Device and method for fluid aeration via gas forced through a liquid within an orifice of a pressure chamber

• US 6,557,834 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2002
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Universidad de Sevilla
• Original Assignee: Universidade de Aveiro
• Inventors: Ganan-Calvo, Alfonso
• Primary Examiner(s): Hopkins, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US10/152,867
• Publication Number:
  US 20020153621A1
• Time in Patent Office: 351 Days
• Field of Search: 261/76, 261/77, 261/DIG.26, 261/DIG.75, 426/474, 426/477, 516/10
• US Class Current: 261/77
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0065 Inhalators with dosage or measuring devices A61M15/0028 takes precedence; dosage devices incorporated in aerosol cans B65D83/52
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/025 Bubble jet droplet ejection devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/064 Powder
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/232 using flow-mixing means for introducing the gases, e.g. baffles
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/30 Injector mixers mixing by creating vortex flow B01F25/10
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/3011 using a sheathing stream of a fluid surrounding a central stream of a different fluid, e.g. for reducing the cross-section of the central stream or to produce droplets from the central stream
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00378 Piezoelectric or ink jet dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/02 designed to produce a jet, spray, or other discharge of particular shape or nature, e.g. in single drops, or having an outlet of particular shapeB05B1/26, B05B1/28, B05B1/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/0475 with means for deflecting the peripheral gas flow towards the central liquid flow B05B7/0458 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/061 with several liquid outlets discharging one or several liquids
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/065 an inner gas outlet being surrounded by an annular adjacent liquid outlet
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/066 with an inner liquid outlet surrounded by at least one annular gas outlet
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/0884 the outlet orifices for jets constituted by a liquid or a mixture containing a liquid being aligned
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 60/14 for creating libraries
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 43/04 Injectors peculiar thereto
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 67/10 Injectors peculiar thereto, e.g. valve less type
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 69/047 injectors with air chambers, e.g. communicating with atmosphere for aerating the nozzles F02M69/325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 69/08 characterised by the fuel being carried by compressed air into main stream of combustion-air
• CPC Class Codes: F23D 11/106 medium and fuel meeting at the burner outlet
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1409 : Handling samples, e.g. injecting samples
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1406 : Control of droplet point
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/01 : Arrangements or apparatus for facilitating the optical investigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 261/07 : Carbonators
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 261/26 : Foam
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 261/75 : Flowing liquid aspirates gas

Abstract

The present invention provides aeration methods using spherical gas bubbles having a size on the order of 0.1 to 100 microns in size. A device of the invention for producing a monodispersion of bubbles includes a source of a stream of gas which is forced through a liquid held under pressure in a pressure chamber with an exit opening therein. The stream of gas surrounded by the liquid in the pressure chamber flows out of an exit orifice of the chamber into a liquid thereby creating a monodispersion of bubbles with substantially uniform diameter. The bubbles are small in size and produced with a relatively small amount of energy relative to comparable systems. Applications of the aeration technology range from oxygenating sewage with monodispersions of bubbles to oxygenation of water for fish maintenance.

Claims

1. A monodispersion of bubbles in a food, comprising a beverage and at least about one thousand bubbles, wherein the bubbles have a diameter in a range of from about 0.1 micron to about 100 microns and wherein the dispersion is characterized by substantially all the bubbles having approximately the same diameter with a deviation in diameter of about ±

3%.

2. The monodispersion of claim 1, wherein the bubbles are comprised of a gas chosen from air, oxygen, and carbon dioxide.

3. The monodispersion of claim 1, wherein the beverage is aqueous.

4. The monodispersion of claim 2, wherein the gas is carbon dioxide and the beverage is aqueous.

5. The monodispersion of claim 1, wherein the bubbles are created by a flow stream of gas from a source through a liquid beverage in a pressure chamber, and wherein the liquid beverage is forced out of an exit orifice of the pressure chamber while surrounding and focusing the flow stream of gas which exits the pressure chamber where the focused flow stream of gas breaks up to form the bubbles.

6. A monodispersion as set forth in claim 1, formed by a process comprising:

forcing a gas from a source opening into a first liquid beverage in a manner so as to create a flow stream of the gas through the first liquid beverage, wherein the gas is comprised of molecules to be diffused into a second liquid beverage;

moving the first liquid beverage in a pressure chamber surrounding the source opening, out of an exit orifice in the pressure chamber wherein the flow stream of the gas flows out the exit orifice into the second liquid beverage wherein the flow stream breaks up forming bubbles of the gas in the second liquid beverage.

