Liquid treatment device

Abstract

[Problem] To realize a liquid treatment device capable of preventing the hydrogen concentration of a hydrogen-containing liquid from dropping below a predetermined minimum concentration before the liquid reaches a supply destination. [Solution] A liquid treatment device 1 comprises: a hydrogen dissolution device 30; a reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40; an air bubble generation device 100 for generating air bubbles in a liquid; and a flow path S formed by connecting the hydrogen dissolution device 30, the reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40, and the air bubble generation device 100 in a liquid-flowable manner. The flow path S has a liquid flow route R1 along which the liquid flows from a supply source of the liquid through the hydrogen dissolution device 30 and the reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40 to a supply destination of the liquid. The air bubble generation device 100 generates air bubbles in the liquid flowing along the liquid flow route R1.

Description

Liquid Treatment Equipment

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid treatment device.

[0002] In recent years, it has been known that oxidative stress occurs in dialysis patients during hemodialysis. This is thought to be caused by reactive oxygen species generated during dialysis, and it has been proposed to reduce oxidative stress by eliminating this reactive oxygen species.

[0003] Based on this knowledge, a method has been proposed for producing a dialysis solution containing a high concentration of dissolved hydrogen, for example, by dissolving hydrogen in purified water (hereinafter referred to as "RO water") treated with a reverse osmosis membrane (RO membrane). This dialysis solution can then be used to cause the hydrogen to react with hydroxyl radicals in the body, thereby suppressing oxidative stress and inflammatory reactions. As an apparatus for producing dialysis water by diluting a powder to produce such a dialysis solution, for example, a dialysis water production apparatus as disclosed in Patent Document 1 listed below has been provided.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-77672

[0005] When producing a dialysis fluid containing hydrogen (hereinafter also referred to as "hydrogen-containing dialysis fluid") using a dialysis water production apparatus such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is a concern that hydrogen may escape (degass) from the hydrogen-containing liquid, causing the hydrogen concentration to fall below a predetermined minimum concentration before reaching the destination. Therefore, there is a need for a liquid treatment apparatus that can minimize this problem.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to realize a liquid treatment device that can prevent the hydrogen concentration of a hydrogen-containing liquid from falling below a predetermined minimum concentration before it reaches its destination.

[0007] (1) The liquid treatment device of the present invention, which is provided to solve the above-mentioned problems, comprises a hydrogen dissolution device that dissolves hydrogen in a liquid, a reverse osmosis membrane treatment device that performs reverse osmosis membrane treatment on the liquid, a bubble generation device that generates bubbles in the liquid, and a flow path formed by connecting the hydrogen dissolution device, the reverse osmosis membrane treatment device, and the bubble generation device in a manner that allows liquid to pass through, wherein the flow path is capable of passing liquid through a liquid passage path that passes liquid from a supply source of the liquid through the hydrogen dissolution device and the reverse osmosis membrane treatment device toward the destination of the liquid, and the bubble generation device generates bubbles in the liquid flowing through the liquid passage path.

[0008] (2) In the liquid treatment device of the present invention, it is preferable that the bubble generation device is connected to at least one of a position in the flow path between the hydrogen dissolution device and the reverse osmosis membrane treatment device and the hydrogen dissolution device.

[0009] (3) The liquid treatment device of the present invention may preferably have a degassed hydrogen supply passage for supplying hydrogen degassed from the liquid having hydrogen dissolved therein to the bubble generation device.

[0010] (4) In the liquid treatment device of the present invention, it is preferable that a filter for selectively extracting hydrogen is provided in the degassed hydrogen supply path.

[0011] (5) In the liquid treatment device of the present invention, the bubble generating device may generate bubbles formed by breaking down hydrogen contained in the liquid into fine particles.

[0012] (6) The liquid treatment device of the present invention preferably includes a pumping device that pumps the liquid through the flow path and a control device, wherein the bubble generating device generates bubbles of finely divided hydrogen contained in the liquid by reducing the pressure within the liquid, and the control device controls the output of the pumping device in response to the pressure reduction in the bubble generating device so that the pressure of the liquid discharged from the bubble generating device satisfies predetermined pressure conditions.

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a liquid treatment device that can prevent the hydrogen concentration of a hydrogen-containing liquid from falling below a predetermined minimum concentration before the liquid reaches its destination.

[0014] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a liquid treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a hydrogen dissolving device constituting the water treatment apparatus of FIG.

[0015] A liquid treatment device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. While the liquid treatment device 1 can treat various types of liquid, the liquid treatment device 1 of this embodiment will be described as treating water. In the following description, the configuration of each component of the liquid treatment device 1 will first be described, followed by the configuration of the flow path S and the arrangement of the bubble generation device 100 in the liquid treatment device 1.

[0016] <Configuration of Liquid Treatment Device 1> As shown in FIG. 1 , liquid treatment device 1 includes tank 20, hydrogen dissolution device 30, reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40, and bubble generation device 100, which are connected by piping to form a flow path S. In addition to these components, liquid treatment device 1 also includes pre-treatment device 10 as a component upstream of tank 20 in flow path S. Furthermore, liquid treatment device 1 also includes electrolyzed water tank 50, pump 60, heating device 80, chemical solution supply device 90, bubble generation device 100, etc. as components downstream of tank 20 in flow path S. Liquid treatment device 1 also includes control device 200. The configuration of each component of liquid treatment device 1 will be described in more detail below.

[0017] The pretreatment unit 10 pretreats water (raw water 2), such as tap water, well water, or groundwater, supplied from outside, before supplying it to the hydrogen dissolution device 30. As pretreatment, the pretreatment unit 10 removes impurities from the raw water 2 and softens the raw water 2. The pretreatment unit 10 includes a prefilter 12, a water softener 14, an activated carbon treatment device 16, and the like.

[0018] The prefilter 12 is used to remove impurities from water (raw water 2), such as tap water, well water, or groundwater, supplied from outside the liquid treatment device 1. The prefilter 12 can be configured using any suitable filter, but is designed to remove impurities such as iron rust and sand particles from hardness components (dissolved solids such as calcium ions and magnesium ions) contained in the raw water 2, for example.

