Gas dissolved liquid generation device

Abstract

According to the present invention, an ozone water generation device, which is a gas dissolved liquid generation device, comprises an ejector 1 and a gas-liquid separator 2. The ejector 1 generates ozone water as a gas dissolved liquid by injecting ozone gas, which is a gas, into a flow of water, which is a liquid that has been introduced. The gas-liquid separator 2 is provided in an intake pipe 10 of the ejector 1 and prevents backflow of the water from the ejector 1.

Description

Gas-dissolved liquid generating apparatus

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for generating a gas-dissolved liquid.

[0002] As an ozone water generating apparatus which is a gas dissolution generating apparatus that generates ozone water as a gas-dissolved liquid by injecting ozone gas, which is a gas, into a flow of water, which is a liquid, for example, ejector-type apparatuses disclosed in Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2 and the like can be mentioned.

[0003] In an ejector-type ozone water generating apparatus, when a negative pressure is generated in an ozone generator connected to a suction port of an ejector, the probability of a decrease in ozone gas generation capacity and a malfunction of the ozone generator increases. Therefore, in the ozone water generating apparatus of Patent Document 1, an orifice is provided between the ozone generator and the ejector to maintain the ozone gas generation part of the ozone generator at a positive pressure, thereby supplying ozone gas to the ejector under the same pressure.

[0004] Further, the ozone water supply system of Patent Document 2 includes an ozone water supply line, an ozone water circulation line, an ozone concentration sensor, and a controller for controlling the concentration of generated ozone of an ozone generator, and performs control such that fluctuations in ozone concentration caused by discharge of ozone water to the supply line or the like are eliminated. Ozone gas, which is a raw material for ozone water, is generated by a discharge-type ozonizer that uses oxygen as a main raw material and generates ozone gas by discharge, and the supply pressure is equal to or higher than normal pressure.

[0005] Japanese Patent No. 4746515 Japanese Patent No. 7041466

[0006] The above-mentioned conventional technology generates ozone water by mixing ozone gas and water using a gas-liquid mixing device such as an ejector. It is considered that the supply pressure of ozone gas at this time is a positive pressure.

[0007] On the other hand, some apparatuses for generating ozone gas (ozonizers) hold ozone gas in the apparatus at a negative pressure for the purpose of suppressing self-decomposition of high-concentration ozone gas, for example.

[0008] In the conventional ozone water generator described above, if an ozonizer that maintains ozone gas from the ozone supply system under negative pressure is applied, if sufficient suction pressure cannot be obtained due to abnormalities in the supply water temperature or pump, water may backflow from the ozone gas intake of the ejector and enter the ozone gas supply system. This backflowing water may then enter the ozone gas flow meter, valves, etc. in the ozone supply system, potentially causing malfunction or failure of the supply system.

[0009] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention aims to prevent liquid that has flowed back from the gas intake of an ejector into the gas supply system when a gas is supplied to the ejector together with a liquid to produce a gas-dissolved liquid.

[0010] One aspect of the present invention is a gas-dissolved liquid generating apparatus comprising an ejector that injects gas into an introduced liquid flow to generate a gas-dissolved liquid, and a gas-liquid separator provided in the intake pipe of the ejector to prevent backflow of the liquid from the ejector.

[0011] One aspect of the present invention is a gas-dissolved liquid generating apparatus, wherein the gas-liquid separator includes a filter capable of separating the gas from the mixed fluid of the liquid and the gas.

[0012] One aspect of the present invention is a gas-dissolved liquid generating apparatus in which the pore diameter of the filter is such that only the gas can flow through the liquid and the gas.

[0013] One aspect of the present invention is a gas-dissolved liquid generating apparatus in which the filter is made of an ozone-resistant material.

[0014] One aspect of the present invention is a gas-dissolved liquid generating apparatus in which the gas-liquid separator comprises a cylindrical or disc-shaped separator body filled with the filter.

