JP2022023974A - Bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus and bubble-containing liquid manufacturing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus, for efficiently manufacturing ultra-fine bubble-containing liquid which contains bubbles having fine and uniform particle diameters at high concentration.

SOLUTION: A bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus comprises: a bubble generating unit which generates a first bubble in liquid, and supplies first bubble-containing liquid which contains the first bubble; a bubble collapsing unit which is connected to the bubble generating unit, passes the first bubble-containing liquid supplied from the bubble generating unit, irradiates the passing first bubble-containing liquid with ultrasonic wave, collapses the bubble in the first bubble-containing liquid, generates a second bubble, and supplies second bubble-containing liquid which contains the second bubble; and a storage unit which is connected to the bubble collapsing unit, and stores the second bubble-containing liquid supplied from the bubble collapsing unit. The bubble collapsing unit comprises: a passage in which the bubble-containing liquid passes; and a plurality of ultrasonic vibrators which radiate ultrasonic waves toward the inside from the outside of the passage from different directions.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

COPYRIGHT: (C)2022,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing an ultrafine bubble-containing liquid and a bubble-containing liquid manufacturing method. The present invention relates to a bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a contained liquid and a bubble-containing liquid manufacturing method.

In recent years, bubble-containing liquids containing bubbles having a micro-order particle size (micro bubbles) and bubbles having a nano-order particle size (nano bubbles) have been attracting attention, and medical, agriculture, fisheries, and food and drink have been attracting attention. , It is being applied to various fields such as agriculture. Some of these fine bubbles, also called fine bubbles, have the characteristic that the bubble-containing liquid becomes cloudy when the bubbles scatter visible light.

Bubbles that scatter visible light have a particle size of several tens of microns, but when the particle size becomes finer and becomes 200 nanometers or less, the particle size of the bubbles becomes smaller than the wavelength of visible light. Therefore, there is a feature that the bubble-containing liquid becomes transparent. Such a bubble having a particle size of 200 nanometers or less is also called an ultrafine bubble. It is known that this ultrafine bubble stays in the liquid for several months and the bubble becomes charged.

As one of the methods for producing an ultrafine bubble-containing liquid containing ultrafine bubbles such as these, by irradiating the fine bubble-containing liquid with ultrasonic waves, the fine bubbles are crushed and ultrafine particles having a finer particle size are obtained. There is a method to generate bubbles. For example, in the method for producing nanobubble-containing water described in Patent Document 1, microbubble-containing water is produced in the bubble generation portion, the microbubble-containing water is temporarily stored in the storage portion, and only bubbles having a desired particle size are produced. The contained microbubble-containing liquid is taken out from the reservoir, and the taken-out microbubble-containing liquid is irradiated with ultrasonic waves to crush the microbubbles to generate nanobubbles, whereby the nanobubble-containing liquid is produced.

By the way, bubbles having various particle sizes are usually mixed in the ultrafine bubble-containing liquid. However, it is known that when the particle size is not uniform (homogeneous), the amount of charge held and the zeta potential are different in each bubble, and agglutination action occurs between the bubbles. Therefore, when trying to increase the concentration of bubbles, there is a problem that bubbles aggregate in a bubble-containing liquid having a non-uniform particle size, and it is very difficult to produce a containing liquid containing high-concentration ultrafine bubbles. Met.

In order to produce such a high-concentration ultrafine bubble-containing liquid, the nanobubble manufacturing apparatus described in Cited Document 2 has been developed. In this nanobubble manufacturing apparatus, the microbubble-containing liquid is supplied to the liquid tank, the supplied bubble-containing liquid is irradiated with ultrasonic waves, and the microbubbles are crushed to generate nanobubbles, whereby the nanobubble-containing liquid is manufactured. .. In this nanobubble manufacturing device, in particular, by utilizing the feature that nanobubbles are concentrated downward in the liquid tank and forming an ultrasonic crushing field in the middle, a high-concentration ultrafine bubble-containing liquid having a uniform particle size can be obtained. Manufactured.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-200762 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-186781

However, the method for producing nanobubble-containing water described in Cited Document 1 is simply an attempt to continuously generate nanobubbles by ultrasonically crushing the microbubbles by an ultrasonic generation unit provided in the passage. It does not try to generate nanobubbles with uniform particle size. That is, the method for producing a nanobubble-containing liquid in Patent Document 1 is to irradiate a bubble-containing liquid flowing in a passage with ultrasonic waves from one direction, and is not intended to form an ultrasonic crushing field in which ultrasonic waves are concentrated. There was a problem that bubbles with uniform particle size could not be generated. Further, by irradiating ultrasonic waves from one direction, a part of the bubble-containing liquid stays and the flow of the bubble-containing liquid is obstructed, so that the bubble-containing liquid containing fine bubbles cannot be efficiently supplied. There was also a problem.

On the other hand, in the nanobubble manufacturing apparatus described in Cited Document 2, it is possible to manufacture an ultrafine bubble-containing liquid having a uniform particle size by forming an ultrasonic crushing field, but ultrasonic crushing occurs when the capacity of the tank increases. There is a problem that it becomes difficult to control a plurality of ultrasonic transducers in order to form a field. In addition, since a high-concentration bubble-containing liquid is produced by the concentration of bubbles, it takes a certain amount of time for the required quantity of bubbles to be generated in the tank until the bubble-containing liquid having a desired concentration is supplied. There was also a problem that a time delay occurred.

An object of the present invention is to solve these problems and efficiently produce an ultrafine bubble-containing liquid containing bubbles having a fine particle size and a uniform particle size at a high concentration.

The bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention is connected to a bubble generation unit that generates a first bubble in the liquid and supplies the first bubble-containing liquid containing the first bubble, and the bubble generation unit. Then, the first bubble-containing liquid supplied from the bubble generation unit is passed through, and the passing first bubble-containing liquid is irradiated with ultrasonic waves to crush the bubbles of the first bubble-containing liquid. A bubble crushing portion that generates a second bubble and supplies a second bubble-containing liquid containing the second bubble, and a second bubble that is connected to the bubble crushing portion and is supplied from the bubble crushing portion. It is provided with a storage unit for storing the contained liquid. The bubble crushing portion includes a passage through which the bubble-containing liquid passes, and a plurality of ultrasonic vibrators that irradiate ultrasonic waves from different directions from the outside of the passage to the inside in the radial direction.

In this bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus, when the first bubble-containing liquid supplied from the bubble generation portion passes through the bubble crushing portion, the first bubble is crushed by irradiation with ultrasonic waves, and the particles are crushed. A second bubble with a finer diameter is generated. In this bubble crushing portion, ultrasonic waves are applied from a plurality of ultrasonic vibrators to the passage through which the bubble-containing liquid flows, so that an ultrasonic crushing field where ultrasonic waves are concentrated is formed in the passage and the particle size is increased. Uniform ultrafine bubbles are generated. Further, at this time, since the ultrasonic waves are irradiated from different directions, the retention of the bubble-containing liquid is suppressed as compared with the case where the ultrasonic waves are irradiated from one direction. Then, the bubble-containing liquid containing the ultrafine bubbles is continuously stored in the storage portion, and the bubbles of the ultrafine bubbles are concentrated downward by diffusion to increase the concentration.

