Patent ID: 8567767

Claim:
An apparatus for the solubilization of carbon dioxide in water comprising: a tubular conduit disposed about a longitudinal axis, extending from an input end to and output end, and defining a fluid flow path from the input end to the output end; an inlet manifold comprising a first inlet for water, a second inlet for carbon dioxide, and an outlet in fluid communication with the input end of the conduit; a helical dispersion element disposed within the conduit immediately downstream of the input end and having an axis substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the conduit; a passive accelerator located immediately downstream of the helical dispersion element within the conduit, the passive accelerator comprising a restriction portion of the conduit having a reduced cross sectional area relative to portions of the conduit immediately upstream and downstream of the restriction portion and wherein the restriction portion has an energy loss coefficient in the range of 0.1 to 0.44; and a rigid impact surface immediately downstream of the passive accelerator, wherein: the rigid impact surface is disposed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis; the rigid impact surface fills a central portion of the conduit and defines one or more peripheral flow paths located outside of the central portion and adjacent the tubular conduit; and wherein: the helical dispersion element, tubular conduit, and restriction portion are substantially aligned along a central longitudinal axis, and the peripheral flow paths are offset from the central longitudinal axis in a direction transverse to the central longitudinal axis; the passive accelerator has an output opening having a radial size that is less than the radial extent of the central portion of the conduit filled by the rigid impact surface; and the output opening of the passive accelerator is configured such that the straight line projection from each point in the opening along a downstream direction parallel the central longitudinal axis intersects the rigid impact surface.