JP2009072662A - Microbubble production apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a microbubble production apparatus, specifically, having a simplified structure of the whole body. <P>SOLUTION: The microbubble production apparatus 1 has a gas-mixing pump 2 sucking water and a gas and discharging a mixture flow of water and the gas, a gas-liquid pressurization dissolution mixer 3 into which the mixture flow of water and the gas discharged from the gas-mixing pump 2 is introduced and which generates pressurized water containing bubble nuclei by carrying out gas-liquid dissolution under pressure so as to form bubble nuclei for microbubbles in water and a shower head 4 into which the pressurized water from the gas-liquid pressurization dissolution mixer 3 is introduced and which has a fixed iris diaphragm 4a serving as a pressure reducer allowing the gas to generate by decompressing the pressurized water so as to produce microbubbles. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a fine bubble production apparatus, and more particularly to a fine bubble production apparatus in which the structure of the entire apparatus is simplified.

  Conventionally, a gas-liquid dissolving and mixing apparatus for dissolving a gas in a liquid has been used. For example, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 8 of the same publication, a gas-liquid dissolution and mixing apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-173804 is connected to a gas-filled mixing container and an upper part of the mixing container. A pump for introducing liquid into the pump, connected to the discharge side of the pump, a compressor or a gas suction device for introducing gas into the mixing container, and connected to the lower part of the mixing container, and the gas dissolved in the mixing container And an outlet that allows liquid to flow out.

  Moreover, as shown in FIG. 7 of the same gazette, the conventional gas-liquid dissolution and mixing apparatus shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-197475 is connected to the gas-liquid mixing tank and the upper part of the gas-liquid mixing tank. A pump for introducing liquid into the pump, a compressor for introducing gas into the gas-liquid mixing tank, and a lower part of the gas-liquid mixing tank. It is comprised from the outflow port which flows out the melted liquid.

In these gas-liquid dissolution and mixing devices, the liquid from the pump and the gas from the compressor (or gas suction device) are introduced into the mixing container (or gas-liquid mixing tank), and the mixing container (or gas-liquid mixing tank) After the gas-liquid dissolution is performed, the liquid in which the gas is dissolved flows out from the outlet. On the other hand, a throttle is provided on the downstream side of the outlet, and the liquid flowing out from the outlet is taken out through the throttle.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-173804 (see FIGS. 5 to 8, 13, 14 to 16, 19, 22, and 23) JP-A-11-197475 (see FIG. 7)

  However, in the conventional apparatus, it is necessary to provide a compressor or a gas suction device in addition to the pump, and there is a disadvantage that the structure of the entire apparatus becomes complicated.

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an apparatus for producing fine bubbles capable of simplifying the structure.

  In the fine bubble manufacturing apparatus according to the invention of claim 1, an air-mixing pump that sucks liquid and gas and discharges a mixed flow thereof, and a mixed flow of liquid and air discharged from the air-mixing pump are introduced. A gas-liquid pressure-dissolution mixer for generating a pressurized liquid containing bubble nuclei by performing gas-liquid dissolution under pressure to generate fine bubble nuclei in the liquid, and gas-liquid pressure dissolution A pressurizing liquid from the mixer is introduced, and the pressure reducing liquid is decompressed to deposit a gas to generate fine bubbles.

  In the invention of claim 1, the liquid and the gas are sucked by the mixed pump, and the mixed flow of the liquid and the gas is discharged from the mixed pump. The mixed flow of liquid and gas discharged from the air-fueling pump is introduced into the gas-liquid pressure-dissolution mixer. In the gas-liquid pressure-dissolution mixer, gas-liquid dissolution is performed under pressure to generate bubble nuclei of fine bubbles in the liquid, thereby generating a pressurized liquid containing bubble nuclei. The pressurized liquid is depressurized by a decompressor, whereby gas is precipitated and fine bubbles are generated.