(Effect of claim 1)
Therefore, in the bubble crushing portion, an ultrasonic crushing field is formed in the passage of the bubble-containing liquid, uniform ultrafine bubbles are generated, and the bubble-containing liquid is continuously stored in the storage portion without agglomeration of the ultrafine bubbles. Since the bubble-containing liquid is efficiently supplied, the concentration of the bubble-containing liquid is increased in a short time in the storage portion.

That is, according to the present invention, by separating the bubble crushing portion and the storage portion, uniform fine bubbles are generated by the ultrasonic crushing field in the passage and continuously supplied to the storage portion, and the ultrafine bubbles are generated in the storage portion. Is increased in concentration. In particular, by generating ultrasonic waves from different directions in the crushed portion, it is possible to efficiently supply ultrafine bubbles having a uniform particle size to the reservoir without obstructing the flow of the bubble-containing liquid. Further, since the ultrafine bubbles are efficiently and continuously supplied to the storage portion, the concentration of the bubble-containing liquid can be increased in a short time.

Further, the plurality of ultrasonic oscillators may form at least one oscillator group, and the ultrasonic oscillators of each oscillator group may irradiate ultrasonic waves toward the center of the passage. By doing so, since the ultrasonic waves are irradiated toward the center of the passage, it is possible to surely suppress the obstruction of the flow of the bubble-containing liquid while forming the ultrasonic crushing field. As a result, the ultrafine bubbles do not stay in the passage and are efficiently supplied.

Further, the plurality of ultrasonic transducers may irradiate ultrasonic waves from the opposite direction toward the center of the passage. By doing so, a uniform crushing field can be formed over the entire passage, and bubbles having a uniform particle size can be reliably generated.

The oscillation frequency of each ultrasonic oscillator may be adjustable. By doing so, the desired bubble-containing liquid can be easily produced. That is, since the particle size and quantity of bubbles are affected by the oscillation frequency of the ultrasonic vibrator, it is possible to easily control the bubble generation by making this adjustable. Since the ultrasonic vibrator irradiates the passage through which the bubble-containing liquid flows with ultrasonic waves, the bubble-containing liquid containing a desired bubble can be obtained as compared with the case of irradiating a large-capacity object such as a tank with ultrasonic waves. It can be easily manufactured. In particular, the effect of adjusting the ultrasonic vibrator according to the flow rate of the bubble-containing liquid flowing through the passage is great.

The output of each ultrasonic transducer may be adjustable. By adjusting the output, the bubble can be crushed with an output that evenly forms the ultrasonic crushing field and does not obstruct the flow as much as possible. As a result, the bubble-containing liquid can be stably produced.

The crushed portion includes an exterior body that covers the periphery of the passage, and a propagating liquid capable of propagating ultrasonic waves is filled between the passage and the exterior body, and the ultrasonic vibrator is placed outside the exterior body. It may be attached. By doing so, although the ultrasonic vibrator can be easily attached, the propagating liquid can surely propagate the ultrasonic waves to the passage, and the bubble-containing liquid can be stably produced.

The passage is made of a resin material, and the exterior body is made of a metal material. By doing so, the ultrasonic vibrator can be easily attached to the exterior body even though it can be used for beverages as a bubble-containing liquid flowing in the passage, so that the bubble crushing portion can be manufactured. It will be easier.

The bubble crushing portion may be arranged so that the passage is in the horizontal direction, and the propagating liquid may be introduced from the lower side of the exterior body and led out from the upper side, and may be constantly led out and taken in. By doing so, air does not enter the flow path of the propagating liquid, the propagating liquid can reliably propagate ultrasonic waves, and the propagating liquid exerts the effect of cooling water to suppress heat generation due to ultrasonic crushing. However, it is possible to prevent the capacity of the bubble crushed part from being reduced due to heat.

The storage unit is connected to the bubble generation unit, a part of the bottom side of the bubble-containing liquid stored in the storage unit is supplied to the outside, and a central part of the bubble-containing liquid stored in the storage unit. May be supplied to the bubble generation unit. By doing so, the bubble-containing liquid containing bubbles having a relatively large particle size circulates in the bubble generation part, the bubble crushing part, and the storage part, and efficiently contains bubbles having a uniform particle size and a high concentration. The liquid is produced.

The loop formed from the bubble generation portion, the bubble crushing portion, and the storage portion may have a closed structure in which the loop is shielded from the atmosphere, and the internal pressure of the storage portion may be adjustable. By doing so, a completely sealed structure bubble generation system without gas contact with the atmosphere can be constructed, so that a safe bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus can be obtained regardless of the type of the gas to be bubbled and the type of the undiluted solution.

The bubble generator may be interchangeably modularized. By doing so, the amount of the first bubble-containing liquid generated per hour can be adjusted, so that the desired bubble-containing liquid can be easily obtained in combination with the output control of the ultrasonic oscillator of the bubble crushing portion. Can be manufactured.

In another bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention, the first bubble-containing liquid contained in the liquid is passed through, and the passing first bubble-containing liquid is irradiated with ultrasonic waves to obtain the first bubble-containing liquid. It is provided with a bubble crushing portion that crushes the bubble of the bubble-containing liquid 1 to generate a second bubble and supplies the second bubble-containing liquid containing the second bubble. The bubble crushing portion includes a passage through which the bubble-containing liquid passes, and a plurality of ultrasonic vibrators that irradiate ultrasonic waves from different directions from the outside of the passage to the inside in the radial direction.

In this bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus, when the first bubble-containing liquid passes through the bubble crushing portion, the first bubble is crushed by irradiation with ultrasonic waves, and the second bubble has a finer particle size. Bubble is generated. In this bubble crushing portion, ultrasonic waves are applied from a plurality of ultrasonic vibrators to the passage through which the bubble-containing liquid flows, so that an ultrasonic crushing field where ultrasonic waves are concentrated is formed in the passage and the particle size is increased. Uniform ultrafine bubbles are generated. At this time, since the ultrasonic waves are irradiated from different directions, the retention of the bubble-containing liquid is suppressed as compared with the case where the ultrasonic waves are irradiated from one direction.

Therefore, in the bubble crushing portion, an ultrasonic crushing field is formed in the passage of the bubble-containing liquid, ultrafine bubbles having a uniform particle size are generated, and the bubble-containing liquid is continuously formed without agglomeration of the ultrafine bubbles. Will be supplied. That is, according to the present invention, the bubble crushing portion generates ultrasonic waves from different directions, so that fine bubbles having a uniform particle size can be efficiently supplied without obstructing the flow of the contained liquid.

In the bubble-containing liquid manufacturing method according to the present invention, a bubble-containing liquid that is connected to a bubble-generating unit that generates a bubble-containing liquid and a bubble-containing liquid that is connected to the bubble-generating unit and is supplied from the bubble-containing unit is passed through the bubble-containing liquid. A bubble-containing liquid including a bubble crushing portion that crushes a bubble of the bubble-containing liquid by irradiating the bubble crushing portion and a storage portion that is connected to the bubble crushing portion and stores the bubble-containing liquid supplied from the bubble crushing portion. Use manufacturing equipment. In this bubble-containing liquid manufacturing method, the bubble generating portion generates a first bubble-containing liquid containing the first bubble in the liquid, and the bubble crushing portion is superposed on the first bubble-containing liquid. It includes irradiating a sound wave to crush the first bubble to generate a second bubble-containing liquid containing the second bubble, and the storage portion storing the second bubble-containing liquid.