[0019] The water softener 14 is used to remove hardness components contained in the raw water 2 through a substitution reaction by ion exchange, thereby producing soft water. In the flow path S, the water softener 14 is connected by piping downstream of the prefilter 12. Therefore, the water softener 14 can further remove hardness components from the raw water 2 from which impurities have been removed by the prefilter 12, thereby softening the raw water 2.

[0020] The activated carbon treatment device 16 is connected to the flow path S downstream of the water softener 14. The raw water 2 that has been softened by the water softener 14 is supplied to the activated carbon treatment device 16. The activated carbon treatment device 16 uses activated carbon, which is a porous adsorbent material, to perform treatment to remove residual chlorine, chloramine, organic matter, etc. contained in the raw water 2 by physical adsorption.

[0021] The tank 20 is connected to the downstream side of the activated carbon treatment device 16 through piping in the flow path S. Therefore, the raw water 2 from which impurities have been removed in the prefilter 12, which has been softened in the water softener 14, and from which substances such as residual chlorine have been removed in the activated carbon treatment device 16 is supplied to and stored in the tank 20.

[0022] The hydrogen dissolution device 30 is connected to the flow path S downstream of the tank 20. The hydrogen dissolution device 30 generates hydrogen-dissolved water 3 by dissolving hydrogen in the raw water 2 introduced from the tank 20. The hydrogen dissolution device 30 may be any device that can dissolve hydrogen in the raw water 2 to generate the hydrogen-dissolved water 3. In this embodiment, the hydrogen dissolution device 30 is one that can generate the hydrogen-dissolved water 3 by performing electrolysis.

[0023] 2, the hydrogen dissolving device 30 may include a solid polymer membrane 32 and an electrolytic cell 34. The electrolytic cell 34 includes an electrolytic cell body 34a, an inlet channel 34b, a water supply channel 34c, and a drain channel 34d. The hydrogen dissolving device 30 also includes the solid polymer membrane 32, an anode 35, a cathode 36, and a dielectric layer 38 inside the electrolytic cell body 34a.

[0024] The electrolytic cell main body 34a is a tank-shaped body capable of storing raw water 2 to be electrolyzed. The inlet path 34b is for introducing the raw water 2 supplied from the tank 20 into the electrolytic cell main body 34a. The water supply path 34c is a path for sending the dissolved hydrogen water 3 generated by the hydrogen dissolution device 30 to the downstream side of the flow path S. The drainage path 34d is a path for discharging wastewater (dissolved oxygen water) generated by the treatment in the hydrogen dissolution device 30 to the outside.

[0025] The solid polymer membrane 32 functions as an electrolyte in the hydrogen dissolving device 30. The solid polymer membrane 32 is disposed in the approximate center of the electrolytic cell 34 in the lateral direction so as to extend in the longitudinal direction of the electrolytic cell 34. As a result, the internal space of the electrolytic cell 34 is separated into a space on one side and a space on the other side via the solid polymer membrane 32. The solid polymer membrane 32 dissolves oxonium ions (H ３ O ＋ ) toward the cathode 36. The solid polymer membrane 32 may be preferably made of, for example, a fluorine-based resin material having a sulfonic acid group. More specifically, Nafion (manufactured by DuPont), Flemion (manufactured by Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.), Aciplex (manufactured by Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.), or the like may be preferably used as the solid polymer membrane 32.

[0026] The anode 35 and the cathode 36 function as power supply elements that supply power to the electrolytic cell 34. The anode 35 and the cathode 36 are arranged to face each other with the solid polymer membrane 32 interposed therebetween. The anode 35 and the cathode 36 are made of a material such as titanium or platinum. The anode 35 and the cathode 36 are electrically connected.

[0027] The dielectric layer 38 is disposed in the space formed between the solid polymer membrane 32 and the anode 35, and in the space formed between the solid polymer membrane 32 and the cathode 36. The dielectric layer 38 is formed using a material such as titanium or platinum.

[0028] When the raw water 2 is electrolyzed in the hydrogen dissolving device 30, the following reactions occur on the anode 35 side and the cathode 36 side. Anode side: 6H ２ O → 4H ３ O ＋ +O ２ +4e － Cathode side: 4H ３ O ＋ +4e － →2H ２ +4H ２ O

[0029] In the hydrogen dissolving device 30, oxonium ions (H ３ O ＋ ) is used, and OH is used during the electrolysis process. － No ions are generated. Therefore, even when the hydrogen dissolving device 30 performs electrolysis at a high current value to increase the amount of dissolved hydrogen, the pH of the treated water does not change. Therefore, the hydrogen dissolving device 30 does not have the inconvenience of suppressing the dissolved hydrogen concentration of the treated water due to the upper pH limit, and it is possible to perform electrolysis at a desired high current value and increase the dissolved hydrogen concentration of the treated water. As a result, it is possible to obtain treated water with the required dissolved hydrogen concentration.

[0030] The hydrogen dissolving device 30 can deliver the dissolved hydrogen water 3 produced by the electrolysis process described above to the reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40 side through a water supply channel 34c formed on the cathode 36 side of the electrolytic cell main body 34a. In the flow path S of this embodiment, an electrolyzed water tank 50 is provided between the hydrogen dissolving device 30 and the reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40. Therefore, the dissolved hydrogen water 3 delivered from the water supply channel 34c of the hydrogen dissolving device 30 is temporarily introduced into and stored in the electrolyzed water tank 50 before reaching the reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40. Meanwhile, the dissolved oxygen water 4 produced on the anode 35 side by the electrolysis process is discharged to the outside of the electrolytic cell main body 34a through a drainage channel 34d formed on the anode 35 side.

[0031] The reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40 is disposed downstream of the hydrogen dissolution device 30 in the flow path S. In this embodiment, the reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40 is connected to the hydrogen dissolution device 30 via a pipe connected to the electrolytic water tank 50 downstream of the hydrogen dissolution device 30. The reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40 is a device for performing reverse osmosis membrane treatment using a reverse osmosis membrane 42. As shown in FIG. 1 , the reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40 includes the reverse osmosis membrane 42, a reverse osmosis water tank 44, and a reverse osmosis water pump 46.