  In this case, an air-mixing pump that sucks the liquid and gas and discharges these mixed flows is provided, so that it is not necessary to provide a compressor or a gas suction device in addition to the pump. It can be simplified.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the gas-liquid pressurization and dissolution mixer includes a horizontal upper passage in which a mixed flow of liquid and gas is introduced from an air-mixing pump and gas-liquid dissolution is performed, and an upper passage. The lower passage in the horizontal direction is disposed below the upper passage and spaced from the upper passage, and stores the pressurized liquid dissolved in the gas and liquid. The lower passage falls from the rear end of the upper passage and communicates with the upper and lower passages. And a falling passage.

  In this case, since a space is generated between the upper and lower passages by providing the falling passage, the entire apparatus can be miniaturized by effectively using the space as a space for piping.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the pressure reducer is a pressure reducing valve or a fixed throttle.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the decompressor is a fixed throttle provided in the shower head.

  As described above, according to the microbubble manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention, since the air-mixing pump that sucks the liquid and gas and discharges the mixed flow thereof is provided, in addition to the pump, the compressor and the gas suction device Thus, the structure of the entire apparatus can be simplified.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 to FIG. 5 are diagrams for explaining a fine bubble production apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of the fine bubble production apparatus according to this embodiment, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a side view thereof, FIG. 4 is an internal structure diagram for explaining the operation of the gas-liquid pressure dissolution mixer, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the shower head. is there.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the microbubble manufacturing apparatus 1 includes an air-mixing pump 2 that sucks a liquid (here, water) and a gas (here, air) and discharges these mixed flows, and an air-mixing pump 2. Gas-liquid pressure dissolution mixer (mixing box) that introduces a mixed flow of discharged water and air and dissolves and mixes air in water by generating bubble nuclei of microbubbles in water ) 3 and a shower head 4 connected to the gas-liquid pressure-dissolution mixer 3 and having a fixed throttle as a decompressor.

  A pipe 20 for sucking water and a pipe 21 for sucking air are connected to the suction side of the air-mixing pump 2 via a connector 22. A strainer 20 a is connected to the tip of the pipe 20. As the strainer 20a, from the viewpoint of maintainability, a strainer that can be easily cleaned from the outside without disassembling the pipe, such as a disk strainer, is preferable. The strainer 20a is immersed in a pet washing tank such as a dog bath or a bathtub. A filter 21a, a check valve 21b, and a throttle 21c are connected to the pipe 21 in order from the tip side. Here, the check valve 21b is provided to prevent the fluid from flowing back to the filter 21a side when the air-fuel mixture pump 2 is stopped. The restrictor 21c is provided to limit the amount of air that flows in.

  The gas-liquid pressure-dissolution mixer 3 is disposed in the horizontal direction and is opposed to the upper passage 3A and the lower passage 3B that are opposed to each other with an interval in the vertical direction, and falls from the rear end of the upper passage 3A. The lower passage 3C has a falling passage 3C that connects the upper and lower passages 3A and 3B, and a passage 3D that extends shortly upward at the tip of the lower passage 3B.

  By forming the gas-liquid pressurization-dissolution mixer 3 in a substantially U-shape, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. By doing so, the whole apparatus can be reduced in size. At this time, the space 3S formed between the upper passage 3A, the lower passage 3B, and the falling passage 3C of the gas-liquid pressurization and dissolution mixer 3 is effectively used as a space for piping, thereby further increasing the entire apparatus. Can be downsized.

Between the tip of the upper passage 3A and the discharge side of the air-mixing pump 2, a pipe 23 for guiding the mixed flow of water and air discharged from the air-mixing pump 2 to the upper passage 3A is disposed. A nozzle 23a is connected to the tip of the upper passage 3A. Nozzle 23a, the water and mixed flow a predetermined flow rate of air (preferably 5 to 15 m / s) is provided in order to flow into the upper channel 3A as jet (jet stream) W _A (see FIG. 4) .