In this bubble-containing liquid manufacturing method, when the first bubble-containing liquid supplied from the bubble generation portion passes through the bubble crushing portion, the first bubble is crushed by being irradiated with ultrasonic waves, and the first bubble is crushed. A fine second bubble is generated. In this bubble crushing portion, ultrasonic waves are applied from a plurality of ultrasonic vibrators to the passage through which the bubble-containing liquid flows, so that an ultrasonic crushing field where ultrasonic waves are concentrated is formed in the passage, and a uniform ultrasonic wave is formed. Fine bubbles are generated. At this time, since the ultrasonic waves are irradiated from different directions, the retention of the bubble-containing liquid is suppressed as compared with the case where the ultrasonic waves are irradiated from one direction. Then, the bubble-containing liquid containing the ultrafine bubbles is stored in the storage portion, and is concentrated downward to increase the concentration.

Therefore, in the bubble crushing portion, an ultrasonic crushing field is formed in the passage of the bubble-containing liquid, ultrafine bubbles having a uniform particle size are generated, and the bubble-containing liquid is continuously stored without agglomeration of the ultrafine bubbles. Since the bubble-containing liquid is efficiently supplied to the portion, the concentration of the bubble-containing liquid is increased in a short time in the reservoir.

That is, according to the method for producing a bubble-containing liquid according to the present invention, by separating crushing and storage, uniform fine bubbles are generated by crushing due to the ultrasonic crushing field, and the ultrafine bubbles have a high concentration due to storage. Is made. In particular, crushing generates ultrasonic waves from different directions, so that uniform fine bubbles can be efficiently supplied to the reservoir without obstructing the flow of the contained liquid. Further, since the ultrafine bubbles are efficiently and continuously supplied in the storage, the concentration of the bubble-containing liquid is increased in a short time.

According to the present invention, it is possible to efficiently produce an ultrafine bubble-containing liquid containing bubbles having a fine and uniform particle size at a high concentration.

It is a figure which shows the appearance of the bubble containing liquid production apparatus of this invention. It is a figure which shows the functional block of the bubble containing liquid manufacturing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the bubble generator of the bubble containing liquid manufacturing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the foaming part of the bubble generator shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the bubble crushing part of the bubble containing liquid manufacturing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the side cross section of the bubble crushing part shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the storage part of the bubble containing liquid manufacturing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the flow of the bubble-containing liquid manufacturing method using the bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the functional block of the bubble containing liquid manufacturing apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the functional block of the bubble containing liquid manufacturing apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the modification of the bubble crushing part of the bubble containing liquid manufacturing apparatus of this invention.

<First embodiment>

The bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. The bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 100 manufactures a bubble-containing liquid containing bubbles in the liquid. The liquid includes beverages such as drinking water, milk, fruit juice, and liquor, and also includes pure water, distilled water, industrial water, and the like in addition to beverages. Further, the gas to be bubbled includes various gases such as ozone, oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen and carbon dioxide. That is, these liquids and the gas to be bubbled are appropriately selected according to the use of the bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 100. In the present embodiment, the bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 100 manufactures an ozone bubble-containing liquid in which pure water is applied to the liquid and ozone is applied to the gas to be bubbled.

FIG. 1 shows the appearance of the bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 100. (A) shows the front view of the bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 100, and (B) shows the side view of the bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 100. As shown in FIG. 1, the bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 100 includes a cubic box-shaped housing having a configuration described later. Further, the bubble-containing liquid manufacturing device 100 includes an operation panel 101, and the user can arbitrarily operate the bubble-containing liquid manufacturing device 100 via the operation panel 101. Further, the bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 100 is provided with wheels 102 and is movable.

In the present embodiment, each configuration of the bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 100 is housed in one housing, and the housing is incorporated into another system as it is. However, the bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 100 may be incorporated into another system for each configuration and function as a bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus in the system. For example, by incorporating each configuration of the bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 100 into the beverage manufacturing system and using the beverage as a bubble-containing liquid during the manufacturing of the beverage, the beverage is sterilized. , The bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 100 may form a part of the system.

FIG. 2 shows an outline of a functional block diagram of the bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 100. As shown in FIG. 2, the bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment mainly generates a first bubble in the liquid and uses the first bubble-containing liquid containing the first bubble. The first bubble-containing liquid to be supplied is connected to the bubble generation unit 110 and the first bubble-containing liquid supplied from the bubble generation unit 110 is passed, and the passing first bubble-containing liquid is irradiated with ultrasonic waves. Then, the bubbles of the first bubble-containing liquid are crushed to generate a second bubble, and the bubble crushing portion 120 and the bubble crushing portion 120 for supplying the second bubble-containing liquid containing the second bubble are used. It is provided with a storage unit 130 which is connected and stores a second bubble-containing liquid supplied from the bubble crushing unit 120. The bubble generation unit 110, the bubble crushing unit 120, and the storage unit 130 are interconnected to form a circulation cycle (loop) for circulating the bubble-containing liquid.

In addition to the above configuration, the bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 100 is connected to the stock solution introduction unit 140, which is connected to the storage unit 130 and introduces the liquid, and the gas introduction unit 150, which is connected to the bubble generation unit 110 and introduces the gas. A flow path connecting the respective parts, valves provided at various parts of the flow path, and a control unit 160 for controlling a series of operations of the bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 100 are provided.

Further, in the bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 100, an extraction unit 170 for taking out the produced bubble-containing liquid to the outside of the apparatus and a discharge unit 180 for discharging unnecessary liquid to the outside are connected to the storage unit 130. Further, a cooling unit 190 that supplies cooling water to the gas introduction unit 150, the bubble crushing unit 120, and the storage unit 130 is connected.

The control unit 160 is electrically connected to the control panel and is operated by an operator. Further, the control unit 160 controls each valve and switch provided in each place based on the detection information of sensors such as water area sensors and temperature sensors provided in various places in the bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 100.

In the present embodiment, the stock solution introducing unit 140 is for introducing pure water into the bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 100 as an example of the liquid. The stock solution introduction unit 140 is connected to a pure water supply source (not shown) via a valve. The liquid introduced from the stock solution introduction unit 140 once introduces the liquid into the storage unit 130 and is supplied to the gas-liquid mixer 111 of the bubble generation unit 110 via the recursive flow path 103 described later. However, depending on the type of bubble-containing liquid produced by the bubble-containing liquid producing apparatus 100, the undiluted solution introduction unit 140 may be used for non-pure drinking water, beverages such as milk, fruit juice, and liquor, or distilled water, industry in addition to beverages. Other liquids such as irrigation water may be introduced.

In the present embodiment, the gas introduction unit 150 is for introducing ozone into the bubble generation unit 110 as an example of the gas to be bubbled. The gas introduction unit 150 is an ozone generator that supplies ozone, which is well known in the past, and is connected to a bubbled gas supply source via a pressure gauge, a flow meter, and a check valve. However, the gas introducing unit 150 may introduce other gases such as oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, ammonia, and carbon dioxide other than ozone, depending on the type of the bubble-containing liquid produced by the bubble-containing liquid producing apparatus 100. For example, when nitrogen is bubbled, the gas introduction unit 150 may be connected to the nitrogen tank 131 in order to introduce nitrogen instead of the ozone generator.