[0032] The reverse osmosis membrane 42 is used to perform reverse osmosis treatment on the dissolved hydrogen water 3 produced by the hydrogen dissolution device 30. When solutions of different concentrations exist across a semipermeable membrane, a phenomenon (osmosis) occurs in which water moves from the low-concentration solution to the high-concentration solution. In contrast, by applying pressure to the high-concentration solution across the semipermeable membrane, water can be moved from the high-concentration solution to the low-concentration solution, resulting in the phenomenon (reverse osmosis) of water permeating into the low-concentration solution. The reverse osmosis membrane 42 is provided to perform a process (reverse osmosis membrane treatment) in the reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40 to obtain water that has been subjected to reverse osmosis (reverse osmosis water).

[0033] The reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40 can remove impurities such as trace metals by reverse osmosis of the supplied water. The reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40 can further remove impurities such as trace metals from the dissolved hydrogen water 3 supplied from the hydrogen dissolution device 30 (the electrolyzed water tank 50 in this embodiment). In the liquid treatment device 1 of this embodiment, as described above, before the dissolved hydrogen water 3 is produced in the hydrogen dissolution device 30, impurities have already been removed in the prefilter 12, the water has been softened in the water softener 14, and substances such as residual chlorine have been removed in the activated carbon treatment device 16. Therefore, by performing reverse osmosis treatment on the dissolved hydrogen water 3 using the reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40, the liquid treatment device 1 can obtain water (reverse osmosis water) that meets the water quality standards specified in ISO 13959 (standards for dialysis water). Furthermore, in the liquid treatment device 1, the dissolved hydrogen water 3 produced in the hydrogen dissolution device 30 is subjected to reverse osmosis treatment using the reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40. Therefore, the liquid treatment device 1 can obtain reverse osmosis water having hydrogen dissolved therein (reverse osmosis dissolved hydrogen water 5) by performing reverse osmosis treatment in the reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40.

[0034] The reverse osmosis water tank 44 is provided in the flow path S downstream of the reverse osmosis membrane 42. The reverse osmosis water tank 44 is for storing reverse osmosis water (reverse osmosis dissolved hydrogen water 5) that has been subjected to reverse osmosis membrane treatment using the reverse osmosis membrane 42. The reverse osmosis water pump 46 is for pumping the reverse osmosis dissolved hydrogen water 5 stored in the reverse osmosis water tank 44 toward the dissolving device 110 and the dialysis fluid supply device 120, which are provided outside the flow path S system.

[0035] The reverse osmosis water pump 46 operates at a predetermined timing when the reverse osmosis dissolved hydrogen water 5 is used in the dissolving device 110 and the dialysate supplying device 120, and supplies the water to the dissolving device 110 and the dialysate supplying device 120. As a result, a predetermined dialysate is produced in the dissolving device 110, and the produced dialysate is supplied to the dialysate supplying device 120. The dialysate is supplied from the dialysate supplying device 120 to each patient monitoring device (not shown) and is used to purify the patient's blood.

[0036] The electrolyzed water tank 50 is a tank provided in the flow path S between the hydrogen dissolution device 30 and the reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40. The electrolyzed water tank 50 stores the dissolved hydrogen water 3 discharged from the hydrogen dissolution device 30 in preparation for supply to the reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40.

[0037] The pump 60 pumps water through the flow path S. The pump 60 may be located anywhere in the flow path S, but is preferably located upstream of the reverse osmosis membrane 42 included in the reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40. In this embodiment, the pump 60 is located downstream of the electrolyzed water tank 50 in the flow path S (preferably immediately downstream of the electrolyzed water tank 50) and upstream of the reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40 (preferably immediately upstream of the reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40). This allows for accurate control of the introduction of the water (raw water 2) stored in the tank 20 into the hydrogen dissolution device 30 at a required flow rate. The pump 60 may be configured to have an output controllable by an applied current value, etc. In this embodiment, the pump 60 is configured to have an output controllable by duty ratio control.

[0038] The liquid treatment device 1 is equipped with a heating device 80 and a chemical liquid supply device 90 as components for cleaning the flow path S, which is formed by piping the above-mentioned tank 20, hydrogen dissolution device 30, reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40, etc.

[0039] The heating device 80 heats and raises the temperature of cleaning liquid (e.g., raw water 2 or a liquid obtained by adding a chemical to raw water) supplied to the flow path S during cleaning operation. The liquid treatment device 1 can sterilize or eliminate hydrogen bacteria and the like by supplying the cleaning liquid heated by the heating device 80 to the flow path S. The heating device 80 may be installed in either or both of the tank 20 and the reverse osmosis water tank 44. In the example shown in FIG. 1 , a first heating device 80 (first heating device 80a) is provided in the tank 20, and a second heating device 80 (second heating device 80b) is provided in the reverse osmosis water tank 44.

[0040] By installing the first heating device 80a in the tank 20, a large amount of water can be heated at once when heating the water used for cleaning the flow path S, allowing for efficient cleaning operations. Furthermore, if the raw water 2 has a high silica content, clogging with silica will occur if the water is passed through the reverse osmosis membrane 42 while still at a low temperature. Therefore, by installing the first heating device 80a in the tank 20, the raw water 2 heated by the first heating device 80a can be supplied for cleaning, preventing the aforementioned clogging of the reverse osmosis membrane 42 by silica. Furthermore, by providing the second heating device 80b in the reverse osmosis water tank 44, the water stored in the reverse osmosis water tank 44 can be kept at an appropriate temperature to prevent the water used by the patient from becoming too cold. Furthermore, by providing the second heating device 80b in the reverse osmosis water tank 44, it can be used to heat the cleaning water when flowing cleaning water to clean only the portion of the flow path S downstream of the tank 20, or the water heated in the first heating device 80a for cleaning can be additionally heated by the second heating device 80b as needed when it reaches the reverse osmosis water tank 44.

