Plasma Laminar Flow Reactor for Efficient Gas Infusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for infusing gases into liquids are inefficient, leading to significant oxygen loss, poor diffusion, and high costs, particularly in applications like hydroponics and aquaponics where high oxygen levels are required.
Innovation Solution
A plasma laminar flow reactor system that uses an electric field to efficiently inject or infuse high levels of target gases into liquids, allowing for adjustable and cost-effective gas infusion with minimal energy input.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional gas diffusion methods are used, then gas can be infused into liquid, but oxygen loss is significant and diffusion efficiency is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes plasma phase transitions by exposing gas to an electric field to create a plasma state, which then transfers energized species into the liquid phase. This phase transition approach enables efficient gas infusion while minimizing oxygen loss through controlled plasma chemistry rather than traditional mechanical diffusion methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces traditional mechanical gas diffusion systems with an electric field-based plasma generation system. Instead of using pressure differentials or mechanical agitation to force gas into liquid, the system uses electrical energy to create plasma that naturally infuses reactive species into the liquid, achieving higher efficiency with reduced material loss.
2Productivity
If traditional gas diffusion methods are used, then gas can be infused into liquid, but the cost is high
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the operational parameters from mechanical pressure and flow control to electrical field parameters (voltage, frequency, power density). This parameter transformation enables more precise control over gas infusion rates and allows for optimization of energy consumption, reducing overall system costs while maintaining high productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The plasma generation system is designed to be self-regulating, where the electric field automatically maintains optimal plasma conditions based on the gas flow and liquid contact parameters. This self-service characteristic reduces the need for complex external control systems and expensive auxiliary equipment, lowering manufacturing costs.
3Quantity of substance
If high oxygen levels are maintained in liquid, then applications like hydroponics and aquaponics benefit, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs periodic or pulsed electric field application to generate plasma, rather than continuous operation. This periodic action allows oxygen infusion to occur in controlled bursts, maintaining high dissolved oxygen levels in the liquid while significantly reducing overall energy consumption compared to continuous aeration or agitation systems.
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 system achieves enhanced gas infusion rates with reduced energy consumption and costs, maintaining high oxygen levels in liquids, which is critical for applications like hydroponics and aquaponics.
Implementation Method 1
Exposure to the electric field generally ionizes the gas and creates a plasma. If a stream of liquid is also introduced to the space between the electrodes, the gas and liquid may form two layers flowing in parallel and a plasma may form in the gas and at the surface of the liquid and further, the ions resulting from the plasma may be injected into, or may otherwise enter into the liquid as it passes through the electric field.
Implementation Method 2
In addition to injection of ionic constituents into a liquid, diffusion or infusion of non-ionic gas constituents into a liquid can be an important component in various industries
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for formulating a medical treatment effluent by performing plasma reactions creating a plasma area in a gas adjacent to a liquid. An embodiment of the plasma reactor includes a housing with an internal reaction chamber, first and second inlet paths to the reaction chamber, and electrodes for producing an electric field. The system may optionally further include a pre-ionization electrode and pre-ionization electric field for pre-ionizing a feed gas prior to entry into a reaction chamber. The reactor uses plasma to ionize gas adjacent with the liquid. The ionized gas reacts with the liquid to form an effluent. Exemplary medical treatments include: immunization (immuno) therapy; wound treatment; cancer treatment; and disinfectant applications.