The bubble generator 110 is supplied with a gas-liquid mixer 111 that mixes a liquid and a gas, and a bubble-containing liquid in which the gas is mixed by the gas-liquid mixer 111, and generates a first bubble-containing liquid. And a gas-liquid pump 113 for supplying the bubble-containing liquid from the gas-liquid mixer 111 to the bubble generator 112.

A well-known air-driven positive displacement pump is applied to the gas-liquid pump 113, but a non-positive displacement pump such as a magnet pump or an axial flow pump may be applied, and other pumps may be applied. May be good.

The gas-liquid mixer 111 is provided on the upstream side of the gas-liquid pump 113, and is connected to a liquid intake (not shown) connected to the recursive outlet 134 of the storage unit 130 described later and a gas supply path. It is equipped with a gas intake (not shown). The gas-liquid mixer 111 is supplied with the stock solution once supplied to the storage unit 130 from the stock solution introduction unit 140 or the bubble-containing liquid stored in the storage unit 130 via the recursive flow path 103.

In the gas-liquid mixer 111, a liquid flow path (not shown) connected to the liquid intake and a gas flow path (not shown) connected to the gas intake are formed so that the gas is taken in along the flow of the liquid. The gas is sucked at the same time as the liquid by using the suction force of the gas-liquid pump 113. As a result, the liquid and the gas are smoothly supplied to the gas-liquid pump 113, and the liquid and the gas are mixed in the gas-liquid pump 113 to generate a bubble-containing liquid. According to such a gas-liquid mixer 113, there is no problem that a large amount of gas is introduced and the gas-liquid pump 113 runs idle, or that almost no gas enters and bubble generation is not quantified. This bubble mixture is supplied to the bubble generator 112.

The bubble generator collides with the swirling portion 114, which spirally swirls the bubble-containing liquid supplied from the gas-liquid mixer 111 to form a swirling flow, and the bubbles of the bubble-containing liquid formed with the swirling flow, against the protrusion 115a. A protrusion crushing portion 115 that is crushed to cause crushing, a livestock section 116 that retains a bubble-containing liquid containing crushed bubbles for a certain period of time, and a foaming portion 117 that foams the bubble-containing liquid after being retained for a certain period of time to a high concentration. To prepare for.

3A and 3B show a bubble generator 112, FIG. 3A shows a perspective view of the bubble generator 112, and FIG. 3B shows a side sectional view of the bubble generator 112. As shown in FIG. 3A, the bubble generator 112 is connected to the first cylindrical portion 112a and the first cylindrical portion 112a, extends in the same direction as the first cylindrical portion 112a, and is the first cylindrical portion. A third cylindrical portion connected to a second cylindrical portion 112b having a diameter larger than 112a, extending in the same direction as the second cylindrical portion 112b, and having a diameter smaller than that of the second cylindrical portion 112b. It is equipped with 112c. The bubble generator 112 is arranged so as to extend substantially in the vertical direction by the first to third cylindrical portions 112c so that the first cylindrical portion 112a is located below and the third cylindrical portion 112c is located above. To.

As shown in FIG. 3B, the swivel portion 114 is provided in the first cylindrical portion 112a, and has a swivel surface 114a formed in a spiral shape inside the cylinder. The swirling surface 114a spirally extends in the axial direction of the cylinder so as to obtain a swirling flow that rotates in the circumferential direction of the first cylindrical portion 112a and advances in the axial direction of the cylinder. Therefore, the swirling section 114 spirally swirls the bubble-containing liquid supplied from the gas-liquid mixer 111 to form a swirling flow, and supplies the bubble-containing liquid to the protrusion crushing section 115. The swirling portion 114 can accelerate the flow velocity by forming a swirling flow using the supply pressure of the gas-liquid pump 113.

It is desirable that the swivel portion 114 has a swivel surface 114a capable of obtaining at least 1.5 rotations or more. However, in the swirling portion 114, the flow velocity increases by increasing the rotation speed of the swirling flow, but the pressure loss also increases. Therefore, the lifting capacity of the gas-liquid pump 113 and the required bubble concentration indicate that the swirling surface 114a The optimum rotation speed is determined.

The protrusion crushing portion 115 is provided in the second cylindrical portion, is formed in the shape of a cylinder of a cylinder, and has a multi-stage protrusion 115a on the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder along the axial direction. The protrusions 115a are arranged so that their tips thereof face each other. As a result, the protrusion crushed portion 115 forms a flow path having a circular cross section, and a plurality of protrusions 115a project toward the inside of the circle, forming a hollow space in which the protrusions 115a do not exist in the central portion. Therefore, the protrusion crushing portion 115 is provided downstream of the swirling portion 114, and the bubble-containing liquid that has passed through the swirling portion 114 is sheared and crushed by the protrusion 115a. As a result, the bubbles of the bubble-containing liquid hit the protrusion 115a and are crushed into fine bubbles, and in the bubble-containing liquid, the bubbles are made fine and the bubble concentration is improved.

Further, the protrusions 115a have at least 6 steps or more, and are alternately arranged at an angle of 36 degrees or more in the longitudinal direction. The bubble-containing liquid accelerated by the swirling portion 114 material is pulverized while hitting the protrusion 115a, and the gas is further refined. Since the pressure loss increases as the number of protrusions 115a increases, the number of protrusions 115a is determined from the lifting capacity of the gas-liquid pump 113 and the required bubble concentration.

The livestock section 116 is provided in the second cylindrical section 112b, and is a space in the second cylindrical section 112b. The livestock section 116 allows the bubble-containing liquid having an improved bubble concentration to stay for a certain period of time by passing through the protrusion crushing section 115. As a result, the amount of charge held in the bubble generated by shear crushing at the protrusion crushing portion 115 and the zeta potential can be made uniform. Therefore, in the livestock unit 116, the particle size of the bubbles in the bubble-containing liquid can be made uniform. Further, the livestock section 116 is connected to a livestock pressurizer (not shown), and the inside of the livestock section 116 can be pressurized to a predetermined pressure (0.8 MPa to 2.0 MPa). As a result, it has a function of improving the bubble concentration by increasing the pressure in the livestock section 116 to a constant pressure by utilizing the pressurizing and compressing effect of the surplus gas.

The optimum volume of the livestock unit 116 is determined by the type of the gas-liquid pump 113 and the supply flow rate. Normally, the optimum value is in the range of 1/20 to 1/5 of the supply flow rate. The supply diversion of the livestock unit 116 becomes the supply flow rate of the bubble generation unit 110, and the bubble-containing liquid at that flow rate is supplied to the bubble crushing unit 120 provided downstream.

As shown in FIGS. 3B and 4, the foamed portion 117 is provided in the third cylindrical portion 112c, and is substantially formed in a cylindrical shape. On the lower surface of the cylinder, a slit hole 117a provided in the center of a circular cross section is provided, and further, the repressurization space 117b in the cylinder continuous with the slit hole 117a and the repressurization space 117b continuous with the taper. A conical tapered space 117c is formed.