[0041] The chemical liquid supply device 90 supplies a chemical liquid used for cleaning the flow path S. The chemical liquid supply device 90 can be disposed at an appropriate position, for example, by being connected to the tank 20 by piping. For example, as shown in FIG. 1 , the chemical liquid supply device 90 can be connected such that a pipe connected to the tank 20 is provided separately from the pipe forming the flow path S, and the chemical liquid can be introduced into the tank 20 via the pipe.

[0042] The air bubble generator 100 is a device that generates air bubbles in the water to be treated. The air bubble generator 100 can be a device that generates ultrafine bubbles (diameter less than 1 μm), a device that generates microbubbles (diameter 1 μm to 100 μm), a device that generates submillibubbles (diameter 100 μm to 1 mm), a device that generates millibubbles (diameter 1 mm or more), or the like. The air bubble generator 100 may be configured as any device selected from these, but is preferably configured as an ultrafine bubble generator or a microbubble generator.

[0043] When the bubble generator 100 is configured as a microbubble generator, for example, a microbubble generator that generates microbubbles by gas-phase dispersion due to liquid flow shear, a microbubble generator that generates microbubbles by cavitation, a microbubble generator that generates microbubbles by changing the solubility of a gas in a liquid, or a microbubble generator that generates microbubbles by a phase change of a dispersed phase can be suitably used. As a microbubble generator that generates microbubbles by gas-phase dispersion due to liquid flow shear, for example, a swirling liquid flow type, a static mixer type, or a micropore type can be suitably used. Furthermore, as a microbubble generator that generates microbubbles by cavitation, an ejector type, a Venturi type, or the like can be suitably used. As a microbubble generator that generates microbubbles by changing the solubility of a gas in a liquid, a pressurized dissolution type (depressurized precipitation type) or a cooled dissolution type (heated precipitation type) can be suitably used. As a microbubble generator that generates microbubbles by changing the phase of a dispersed phase, a mixed vapor condensation type can be suitably used.

[0044] When the bubble generator 100 is configured as an ultra-fine bubble generator, suitable devices include those that generate ultra-fine bubbles by reducing interfacial tension, those that generate ultra-fine bubbles by gas-phase dispersion and mixing due to strong liquid shear flow, and those that generate ultra-fine bubbles by changing the solubility of gas in liquid. A micropore type device is suitable for generating ultra-fine bubbles by reducing interfacial tension. A static mixer or swirling liquid flow type device is suitable for generating ultra-fine bubbles by gas-phase dispersion and mixing due to strong liquid shear flow. A pressurized dissolution type (vacuum precipitation type) device is suitable for using a mixed vapor condensation type device.

[0045] Among the ultra-fine bubble generators or microbubble generators based on the various principles and methods described above, those that generate fine bubbles made from gas contained in a liquid (water) can be suitably used as the bubble generator 100. In this embodiment, the bubble generator 100 is configured to generate fine bubbles made from gas (hydrogen) contained in a liquid (water) by reducing the pressure in the liquid (underwater), such as the ejector type or Venturi type described above.

[0046] The bubble generating device 100 is provided so as to be able to generate bubbles in the water flowing through the flow path S. As will be described in detail later, the bubble generating device 100 can be installed at an appropriate location, such as midway along the conduit that forms the flow path S, on devices such as the hydrogen dissolving device 30 and reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40 provided in the flow path S, or on various components provided in the flow path S such as the tank 20 and the electrolyzed water tank 50, depending on the purpose and the expected effect.

[0047] The control device 200 controls the operation of the liquid treatment device 1. In addition to a water treatment operation for producing dissolved hydrogen water 5 from raw water 2 by reverse osmosis using the liquid treatment device 1, the control device 200 can also cause a cleaning operation for cleaning the flow path S by passing a cleaning liquid through the flow path S. Under the control of the control device 200, the liquid treatment device 1 of this embodiment can perform an operation for cleaning the components present in the main flow path S1 that constitutes the flow path S (main flow path cleaning operation) and an operation for cleaning the sub-flow path S2 that constitutes the flow path S (sub-flow path cleaning operation), as will be described in detail later.

[0048] <<Regarding the flow path S>> The liquid treatment device 1 has a flow path S formed by connecting components such as the tank 20, hydrogen dissolution device 30, reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40, and bubble generation device 100 described above with pipes. The flow path S has a main flow path S1 and a sub-flow path S2. The main flow path S1 is connected with pipes so as to form a liquid passage path R1 and a circulation path R2. The main flow path S1 is equipped with a switching valve 48, and by switching the switching valve 48, the path through which water flows can be switched between the liquid passage path R1 and the circulation path R2.

[0049] The liquid passage path R1 is a path through which the liquid passes from the supply source of the raw water 2 through the hydrogen dissolution device 30 and the reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40 toward the liquid destinations, that is, the dissolution device 110 and the dialysis fluid supply device 120. By operating the pump 60 with the selector valve 48 switched so that water flows through the liquid passage path R1, the liquid treatment device 1 can perform an operation (water treatment operation) in which the pressurized water is treated in the hydrogen dissolution device 30 and the reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40, and reverse osmosis dissolved hydrogen water 5 is produced from the raw water 2 and supplied.

[0050] The circulation path R2 is a path through which water passes so as to form a circulating flow that passes through both the hydrogen dissolution device 30 and the reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40. The liquid treatment device 1 can perform an operation (main path cleaning operation) in which water is circulated through the circulation path R2 and each component in the main flow path S1 is cleaned by operating the pump 60 while the selector valve 48 is switched so that water flows through the circulation path R2. During maintenance operation, the liquid treatment device 1 can enhance the cleaning effect of each component by appropriately supplying a chemical solution from the chemical solution supply device 90 or operating the temperature raising device 80 to raise the temperature of the water. Furthermore, the downstream connection point between the main flow path S1 and the circulation path R2 is not limited to the upstream point of the pretreatment device 10 shown in FIG. 1 , but can be connected to any location in the main flow path S1 as appropriate. Furthermore, the circulation path R2 may be branched and connected to multiple locations in the main flow path S1.

