Fine bubble generating apparatus

Gas and liquid contact apparatus – Contact devices – Liquid tank

Patent

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B01F 304

Patent

active

052308383

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a fine bubble generating apparatus for use in a chemical reaction system utilizing contact between a gas and a liquid such as a bubbling column or the like; a separation device for separating suspension or oily matters utilizing air floatation method, or foam separation method; and an aeration system for supplying dissolved oxygen, and more particularly to a fine bubble generating apparatus using a hollow fiber.
As a method for generating bubbles in a liquid, a method for generating bubbles by depressurizing a pressurized liquid to vary the dissolubility of gas physically has been used most commonly. This method is used, for example, in dissolved air floating method (pressurized air floatation method) for water treatment. For example, in an article entitled "Comparison between Dissolved Air Floatation Method and Method of separation by Settlement using a Floatation Tester" authored by Kenji Tanpo and others in Water Supply Association's publication VOL. 53, NO. 12 (NO. 603), there is reported an experiment wherein air is dissolved into pressurized water (4 kg/cm.sup.2 G) and is depressurized to the ambient pressure (0 kg/cm.sup.2 G) to generate bubbles and bubble size distribution thereof is measured. It is reported that the means bubble diameter in this case was 0.055 mm, and the diameter of big bubbles was about 0.08 mm, while that of small ones was about 0.03 mm.
Whilst, in a method for generating bubbles by supplying a pressurized gas to a conventional gas disperser made of a porous solid material or the like, fine bubbles having the above-mentioned small diameters could not be generated.
On the other hand, a method of generating fine bubbles by using a hollow fiber made of a polymer has recently been developed and become to be put to practical use.
This method renders it possible to generate fine bubbles whose diameters are equivalent to those of bubbles generated by depressurization of pressurized water by supplying a pressurized gas into the interior of a hollow fiber to give a running speed to liquid contacting the outer surface of the fiber.
It is hitherto known to give relative motion between the hollow fiber and the liquid contacting the outer surface of the fiber as mentioned above so as to separate bubbles generated through fine holes of the fiber before they grow up into large sizes on the surface of the fiber thereby generating fine bubbles of diameters less than those of bubbles generated in case no relative motion occurs between the fiber and the surrounding liquid. However, it is required to use a mechanical power generating device such as, for example, a pump to give relative motion between the hollow fiber and the surrounding liquid, therefore, a high running cost is required.
Further, in the above-mentioned field of application, for example, a cultivating device, there is a possibility of a cell, or a microorganism being damaged by mechanical agitation by means of a pump or the like, and also in other fields of application, because of higher cost of power for the pump, or the like than that for the conventional system using a gas disperser, the above-mentioned method was sometimes inapplicable.


SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been devised in view of the above-mentioned circumstances in the prior art and has for its object to provide a fine bubble generating apparatus capable of reducing diameters of bubbles generated through the outer surface of a hollow fiber by giving a running speed to a liquid contacting the fiber without using mechanical power generated by a pump or the like.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a fine bubble generating apparatus arranged so as to give less damage to a cell, or a microorganism in a liquid vessel, in case the apparatus is used as a dissolved oxygen supply device for use in a system for cultivating and breeding a cell, a microorganism, an animal or a plant.
To achieve the above-mentioned objects, according to a first aspect of the present invent

REFERENCES:
patent: 3439807 (1969-04-01), Danjes
patent: 3711072 (1973-01-01), Waldenville
patent: 3911068 (1975-10-01), Hamilton
patent: 3926810 (1975-12-01), Gudernatsch et al.
patent: 4749654 (1988-06-01), Karrer et al.
patent: 4950431 (1990-08-01), Rudick et al.
patent: 4971836 (1990-11-01), Fukasawa et al.

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