The bubble-containing liquid temporarily retained in the livestock section 116 flows into the slit hole 117a. The repressurized space 117b has an outlet 117d that allows the liquid to flow out with an opening area smaller than the opening area of the slit hole 117a in order to internally pressurize the bubble-containing liquid that has passed through the slit hole 117a, and the periphery of the outlet 117d. In addition, it has a collision wall 117e located on the back surface side of the slit plate. In the repressurized space 117b, the bubble-containing liquid that has flowed through the slit hole 117a collides with the collision wall and causes turbulence in the space while the bubble is crushed, and a part of the bubble-containing liquid is discharged. Flows out from the tapered space 117c. As a result, the bubble-containing liquid is pressurized again in the repressurization space 117b.

The tapered space 117c has a tapered surface 117f that diffuses conically from the outlet 117d at an angle smaller than, for example, 15 degrees. As a result, the liquid that has passed through the slit hole 117a flows in the inclined direction of the tapered surface 117f while being pressurized, and is depressurized. Specifically, the pressure in the repressurized space 117b is around 3 MPa, but in the tapered space 117c, the pressure is reduced to 1 MPa, and the concentration of the bubble-containing liquid is improved.

In the bubble generator 110, the bubble-containing liquid supplied from the gas-liquid mixer 111 passes through the swirling portion 114 of the bubble generator 112, the protrusion crushing portion 115, the livestock portion 116, and the foaming portion 117, so that the bubbles in the bubble-containing liquid are bubble-containing. The first bubble is generated from. As a result, the bubble generation unit 110 can supply the first bubble-containing liquid containing the first bubble to the bubble crushing unit 120. In the present embodiment, the bubble generation unit 110 generates microbubbles having a uniform particle size of microorder as the first bubble (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-186781).

The bubble generation unit 110 of the bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment has functions of swirling, crushing, feeding, and foaming (pressurization and depressurization), and is an air type bellows pump which is a pump having a low head capacity. It is possible to generate finely uniform high-concentration microbubbles even with a type diaphragm pump, and it is also possible to further improve the concentration with a magnet pump or an axial flow pump. Therefore, these functions enable a bubble generator regardless of the type of the gas-liquid pump 113.

The bubble generation unit 110 may have another configuration as long as it can generate the first bubble to be crushed by the bubble crushing unit 120. For example, a conventionally well-known swirl flow type bubble generator (see JP-A-2006-116365), a pressure shearing-type bubble generator (see JP-A-2006-272232), and the like can be used as a bubble generator 112. Can be used as. However, in order to supply bubbles having a uniform particle size to the bubble crushing portion 120, it is desirable to use the bubble generator 112 according to the present embodiment.

Further, in the bubble generator 112 of the bubble generator 110, the swivel portion 114, the protrusion crushing portion 115, the livestock portion 116 and the foaming portion 117 are modularized, and a plurality of liquid passage portions are different so that the amount of liquid passing through them per hour is different. Modules may be prepared. It may be configured so that any one module can be selected and attached from the plurality of modules. Moreover, it may be exchangeable for each module.

5A and 5B show a bubble crushing portion 120, FIG. 5A shows a side view of the bubble crushing portion 120, and FIG. 5B shows a front view of the bubble crushing portion 120. The bubble crushing section 120 is connected to the bubble generator 112 of the bubble generating section 110, and has a passage 121 through which the first bubble-containing liquid manufactured by the bubble generating section 110 passes, and an exterior body 122 that covers the periphery of the passage 121. It has a two-layer structure having an intermediate space 123 from the passage 121 and the exterior body 122. The bubble crushing portion 120 is arranged so that the passage 121 extends in the horizontal direction.

The exterior body 122 is provided with an ultrasonic vibrator 124, and each ultrasonic vibrator 124 irradiates an ultrasonic wave toward a passage 121. A propagating liquid is filled between the passage 121 and the exterior body 122, and the ultrasonic waves radiated from the ultrasonic transducer 124 are propagated to the inside of the passage 121 via the propagating liquid and flow inside the passage 121. The bubble-containing liquid is ultrasonically crushed.

The passage 121 is formed of a pipe made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride). As a result, the passage 121 has a circular cross section and extends in a columnar shape with the same diameter to form a uniform flow path. The passage 121 is connected so as to intervene between the bubble generation unit 110 and the storage unit 130, and the first bubble-containing liquid supplied from the bubble generation unit 110 fills the inside of the passage 121 with the storage unit 130. Is swept away.

The exterior body 122 is made of stainless steel and is composed of a side peripheral member 122a having a regular hexagonal cross section and extending in a hexagonal columnar shape, and a pair of disk-shaped flat members 122b that sandwich the side peripheral member 122a from both sides in the extending direction. .. Both plane members 122b are fitted with a passage 121 in the center, and the passage 121 is fixed so that the passage 121 extends to the center of the hexagon of the side peripheral member 122a. As a result, an intermediate space 123 is formed on the outer side of the passage 121 and the side peripheral member 122a of the exterior body 122, and the outer periphery of the passage 121 and each surface of the hexagonal side peripheral member 122a form the same intermediate space 123. Is forming.

FIG. 6 shows a side sectional view of the bubble crushing portion 120 cut along the arrow aa'in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, the bubble crushing portion 120 is filled with a propagating liquid capable of propagating ultrasonic waves in the intermediate space 123 formed from the passage 121 and the exterior body 122. In the present embodiment, the cooling water supplied from the cooling unit 190 is filled as the propagating liquid. The propagating liquid is introduced from the propagating liquid introduction port 122c provided under the flat surface member 122b of the exterior body 122 in the bubble crushing portion 120 in which the passage 121 is arranged so as to face the horizontal direction, and the propagating liquid is introduced from the plane of the exterior body 122. It is derived from the propagating liquid outlet 122d provided on the upper side of the member 122b. As a result, in the intermediate space 123, the propagating liquid is supplied from the left side of the drawing, is filled from the lower side to the upper side, and is discharged from the upper side. Therefore, the propagating liquid is filled in the intermediate space 123 without leaving any air.

The ultrasonic wave emitted from the ultrasonic vibrator 124 attached to the exterior body 122 is propagated to the passage 121 via the propagating liquid. At this time, if air remains in the intermediate space 123, the ultrasonic waves do not propagate evenly because the propagation ratios of the propagating liquid and the air are different. Therefore, by leaving no air in the intermediate space 123, ultrasonic waves can be efficiently and uniformly propagated inside the passage 121.

The propagating liquid is constantly flowing in the intermediate space 123. As a result, the heat of the bubble crushing portion 120 due to the ultrasonic crushing can be discharged. The propagating liquid is flowing in the same direction as the bubble-containing liquid flowing through the passage 121. As a result, heat can be efficiently discharged. Further, by increasing the flow velocity of the propagating liquid, the heat discharge efficiency can be further increased. The flow velocity of the propagating liquid can be achieved, for example, by controlling a pump that sends the propagating liquid to the bubble crushing portion 120. The exterior body 122 is provided with a heat sensor (not shown), and the flow velocity of the propagating liquid can be controlled while observing the heat generation state of the bubble crushing portion 120.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the propagating liquid is constantly flowing, but the propagating liquid is once filled in the intermediate space to stop the supply of the propagating liquid, and propagates only when the temperature of the bubble crushing portion 120 rises. The liquid may be flushed again. Although the propagating liquid propagates ultrasonic waves, it is desirable that the intermediate space 123 is narrow because there is still a loss due to propagation. However, if the propagation space is too narrow, the amount of cooling water (propagation liquid) decreases, and the heat discharge efficiency decreases. However, by allowing the propagating liquid to flow constantly, it is possible to suppress a decrease in heat discharge efficiency, narrow the intermediate space 123, and increase the degree of freedom in designing the bubble crushing portion 120. ..