[0051] The sub-flow path S2 is a flow path that allows water to pass through a path that deviates from the main flow path S1. In this embodiment, the sub-flow path S2 includes a first sub-flow path S21 that forms a first discharge path D1 for discharging the dissolved oxygen water 4 from the hydrogen dissolution device 30, and a second sub-flow path S22 that forms a second discharge path D2 for discharging the concentrated water 6 that is discharged as a residue after impurities are removed from the dissolved hydrogen water 3 in the reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40. The first sub-flow path S21 and the second sub-flow path S22 are provided with a first on-off valve 39 and a second on-off valve 49, respectively. The dissolved oxygen water 4 can be discharged from the hydrogen dissolution device 30 by opening the first on-off valve 39. The concentrated water 6 can be discharged from the reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40 by opening the second on-off valve 49.

[0052] A degassed hydrogen supply channel G is also connected to the flow path S. The degassed hydrogen supply channel G supplies hydrogen degassed from the water flowing through the flow path S to the bubble generation device 100. One end of the degassed hydrogen supply channel G is connected to the hydrogen dissolving device 30, or to a downstream side of the hydrogen dissolving device 30 in the flow path S in the direction of water flow. The other end of the degassed hydrogen supply channel G is connected to a location where hydrogen flowing through the degassed hydrogen supply channel G can be supplied to the bubble generation device 100, such as the bubble generation device 100 or a position upstream of the bubble generation device 100 in the flow path S. In the example shown in FIG. 1, one end of the degassed hydrogen supply channel G is directly connected to the hydrogen dissolving device 30, and the other end is directly connected to the bubble generation device 100. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the degassed hydrogen supply channel G is provided with a filter 104 that selectively extracts hydrogen.

[0053] <<Arrangement of the bubble generation device 100>> The bubble generation device 100 can be installed in the pipelines that form the liquid passage path R1, circulation path R2, first discharge path D1, and second discharge path D2 in the main flow path S1 and the sub-flow path S2, or in devices and instruments provided on these paths. For example, the bubble generation device 100 can be installed in the portion that forms the liquid passage path R1 of the flow path S (main flow path S1), in devices and instruments such as the pretreatment device 10, the tank 20, the hydrogen dissolution device 30, the reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40 (reverse osmosis water tank 44), and the electrolytic water tank 50, at a position X1 upstream of the pretreatment device 10, a position X2 between the pretreatment device 10 and the tank 20, a position X3 between the tank 20 and the hydrogen dissolution device 30, a position X4 between the hydrogen dissolution device 30 and the electrolytic water tank 50, and a position X5 between the electrolytic water tank 50 and the pump 60. The bubble generation device 100 can be provided at position X5, position X6 between the pump 60 and the reverse osmosis membrane 42, position X7 between the reverse osmosis membrane 42 and the reverse osmosis water tank 44, position X8 between the reverse osmosis water tank 44 and the reverse osmosis water pump 46, position X9 of the piping connected downstream of the reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40 (pump 60), etc. The bubble generation device 100 can also be provided at position X10 on the pipe connecting the reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40 and the pretreatment device 10 in the portion of the circulation path R2 of the flow path S (main flow path S1). The bubble generation device 100 can also be provided at position Y1 on the pipe forming the first discharge path D1 of the flow path S (sub-flow path S2), position Y2 on the pipe forming the second discharge path D2, etc. The bubble generation device 100 can be provided in only one location or in multiple locations.

[0054] As described above, the bubble generator 100 can be installed in an appropriate location depending on the purpose and expected effect in the liquid treatment device 1. Specifically, the bubble generator 100 can be installed in the flow path S for the purpose of preventing the hydrogen concentration of the reverse osmosis dissolved hydrogen water 5, in which hydrogen has been added to water, from falling below a predetermined minimum concentration before it reaches the dissolution device 110 or the dialysis fluid supply device 120, which are its supply destinations. When the bubble generator 100 is installed for the purpose of preventing the hydrogen concentration from decreasing, the bubble generator 100 may be installed in a pipe constituting the liquid passage path R1 through which water flows during water treatment operation, or in a device or instrument installed along the liquid passage path R1. Specifically, when the objective is to suppress the reduction in hydrogen concentration, the bubble generation device 100 may be provided in at least one of the devices and equipment such as the pretreatment device 10, the tank 20, the hydrogen dissolution device 30, the reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40 (reverse osmosis water tank 44), and the electrolyzed water tank 50, and in the above-mentioned positions X1 to X9. Furthermore, when the objective is to suppress the reduction in hydrogen concentration, the bubble generation device 100 may be provided in the hydrogen dissolution device 30 that dissolves hydrogen in the raw water 2, or even more preferably downstream of this.

[0055] Furthermore, when the bubble generation device 100 is of the ejector type or Venturi type described above, which generates fine bubbles from gas (hydrogen) contained in the liquid (water) by reducing the pressure in the liquid (underwater), a pressure drop occurs in the bubble generation device 100. To compensate for the pressure drop in the bubble generation device 100 (pressure drop compensation effect), it is preferable to install the bubble generation device 100 upstream of the pump 60, the reverse osmosis water pump 46, or other pressure-feeding device in the direction of water flow. Specifically, to compensate for the pressure drop, the bubble generation device 100 is preferably installed at position X5 upstream of the pump 60, or immediately before the pump 60 in the direction of water flow, such as in an electrolytic water tank 50 connected to the pump 60 through a pipe. Therefore, to achieve both the effect of suppressing hydrogen concentration reduction during water treatment operation and the effect of compensating for pressure drops, the bubble generator 100 may be provided at position X5, immediately preceding the pump 60 in the water flow direction, as shown in FIG. 1 , or at the hydrogen dissolution device 30, or both. To accurately detect pressure drops in a timely manner, a device capable of measuring flow rate or water pressure may be provided somewhere along the main flow path S1. Alternatively, a configuration may be adopted in which measured values ​​of flow rate or water pressure detected by the dissolution device 110, the dialysis fluid supply device 120, or other external device can be fed back to the control device 200 (not shown). In this case, the control device 200 compares the measured values ​​with predetermined reference values ​​for flow rate or water pressure and controls the pumping device so that the measured values ​​always approximate the reference values, thereby achieving more timely compensation for pressure drops.

