Process and apparatus for mixing a gas and a liquid

Claim 1

In a process for mixing a gas and a liquid in an apparatus comprising, in combination: (a) a vessel; (b) a cylindrical hollow draft member open at both ends and having a theoretical axis running from end to end, said axis being in a vertical position and the upper end of the draft member being conically flared; (c) an axial flow down-pumping first impeller fixedly connected to a rotatable shaft, (i) the first impeller being positioned within the draft tube; (ii) the shaft corresponding in position to the axis; and (iii) the diameter of the first impeller being less than, but proximate to, the diameter of the draft tube; (d) first vertical baffling means disposed above the impeller; (e) means for rotating the shaft; and (f) means for introducing the gas and the liquid into the vessel and for removing gas and liquid from the vessel, the process comprising: (A) energizing the shaft to provide the first impeller with a rotational speed sufficient to cause (i) vortex formation downward from the surface of the liquid in the vicinity of the first vertical baffling means and the flare of the draft member such that the gas is drawn into and down the draft tube and (ii) turbulence in the draft tube; (B) introducing a sufficient amount of liquid into the vessel to provide, during operation, a liquid level above the upper end of the draft tube; and (C) recovering liquid from the vessel, the improvement comprising (1) providing a rotational speed to the first impeller sufficient to impart a liquid velocity down the interior of the draft tube of at least one foot per second; (2) increasing the turbulence of the liquid at the shaft proximate to the first impeller;