Referring to FIG. 5 again, the exterior body 122 has an ultrasonic vibrator 124 attached to each surface of a hexagonal column. The ultrasonic vibrator 124 is provided in two stages in the extending direction of the passage 121, the bubble generating portion 110 side is the ultrasonic vibrator group in the front stage, and the storage portion 130 side is the ultrasonic vibrator group in the rear stage. It is supposed to be. The ultrasonic oscillator group of each stage is composed of six ultrasonic oscillators 124 provided radially from the central axis of the passage 121. The two opposed ultrasonic oscillators 124 form a pair of oscillator pairs, and the six ultrasonic oscillators 124 form a pair of oscillator pairs. The frequency and output of each ultrasonic transducer can be adjusted by the control unit 160. In the present embodiment, the twelve ultrasonic transducers 124 irradiate ultrasonic waves at the same frequency and the same output, respectively.

Each oscillator pair is provided at the same position in the extending direction of the passage 121 on the pair of opposite side surfaces of the hexagonal column of the exterior body 122. Here, since the exterior body 122 is made of stainless steel, it reflects ultrasonic waves. Therefore, the ultrasonic wave oscillated from the ultrasonic vibrator 124 provided on one surface of the side peripheral member 122a is reflected by the other opposite surface of the side peripheral member 122a. This reflected ultrasonic wave is superposed on the ultrasonic wave emitted from the ultrasonic vibrator 124 provided on the other surface (the reflecting surface).

Each of these six ultrasonic transducers 124 irradiates ultrasonic waves toward a point in the center of the passage 121. Therefore, each ultrasonic transducer 124 irradiates ultrasonic waves from different positions toward different directions in the radial direction and toward the inside in the radial direction so as to be toward the center of the passage. As a result, it is possible to prevent the bubble-containing liquid flowing through the passage 121 from being obstructed by ultrasonic waves. In particular, each pair of oscillators oscillates ultrasonic waves from opposite positions toward opposite directions. As a result, an ultrasonic crushing field is formed from the center of the passage 121, the first bubble-containing liquid passing through the passage 121 is crushed, and a second bubble having a uniform particle size is generated.

In the bubble crushing portion 120, ultrasonic waves are irradiated from a plurality of directions, and an ultrasonic crushing field is formed at a place where the ultrasonic waves are concentrated. Therefore, in the present embodiment, each ultrasonic vibrator group forms an ultrasonic crushing field in the passage 121, respectively. Even if all of the first bubbles are not crushed by the ultrasonic crushing field formed by the ultrasonic transducer group in the first stage, the ultrasonic crushing field formed by the ultrasonic transducer group in the latter stage remains the first first. In order to crush the bubble, the bubble crushing portion 120 according to the present embodiment can surely crush the first bubble and generate a uniform second bubble. In the present embodiment, the bubble crushing portion 120 produces nanobubbles having a nano-order uniform particle size as a second bubble.

In the present embodiment, six ultrasonic vibrators 124, that is, an even number of ultrasonic vibrators 124, are provided on the exterior body 122 of the bubble crushing portion 120 in each ultrasonic vibrator group. However, the ultrasonic oscillator 124 may be provided with an odd number of ultrasonic oscillators 124, and in that case, there are a plurality of pairs of oscillator pairs and one ultrasonic oscillator 124.

7A and 7B show an external view of the storage unit 130, FIG. 7A shows a plan view of the storage unit 130, FIG. 7B shows a front view of the storage unit 130, and FIG. 7C shows a side view of the storage unit 130. (D) shows the bottom view of the reservoir 130. As shown in FIG. 7, the storage unit 130 is mainly composed of a columnar tank 131, and has a stock solution introduction port 132 connected to the stock solution introduction unit 140 and a bubble-containing liquid introduction port 133 connected to the bubble crushing unit 120. A recursive outlet 134 connected to the recursive flow path 103, a bubble-containing liquid outlet 135 connected to the take-out unit 170, and a discharge port 136 connected to the discharge unit 180.

The undiluted solution introduction port 132 is mainly composed of a cylindrical pipe, extends from the upper surface of the tank 131 to the top surface in the tank 131, and supplies the undiluted solution from the undiluted solution introduction unit 140 to the top surface position of the tank 131. The bubble-containing liquid introduction port 133 is mainly composed of a cylindrical pipe, extends from the upper surface of the tank 131 to the middle stage position in the tank 131, and supplies the second bubble-containing liquid to the middle stage position in the tank 131.

The recursive outlet 134 is mainly composed of a cylindrical pipe, extends from the lower surface of the tank 131 to the vicinity of the lower 1/4 position in the tank 131, and contains a bubble at the lower 1/4 position of the tank 131. The liquid is led out to the recursive flow path 103, and the bubble-containing liquid is recurred to the gas-liquid mixer 111. The bubble-containing liquid outlet 135 mainly consists of a cylindrical pipe, extends from the bottom surface of the tank 131 to the lower stage in the tank 131, and takes out the bubble-containing liquid from the bottom of the tank 131. The discharge port 136 is mainly composed of a cylindrical pipe, extends from the bottom surface of the tank 131 to the lower stage in the tank 131, and discharges the bubble-containing liquid from the bottom of the tank 131.

Further, the tank 131 is made of PVC and has a completely sealed structure. As a result, the trace gas generated at the time of ultrasonic crushing of the bubble crushing portion 120 does not come into contact with the atmosphere even if it is flown into the storage portion 130. Therefore, in the present embodiment, even when the ozone nanobubble-containing liquid is generated, it is possible to prevent the danger to the human body due to ozone leakage. Further, since the tank 131 has a closed structure, it is possible to control the pressure in the storage unit 130. Further, a decompression bubble (not shown) is provided in the bubble-containing liquid outlet 135.

In this embodiment, the tank 131 is made of PVC as a material. However, the tank 131 may be made of a resin material such as a fluororesin such as PVDF or quartz. In the case of a resin material, the upper portion of the tank 131 is completely sealed by resin welding or adhesion, and in the case of quartz, the tank 131 is sealed via a sealing material such as PTFE or byton.

Since the storage unit 130 has a closed structure, it is possible to prevent the danger to the human body due to ozone leakage when ozone nanobubbles are generated, and the hydrogen nanobubbles can prevent the danger of explosion due to the contact between hydrogen and oxygen. Since no air gas component is mixed in, a stable organic synthesis reaction can be obtained.