  At the tip of the lower passage 3B of the gas-liquid pressure-dissolution mixer 3, there is a connector 30a for piping 30 for flowing out pressurized water that has been processed in the gas-liquid pressure-dissolution mixer 3 and in which air is pressure-dissolved. (See FIG. 4). A shower head 4 is connected to the pipe 30. A drain pipe 31 is connected to the lower portion of the lower passage 3B via a connector 31a. The pipe 31 is for draining water remaining in the gas-liquid pressure-dissolution mixer 3 when the apparatus is not used. A pipe 32 is connected to the upper portion of the lower passage 3B through an air vent valve 32a for discharging surplus gas (excess air) in the gas-liquid pressurized dissolution mixer 3.

  An exhaust pipe 33 is connected to the upper part of the upper passage 3A of the gas-liquid pressure-dissolution mixer 3 via a connector 33c (see FIG. 4). This pipe 33 is for extracting the gas expanded inside the gas-liquid pressurization and dissolution mixer 3 when the microbubble production apparatus 1 is stopped, and a silencer 33 a is connected to the tip of the pipe 33. . An electromagnetic valve 33 b is provided in the middle of the pipe 33. The electromagnetic valve 33b and the air-mixing pump 2 are turned on (ON) by a control unit disposed in a region 100 (see FIG. 3) on the side of the gas-liquid pressurizing and dissolving mixer 3 above the air-mixing pump 2. And control of cutting (OFF) is performed. As shown in the figure, the electromagnetic valve 33b is, for example, a 2-port 2-position switching valve. In this case, when the power is turned on, the pipe is opened and the exhaust to the silencer 33a is performed. . Further, the “open” operation of the electromagnetic valve 33b is preferably interlocked with the OFF operation of the air-mixing pump 2. In other words, when the air-mixing pump 2 is turned on, the electromagnetic valve 33b is “closed” and the pipe line is closed.

As shown in FIG. 4, the mounting position of the nozzle 23a to the upper passage 3A of the gas-liquid pressure dissolution mixer 3, water jet W _A ejected from the nozzle 23a is the position interfering the water surface W _L in the upper channel 3A preferable. Thereby, gas-liquid dissolution and generation of bubble nuclei are performed efficiently.

Horizontal length L of the upper channel 3A is preferably the length of the jet water flow W _A from the nozzle 23a is not stall. The length L, the flow rate of the water jet W _A and u, when the mounting height of the nozzle 23a is h, calculated by the following equation.
L <0.45u√h

The horizontal length L ′ of the lower passage 3B is long enough that a large bubble that sinks to the bottom at the inlet (right end in FIG. 4) of the lower passage 3B can rise while moving to the left in the lower passage 3B. It only has to have. This length L ′ is obtained by the following equation, where w is the flow velocity in the lower passage 3B, v is the rising speed of the bubbles, and k is the height of the lower passage 3B.
L '> kw / v

  Since it has been experimentally confirmed that the vertical length of the falling passage 3C has little influence on the generation of bubbles, it may be any length. However, by providing the falling passage 3C, it is possible to shorten the welding length when the gas-liquid pressurization / dissolution mixer 3 is manufactured. That is, the gas-liquid pressure-dissolution mixer 3 is configured by joining, for example, square pipes by welding. At this time, when the falling passage 3C is provided, each of the square pipes constituting each passage is provided. It is only necessary to weld the end portion, but when the falling passage 3C is not provided, it is necessary to weld the lower surface of the upper passage and the upper surface of the lower passage along the longitudinal direction, and the welding length becomes very long.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the reason why the exhaust pipe 33 is connected to the highest position of the gas-liquid pressure-dissolution mixer 3 is that air is easily extracted from above, If the pipe 33 is connected to a low position, the water inside the gas-liquid pressurization and dissolution mixer 3 continues to flow to the outside by the siphon principle after the apparatus is stopped depending on the installation state of the apparatus. It is to do.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the shower head 4 has a shower head main body portion 4 </ b> A and a head portion 4 </ b> B provided at the tip thereof. The shower head main body 4 </ b> A is fixed by screws to a connection fitting 41 fixed to the tip of the pipe 30. Between the end of the shower head main body 4A and the connection fitting 41, a fixed throttle (pressure reducer) 4a is interposed. The fixed aperture 4a is configured by an orifice having a small hole 40 formed in the center of the disc. A plurality of small holes 40 may be formed. In addition, a large number of small holes 42 are formed through the head portion 4B. Each small hole 42 preferably has a smaller diameter than the small hole 40.

