitudinal direction, so that the gases flowing into the two internal spaces 45a do not mix within the micro-bubble generating medium 45. The partition wall 45b is formed using the wall surface of the micro-bubble generating medium 45 and is a part of the micro-bubble generating medium 45.

[0042] The micro-bubble generating medium 45 has a main surface 45s, which is the largest surface among the polygonal surfaces (the spherical surface that is closest to a flat surface in an ellipsoidal sphere). The main surface 45s is arranged parallel to the flow direction of the drinking water in the pipe 44 (the direction of the black arrow in Figure 3).

[0043] The micro-bubble generating medium 45 is made of a carbon-based porous material and has many fine pores with diameters of several μm to several tens of μm. The micro-bubble generating medium 45 is a conductor, and the bubbles generated from the micro-bubble generating medium 45 are negatively charged. In other words, free electrons are added to the ultra-fine bubbles as they pass through the conductor micro-bubble generating medium 45, causing them to become negatively charged. This negative charge causes the bubbles to repel each other, preventing them from coalescing and forming larger bubbles.

[0044] A carbon-based porous material is an inorganic material that is composed of only carbon or a composite material containing carbon and ceramic. A film several nanometers thick is formed on the surface of the carbon-based porous material. The film is made of an inorganic film containing silicon. Carbon-based porous materials are oxidation-resistant, do not rust, and do not deteriorate due to oxidation even when placed in piping 44 for a long period of time. Furthermore, the surface is made of an inorganic film containing silicon, which makes it difficult for a paraffin-like film to form.

[0045] The two types of gas sent to the internal spaces 45a, 45a pass through fine holes with diameters of several μm to several tens of μm provided in the fine bubble generating medium 45 and move to the surface of the fine bubble generating medium 45. The gas that has moved to the surface of the fine bubble generating medium 45 becomes ultrafine bubbles and is released into the drinking water by the flow of drinking water flowing through the pipe 44.

[0046] The gases supplied to the micro-bubble generating medium 45 of the micro-bubble generator 11 include hydrogen, oxygen, air, nitrogen, etc. In this embodiment, hydrogen and oxygen are supplied to each micro-bubble generating medium 45, and are discharged as ultra-fine bubbles.

[0047] With this configuration, it is possible to use one fine bubble generating medium 45 to individually release two types of gas into drinking water as ultrafine bubbles.

[0048] <Third embodiment> 4, in the third embodiment, the fine-bubble generator 11 can be configured as a piping unit 51 arranged in the middle of the supply passage 4. The piping unit 51 includes a pipe 54 connected to the supply passage 4 and a plate-shaped fine-bubble generating medium 55 provided inside the pipe 54.

[0049] The micro-bubble generating medium 55 has two internal spaces 55a, 55a. The internal spaces 55a, 55a are provided separately on both longitudinal sides of the micro-bubble generating medium 55, and each internal space 55a is made up of multiple passages extending in the short direction and a passage that serves as a hypotenuse connecting the passages, and is configured in a shape of the letter "N" or two left-right inverted "N"s lined up side by side in a side view. The gases flowing into the two internal spaces 55a, 55a are configured not to mix within the micro-bubble generating medium 55.

[0050] The micro-bubble generating medium 55 has a main surface 55s, which is the largest surface among the polygonal surfaces (the spherical surface that is closest to a flat surface in an ellipsoidal shape). The main surface 55s is arranged in parallel to the flow direction of the drinking water in the pipe 54.

[0051] The micro-bubble generating medium 55 is made of a carbon-based porous material and has many fine pores with diameters of several μm to several tens of μm. The micro-bubble generating medium 55 is an electrical conductor, and the bubbles generated from the micro-bubble generating medium 55 are negatively charged. In other words, free electrons are added to the ultra-fine bubbles as they pass through the electrically conductive micro-bubble generating medium 55, causing them to become negatively charged. This negative charge causes the bubbles to repel each other, preventing them from coalescing and forming larger bubbles.

[0052] The carbon-based porous material is an inorganic material that is composed of only carbon or a composite material containing carbon and ceramic. A film several nanometers thick is formed on the surface of the carbon-based porous material. The film is made of an inorganic film containing silicon. The carbon-based porous material is oxidation-resistant, does not rust, and does not deteriorate due to oxidation even when placed in the piping 54 for a long period of time. Furthermore, the surface is made of an inorganic film containing silicon, which makes it difficult for a paraffin-like film to form.

[0053] The two types of gas sent to the internal spaces 55a, 55a pass through fine pores with diameters of several μm to several tens of μm provided in the micro-bubble generating medium 55 and move to the surface of the micro-bubble generating medium 55. At this time, since the internal space 55a has a sufficient length, the gas has more opportunities to come into contact with the fine pores within the micro-bubble generating medium 55. The gas that has moved to the surface of the micro-bubble generating medium 55 becomes ultrafine bubbles and is released into the drinking water by the flow of drinking water flowing through the pipe 54.

[0054] The gases supplied to the micro-bubble generating medium 55 of the micro-bubble generator 11 include hydrogen, oxygen, air, nitrogen, etc. In this embodiment, hydrogen and oxygen are supplied to each micro-bubble generating medium, and are discharged as ultra-fine bubbles.

[0055] With this configuration, it is possible to use one fine bubble generating medium 55 to individually release two types of gas into drinking water as ultrafine bubbles. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 1 Drinking water production equipment 3. Potable water tank 4 Supply passage 11 Microbubble generator 21 Electrolyzer 21a electrode 23 Gas passage 24 Microbubble generating medium 24a Interior space 24s main surface 24A hole

Claims

1. A drinking water production device that produces drinking water containing ultrafine bubbles by mixing gas as ultrafine bubbles with drinking water from a drinking water tank, The drinking water supply system includes a supply passage for supplying drinking water from the drinking water tank, and a micro-bubble generator for discharging a plurality of gases into the drinking water as ultra-fine bubbles, The micro-bubble generating device includes a micro-bubble generating medium that is a porous material, The drinking water production device, wherein the fine bubble generating medium has a main surface with the largest area parallel to the direction of flow of drinking water.

2. The micro-bubble generating device is disposed in the middle of the supply passage.

2. The drinking water producing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drinking water producing apparatus comprises:

3. forming a plurality of internal spaces in the fine bubble generating medium for supplying two or more gases; By discharging different types of gas from the plurality of internal spaces, the plurality of gases are discharged as fine bubbles.

2. The drinking water producing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drinking water producing apparatus comprises:

4. The microbubble generating device includes a plurality of microbubble generating media, each of which has a different surface area.

2. The drinking water producing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drinking water producing apparatus comprises:

5. The gas supplied to the micro-bubble generator is hydrogen and oxygen.

2. The drinking water producing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drinking water producing apparatus comprises:

6. An electrolysis device is provided that electrolyzes water to generate hydrogen and oxygen, The hydrogen and oxygen supplied to the fine bubble generator are supplied from the electrolyzer.

2. The drinking water producing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drinking water producing apparatus comprises:

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