David A Cochran

US Patent:

48636436, Sep 5, 1989

Filed:

Sep 13, 1988

Appl. No.:

7/243625

Inventors:

David W. Cochran - Talking Rock GA

International Classification:

B01F 304

US Classification:

261 76

Abstract:

An apparatus without any moving parts for dissolving gas in a liquid. Once introduced into the apparatus, a liquid is forced through a plurality of orifices in a plate which breaks the flow apart. Downstream of but close to this plate, a gas at a higher pressure than the liquid is injected into the liquid, forming a gas/liquid mixture. This mixture then flows down a first mixing tube at the end of which a deflector cap turns the flow approximately 180 degrees and throws it against a flat disk disposed close to the outlets of the first mixing tube. The force with which the impinging mixture strikes the deflector cap and then the disk causes large bubbles to break apart into smaller ones. The gas/liquid suspension then enters a second and longer tube surrounding the first mixing tube, where further continuous mixing by flow forces occurs. If any of the gas bubbles remaining in the flow are large enough to escape from the flow in the second mixing tube, these bubbles rise to the top of the liquid surface there and coalesce with the gas about to be injected into the liquid downstream of the orifice plate.