Here, when the effective cross-sectional area of the small hole 40 is s ₁ and the total effective cross-sectional area of each small hole 42 is s ₂ , s ₁ / s ₂ that is the ratio of the effective cross-sectional areas is s ₁ / s _2. <1 (that is, s ₁ <s ₂ )
Is preferably satisfied, and s ₁ / s ₂ ≦ 1/2
Is more preferable. This is to cause a sudden pressure reduction by the fixed throttle 4a.

  Next, the operation of the fine bubble manufacturing apparatus 1 configured as described above will be described.

  Water and air sucked from the pipes 20 and 21 merge at the connector 22 and flow into the air-mixing pump 2. The water and air that have flowed into the air-fuel mixture pump 2 are pressurized by the air-fuel mixture pump 2 and are jetted into the gas-liquid pressurization / dissolution mixer 3 through the pipe 23 and the nozzle 23a. At this time, the flow velocity of the jetted water and air mixed flow is preferably set to 5 to 15 m / s.

  Inside the upper passage 3A of the gas-liquid pressure-dissolution mixer 3, air is gradually dissolved in water under pressure and gas-liquid dissolution occurs. At this time, bubble nuclei (microbubbles having a particle size of 1 μm or less) that are the basis of the precipitated bubbles are formed. Water containing bubble nuclei falls downward through the falling passage 3C and flows into the lower passage 3B.

  In the lower passage 3B, the surplus gas 35 that could not be dissolved in water moves upward through the passage 3D, so that the pressurized water containing the bubble nuclei in which the air is dissolved under pressure is separated from the surplus gas.

  The pressurized water is extracted from the connector 30 a through the pipe 30 to the outside of the gas-liquid pressurizing / dissolving mixer 3 and introduced into the shower head 4. The pressurized water is rapidly depressurized when passing through the fixed restrictor 4a of the shower head 4, and as a result, the gas that has been oversaturated is precipitated, so that the particle size in the shower head main body 4A is several μ to several μs. Ten micro-bubbles (microbubbles) are generated, and bubble water in which these fine bubbles are uniformly dispersed in water is generated. The bubble water flows in the shower head main body 4A toward the downstream side, and is ejected from a large number of small holes 42 in the head part 4B of the shower head 4.

  At this time, since each small hole 42 of the head portion 4B has a smaller diameter than the small hole 40 of the fixed aperture 4a, bubbles that have grown inside the shower head 4 pass through each small hole 42 of the head portion 4B. It is pulverized by turbulent flow, and thereby bubble water containing fine bubbles is ejected from the head portion 4B. The fixed throttle 4a is incorporated in the shower head 4, so that the pressurized state in the upstream side of the fixed throttle 4a, that is, in the gas-liquid pressurizing / dissolving mixer 3, is maintained.

  On the other hand, the surplus gas 35 that has moved upward through the passage 3D of the gas-liquid pressurized dissolution mixer 3 is discharged to the outside through the air vent valve 32a.

  In this case, bubbly water containing a large amount of fine bubbles is released from the shower head 4, so that the dirt on the body surface is removed together with the fine bubbles by bathing such bubbly water on the body. At this time, since the particle size of the fine bubbles is smaller than that of the pores, the fine bubbles can penetrate into the pores and the inside of the pores can be cleaned.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, water and air can be sucked with only a single air-fueled pump without using both a pump and a compressor (or a gas suction device) as in the prior art. It can be simplified and a compact device can be realized. Moreover, since the gas-liquid pressurization dissolution mixer 3 is configured in a substantially U-shape, the space can be effectively used, and thus the entire apparatus can be configured more compactly.