[0015] One aspect of the present invention is a gas-dissolved liquid generating apparatus in which the ejector has an orifice portion through which the fluid flows, a storage portion formed around the orifice portion into which the gas is drawn in, and a suction groove formed around the storage portion into which the gas is supplied from the storage portion to the orifice portion.

[0016] One aspect of the present invention is a gas-dissolved liquid generating apparatus in which the suction groove is formed at an acute angle with respect to the flow direction of the liquid in the orifice portion.

[0017] One aspect of the present invention is the gas-dissolved liquid generating apparatus, wherein the width of the suction groove is 100 μm or less.

[0018] According to the present invention described above, when supplying a gas together with a liquid to an ejector to generate a gas-dissolved liquid, it is possible to prevent the liquid that flows back from the gas intake of the ejector from entering the gas supply system.

[0019] A schematic cross-sectional view of the gas-dissolved liquid generation apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. A schematic cross-sectional view of Embodiment 1, which includes another example of the gas-liquid separator according to the present invention. (a) A schematic cross-sectional view of the gas-dissolved liquid generation apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention, (b) A schematic cross-sectional view of the area around the orifice in the ejector of the gas-dissolved liquid generation apparatus.

[0020] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0021] [Embodiment 1] The ozone water generator of Embodiment 1, shown in Figure 1, generates ozone water (liquid with dissolved gas) by injecting ozone gas (gas) into the flow of water (liquid) introduced into the ejector 1, and prevents water from entering the ozone gas supply system (gas supply system) from the ejector 1. This prevents malfunctions and failures of the ozone gas supply system.

[0022] The ozone water generator of this embodiment includes an ejector 1 and a gas-liquid separator 2.

[0023] (Ejector 1) Ejector 1 generates ozonated water by injecting ozone gas into the flow of water introduced. As shown in the figure, ejector 1 has an inlet 11, a connecting section 12, an orifice section 13, a connecting section 14, a flow straightening section 15, a connecting section 16, a discharge section 17, and a suction section 18.

[0024] The inlet section 11 consists of a straight channel into which water is introduced.

[0025] The connecting section 12 consists of a tapered flow path with a narrowing inner diameter that connects the inlet section 11 and the orifice section 13, which has a smaller diameter than the inlet section 11, and supplies water from the inlet section 11 to the orifice section 13.

[0026] The orifice section 13 consists of an extremely narrow, straight-cased passage that connects the communication section 12 and the communication section 14. Water supplied from the inlet section 11 through the communication section 12 flows through it, and ozone gas is drawn in and introduced through the suction section 18 to which the intake pipe 10 from the gas supply system is connected.

[0027] The gas supply system of this embodiment is intended for the suction of gas supplied at a pressure equal to or greater than the pressure generated by the suction force produced by the ejector 1, and encompasses gas supply systems under reduced pressure. Examples of such gas supply systems include gas supply systems below atmospheric pressure. More specifically, examples include well-known ozone gas supply systems that supply ozone gas with an ozone concentration of 50% by volume or more and an oxygen concentration of less than 50% by volume. In this case, the total pressure of the ozone gas becomes a reduced pressure state of, for example, 60 kPa (abs) or less (i.e., a state with an ozone partial pressure of 30 kPa (abs) or less).

[0028] The connecting section 14 consists of a tapered flow path with a wider inner diameter that connects the orifice section 13 and the flow straightening section 15, which has a larger diameter than the orifice section 13, and supplies ozonated water from the orifice section 13 to the flow straightening section 15.

[0029] The rectifying section 15 consists of a straight-cased flow path that connects the communication section 14 and the communication section 16, and rectifies the ozonated water supplied from the orifice section 13 through the communication section 14 before supplying it to the communication section 16.

[0030] The connecting section 16 consists of a tapered flow path with a wider inner diameter that connects the flow straightening section 15 and the discharge section 17, which has a larger diameter than the flow straightening section 15, and supplies ozonated water from the flow straightening section 15 to the discharge section 17.

[0031] The discharge section 17 consists of a straight-cased channel for discharging ozonated water from the communication section 16.