In the bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, the bubble crushing portion 120 and the storage portion 130 are separated. As a result, a certain amount of bubble-containing liquid having a uniform particle size can be continuously supplied without being affected by the capacity of the storage unit 130. Further, since the second bubble having a uniform particle size and being ultrafine is generated in the bubble crushing portion 120 by the ultrasonic crushing field and stored in the storage portion 130, the bubbles are suppressed from aggregating in the storage portion 130. .. That is, since ultrafine bubbles having different particle sizes are aggregated by accumulating, bubbles having ultrafine particle sizes generated by conventional ultrasonic crushing do not have uniform particle sizes and are accumulated. However, according to the bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, bubbles having a uniform particle size are generated and can be stored without agglomeration.

The positions of the stock solution introduction port 132, the bubble-containing liquid introduction port 133, the recursive outlet port 134, and the good bubble-containing liquid outlet port 135 provided in the tank 131 in the tank can be appropriately changed. Further, another inlet and outlet may be provided in the tank 131.

Next, a method of manufacturing the bubble-containing liquid using the bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIG.

The bubble-containing liquid manufacturing method according to the present invention comprises supplying a liquid to the bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 100 (step 1), supplying a gas to the bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 100 (step 2), and supplying the liquid and the gas. Mixing to generate a bubble-containing liquid (step 3), producing a first bubble-containing liquid from the bubble-containing liquid (step 4), irradiating the first bubble-containing liquid with ultrasonic waves, and first. Crushing the bubbles to generate a second bubble (step 5), storing the second bubble-containing liquid (step 6), and retreating the stored bubble-containing liquid to the bubble generation unit 110 (step). 7), including taking out the stored bubble-containing liquid to the outside (step 8).

In step 1, first, the liquid is supplied from the stock solution introduction unit 140 to the storage unit 130. Specifically, the stock solution is supplied to the storage unit 130 with the valve provided in the stock solution introduction unit 140 in an open state. At this time, the undiluted solution is continuously supplied until the tank 131 of the storage unit 130 is filled with a predetermined amount of liquid. Next, the stock solution is supplied to the gas-liquid mixer 111 via the recursive flow path 103. Specifically, with the recursive valve provided in the recursive flow path 103 in an open state, the undiluted solution accumulated to the lower 1/4 position in the tank 131 by suction of the gas / liquid pump 113 is collected in the gas / liquid mixer 111. Introduced to the liquid intake.

In step 2, first, the gas is supplied to the gas-liquid mixer 111 from the gas supply unit. This step is performed in parallel with the previous step 1. Specifically, the valve provided in the gas introduction unit 150 is opened and the gas is supplied to the gas-liquid mixer 111.

In step 3, first, the bubble-containing liquid is produced. Specifically, the gas-liquid pump 113 is operated to cause the gas-liquid mixer 111 to inhale the undiluted solution and the gas. At this time, the undiluted solution is supplied to the gas-liquid mixer 111 by step 1, and the gas is supplied to the gas-liquid mixture by step 2 in parallel with this, and a bubble-containing liquid is generated. Next, the produced bubble-containing liquid is supplied to the bubble generator 112. Specifically, the gas-liquid pump 113 discharges the bubble mixture.

In step 4, first, the first bubble-containing liquid is produced from the bubble-containing liquid. Specifically, the bubble-containing liquid is introduced into the swirling section 114 to form a swirling flow, is crushed by the protrusion crushing section 115, temporarily stays in the livestock section 116, and is depressurized by the foaming section 117. Next, the bubble-containing liquid that has passed through the foaming portion 117 is supplied to the bubble crushing portion 120. Specifically, the livestock section 116 is pressurized by the livestock pressurizing section, and the bubble-containing liquid is supplied to the bubble crushing section 120 via the foaming section 117 at a predetermined pressure.

In step 5, first, the propagating liquid is flowed into the intermediate space 123. Specifically, the propagating liquid is constantly flowed in a state of being filled in the intermediate space. The propagating liquid can be supplied regardless of the flow of the bubble-containing liquid. That is, the propagating liquid can be flowed or stopped before or during the passage of the bubble-containing liquid through the passage 121.

Next, the first bubble-containing liquid passes through the passage 121. Specifically, the first bubble-containing liquid passes through the passage 121 in a filled state. At the same time, the first bubble-containing liquid is irradiated with ultrasonic waves. Specifically, an ultrasonic crushing field where ultrasonic waves are concentrated is formed inside the passage 121, and the first bubble is crushed to generate a second bubble. Next, the bubble-containing liquid that has passed through the passage 121 is supplied to the storage unit 130.

In step 6, first, the second bubble-containing liquid is introduced into the storage unit 130 via the bubble-containing liquid introduction port 133. The bubble-containing liquid introduction port extends to the middle position of the tank 131, and the second bubble-containing liquid is introduced to the middle position of the tank 131. The introduced bubble-containing liquid mixes with the liquid already stored, and the bubbles diffuse in the liquid.

Due to the diffusion of bubbles, an NB region having nano-order particle size, which is dominated by the presence of so-called nanobubbles, is formed at the bottom of the tank 131, and an MN region where nanobubbles and microbubbles coexist is formed above the NB region. Then, an MB region dominated by the presence of microbubbles is formed on the upper side thereof. The position of each region in the tank 131 changes depending on the amount of liquid stored.

In step 7, first, the bubble-containing liquid stored in the storage unit is recurred to the gas-liquid mixer 111. Specifically, the valve provided in the recursive flow path is opened, and the stored bubble-containing liquid is introduced into the liquid intake of the bubble generation unit 110 by suction of the gas-liquid pump 113. Since the recursive outlet 134 extends to the vicinity of the lower 1/4 position in the tank 131, the bubble-containing liquid in the MN region or the MB region is recursed.

In step 8, the bubble-containing liquid stored in the storage unit 130 is taken out. Specifically, the valve provided in the take-out portion 180 is opened, and the bubble-containing liquid on the bottom side of the tank 131 is taken out to the outside. Since the NB region is formed at the bottom of the tank 131, the bubble-containing liquid in the NB region is taken out. Finally, the bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 100 discharges the bubble-containing liquid from the discharge port 136 and ends the operation.

In the present embodiment, each of the ultrasonic transducers 124 of the ultrasonic crushing unit 120 is always operating at a constant output. For example, the bubble concentration of the bubble-containing liquid stored in the storage unit is shown. The frequency and output may be adjusted accordingly.

<Second embodiment>

Next, the bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 200 according to the present embodiment is mainly provided with two bubble crushing portions 220, and other configurations are the bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment. The same is true. Therefore, in the following description, only the characteristic portion of the bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 200 according to the second embodiment will be described, and the same configuration as the bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment will be described. Omits the explanation.

The bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 200 includes two bubble crushing portions 220. The bubble crushing section 220 is connected in parallel to the storage section 230 and the bubble generating section 210. Each of the two bubble crushing portions 220 has the same ability as the bubble crushing portion 120 of the bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment.

Therefore, the bubble generation unit 210 can supply twice the amount of the first bubble-containing liquid as compared with the bubble generation unit 110, and the first bubble-containing liquid is supplied to the two bubble crushing units 220. Separate and supply. As a result, the two bubble crushing portions 220 of the bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 200 supply twice the amount of the second bubble-containing liquid to the storage portion 230.

