Gas Dissolution via Venturi Injector and Liquid Spray
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas dissolution methods in liquids require recovery systems for off-gases and result in loss of undissolved gases, and they often involve complex systems to increase contact time and surface area for enhanced mass transfer.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that introduce a spray of fluid into a pressurized gaseous headspace within a dissolution tank, allowing for rapid gas absorption near saturation, eliminating the need for gas recovery equipment and minimizing contact time through efficient liquid-liquid mixing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If gas bubbles are introduced into bulk liquid to enhance mass transfer, then dissolution efficiency is improved, but system complexity increases due to required recovery systems for off-gases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the gas dissolution process from complex bubble diffusion systems and simplifies it by using a Venturi injector to introduce gas directly into the liquid stream. This eliminates the need for separate recovery systems for off-gases, as the gas is efficiently dissolved in the liquid flow itself, thereby reducing system complexity while maintaining dissolution efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The Venturi injector acts as an intermediary device that facilitates efficient gas-liquid contact. By using the Venturi effect to create a mixing chamber where gas and liquid are forced into intimate contact, the system achieves high dissolution efficiency without requiring complex recovery systems, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity and device complexity.
2Productivity
If contact time between gas bubbles and bulk fluid is increased to increase dissolution, then mass transfer is enhanced, but loss of undissolved gases occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary gas dissolution action by introducing gas into the liquid stream before the liquid reaches the bulk fluid. The Venturi injector creates a mixing chamber where gas is pre-dissolved into the liquid under controlled conditions, ensuring maximum dissolution efficiency and preventing loss of undissolved gases downstream.
Solution Approach 2:
The continuous liquid stream flowing through the Venturi injector ensures continuous gas dissolution action. The liquid acts as a carrier that continuously picks up gas in the mixing chamber and transports it to the bulk fluid, maintaining continuous useful action and preventing gas loss that would occur with intermittent bubble diffusion methods.
3Productivity
If surface area of gas bubbles is increased to enhance mass transfer, then dissolution efficiency improves, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses hydraulic principles through the Venturi injector to achieve efficient gas-liquid mixing. The pressure differential created by the Venturi effect naturally draws gas into the liquid stream and creates fine dispersion without requiring additional energy input for agitation or aeration, thereby achieving high dissolution efficiency with minimal energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical parameters of the liquid stream by using the Venturi injector to create high-velocity flow and pressure differential. This parameter change enables efficient gas dissolution through the resulting turbulence and mixing, achieving high dissolution efficiency without the energy consumption associated with mechanical agitation or prolonged bubble contact time.
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
This approach achieves nearly instantaneous gas absorption to near saturation at elevated pressure, ensuring that all dissolved gas remains in solution and is efficiently delivered to the target fluid, reducing energy consumption and system complexity while minimizing gas loss.
Implementation Method 1
introduce a spray of source fluid into a pressurized gaseous head space within a dissolution tank to dissolve the gas into the source fluid
Implementation Method 2
achieves nearly instantaneous gas absorption to near saturation at elevated pressure, ensuring that all dissolved gas remains in solution
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus and methods are disclosed for facilitating dissolution of one or more gases into a liquid. Preferred gases for use with the apparatus are oxygen, air, and ozone. An apparatus of the present invention comprises a dissolution tank that includes a pressure vessel, at least one liquid spray nozzle, and a fluid outlet. The apparatus also comprises a gas source, means for passing fluid into the pressure vessel, and a discharge device connected to the fluid outlet, which discharge device is provided with at least one orifice. Preferred applications include wastewater treatment, treatment of drinking water, fermentation, and bioremediation.