[0056] Furthermore, when the objective is to improve the cleaning effect of each part of the liquid treatment device 1 using bubbles generated in the bubble generator 100, the bubble generator 100 may be provided in each part of the main flow path S1 or in the sub-flow path S2. Specifically, when the objective is to improve the cleaning effect when water is circulated in the circulation path R2 and an operation (main flow path cleaning operation) is performed to clean each part in the main flow path S1, the bubble generator 100 may be provided in devices and equipment such as the pretreatment device 10, the tank 20, the hydrogen dissolution device 30, the reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40 (reverse osmosis water tank 44), and the electrolyzed water tank 50, or at least one of the above-mentioned positions X1 to X10.

[0057] Furthermore, if the purpose of the main flow path cleaning operation is to perform an operation (sub-flow path cleaning operation) to clean the sub-flow path S2, which is not reached by water or a chemical solution simply by circulating cleaning water or a chemical solution through the circulation path R2, the bubble generator 100 may be provided at position Y1 on the first discharge path D1 or position Y2 on the conduit forming the second discharge path D2. Furthermore, if the liquid treatment device 1 is capable of connecting the main flow path S1 and the sub-flow path S2 by opening the first on-off valve 39 or the second on-off valve 49, the bubble generator 100 may be provided at a position on the main flow path S1 upstream of the connection between the main flow path S1 and the sub-flow path S2, so that water containing bubbles generated in the main flow path S1 can be supplied to the sub-flow path S2, thereby enabling the sub-flow path cleaning operation. 1, the bubble generation device 100 is provided at position X5, and a bypass flow path is provided that bypasses the bubble generation device 100 or a pipeline downstream of the bubble generation device 100 and the pipeline of the sub-flow path S2 (first sub-flow path S21) that forms the first discharge path D1. This allows water containing bubbles generated in the bubble generation device 100 provided at position X5 to be supplied to the first discharge path D1 for cleaning.

[0058] 1 shows an example in which the bypass flow path 102 is provided so as to reach the first discharge path D1, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the liquid treatment device 1 may be configured so that the sub-path cleaning operation can be performed by providing the bypass flow path 102 so as to reach the second discharge path D2 instead of the first discharge path D1, by providing multiple bypass flow paths 102 and connecting them to both the first discharge path D1 and the second discharge path D2, or by branching the bypass flow path 102 and connecting it to both the first discharge path D1 and the second discharge path D2.

[0059] <<Regarding Effects>> Based on the above-described embodiment and each example, the present invention has the characteristic configurations shown in (1) to (8) below, and provides effects specific to the present invention.

[0060] (a) The above-described liquid treatment device 1 includes a hydrogen dissolution device 30 that dissolves hydrogen in a liquid, a reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40 that performs reverse osmosis membrane treatment on the liquid, a bubble generation device 100 that generates bubbles in the liquid, and a flow path S formed by connecting the hydrogen dissolution device 30, the reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40, and the bubble generation device 100 so that a liquid can pass through. The flow path S has a liquid passage path R1 that allows the liquid to pass from a liquid supply source through the hydrogen dissolution device 30 and the reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40 to a liquid supply destination, and the bubble generation device 100 generates bubbles in the liquid flowing through the liquid passage path R1.

[0061] Because the liquid treatment device 1 is configured as described above in (a), the bubble generation device 100 generates bubbles in the liquid (water in the above embodiment; the same applies below) flowing through the liquid passage R1, thereby allowing the hydrogen dissolved in the liquid by the hydrogen dissolution device 30 to remain in the liquid. This prevents the hydrogen dissolved in the liquid by the hydrogen dissolution device 30 from being degassed and lost, allowing the hydrogen concentration in the liquid to be maintained high and for a long time. Therefore, the liquid treatment device 1 can prevent the hydrogen concentration of the hydrogen-containing liquid from falling below a predetermined minimum concentration before it reaches its destination.

[0062] (b) In the liquid treatment device 1 described above, the bubble generation device 100 is connected to at least one of a position in the flow path S between the hydrogen dissolution device 30 and the reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40 (positions X4 to X6 in the example shown in Figure 1) and the hydrogen dissolution device 30.

[0063] Because the liquid treatment device 1 is configured as described in (b) above, it can bubble the hydrogen dissolved in the liquid by the hydrogen dissolving device 30 immediately after dissolution. This allows the liquid treatment device 1 to more efficiently suppress degassing of the hydrogen dissolved in the liquid by the hydrogen dissolving device 30, and maintain a high hydrogen concentration in the liquid for a long period of time.

[0064] (c) The liquid treatment device 1 described above has a degassed hydrogen supply passage G that supplies hydrogen degassed from a liquid in which hydrogen has been dissolved to the bubble generation device 100 .

[0065] Because the liquid treatment device 1 is configured as described above in (c), it can use hydrogen degassed from the liquid to generate bubbles containing hydrogen in the liquid in the bubble generation device 100. This allows the liquid treatment device 1 to suppress a decrease in the hydrogen concentration in the liquid that occurs due to degassing.

[0066] (d) In the liquid treatment device 1 described above, the filter 104 for selectively extracting hydrogen is provided in the degassed hydrogen supply path G.

[0067] Because the liquid treatment device 1 is configured as described above in (d), it can selectively extract hydrogen from the gas that has flowed into the degassed hydrogen supply channel G and supply it to the bubble generation device 100. This allows the liquid treatment device 1 to more reliably maintain and promote an increase in the hydrogen concentration in the liquid.

[0068] (e) In the liquid treatment device 1 described above, the bubble generation device 100 generates bubbles made by breaking down hydrogen contained in the liquid into fine particles.

