Apparatus for impregnating water with CO2 using a stepped channel with multiple gas inlets

Claim 1

An apparatus for impregnating a liquid with a gas, comprising: means forming a linearly elongated flow channel with a longitudinal axis, said linearly elongated flow channel having: an inlet section at one axial end of said flow channel in free-flow communication over substantially its entire flow cross section with a source delivering a liquid under pressure, at least one further section axially connected to and following said inlet section in an axial flow direction, and an outlet section connected to and following said at least one further section for discharging liquid delivered to said inlet section, all of said sections being of substantially uniform cross section throughout the lengths thereof and having an inlet end and an outlet end; a respective small annular shoulder connecting said outlet end of each of said sections but said outlet section to said inlet end of the axially next following section, each of said small annular shoulders extending radially outwardly from the respective outlet end and lying in a plane perpendicular to said axis to form an abrupt increase in the cross section of said flow channel at which the velocity of flow of the liquid momentarily increases in a zone of increased flow velocity adjacent the respective shoulder; and means for introducing gas into said flow channel for impregnation into the liquid, said means for introducing the gas into said flow channel comprising: a plurality of passages for the gas distributed around each of said shoulders and opening at one end of each of said passages into the respective one of said zones of increased flow velocity at a respective small-diameter radial bore and at an opposite end of each of said passages into an annular gas distributing chamber, and means for supplying gas under pressure to said chamber, whereby the gas will be drawn into the liquid which flows in said flow channel through said passages by a pressure drop of liquid in said zones of increased flow velocity adjacent each of said shoulders.

Claim 2

An apparatus for impregnating a liquid with a gas, comprising: means forming a linearly elongated flow channel with a longitudinal axis, said linearly elongated flow channel having: an inlet section at one axial end of said flow channel in free-flow communication over substantially its entire flow cross section with a source delivering a liquid under pressure, at least one further section axially connected to and following said inlet section in an axial flow direction, and an outlet section connected to and following said at least one further section for discharging liquid delivered to said inlet section, all of said sections being of substantially uniform cross section throughout the lengths thereof and having an inlet end and an outlet end; a respective small annular shoulder connecting said outlet end of each of said sections but said outlet section to said inlet end of the axially next following section, each of said small annular shoulders extending radially outwardly from the respective outlet end and lying in a plane perpendicular to said axis to form an abrupt increase in the cross section of said flow channel at which the velocity of flow of the liquid momentarily increases in a zone of increased flow velocity adjacent the respective shoulder; and means for introducing gas into said flow channel for impregnation into the liquid, said means for introducing the gas into said flow channel comprising: a plurality of passages for the gas distributed around each of said shoulders and opening at one end of each of said passages into the respective one of said zones of increased flow velocity at a respective small-diameter radial bore and at an opposite end of each of said passages into an annular gas distributing chamber, and means for supplying gas under pressure to said chamber, whereby the gas will be drawn into the liquid which flows in said flow channel through said passages by a pressure drop of liquid in said zones of increased flow velocity adjacent each of said shoulders.

Claim 6

An apparatus for impregnating a liquid with a gas, comprising: means forming a linearly elongated flow channel with a longitudinal axis, said linearly elongated flow channel having: an inlet section at one axial end of said flow channel in free-flow communication over substantially its entire flow cross section with a source delivering a liquid in the form of water under a pressure of 1 to 7 bar, at least one further section axially connected to and following said inlet section in an axial flow direction, and an outlet section connected to and following said at least one further section for discharging liquid delivered to said inlet section, all of said sections being of substantially uniform cross section throughout the lengths thereof and having an inlet end and an outlet end; a respective small annular shoulder connecting said outlet end of each of said sections but said outlet section to said inlet end of the axially next following section, each of said small annular shoulders extending radially outwardly from the respective outlet end and lying in a plane perpendicular to said axis to form an abrupt increase in the cross section of said flow channel at which the velocity of flow of the liquid momentarily increases in a zone of increased flow velocity adjacent the respective shoulder; means for introducing gas into said flow channel for impregnation into the liquid, said means for introducing the gas into said flow channel comprising: a plurality of passages for the gas distributed around each of said shoulders and opening at one end of each of said passages into the respective one of said zones of increased flow velocity at a respective small-diameter radial bore and at an opposite end of each of said passages into an annular gas distributing chamber, and means for supplying gas under pressure to said chamber, whereby the gas will be drawn into the liquid which flows in said flow channel through said passages by a pressure drop of liquid in said zones of increased flow velocity adjacent each said shoulder, said shoulders and the respective bores being so positioned that the abrupt flow cross section change immediately beyond each of said shoulders is sufficient to enable gas from said chamber to pass through said bores in spite of the pressure of the water being higher than that of the gas; and a tank containing a liquid, said means forming said flow channel extending downwardly into the liquid in said tank through a gas head located above a level of the liquid in said tank, said gas head defining said chamber and communicating with said sections through said radial bores.