  In addition, although the example which provided the air vent valve 32a was shown in the said Example in order to discharge | emit excess gas, you may make it provide a fixed throttle and a valve from a viewpoint of cost reduction instead of this air vent valve. . In this case, the fixed throttle and the valve need to be able to maintain the pressurized state inside the gas-liquid pressure-dissolution mixer 3. In this case, surplus gas and water are alternately discharged from the fixed throttle and the valve.

  Moreover, in the said Example, although the bubble water was discharged | emitted from the shower head 4 by using the shower head 4 which has the fixed aperture 4a was shown, application of this invention is not limited to this. 6 to 8 show another embodiment of the present invention. Each of these examples shows an example in which pressurized water from the gas-liquid pressure-dissolution mixer 3 is supplied to a dog bath (a washing tank for washing dogs and cats) 5.

  In the example shown in FIG. 6, the pressurized water from the gas-liquid pressurized dissolution mixer 3 is supplied to the dog bath 5 via the pressure reducing valve 6. In this case, the pressurized water is rapidly depressurized when passing through the pressure reducing valve 6, and as a result, the supersaturated gas is precipitated, so that fine bubbles (microbubbles) having a particle size of several μm to several tens of μm. 50 is generated. When the fine bubbles 50 fill the dog bath 5, the hot water in the dog bath 5 becomes cloudy.

  At this time, if the dog is placed in the dog bath 5, a large amount of fine bubbles 50 adhere to the dog's body and the hairs are lifted up. As a result, the fine bubbles 50 penetrate into the skin surface, and the fine bubbles. By repelling 50, body fat and oil are removed. Further, the fine bubbles 50 adhering to the dog's hair are repelled, thereby removing the dirt adhering to the hair. Oil and fat and dirt rise to the water surface together with the fine bubbles 50.

  In this case, since cleaning can be performed with only a large amount of fine bubbles 50, the amount of detergent such as shampoo can be reduced, or no detergent such as shampoo can be used at all. Thereby, environmental pollution by waste water can be prevented, and as a result, an environment-friendly (that is, eco-friendly) device can be realized. Also, by not using detergent, it can be used to treat dog skin diseases.

  In the example shown in FIG. 7, the pressurized water from the gas-liquid pressurized dissolution mixer 3 is supplied to the dog bath 5 through the fixed throttle 7. In this case, the pressurized water is rapidly depressurized when passing through the fixed restrictor 7, and as a result, the supersaturated gas is precipitated, so that fine bubbles (microbubbles) having a particle size of several μm to several tens of μm. 50 is generated.

  In the example shown in FIG. 8, the pressurized water from the gas-liquid pressurized dissolution mixer 3 is supplied to the shower head 4 by switching the flow path with the three-way valve 8, or the dog bath through the pressure reducing valve 6. 5 is supplied. In any case, the pressurized water is rapidly depressurized when passing through the fixed throttle or the pressure reducing valve 6 in the shower head 4, and as a result, the gas that has been in a supersaturated state is precipitated, so that the particle size is several μm. To tens of μm fine bubbles (microbubbles) 50 are generated.

  6 to 8, if the dog bath 5 is arranged in the upper space (see FIGS. 2 and 3) of the air-mixing pump 2, the entire apparatus can be reduced in size and can be arranged in a narrow space. It becomes like this.

  6 to 8, if the strainer 20a (FIG. 1) is immersed in the dog bath 5, the hot water in the dog bath 5 can be circulated, and the amount of water used is reduced. It is possible to reduce the burden on the environment since it is not necessary to boil hot water.

  Next, FIG. 9A thru | or 9C has shown the example which attached the fine bubble manufacturing apparatus by this invention integrally to bathtubs, such as a dog bath, and united the whole, FIG. 9A is a top view of the said unit, FIG. 9B Is a front view, and FIG. 9C is a right side view. In these drawings, the same reference numerals as those in the above-described embodiments denote the same or corresponding parts, but a part of the piping is omitted for convenience of illustration.