7. The monodispersion of claim 6, wherein the molecules in the gas diffuse into the second liquid beverage.

8. The monodispersion of claim 6, wherein the bubbles are emitted at regularly spaced intervals from the exit orifice of the pressure chamber.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the liquid beverage is aqueous.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the gas is carbon dioxide.

11. A monodispersion of bubbles in a beverage, comprising a beverage and at least about one thousand bubbles, wherein the bubbles have a diameter in a range of from about 0.1 micron to about 100 microns and wherein the dispersion is characterized by substantially all the bubbles having approximately the same diameter with a deviation in diameter of about ±

3%, wherein said monodispersion is formed by a process comprising the following steps;

forcing a gas from a source opening into a first liquid beverage in a manner so as to create a flow stream of the gas through the first liquid beverage, wherein the gas is comprised of molecules to be diffused into a second liquid beverage;

moving the first liquid in a pressure chamber surrounding the source opening, out of an exit orifice in the pressure chamber wherein the flow stream of the gas flows out the exit orifice into the second liquid beverage wherein the flow stream breaks up forming bubbles of the gas in the second liquid beverage.

12. The monodispersion of claim 11, wherein the bubbles are comprised of a gas chosen from air, oxygen, and carbon dioxide.

13. The monodispersion of claim 11, wherein the beverage is aqueous.

14. The monodispersion of claim 12, wherein the gas is carbon dioxide and the first and second liquid beverage are aqueous.

15. The monodispersion of claim 11, wherein the bubbles are emitted at regularly spaced intervals from the exit orifice of the pressure chamber.

16. A beverage mixture comprising diffused components, wherein said components are diffused into the beverage mixture by a process comprising the following steps:

forcing a gas from a source opening into a first liquid beverage in a manner so as to create a flow stream of the gas through the first liquid beverage, wherein the gas is comprised of molecules to be diffused into a second liquid beverage;

moving the first liquid beverage into a pressure chamber surrounding the source opening, out of an exit orifice in the pressure chamber wherein the flow stream of the gas flows out the exit orifice into the second liquid beverage wherein the flow stream breaks up forming bubbles of the gas in the second liquid beverage, and wherein said second liquid beverage and said bubbles of gas form a mixture of diffused components and further wherein the bubbles are emitted at regularly spaced intervals from the exit orifice of the pressure chamber and substantially all the bubbles have approximately the same diameter with a deviation in diameter of about ±

3%.

17. The mixture of claim 16, wherein the bubbles are comprised of a gas chosen from air, oxygen, and carbon dioxide.

18. The mixture of claim 16, wherein the first liquid beverage is aqueous.

19. The mixture of claim 16, wherein the gas is carbon dioxide and the first liquid beverage is aqueous.

20. The mixture of claim 16, wherein the bubbles are emitted at regularly spaced intervals from the exit orifice of the pressure chamber.

21. A liquid beverage comprising a monodispersion of bubbles, wherein said monodispersion comprises at least about one thousand bubbles, wherein the bubbles have a diameter in a range of from about 0.1 micron to about 100 microns and wherein substantially all the bubbles have approximately the same diameter with a deviation in diameter wherein the bubbles are diffused into a liquid by a process comprising the following steps:

forcing a gas from a source opening into a first liquid beverage in a manner so as to create a flow stream of the gas through the first liquid, wherein the gas is comprised of molecules to be diffused into a second liquid beverage;

moving the first liquid in a pressure chamber surrounding the source opening, out of an exit orifice in the pressure chamber wherein the flow stream of the gas flows out the exit orifice into the second liquid beverage wherein the flow stream breaks up forming a monodispersion of bubbles of the gas in the second liquid beverage.

22. The monodispersion of claim 21, wherein the bubbles are comprised of a gas chosen from air, oxygen, and carbon dioxide.

23. The monodispersion of claim 21, wherein the first liquid beverage is aqueous.

24. The monodispersion of claim 22, wherein the gas is carbon dioxide and the first and second liquid beverage are aqueous.

25. The monodispersion of claim 21, wherein the bubbles are emitted at regularly spaced intervals from the exit orifice of the pressure chamber.