[0032] The suction section 18 is formed perpendicular to the water flow direction of the orifice section 13 and consists of a straight-cased flow path that supplies ozone gas, which is supplied under reduced pressure via the intake pipe 10, to the orifice section 13. The diameter of the suction section 18 is set to be smaller than that of the orifice section 13. The intake pipe 10, which is equipped with a gas-liquid separator 2, is connected to this suction section 18.

[0033] (Gas-Liquid Separator 2) The gas-liquid separator 2 prevents the backflow of water from the ejector 1. The gas-liquid separator 2 comprises a separator body 21 provided in the intake pipe 10 and a filter 20 filled inside the separator body 21.

[0034] The filter 20 is capable of separating the gas from a mixed fluid of liquid and gas. In this embodiment, the mixed fluid includes water as the liquid and ozone gas as the gas, so the filter 20 is a well-known filter capable of separating ozone gas from a mixed fluid of water and ozone gas. The pore diameter of the filter 20 is such that only ozone gas can flow through it, for example, 10 μm or less, more specifically 1 μm or less.

[0035] The material used for the filter 20 is an ozone-resistant material. Examples of such materials include hollow porous fibers containing polytetrafluoroethylene and well-known porous ceramics.

[0036] Examples of the form of the filter 20 include a cylindrical filter that is filled into the cylindrical separator body 21 as illustrated in Figure 1, and a two-dimensionally spreading film that is filled into the disc-shaped separator body 22 as illustrated in Figure 2. Specific examples of the cylindrical filter include hollow fiber porous material formed into a cylindrical shape and filled into the separator body 21 in Figure 1, and porous ceramic material in which pores are interconnected from one end to the other of the separator body 21.

[0037] The shape of the filter 20 is determined based on the pressure during fluid backflow. For example, a cylindrical filter is used when the water pressure is relatively high during backflow, while a film-shaped filter is used when the water pressure is relatively low.

[0038] (Effects of this embodiment) The effects of the ejector 1 of this embodiment will be explained with reference to Figure 1. Here, the working fluid is water, the gas is ozone gas, the dissolved liquid gas is ozonated water, and in particular, an example will be described in which ozonated water with an ozone concentration of 200 ppm or more is stably supplied.

[0039] Water introduced into the inlet 11 of ejector 1 is discharged from the outlet 17 via the communication section 12, orifice section 13, communication section 14, flow straightening section 15, and communication section 16. The water that has flowed through the inlet 11 has its flow path narrowed in the communication section 12, increasing its flow velocity and rapidly decreasing its pressure before being supplied to the orifice section 13. The water introduced into the orifice section 13 has its flow velocity increased, and the flow path of the orifice section 13 becomes negatively pressurized. The resulting suction pressure in the orifice section 13 draws in ozone gas from the intake pipe 10 via the suction section 18, dissolving it in water to produce ozonated water. This ozonated water is supplied to the flow straightening section 15 via the communication section 14. The ozonated water straightened in the flow straightening section 15 is discharged from the outlet 17 via the communication section 16.

[0040] Here, if the water flow rate or pressure changes due to factors such as a pump failure, and sufficient suction force cannot be obtained to draw ozone gas from the intake pipe 10, the mixed fluid of water and ozone gas flows back into the gas-liquid separator 2 through the intake pipe 10 from the orifice 13 of the ejector 1. When the mixed fluid that has flowed back into the gas-liquid separator 2 comes into contact with the filter 20, the ozone gas contained in the mixed fluid passes through the pores of the filter 20 and moves to the upstream side of the gas-liquid separator 2, but the water is blocked by the pores and remains on the secondary side (downstream side) of the gas-liquid separator 2. Subsequently, when the suction force of the ejector 1 is restored, the mixed fluid in the gas-liquid separator 2 is drawn back towards the ejector 1, and ozone gas flows again into the suction section 18 of the ejector 1.