  In the above-described embodiment, the upper passage 3A, the lower passage 3B, and the falling passage 3C of the gas-liquid pressure-dissolution mixer 3 are disposed in the same plane, and the whole is disposed in a U-shape. Here, as shown in FIGS. 9A to 9C, the upper passage 3′A, the lower passage 3′B, and the falling passage 3′C of the gas-liquid pressure-dissolution mixer 3 ′ are not provided in the same plane. . When the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are respectively oriented in the directions shown in the drawings, the upper passage 3′A is disposed in the X-axis direction, and the lower passage 3′B is disposed in the Y-axis direction. The downward passage 3'C is disposed in the Z-axis direction.

  By disposing the passages 3′A, 3′B, 3′C of the gas-liquid pressure-dissolution mixer 3 ′ in such a direction, the discharge-side piping 30 is placed on the side surface on the front side of the dog bath 5. Since the water supply side pipe 23 is arranged along the right side surface of the dog bath 5, the pipes 23 and 30 can be piped without interfering with each other, and the dog bath The entire unit can be configured compactly by effectively using the corners of 5.

It is a schematic block diagram of the microbubble manufacturing apparatus by one Example of this invention. It is a front view of the air-mixing pump and gas-liquid pressurization dissolution mixer which comprise the said fine bubble manufacturing apparatus (FIG. 1). It is a side view of the air-mixing pump and the gas-liquid pressurization dissolution mixer which comprise the said fine bubble manufacturing apparatus (FIG. 1). It is an internal structure figure for demonstrating the action | operation of the gas-liquid pressurization dissolution mixer which comprises the said microbubble manufacturing apparatus (FIG. 1). It is a cross-section figure of the shower head to which the fixed aperture as a decompressor which comprises the said fine bubble manufacturing apparatus (FIG. 1) was attached. It is sectional drawing of the dog bath to which the pressure reducing valve which comprises the said fine bubble manufacturing apparatus (FIG. 1) was connected. It is sectional drawing of the dog bath to which the fixed throttle as a decompressor which comprises the said fine bubble manufacturing apparatus (FIG. 1) was connected. It is sectional drawing of the dog bath to which the shower head which has a fixed throttle as a decompressor which comprises the said microbubble manufacturing apparatus (FIG. 1), and the pressure-reduction valve were connected. It is a top view of the apparatus which attached the fine bubble manufacturing apparatus by this invention integrally to the dog bath, and unitized the whole. FIG. 9B is a front view of the apparatus of FIG. 9A. FIG. 9B is a right side view of the apparatus of FIG. 9A.

Explanation of symbols

1: Microbubble production equipment

2: Mixed air pump

3: Gas-liquid pressure dissolution mixer 3A: Upper passage 3B: Lower passage 3C: Falling passage

4: Shower head 4a: Fixed throttle (pressure reducer)

50: Fine bubbles

6: Pressure reducing valve

7: Fixed aperture

W _A : Mixed flow

Claims (4)

A fine bubble manufacturing apparatus,
An air-mixing pump that sucks liquid and gas and discharges these mixed flows;
A pressurized liquid containing bubble nuclei is generated by introducing a mixed flow of liquid and gas discharged from the air-fueling pump and generating gas bubble nuclei in the liquid by performing gas-liquid dissolution under pressure. A gas-liquid pressure dissolution mixer to produce
A pressure reducer that introduces a pressurized liquid from the gas-liquid pressure-dissolution mixer and deposits gas by depressurizing the pressurized liquid to generate fine bubbles;
A device for producing fine bubbles. In claim 1,
The gas-liquid pressure dissolution mixer is
An upper passage extending in the horizontal direction in which a mixed flow of liquid and gas is introduced from the air-fueling pump to perform gas-liquid dissolution;
A lower passage extending in the horizontal direction, disposed below the upper passage at a distance from the upper passage, and storing pressurized liquid dissolved in gas and liquid;
A falling passage that falls downward from a rear end of the upper passage and communicates with the upper and lower passages.
An apparatus for producing fine bubbles. In claim 1,
The pressure reducer is a pressure reducing valve or a fixed throttle;
An apparatus for producing fine bubbles. In claim 1,
The pressure reducer is a fixed throttle provided in a shower head;
An apparatus for producing fine bubbles.

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