Conical Annular-Gap Nozzle for Clog-Resistant Gas Dispersion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas dispersion methods in liquids, such as those using porous bodies, perforated tubes, and injectors with Venturi systems, suffer from large gas bubbles, inefficiencies, and issues with solids clogging or phase separation, making them unsuitable for suspensions or deep water tanks.
Innovation Solution
A device with a conical annular gap nozzle that tangentially introduces liquid and gas, creating a swirling liquid jet with high rotational speed, allowing gas to mix and form fine bubbles before entering the liquid volume, using varying gas introduction methods to maintain pressure differences and prevent phase separation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If porous bodies (sintered ceramics or metals) are used to introduce gases into liquids, then the achievable bubble size is improved, but the construction effort and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle is segmented into distinct functional zones: a conical annular gap for swirl generation, a cylindrical section for further mixing, and a discharge opening. This segmentation allows each zone to perform its specific function optimally while keeping the overall structure relatively simple and avoiding the need for complex sintered materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses hydraulic principles by utilizing the liquid flow itself to generate the mixing action through the conical annular gap, eliminating the need for complex mechanical or sintered structures. The swirling liquid flow creates the necessary turbulence and mixing automatically through fluid dynamics.
2Productivity
If flat feed systems with sintered materials are used, then gas discharge is achieved, but inaccurate alignment leads to uneven gas discharge and solids may clog the pores during downtime
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the problematic sintered porous material from the system and replaces it with a smooth-walled conical annular gap nozzle. This eliminates the pore structure that is prone to clogging while maintaining the ability to generate fine bubbles through the swirling liquid flow mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The conical annular gap creates locally concentrated high-velocity liquid flow and turbulence at specific locations, generating fine bubbles without requiring porous materials. The local hydraulic conditions are optimized for bubble formation while the overall structure remains simple and clog-resistant.
3Ease of operation
If Venturi systems are used to introduce gas into liquid, then gas is introduced via liquid flow, but the mixture separates into two-phase flow due to buoyancy and turbulence dissipates downstream
Solution Approach 1:
The invention adds a rotational dimension to the liquid flow by using the conical annular gap to generate swirl. This rotational motion creates centrifugal forces that counteract the buoyancy-driven separation of gas and liquid phases, maintaining a more stable homogeneous mixture as the flow progresses downstream.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses dynamic swirling liquid flow to continuously mix gas and liquid phases, rather than relying on static mixing structures. The rotational kinetic energy of the liquid maintains phase mixing by creating centrifugal effects that oppose gravitational separation, keeping the two-phase flow stable over distance.
4Manufacturing precision
If swirl chambers are used to generate microbubbles, then fine gas dispersion is achieved, but solids in the liquid overload and block the outlet opening
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the enclosed swirl chamber structure that traps solids and leads to blockage. Instead, it uses an open conical annular gap configuration where solids can pass through freely without accumulating, while still generating the necessary swirling flow for fine bubble formation.
Solution Approach 2:
Rather than using a closed chamber that forces all flow through a restricted outlet (which clogs with solids), the invention inverts the approach by using an open annular gap where the swirling flow is generated in an unconfined space, allowing solids to pass through without obstruction while maintaining fine bubble generation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Generates micrometer- or nanometer-sized gas bubbles that are evenly distributed throughout the liquid, improving efficiency and suitability for suspensions and deep water tanks without clogging, even with solid contaminants.
Implementation Method 1
The liquid to be treated is introduced tangentially into a cylindrical or conical chamber, causing the liquid therein to rotate. The gas supplied to the liquid in front of or in the swirl chamber concentrates along the axis due to the centrifugal forces acting in the swirl chamber
Implementation Method 2
The gas is introduced, for example, via a Venturi system arranged in the pipe, in which a flow generated in the liquid automatically sucks in the gas
Implementation Method 3
At sufficiently high flow velocities and rotational speeds, the gas is finely dispersed in the liquid by turbulence and shear forces
Implementation Method 4
At sufficiently high flow velocities and rotational speeds, the gas is finely dispersed in the liquid by turbulence and shear forces
Implementation Method 5
The liquid-gas mixture formed in the Venturi system tends to separate into a two-phase flow due to the buoyancy of the gas
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2a~2c
Figure 3
AI summary
A device according to the invention for dispersing a gas into a liquid comprises a liquid volume (2, 21, 43) and a nozzle (3, 22, 41) which is immersed in the liquid volume below a liquid level (42). The nozzle has a conical annular gap (7, 26), at the tip of which a nozzle opening (9, 28) is provided, and a liquid feed line (5, 24) opening tangentially into the conical annular gap. A gas feed line (10, 29, 49) for a gas to be dispersed into the liquid volume opens into the liquid feed line, into the annular gap or in the region of the nozzle opening. The nozzle causes a strong swirling movement in the liquid fed into the liquid volume, which allows good dispersion of the gas that has been introduced via the gas feed line.