Microbubble Liquid Treatment Apparatus for High Specific Gravity Waste Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional emulsion demulsifying apparatuses discard high specific gravity liquids along with low specific gravity liquids, leading to inefficient waste management.

Innovation Solution

A liquid treatment apparatus comprising a tank, a microbubble generator, a bubble tank, a separation tank, and a circulation pipe, where microbubbles adhere to foreign matter or oil content, allowing for the separation and collection of high specific gravity liquids, reducing waste through a controlled floating matter discharge and circulation system.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If microbubbles are used to float and separate contaminants from treatment liquid, then separation efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional components like microbubble generator, bubble tank, separation tank, and circulation system

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveseparation efficiencyVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The treatment apparatus is divided into functionally independent modules: a bubble tank for microbubble generation, a separation tank for liquid-solid separation, and a circulation system. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while enabling independent optimization and maintenance of individual modules.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A circulation pump serves as an intermediary component that connects and coordinates the bubble tank, separation tank, and treatment liquid flow path. This intermediary device enables controlled liquid circulation between different tanks, ensuring proper operation of the separation process while managing the complexity of multiple components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If high specific gravity liquid is discarded together with low specific gravity liquid, then operation simplicity is maintained, but substance loss increases due to unnecessary disposal of valuable high specific gravity liquid

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperation simplicityVSAvoidsubstance loss
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The separation tank extracts and separates the high specific gravity liquid from the mixed liquid stream by utilizing density differences. The circulation system then takes out the separated high specific gravity liquid and returns it to the treatment process, preventing its disposal with waste while maintaining simple operation through automated separation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The circulation system establishes a feedback loop where the separated high specific gravity liquid is continuously monitored and returned to the treatment tank based on liquid level sensors and pump control. This feedback mechanism automatically prevents substance loss without requiring complex manual intervention, maintaining ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Productivity

If floating matter discharge port is positioned at liquid surface level, then floating matter discharge efficiency is improved, but risk of treatment liquid overflow increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedischarge efficiencyVSAvoidoverflow risk
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The floating matter discharge port is positioned at a specific local height within the bubble tank, optimized for efficient floating matter discharge. Simultaneously, the bubble tank is designed with sufficient vertical space above the liquid surface to prevent overflow, creating different local qualities (discharge efficiency at port level, safety margin at tank level) that resolve the contradiction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The bubble tank is designed with a predetermined safety margin between the liquid surface and the tank top, providing a cushioning space that prevents overflow before it can occur. This prior cushioning design ensures that even with high discharge efficiency, the system maintains reliability by having built-in protective capacity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

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

The apparatus effectively reduces the waste amount of high specific gravity liquids by separating and collecting them efficiently, utilizing microbubbles to float and collect contaminants, thereby minimizing waste disposal issues.

Implementation Method 1

a microbubble generator configured to generate microbubbles by mixing air into the treatment liquid supplied from the liquid supply pump

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGas-liquid mixing:

Implementation Method 2

floating the microbubbles in the bubble tank by adhering the microbubbles to the foreign matter or the oil content

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAdhesion: Adhesive

Implementation Method 3

a circulation pipe configured to return the treatment liquid overflown from the liquid surface in the separation tank to the tank, wherein an opening at the upper end of the circulation pipe serves as a circulation port, wherein the height of the liquid surface of the treatment liquid is determined by a position of the circulation port

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGravity-driven flow: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentEP3736031B1Liquid treatment apparatus and liquid treatment method
Publication Date: 2023.09.06 SUGINO MACHINE
  • EP3736031B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3736031B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3736031B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Provided are a liquid treatment apparatus and a liquid treatment method for reducing a waste amount of a high specific gravity liquid. The liquid treatment apparatus 10 includes: a liquid supply pump 15 to supply a treatment liquid 13 stored in a tank 11; a bubble tank 23 into which the treatment liquid 13 flows, and including a floating matter discharge port 23b arranged near a liquid surface of the treatment liquid 13, and to discharge a floating matter floated on the treatment liquid 13; a microbubble generator 17 arranged outside the bubble tank 23, and to generate microbubbles by mixing air into the treatment liquid 13 supplied from the liquid supply pump 15; a separation tank 29 connected the bubble tank 23 at a lower portion of the bubble tank 23; and a circulation pipe 31 configured to return the treatment liquid 13 overflown from the liquid surface 14 in the separation tank 29 to the tank 11.