Nanobubble utilization method and device

• US 20060054205A1
• Filed: 09/30/2003
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (Government of Japan)
• Original Assignee: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (Government of Japan)
• Inventors: Yabe, Akira, Goto, Mizuki
• Application Number:
  US10/530,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20060054205A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/184
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/02 using physical phenomena
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/012 characterised by being in a special form, e.g. gels, emulsions A61L9/048 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/10 with additional treatment of the liquid or of the object being cleaned, e.g. by heat, by electricity or by vibration
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/24 by flotation C02F1/465 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/04 Disinfection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/60 Fishing; Aquaculture; Aquafarming

Abstract

The present inventors have found the presence of a nanobubble that has not been confirmed conventionally, and established a method for producing nanobubbles. The inventors have determined the theoretically expected characteristics of the produced nanobubbles, found new characteristics by analyzing data experimentally collected, and elucidated the relationship among the characters. Specifically, the inventors have found that a nanobubble has features such as decrease of the buoyant force, increase of the surface area, increase of the surface activity, generation of a local high-pressure field, interface activating action, and sterilizing action thanks to electrostatic polarization. By the association among the features, any of wide variety of objects can be cleaned with high performance and with light environmental load thanks to the function of adsorbing foul components, the function of cleaning the surface of an object quickly, and the sterilizing function, and polluted water can be purified. Nanobubbles can be applied to an organism to recover from fatigue and effectively used for chemical reactions.

Claims

1. A cleaning method utilizing nanobubbles, which comprises cleaning an object with water comprising nanobubbles.

2. The cleaning method utilizing nanobubbles according to claim 1, wherein the water is ultra-pure water and the object is a nanotechnology-associated equipment.

3. The cleaning method utilizing nanobubbles according to claim 1, wherein the object is an industrial equipment.

4. The cleaning method utilizing nanobubbles according to claim 1, wherein the object is an organism.

5. The cleaning method utilizing nanobubbles according to claim 3, wherein the water comprising nanobubbles is electrolyzed water, ionized alkaline water or acid water.

6. The cleaning method utilizing nanobubbles according to claim 1, wherein the water comprising nanobubbles further comprises microbubbles.

33. The method according to claim 1, wherein the nanobubbles are generated at least by application of an ultrasonic wave or by electrolysis.

7. A cleaning apparatus utilizing nanobubbles, which comprises:

a device for generating nanobubbles within water; and

a water supply device for supplying water comprising nanobubbles to an object to be cleaned.

8. The cleaning apparatus utilizing nanobubbles according to claim 7, wherein the water is ultra-pure water and the object is a nanotechnology-associated equipment.

9. The cleaning apparatus utilizing nanobubbles according to claim 7, wherein the object is an industrial equipment.

10. The cleaning apparatus utilizing nanobubbles according to claim 7, wherein the object is an organism.

11. The cleaning apparatus utilizing nanobubbles according to claim 9, wherein the water comprising nanobubbles is electrolyzed water, ionized alkaline water or acid water.

12. The cleaning apparatus utilizing nanobubbles according to claim 7, wherein the water comprising nanobubbles further comprises microbubbles.

13. A method for cleaning polluted water by utilizing nanobubbles, which comprises purifying polluted eater with nanobubbles and microbubbles.

34. The method according to claim 13, wherein the nanobubbles are generated at least by application of an ultrasonic wave or by electrolysis.

14. An apparatus for cleaning polluted water by utilizing nanobubbles, which comprises a device for mixing nanobubbles and microbubbles into polluted water.

15. A method for recovering fatigue of an organism by utilizing nanobubbles, which comprises contacting water comprising nanobubbles with the surface of an organism to thereby recover fatigue of the organism.

16. The method for recovering fatigue of an organism by utilizing nanobubbles according to claim 15, wherein the water comprising nanobubbles further comprises microbubbles.

17. The method for recovering fatigue of an organism by utilizing nanobubbles according to claim 15, wherein a means for contacting the water with the surface of an organism is a bathtub.

35. The method according to claim 15, wherein the nanobubbles are generated at least by application of an ultrasonic wave or by electrolysis.

18. An apparatus for recovering fatigue of an organism by utilizing nanobubbles, which comprises:

a device for generating nanobubbles within water; and

a means for contacting water comprising nanobubbles with the surface of an organism.

19. The apparatus for recovering fatigue of an organism by utilizing nanobubbles according to claim 18, wherein the water comprising nanobubbles further comprises microbubbles.

20. The apparatus for recovering fatigue of an organism by utilizing nanobubbles according to claim 18, wherein the means for contacting water with the surface of an organism is a bathtub.

21. A method for a chemical reaction utilizing nanobubbles, which comprises carrying out a chemical reaction by utilizing a liquid comprising nanobubbles.

22. The method for a chemical reaction utilizing nanobubbles according to claim 21, wherein the chemical reaction is a nonequilibrium chemical reaction.

23. The method for a chemical reaction utilizing nanobubbles according to claim 21, wherein the nanobubbles act as a catalyst in the chemical reaction.

36. The method according to claim 21, wherein the nanobubbles are generated at least by application of an ultrasonic wave or by electrolysis.

24. An apparatus for a chemical reaction utilizing nanobubbles, which comprises utilizing a liquid comprising nanobubbles for a chemical reaction.

25. The apparatus for a chemical reaction utilizing nanobubbles according to claim 24, wherein the chemical reaction is a nonequilibrium chemical reaction.

26. The apparatus for a chemical reaction utilizing nanobubbles according to claim 24, wherein the nanobubbles act as a catalyst in the chemical reaction.

27. A method for purification and sterilization utilizing nanobubbles, which comprises utilizing water comprising nanobubbles for purifying and sterilizing a plant.

28. The method for purification and sterilization utilizing nanobubbles according to claim 27, wherein the plant is at least one of vegetables, fruits, crops and foods.

29. An apparatus for purification and sterilization utilizing nanobubbles, which comprises a means for contacting water comprising nanobubbles to a plant to thereby purify and sterilize the plant.

30. The apparatus for purification and sterilization utilizing nanobubbles according to claim 29, wherein the plant is at least one of vegetables, fruits, crops and foods.

37. The method according to claim 29, wherein the nanobubbles are generated at least by application of an ultrasonic wave or by electrolysis.

31. A method for purification and sterilization utilizing nanobubbles, which comprises purifying and sterilizing water within a pool or a water tank by nanobubbles.

38. The method according to claim 31, wherein the nanobubbles are generated at least by application of an ultrasonic wave or by electrolysis.

32. An apparatus for purification and sterilization utilizing nanobubbles, which comprises a device for mixing nanobubbles into a pool or a water tank.