[0069] Since the liquid treatment device 1 is configured as described above in (e), it can break down the hydrogen dissolved in the liquid by the hydrogen dissolution device 30 into fine particles, thereby promoting the maintenance and increase of the hydrogen concentration in the liquid.

[0070] (f) The above-mentioned liquid treatment device 1 has a pump 60 (pressure-transfer device) that pressurizes the liquid in the flow path S, and a control device 200, and the bubble generation device 100 generates bubbles made from finely divided hydrogen contained in the liquid by reducing the pressure in the liquid, and the control device 200 controls the output of the pump 60 (pressure-transfer device) in accordance with the pressure reduction in the bubble generation device 100 so that the pressure of the liquid discharged from the bubble generation device 100 satisfies specified pressure conditions.

[0071] Because the liquid treatment device 1 is configured as described in (f) above, even if the pressure in the liquid drops due to atomization of the hydrogen dissolved in the liquid by the hydrogen dissolving device 30, the drop in pressure in the liquid can be restored by the pump 60 (pressure-feeding device). This allows the liquid treatment device 1 to supply the liquid (reverse osmosis dissolved hydrogen water 5) to the liquid supply destination (in the above embodiment, the dissolving device 110 or the dialysis fluid supply device 120) while maintaining a predetermined pressure level.

[0072] (g) The above-mentioned liquid treatment device 1 comprises a hydrogen dissolution device 30 that dissolves hydrogen in a liquid, a reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40 that performs reverse osmosis membrane treatment on the liquid, a bubble generation device 100 that generates bubbles in the liquid, and a flow path S formed by connecting the hydrogen dissolution device 30, the reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40, and the bubble generation device 100 in a manner that allows liquid to pass through. The flow path S has a main flow path S1 that allows liquid to pass through a path that passes through both the hydrogen dissolution device 30 and the reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40, and a sub-flow path S2 that allows liquid to pass through a path that deviates from the main flow path S1, and the liquid containing bubbles generated by the bubble generation device 100 can be passed through the sub-flow path S2.

[0073] Because the liquid treatment device 1 is configured as described above in (g), the liquid generated by the bubble generation device 100 can pass not only through the main flow path S1 but also through the sub-flow path S2. As a result, when performing a cleaning operation using water, a chemical solution, or the like, the liquid treatment device 1 can utilize the bubbles generated by the bubble generation device 100 to perform cleaning not only in an operation for cleaning the various parts in the main flow path S1 (main flow path cleaning operation) but also in an operation for cleaning the sub-flow path S2 (sub-flow path cleaning operation).

[0074] (h) In the above-described liquid treatment device 1, the main flow path S1 is capable of forming a circulation flow in which liquid circulates through a path that passes through both the hydrogen dissolution device 30 and the reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40, and by circulating liquid through the main flow path S1 to form a circulation flow, a main flow path cleaning operation can be performed in which the configuration including the main flow path S1, the hydrogen dissolution device 30, and the reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40 is cleaned, and a sub-flow path cleaning operation can be performed in which the configuration including the sub-flow path S2 is cleaned by passing liquid containing bubbles generated by the bubble generation device 100 through the sub-flow path S2.

[0075] Since the liquid treatment device 1 is configured as described above in (h), not only can it clean the main flow path S1 by performing the main flow path cleaning operation, but by performing the sub-flow path cleaning operation, it can also clean the sub-flow path S2, which is difficult to clean by performing only the main flow path cleaning operation, by utilizing the liquid containing bubbles generated by the bubble generation device 100.

[0076] (i) The liquid treatment device 1 described above has a bubble generation device 100 provided in the main flow path S1, and when the main flow path S1 and the sub-flow path S2 are connected, main flow path cleaning operation and sub-flow path cleaning operation can be performed by flowing liquid containing bubbles generated by the bubble generation device 100 into the main flow path S1 and the sub-flow path S2.

[0077] Because the liquid treatment device 1 is configured as described above in (i), it can perform both main flow path cleaning operation and sub-flow path cleaning operation using a liquid containing bubbles generated in the bubble generation device 100 provided in the main flow path S1. Therefore, by configuring the liquid treatment device 1 as described above in (i), the bubble generation device 100 can be used to clean both the main flow path S1 and the sub-flow path S2.

[0078] (j) In the liquid treatment device 1 described above, the bubble generation device 100 is connected to the sub-channel S2.

[0079] As described in the above embodiment, the liquid treatment device 1 can be configured as in (j) above by being provided at position Y1 on the pipe forming the first discharge path D1 of the flow path S (sub-flow path S2), position Y2 on the pipe forming the second discharge path D2, etc. By adopting the configuration (j) above, the liquid treatment device 1 can generate liquid containing bubbles generated by the bubble generation device 100 in the sub-flow path S2, thereby further improving the cleaning efficiency of the sub-flow path S2.

[0080] The liquid treatment device 1 described above merely illustrates one embodiment of the present invention, and the configuration can be appropriately changed, omitted, or added without departing from the spirit of the present invention. When the liquid treatment device 1 is configured as shown in Figure 1, it can achieve both the purpose of preventing the hydrogen concentration of the hydrogen-containing liquid from falling below a predetermined minimum concentration before it reaches the supply destination, and the purpose of enabling cleaning of the sub-flow path S2. However, if it is sufficient to achieve only one of these purposes, it is possible to have a configuration that does not satisfy either of the above (a) or (g).

[0081] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, as in (b) above, an example is shown in which the bubble generation device 100 is connected to at least one of a position in the flow path S between the hydrogen dissolution device 30 and the reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 40 (positions X4 to X6 in the example shown in Figure 1) and the hydrogen dissolution device 30, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it is also possible to configure it to be installed at other positions (X1 to X3, X7 to X10, Y1, Y2 in the example shown in Figure 1), etc.

[0082] In the liquid treatment device 1 of the above embodiment, a configuration in which a degassed hydrogen supply path G is provided as shown in (c) above is exemplified, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it is also possible to have a configuration in which a degassed hydrogen supply path G is not provided.

