IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0447629
(2007-10-29)
|
등록번호 |
US-8287175
(2012-10-16)
|
우선권정보 |
GB-0621561.0 (2006-10-30) |
국제출원번호 |
PCT/GB2007/004101
(2007-10-29)
|
§371/§102 date |
20090428
(20090428)
|
국제공개번호 |
WO2008/053174
(2008-05-08)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Zimmerman, William Bauer Jay
- Tesar, Vaclav
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
1 인용 특허 :
9 |
초록
▼
A method of producing small bubbles (90) of gas in a liquid comprises a source (16) of the gas under pressure, a conduit (64a) opening into a liquid and oscillating the gas passing along the conduit at a frequency between 1 and 100 Hz. The oscillation is effected by fluidic oscillator (10) comprisin
A method of producing small bubbles (90) of gas in a liquid comprises a source (16) of the gas under pressure, a conduit (64a) opening into a liquid and oscillating the gas passing along the conduit at a frequency between 1 and 100 Hz. The oscillation is effected by fluidic oscillator (10) comprising a diverter that divides the supply into respect outputs (A, B), each output being controlled by a control port, wherein the control ports are interconnected by a closed loop (22). There may be at least two of said conduits (62a, 64a), each output port being connected to one or the other of said conduits, in which one phase of the oscillating gas is employed to drive liquid across the conduit (64a) after formation of a bubble in the other phase of oscillation, whereby the bubble is detached by the force of said driven liquid.
대표청구항
▼
1. A method of producing small bubbles of gas in a liquid comprising the steps of: providing a source of the gas under pressure;providing a conduit opening into a liquid under pressure less than said gas, said gas being in said conduit; andoscillating the gas passing along said conduit without oscil
1. A method of producing small bubbles of gas in a liquid comprising the steps of: providing a source of the gas under pressure;providing a conduit opening into a liquid under pressure less than said gas, said gas being in said conduit; andoscillating the gas passing along said conduit without oscillating the conduit, other than by any reaction of the oscillating gas, said oscillation being effected by a fluidic oscillator,wherein said oscillation effected by the fluidic oscillator is of the type that has between 10 and 30% backflow of gas from an emerging bubble. 2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said oscillations effected by the fluidic oscillator are at a frequency between 1 and 100 Hz. 3. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the fluidic oscillator comprises an arrangement in which gas flow is oscillated between two paths, at least one of said paths forming said source. 4. A method as claimed in claim 3, in which said oscillator comprises a diverter supplied with the gas under constant pressure through a supply port that divides into respective output ports, and including means to oscillate flow from one output port to the other. 5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein said means comprises each output port being controlled by respective control ports. 6. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the control ports are interconnected by a closed loop and are arranged so that each has reduced pressure when the gas flows through its respective output and increased pressure when there is no flow through its respective output, and so that, when gas flows out of a control port into its respective output port, flow of the gas is switched from that output port to the other, whereby the flow into the supply port oscillates between said output ports. 7. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the frequency of the oscillations may be adjusted by changing the length of said closed loop. 8. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein a branch of each output port supplies the respective control port, whereby part of the flow in an output port becomes a control flow, switching the supply flow from that output port to the other output port. 9. A method as claimed in claim 4, in which there are at least two of said conduits, each output port being connected to one or the other of said conduits. 10. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the conduit opens in the liquid at a surface of the material in which the conduit is formed, said surface being in a plane which is substantially vertical with respect to gravity. 11. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the material of the surface through which the conduit is formed is preferably non-wettable by the gas, so that the bubble does not tend to stick to it. 12. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the volume flow of said oscillating gas is sufficient that a plurality of said conduits are supplied simultaneously, the volume flow rate for each cycle of oscillation being sufficient to fill a bubble at each conduit to at least hemispherical size before the oscillation is switched, so that all the bubbles have substantially the same size before being separated from the conduit by the break in pressure. 13. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which said conduit comprises a membrane having a normally closed slit, gas pressure behind the membrane serving to distend the membrane opening the slit to permit a bubble of gas to form through the slit, the slit closing behind the bubble, wherein the oscillation of the gas flow is synchronised in terms of pressure, flow rate, amplitude and frequency with the elastic properties of the membrane to encourage small bubble formation. 14. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which one phase of the oscillating gas is employed to drive liquid across the conduit after formation of a bubble in the other phase of oscillation, whereby the bubble is detached by the force of said driven liquid. 15. A method as claimed in claim 14, in which the conduits of each output are arranged facing one another at an inclined angle, preferably at right angles, with respect to one another, one output being maintained filled with the liquid. 16. A method as claimed in claim 15, in which, while the first output fills a bubble at the mouth of its conduit during a first phase of oscillation, on a second phase thereof, liquid is driven out of the other conduit, knocking off the bubble formed on the first conduit. 17. A method as claimed in claim 16, in which there are a plurality of conduits, being gas conduits, that are supplied in parallel from one output, and a similar plurality of conduits, being liquid conduits, that are disposed opposite the gas conduits and supplied in parallel by the other output. 18. A method of producing small bubbles of gas in a liquid comprising the steps of: providing a source of the gas under pressure;providing a conduit opening into a liquid under pressure less than said gas, said gas being in said conduit; andoscillating the gas passing along said conduit without oscillating the conduit, other than by any reaction of the oscillating gas, wherein:said oscillation effected by the fluidic oscillator is at a frequency between 1 and 100 Hz; andsaid oscillation effected by the fluidic oscillator is of the type that has between 10 and 30% backflow of as from an emerging bubble. 19. A method as claimed in claim 18, in which the bubbles formed are between 0.1 and 2 mm in diameter. 20. A method as claimed in claim 18, in which the conduit opens in the liquid at a surface of the material in which the conduit is formed, said surface being in a plane which is substantially vertical with respect to gravity. 21. A method as claimed in claim 18, in which the bubbles formed are between 0.5 and 1.0 mm in diameter. 22. A method of producing small bubbles of gas in a liquid, comprising the steps of: providing a source of the gas under pressure;providing a conduit opening into a liquid under pressure less than said gas through a plurality of openings of the conduit, said openings having an open end and an end in contact with the conduit, said gas being in said conduit; andoscillating the gas passing along said conduit so that liquid is drawn into the conduit through at least one of said openings and forms a plug of liquid in the conduit pushed along said conduit by the gas so that, when said plug reaches others of said openings, the gas is pushed out of said openings by the liquid plug thereby forming a bubble when said plug reaches the open end of said openings.
※ AI-Helper는 부적절한 답변을 할 수 있습니다.