Patent ID: 6120008
Filing Date: 2000-09-19
Classification: A61L,B01F,C02F,Y10S

Abstract:
A process for enriching a liquid with oxygen, which comprises the steps of:(a) introducing a liquid under pressure into an injector and flowing said liquid downwardly through said injector at a selected liquid volume flow rate;(b) introducing oxygen into the liquid as it flows through the injector to create an admixture of liquid and a first plurality of large oxygen bubbles;(c) introducing the admixture of liquid and first plurality of large oxygen bubbles from the injector downwardly into an upper diffuser portion at such velocity as to create a shockwave in the upper diffuser portion;(d) breaking the first plurality of oxygen bubbles up into a second plurality of smaller oxygen bubbles with the shockwave, the second plurality greater than the first plurality, whereby the total surface area between the oxygen bubbles and the liquid is increased;(e) increasing the pressure of an admixture of liquid and the second plurality of smaller bubbles in the upper diffuser portion, whereby the pressure and pressure gradient of the admixture of liquid and the second plurality of smaller bubbles is increased, thus increasing the buoyancy of the smaller oxygen bubbles;(f) introducing the admixture of liquid and the second plurality of smaller bubbles into a lower diffuser portion, whereby the pressure and pressure gradient of the admixture of liquid and the second plurality of smaller bubbles is further increased, thus further increasing the buoyancy of the smaller oxygen bubbles;(g) floating at least some of the second plurality of bubbles upwardly against the downward flow of liquid into the upper diffuser portion;(h) continuing steps (d) through (g) to continually reduce the size and increase the number of the respective bubbles until the bubbles flow with the downwardly flowing liquid from the lower diffuser portion;(i) flowing an admixture of liquid and oxygen bubbles downwardly from the lower diffuser portion; and(j) recovering said oxygen enriched liquid.