[0041] As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the suction pressure of the ejector 1 decreases, the liquid that flows backward from the gas suction port of the ejector 1 accumulates in the gas-liquid separator 2. Therefore, the liquid can be prevented from entering the gas supply system, and will not adversely affect the ozone gas supply control device. In particular, even when sufficient suction pressure cannot be secured in the ejector 1 due to abnormalities in the supply water temperature or the circulation pump, etc., the filter 20 of the gas-liquid separator 2 prevents water from moving to the ozone gas supply system and water from entering the ozone gas flowmeter, valve and the like in the supply system. This prevents malfunction or failure of the ozone supply system.

[0042] [Embodiment 2] The ozone water generator of Embodiment 2 shown in Fig. 3(a) is the same as the ozone water generator of Embodiment 1, except that a storage part 101 and a suction groove 19 are formed in the ejector 1 instead of the suction part 18.

[0043] The storage part 101 is formed coaxially with the orifice part 13 around the orifice part 13 as shown in (b) of the same figure, and stores ozone gas that is depressurized and supplied from the ozone gas supply system via the intake pipe 10.

[0044] The suction groove 19 is formed around the orifice part 13 so as to form an acute angle with respect to the flow direction of the water in the orifice part 13, and consists of an annular slit that supplies the ozone gas stored in the storage part 101 to the orifice part 13. The groove width of the suction groove 19 is set to 100 µm or less in order to minimize leakage of the water and ozone gas from the orifice part 13 to the storage part 101.

[0045] As is clear from the above configuration, according to the ozone water generator of the present embodiment, it is clear that the same effects as those of Embodiment 1 can be obtained.

[0046] In particular, in the present embodiment, since the suction groove 19 is formed around the orifice part 13, the ozone gas sucked and introduced from the storage part 101 can be contacted and mixed with water from the entire circumference of the orifice part 13, so that a large amount of gas can be dissolved in the liquid.

[0047] Further, since the groove width of the suction groove 19 is set to 100 μm or less, even when the flow velocity of the water decreases or the water stops, the suction groove 19 is sealed by the surface tension of the water, so that the intrusion of the mixed fluid into the storage part 101 can be prevented or reduced.

[0048] Furthermore, since the suction groove 19 is arranged at an acute angle relative to the flow direction of the water flowing through the orifice part 13, a large contact area with the water can be secured, so that the dissolution efficiency of ozone gas into the water is improved.

[0049] It should be noted that in Embodiments 1 and 2, the liquid is water and the gas is ozone gas, but it is obvious that the present invention can also be applied even when the liquid and the gas are respectively liquids and gases other than water and ozone gas.

[0050] 1…Ejector, 10…Intake pipe, 101…Storage part, 11…Inflow part, 12…Communication part, 13…Orifice part, 14…Communication part, 15…Rectification part, 16…Communication part, 17…Discharge part, 18…Suction part, 19…Suction groove, 2…Gas-liquid separator, 20…Filter, 21, 22…Separator body part

Claims

1. A gas-dissolved liquid generating apparatus comprising: an ejector that injects gas into an introduced liquid flow to generate a gas-dissolved liquid; and a gas-liquid separator provided in the intake pipe of the ejector to prevent backflow of the liquid from the ejector.

2. The gas-liquid separator is equipped with a filter capable of separating the gas from the mixed fluid of the liquid and the gas, as described in claim 1.

3. The gas-dissolved liquid generating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the pore diameter of the filter is such that only the gas can flow through the liquid and the gas.

4. The gas-dissolved liquid generating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the filter is made of an ozone-resistant material.

5. The gas-liquid separator comprises a cylindrical or disc-shaped separator body filled with the filter, as described in claim 2.

6. The gas-dissolved liquid generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ejector has an orifice portion through which the liquid flows, a storage portion formed around the orifice portion into which the gas is drawn in, and a suction groove formed around the storage portion for supplying the gas from the storage portion to the orifice portion.

7. The gas-dissolved liquid generating apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the suction groove is formed at an acute angle with respect to the direction of liquid flow in the orifice portion.

8. The gas-dissolved liquid generating apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the width of the suction groove is 100 μm or less.

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