Claim 7

An apparatus for impregnating a liquid with a gas, comprising: means forming a linearly elongated flow channel with a longitudinal axis, said linearly elongated flow channel having: an inlet section at one axial end of said flow channel in free-flow communication over substantially its entire flow cross section with a source delivering a liquid in the form of water under a pressure of 1 to 7 bar, at least one further section axially connected to and following said inlet section in an axial flow direction, and an outlet section connected to and following said at least one further section for discharging liquid delivered to said inlet section, all of said sections being of substantially uniform cross section throughout the lengths thereof and having an inlet end and an outlet end; a respective small annular shoulder connecting said outlet end of each of said sections but said outlet section to said inlet end of the axially next following section, each of said small annular shoulders extending radially outwardly from the respective outlet end and lying in a plane perpendicular to said axis to form an abrupt increase in the cross section of said flow channel at which the velocity of flow of the liquid momentarily increases in a zone of increased flow velocity adjacent the respective shoulder; means for introducing gas into said flow channel for impregnation into the liquid, said means for introducing the gas into said flow channel comprising: a plurality of passages for the gas distributed around each of said shoulders and opening at one end of each of said passages into the respective one of said zones of increased flow velocity at a respective small-diameter radial bore and at an opposite end of each of said passages into an annular gas distributing chamber, and means for supplying gas under pressure to said chamber, whereby the gas will be drawn into the liquid which flows in said flow channel through said passages by a pressure drop of liquid in said zones of increased flow velocity adjacent each said shoulder, said shoulders and the respective bores being so positioned that the abrupt flow cross section change immediately beyond each of said shoulders is sufficient to enable gas from said chamber to pass through said bores in spite of the pressure of the water being higher than that of the gas; and a tank containing a liquid, said means forming said flow channel extending downwardly into the liquid in said tank through a gas head located above a level of the liquid in said tank, said gas head defining said chamber and communicating with said sections through said radial bores.

Claim 9

An apparatus for impregnating a liquid with a gas, comprising: means forming a linearly elongated flow channel with a longitudinal axis, said linearly elongated flow channel having: an inlet section at one axial end of said flow channel in free-flow communication over substantially its entire flow cross section with a source delivering 9 liquid in the form of water under a pressure of 1 to 7 bar, at least one further section axially connected to and following said inlet section in an axial flow direction, and an outlet section connected and following said at least one further section for discharging liquid delivered to said inlet section, all of said sections being of substantially uniform cross section throughout the lengths thereof and having an inlet end and an outlet end; a respective small annular shoulder connecting said outlet end of each of said sections but said outlet section to said inlet end of the axially next following section, each of said small annular shoulders extending radially outwardly from the respective outlet end and lying in a plane perpendicular to said axis to form an abrupt increase in the cross section of said flow channel at which the velocity of flow of the liquid momentarily increases in a zone of increased flow velocity adjacent the respective shoulder; means for introducing gas into said flow channel for impregnation into the liquid, said means for introducing the gas into said flow channel comprising: a plurality of passages for the gas distributed around each of said shoulders and opening at one end of each of said passages into the respective one of said zones of increased flow velocity at a respective small-diameter radial bore and at an opposite end of each of said passages into an annular gas distributing chamber, and means for supplying gas under pressure to said chamber, whereby the gas will be drawn into the liquid which flows in said flow channel through said passages by a pressure drop of liquid in said zones of increased flow velocity adjacent each of said shoulders, said shoulders and the respective bores being so positioned that the abrupt flow cross section change immediately beyond each of said shoulders is sufficient to enable gas from said chamber to pass through said bores in spite of the pressure of the water being higher than that of the gas, said means for supplying said gas including a tank having an outlet and containing carbon dioxide under pressure; and a pressure-reducing valve connected with said outlet of said tank and subjected to a pressure of the water so as to control a flow of carbon dioxide to said chamber.