[0083] In the above embodiment, as in (d) above, the filter 104 for selectively extracting hydrogen is provided in the degassed hydrogen supply path G, but the present invention is not limited to this. The liquid treatment device 1 may not be provided with the filter 104 in the degassed hydrogen supply path G.

[0084] In the above embodiment, as in (e) above, the bubble generation device 100 that generates bubbles by breaking down hydrogen contained in the liquid is used as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as exemplified in the above embodiment, the liquid treatment device 1 can also be a bubble generation device 100 that generates bubbles in the liquid using other principles or methods.

[0085] In the above embodiment, as in (f) above, the bubble generator 100 is used to generate bubbles that disperse hydrogen contained in the liquid by reducing the pressure in the liquid, and the control device 200 controls the output of the pump 60 (pressure-feeding device) in response to the pressure drop in the bubble generator 100 so that the pressure of the liquid delivered from the bubble generator 100 satisfies a predetermined pressure condition. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in cases where the supply pressure of the liquid to the dissolving device 110 and the dialysis solution supply device 120 can be sufficiently ensured without controlling the output of the pump 60, where a drop in supply pressure is not a problem, or where the liquid can be pressurized and pumped in another device provided downstream of the liquid treatment device 1, the configuration as in (f) above may not be provided.

[0086] The liquid treatment device 1 of the above embodiment utilizes the liquid containing bubbles generated by the bubble generator 100 in both the main flow path cleaning operation for cleaning the main flow path S1 and the sub-flow path cleaning operation for cleaning the sub-flow path S2, as described above in (h). However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the liquid treatment device 1 can be configured to supply the liquid containing bubbles generated by the bubble generator 100 only to the main flow path S1 and not to the sub-flow path S2 if the objective of preventing the hydrogen concentration of the hydrogen-containing liquid from falling below a predetermined minimum concentration before reaching the supply destination can be achieved, and the objective of being able to clean the sub-flow path S2 does not need to be achieved. Furthermore, the liquid treatment device 1 can be configured to supply the liquid containing bubbles generated by the bubble generator 100 only to the sub-flow path S2 if the objective of being able to clean the sub-flow path S2 using the bubbles generated by the bubble generator 100 is achieved, and if it is not necessary to use the bubbles generated by the bubble generator 100 in cleaning the main flow path S1.

[0087] In the above embodiment, as described in (i) above, an example has been shown in which the bubble generator 100 provided in the main flow path S1 is configured to be able to perform both the main flow path cleaning operation and the sub-flow path cleaning operation using a liquid containing bubbles generated in the bubble generator 100 provided in the main flow path S1, but the liquid treatment device 1 does not necessarily have to be configured in this way. For example, the liquid treatment device 1 could also perform the main flow path cleaning operation using the bubble generator 100 provided in the main flow path S1, and also perform the sub-flow path cleaning operation using a bubble generator 100 provided separately in the sub-flow path S2.

[0088] In the above embodiment, as in (j) above, an example was shown in which the bubble generation device 100 can be connected to the sub-flow path S2, but the present invention is not limited to this. As in the example shown in Figure 1 etc., it is also possible to have only the bubble generation device 100 connected to the main flow path S1 without having the bubble generation device 100 connected to the sub-flow path S2.

[0089] The present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the above-described embodiments, etc., and design modifications, etc., are possible as appropriate within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention. The components of the above-described embodiments and variations may be arbitrarily selected and combined. Furthermore, any component of each embodiment or variation may be arbitrarily combined with any component described in the means for solving the problems, the detailed description, etc., or any component embodying any component described in the means for solving the problems, the detailed description, etc. The present invention also intends to obtain rights to these in this application or in divisional applications based on this application.

[0090] The present invention can be suitably used in all water treatment devices that include a hydrogen dissolving device and a reverse osmosis membrane treatment device.

[0091] 1: Liquid treatment device 5: Reverse osmosis dissolved hydrogen water 30: Hydrogen dissolving device 40: Reverse osmosis membrane treatment device 60: Pump 100: Bubble generating device 104: Filter 110: Dissolving device 120: Dialysis fluid supply device 200: Control device D1: First discharge path D2: Second discharge path G: Degassed hydrogen supply path R1: Liquid passage path R2: Circulation path S: Flow path S1: Main flow path S2: Sub-flow path

Claims

1. A liquid treatment device comprising: a hydrogen dissolution device for dissolving hydrogen in a liquid; a reverse osmosis membrane treatment device for performing reverse osmosis membrane treatment on the liquid; a bubble generation device for generating bubbles in the liquid; and a flow path formed by connecting the hydrogen dissolution device, the reverse osmosis membrane treatment device, and the bubble generation device in a manner that allows liquid to pass through, wherein the flow path is capable of passing liquid through a liquid passage path that passes the liquid from a supply source of the liquid through the hydrogen dissolution device and the reverse osmosis membrane treatment device to a destination of the liquid, and the bubble generation device generates bubbles in the liquid flowing through the liquid passage path.

2. A liquid treatment device as described in claim 1, characterized in that the bubble generating device is connected to at least one of a position in the flow path between the hydrogen dissolution device and the reverse osmosis membrane treatment device and the hydrogen dissolution device.

3. A liquid treatment device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a degassed hydrogen supply passage for supplying hydrogen degassed from the liquid having dissolved therein to the bubble generating device.

4. A liquid treatment device according to claim 3, characterized in that a filter for selectively extracting hydrogen is provided in the degassed hydrogen supply path.

5. A liquid treatment device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the bubble generating device generates bubbles made by breaking down hydrogen contained in the liquid into fine particles.

6. A liquid treatment device as described in claim 1 or 2, comprising: a pressure-feeding device which pressure-feeds the liquid through the flow path; and a control device, wherein the bubble generation device generates fine bubbles of hydrogen contained in the liquid by reducing the pressure within the liquid, and the control device controls the output of the pressure-feeding device in response to the pressure reduction in the bubble generation device so that the pressure of the liquid discharged from the bubble generation device satisfies specified pressure conditions.

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