Gas and liquid contact apparatus – Fluid distribution – Pumping
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-29
2001-09-04
Bushey, C. Scott (Department: 1724)
Gas and liquid contact apparatus
Fluid distribution
Pumping
C261S079200, C261S108000, C261S111000, C366S339000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06283459
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gas-liquid processing apparatus using a static fluid mixer (motionless fluid mixer) applicable for the substance transfer from a gas to a liquid, such as the gas absorption and the gas dissolution, the substance transfer from a liquid to a gas, such as the diffusion, the gas phase reaction with a substance to be processed in a liquid, such as the aeration and the incubation, the chemical reaction with a gas and a liquid, such as halogenation, hydrogenation, oxidation and sulfidization, and the three phase reaction of gas-liquid-solid, such as a bioreactor and a bioreacting apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the food industry, carbon dioxide is absorbed in water in the production process of refreshing beverages such as a carbonated water. In the petrochemical industry, a liquid and a gas are contacted in an oxidization reaction apparatus, a hydrogenation reaction apparatus, or a gas diluted water manufacturing apparatus. In the paper and pulp industry, a liquid and a sulfidized water are contacted for the absorption reaction of a sulfidized water. A contact process of a gas and a liquid is necessary also for environmental apparatus such as a deep aeration apparatus, a chlorine pasteurization apparatus of water, an exhaust gas processing apparatus, a purification apparatus for industrial waste water, water supply or sewage, a processing apparatus of industrial waste water with ozone gas, water supply or sewage, and an aerator. Furthermore, in the fishery industry, air is mixed in water by contacting air with water for charging oxygen in a pisciculture pond.
The gas-liquid processing apparatus is used particularly in a purifying apparatus for eliminating an organo-chloric compound such as 1-1-1-trichloroethane, trichloroethylene, and tetrachloroethylene from a waste liquid, a hazardous substance eliminating apparatus for eliminating a substance such as chlorine, trihalomethane and fumic acid from tap water or well water, a pasteurization apparatus for sterilization or pasteurization of dissolution and enrichment of oxygen gas, ozone, chlorine dioxide or chlorine gas in raw water, and a bioreactor where aerobic bacteria are used.
A conventional gas-liquid processing apparatus (a gas-liquid contacting apparatus) utilizing a static type fluid mixer, comprising a spiral blade body in a passage pipe and a plurality of fluid passage for passing a fluid in the pipe axis direction, arranged perpendicularly, for supplying liquid from a position higher than the fluid mixer by the hydrostatic pressure difference, and further, a gas can pass in the fluid mixer (Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 5-96144) is known.
However, since the liquid is supplied from the upper direction with respect to the liquid mixer by the hydrostatic pressure difference into the fluid mixer in the conventional gas-liquid processing apparatus, although the production cost and the running cost can be low for not requiring a motive power, it has the disadvantage of having a low gas-liquid contacting efficiency.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a gas-liquid processing apparatus with a high contacting efficiency between a gas and a liquid and a high reaction rate and a high mixing efficiency at a low production cost.
A first aspect of a gas-liquid processing apparatus according to the present invention comprises one or a plurality of static type fluid mixer arranged substantially perpendicularly in the longitudinal direction, a liquid supplying means for supplying a liquid in the passage pipe, and a gas supplying means for supplying a gas in the passage pipe, wherein a fluid consisted of said liquid and said gas is in the pressured state higher than the atmospheric pressure in the static type fluid mixer.
A second aspect of a gas-liquid processing apparatus of the present invention comprises a plurality of static type fluid mixers arranged parallel to each other and substantially perpendicularly in the longitudinal direction, a container for keeping a fluid and arranging the static type fluid mixers so as to be soaked at least partially in the fluid, partition members for partitioning the inside of the container for each of the static type fluid mixers so as to allow passage of a liquid but not allow passage of a gas, and pipes for connecting the gas space of each room of the container partitioned by the partition members and a gas introducing portion of an adjacent static type fluid mixer, wherein the fluid is in the pressured state higher than the atmospheric pressure in the static type fluid mixers.
Furthermore, it is preferable that a circulating means for returning the fluid from the bottom portion of the static type fluid mixer to the upper portion thereof for circulating the fluid is further provided in the first and second aspects of the present invention.
It is also preferable that the static type fluid mixer comprises a passage pipe for the passage of a fluid and a spiral blade body arranged in the passage pipe. An opening is formed in the spiral blade body at the center portion of the passage pipe.
In the first aspect of the present invention, a liquid and a gas are mixed and contacted for generating a certain reaction, a gas absorption or a dissolution while passing through the fluid mixer. In this case, the fluid is maintained in a pressured state in the static type fluid mixer. Preferably, the liquid and the gas are circulated and supplied in the static type fluid mixer. Accordingly, in the present invention, a fluid is maintained in a pressurized state higher than the atmospheric pressure, and preferably circulated and supplied into the static type fluid mixer. Therefore, a gas and a liquid are contacted and mixed with a high efficiency. Besides, since a motive power is not used for stirring the gas and the liquid, it has an advantage of a low production cost.
In the second aspect of the present invention, a plurality of the static type fluid mixers are arranged parallel to each other and the container is partitioned by the partition members so that a liquid can move freely among the rooms but a gas cannot move freely. Then the gas is introduced to the gas introducing portion of an adjacent static type fluid mixer by the pipe. Then, the gas passes through the static type fluid mixer of each room successively and contacts with the liquid. Accordingly, the gas and the liquid are introduced into the static type fluid mixer arranged at an end of the container so that a mixed fluid in the container is discharged from the room on the other end of the container. Similarly, a fluid is mixed in a pressured state in the static type fluid mixer as well as since the contacting length of a gas and a liquid is long in the second aspect, the contacting efficiency of the liquid and the gas is extremely high. By circulating and supplying a fluid in the static type fluid mixer in each room, the contacting efficiency of a liquid and a gas can be further higher.
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Patent Abstracts of Japan, vol. 9, No. 317 (C-319), Dec. 12, 1985, JP 60-153922, Aug. 13, 1985.
Bushey C. Scott
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
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