Patent ID: 8641897
Filing Date: 2014-02-04
Classification: B01D,C02F

Abstract:
1. A water treatment apparatus for treating water, the apparatus comprising: a) a pump for bringing the water into the apparatus substantially at a first predetermined pressure; b) a gas injector located downstream of the pump, the gas injector being fluidly connected to a source of ozone for injecting ozone into the water; c) a pressurized contacting chamber located downstream of the gas injector for allowing the injected ozone to contact the water, wherein the water exiting the pressurized contacting chamber comprises dissolved gases and undissolved gases; d) a pressure-sustaining valve located downstream of the pressurized contacting chamber, the pressure-sustaining valve maintaining the pressure within the pressurized contacting chamber substantially at a second predetermined pressure, the second predetermined pressure being lower than the first predetermined pressure; e) a centrifugal gas-liquid separator located downstream of the pressure-sustaining valve, the gas-liquid separator removing substantially all undissolved gases from the water, wherein the water exiting the gas-liquid separator is substantially saturated with dissolved gases and is substantially free of undissolved gases; f) a membrane filter located downstream of the of gas-liquid separator, the membrane filter filtering the water passing therethrough; wherein the membrane filter causes a pressure drop which forces at least a portion of the dissolved gases out of the water, thereby causing the formation of microbubbles in the water within the membrane filter as the pressure drops.