Claim 10

An apparatus for impregnating a liquid with a gas, comprising: means forming a linearly elongated flow channel with a longitudinal axis, said linearly elongated flow channel having: an inlet section at one axial end of said flow channel in free-flow communication over substantially its entire flow cross section with a source delivering 9 liquid in the form of water under a pressure of 1 to 7 bar, at least one further section axially connected to and following said inlet section in an axial flow direction, and an outlet section connected and following said at least one further section for discharging liquid delivered to said inlet section, all of said sections being of substantially uniform cross section throughout the lengths thereof and having an inlet end and an outlet end; a respective small annular shoulder connecting said outlet end of each of said sections but said outlet section to said inlet end of the axially next following section, each of said small annular shoulders extending radially outwardly from the respective outlet end and lying in a plane perpendicular to said axis to form an abrupt increase in the cross section of said flow channel at which the velocity of flow of the liquid momentarily increases in a zone of increased flow velocity adjacent the respective shoulder; means for introducing gas into said flow channel for impregnation into the liquid, said means for introducing the gas into said flow channel comprising: a plurality of passages for the gas distributed around each of said shoulders and opening at one end of each of said passages into the respective one of said zones of increased flow velocity at a respective small-diameter radial bore and at an opposite end of each of said passages into an annular gas distributing chamber, and means for supplying gas under pressure to said chamber, whereby the gas will be drawn into the liquid which flows in said flow channel through said passages by a pressure drop of liquid in said zones of increased flow velocity adjacent each of said shoulders, said shoulders and the respective bores being so positioned that the abrupt flow cross section change immediately beyond each of said shoulders is sufficient to enable gas from said chamber to pass through said bores in spite of the pressure of the water being higher than that of the gas, said means for supplying said gas including a tank having an outlet and containing carbon dioxide under pressure; and a pressure-reducing valve connected with said outlet of said tank and subjected to a pressure of the water so as to control a flow of carbon dioxide to said chamber.

Claim 13

An apparatus for impregnating a liquid with a gas, comprising: means forming a linearly elongated flow channel with a longitudinal axis, said linearly elongated flow channel having: an inlet section at one axial end of said flow channel in free-flow communication over substantially its entire flow cross section with a source delivering a liquid in the form of water under a pressure of 1 to 7 bar, at least one further section axially connected to and following said inlet section in an axial flow direction, and an outlet section connected to and following said at least one further section for discharging liquid delivered to said inlet section, all of said sections being of substantially uniform cross section throughout the lengths thereof and having an inlet end and an outlet end; a respective small annular shoulder connecting said outlet end of each of said sections but said outlet section to said inlet end of the axially next following section, each of said small annular shoulders extending radially outwardly from the respective outlet end and lying in a plane perpendicular to said axis to form an abrupt increase in the cross section of said flow channel at which the velocity of flow of the liquid momentarily increases in a zone of increased flow velocity adjacent the respective shoulder; means for introducing gas into said flow channel for impregnation into the liquid, said means for introducing the gas into said flow channel comprising: a plurality of passages for the gas distributed around each of said shoulders and opening at one end of each of said passages into the respective one of said zones of increased flow velocity at a respective small-diameter radial bore and at an opposite end of each of said passages into an annular gas distributing chamber, and means for supplying gas under pressure to said chamber, whereby the gas will be drawn into the liquid which flows in said flow channel through said passages by a pressure drop of liquid in said zones of increased flow velocity adjacent each each of said shoulders, said shoulders and the respective bores being so positioned that the abrupt flow cross section change immediately beyond each of said shoulders is sufficient to enable gas from said chamber to pass through said bores in spite of the pressure of the water being higher than that of the gas; and a fertilizer store connected with said flow channel so as to entrain fertilizer by liquid flowing through said flow channel.

Claim 14

An apparatus for impregnating a liquid with a gas, comprising: means forming a linearly elongated flow channel with a longitudinal axis, said linearly elongated flow channel having: an inlet section at one axial end of said flow channel in free-flow communication over substantially its entire flow cross section with a source delivering a liquid in the form of water under a pressure of 1 to 7 bar, at least one further section axially connected to and following said inlet section in an axial flow direction, and an outlet section connected to and following said at least one further section for discharging liquid delivered to said inlet section, all of said sections being of substantially uniform cross section throughout the lengths thereof and having an inlet end and an outlet end; a respective small annular shoulder connecting said outlet end of each of said sections but said outlet section to said inlet end of the axially next following section, each of said small annular shoulders extending radially outwardly from the respective outlet end and lying in a plane perpendicular to said axis to form an abrupt increase in the cross section of said flow channel at which the velocity of flow of the liquid momentarily increases in a zone of increased flow velocity adjacent the respective shoulder; means for introducing gas into said flow channel for impregnation into the liquid, said means for introducing the gas into said flow channel comprising: a plurality of passages for the gas distributed around each of said shoulders and opening at one end of each of said passages into the respective one of said zones of increased flow velocity at a respective small-diameter radial bore and at an opposite end of each of said passages into an annular gas distributing chamber, and means for supplying gas under pressure to said chamber, whereby the gas will be drawn into the liquid which flows in said flow channel through said passages by a pressure drop of liquid in said zones of increased flow velocity adjacent each each of said shoulders, said shoulders and the respective bores being so positioned that the abrupt flow cross section change immediately beyond each of said shoulders is sufficient to enable gas from said chamber to pass through said bores in spite of the pressure of the water being higher than that of the gas; and a fertilizer store connected with said flow channel so as to entrain fertilizer by liquid flowing through said flow channel.