By providing a plurality of bubble crushing portions 220 in this way, it is possible to increase the production amount of the bubble-containing liquid per unit time. Alternatively, by providing a plurality of bubble crushing portions 220, the passage of each bubble crushing portion 220 can be reduced. If the passage is small, an ultrasonic crushing field can be accurately formed, and a liquid containing ultrafine bubbles having a uniform particle size can be efficiently produced.

In the present embodiment, one bubble generating section 210 is connected to the two bubble crushing sections, but a bubble generating section is provided for each of the plurality of bubble crushing sections 220, and each bubble generating section is set to 1. It may be connected to the bubble crushing portion in a one-to-one relationship.

<Third embodiment>

Next, the bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 300 according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 300 according to the present embodiment is mainly characterized in that it does not have a storage unit and directly supplies the bubble-containing liquid to the outside, and another configuration is according to the first embodiment. This is the same as the bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 100. Therefore, in the following description, only the characteristic portion of the bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 300 according to the third embodiment will be described, and the same configuration as the bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment will be described. The explanation is omitted.

The bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 100 does not have a storage unit, and the bubble crushing unit 320 is directly connected to the extraction unit 370. Further, the stock solution introduction unit 340 is directly connected to the gas-liquid mixer 311 of the bubble generation unit 310. As a result, the first bubble-containing liquid produced by the bubble generation unit 310 is ultrasonically crushed by the bubble crushing unit 320 without forming a circulation cycle of the bubble-containing liquid, and the second bubble-containing liquid is bubble-crushed. It is taken out directly from the unit 320 to the outside.

<Transformation example>

A modified example of the bubble crushing portion 120 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 11A shows a first modification of the bubble crushing portion 120. In the bubble crushing portion 120A according to the first modification, the side peripheral member of the exterior body 122A is formed in a regular octagonal columnar shape, and an ultrasonic vibrator 124 is provided on each surface (modification example 1). In the present modification 1, the eight ultrasonic vibrators 124 are provided at the same position (on the same cross section) in the axial direction to form one ultrasonic vibrator group. Each ultrasonic transducer 124 irradiates ultrasonic waves with the same output and the same frequency, and an ultrasonic crushing field is formed in the center of the passage 121.

FIG. 11B shows a second modification of the bubble crushing portion 120. In the bubble crushing portion 120B according to the second modification, the side peripheral member of the exterior body 122B is formed in a columnar shape of an equilateral triangle, and an ultrasonic vibrator 124 is provided on each surface (modification example 2). In the second modification, the three ultrasonic vibrators 124 are provided at the same position (on the same cross section) in the axial direction to form one ultrasonic vibrator group. Each ultrasonic transducer 124 irradiates ultrasonic waves with the same output and the same frequency, and an ultrasonic crushing field is formed in the center of the passage 121.

FIG. 11C shows a third modification of the bubble crushing portion 120. In the bubble crushing portion 120C according to the third modification, the side peripheral members of the exterior body 122 are formed in a regular hexagonal shape, and ultrasonic oscillators 124 are provided on every other of the six hexagonal surfaces (deformation). Example 3). In the third modification, the three ultrasonic vibrators 124 are provided at the same position (on the same cross section) in the axial direction to form one ultrasonic vibrator group. Each ultrasonic transducer 124 irradiates ultrasonic waves with the same output and the same frequency, and an ultrasonic crushing field is formed in the center of the passage 121.

If the exterior body 122 of the bubble crushing portion 120 is a regular polygon as in these modified examples, an ultrasonic crushing field can be formed in the center of the passage 121. The number of ultrasonic transducers 124 can be appropriately selected. However, the exterior body does not have to be a regular polygon, and the ultrasonic transducer may have another arrangement as long as an ultrasonic crushing field can be formed in the passage.

Although examples of specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the embodiments of the present invention, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

The present invention can be used for producing a bubble-containing liquid.

100,200,300 Bubble-containing liquid manufacturing equipment 110,210,310 Bubble generator 120,220,320 Bubble crushing part 121 Passage 122 Exterior body 124 Ultrasonic oscillator 130,230 Storage part

Claims (10)

A bubble generation unit that generates a first bubble in the liquid and supplies the first bubble-containing liquid containing the first bubble, and a bubble generation unit.
The first bubble-containing liquid connected to the bubble generation unit and supplied from the bubble generation unit is passed through, and the first bubble-containing liquid passing through is irradiated with ultrasonic waves to cause the first bubble-containing liquid. A bubble crushing portion that crushes the bubbles to generate a second bubble and supplies the second bubble-containing liquid containing the second bubble.
It is provided with a storage portion connected to the bubble crushing portion and for storing a second bubble-containing liquid supplied from the bubble crushing portion.
The bubble crushing portion includes a passage having a circular cross section through which the bubble-containing liquid is filled, an exterior body covering the periphery of the passage, and a plurality of ultrasonic vibrators attached to the outside of the exterior body. And with
A propagating liquid capable of propagating ultrasonic waves is filled between the passage and the exterior body.
The plurality of ultrasonic transducers irradiate ultrasonic waves from different directions from the outside to the inside of the passage.
The plurality of ultrasonic oscillators form a plurality of pairs of oscillators, and the plurality of ultrasonic oscillators form a pair of oscillators.
The bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus, wherein the plurality of oscillator pairs irradiate ultrasonic waves from opposite directions toward the center of the passage. The bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each ultrasonic vibrator has an adjustable oscillation frequency. The bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each ultrasonic vibrator has an adjustable output. The passage is formed of a resin material and is
The bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the exterior body is made of a metal material. The bubble crushing portion is arranged so that the passage is in the horizontal direction.
The bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the propagating liquid is introduced from the lower side of the exterior body, is led out from the upper side, and is constantly led out and taken in. The storage unit is connected to the bubble generation unit and is connected to the bubble generation unit.
A part of the bottom side of the bubble-containing liquid stored in the storage portion is supplied to the outside.
The bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a part of the center of the bubble-containing liquid stored in the storage unit is supplied to the bubble generation unit. The loop formed from the bubble generation portion, the bubble crushing portion, and the storage portion has a closed structure in which the loop is shielded from the atmosphere.
The bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the internal pressure of the storage unit can be adjusted. The bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the bubble generation unit is interchangeably modularized. The first bubble-containing liquid contained in the liquid is passed through, the passing first bubble-containing liquid is irradiated with ultrasonic waves, and the bubbles of the first bubble-containing liquid are crushed to obtain a second bubble. It is provided with a bubble crushing portion for generating a bubble of the above and supplying a second bubble-containing liquid containing the second bubble.
The bubble crushing portion includes a passage having a circular cross section through which the bubble-containing liquid is filled, and a plurality of ultrasonic transducers that irradiate ultrasonic waves from different directions from the outside to the inside of the passage. Equipped with
A propagating liquid capable of propagating ultrasonic waves is filled between the passage and the exterior body surrounding the passage.
The plurality of ultrasonic transducers irradiate ultrasonic waves from different directions from the outside to the inside of the passage.
The plurality of ultrasonic oscillators form a plurality of pairs of oscillators, and the plurality of ultrasonic oscillators form a pair of oscillators.
The bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus, wherein the plurality of oscillator pairs irradiate ultrasonic waves from opposite directions toward the center of the passage. A bubble-containing liquid that generates a bubble-containing liquid and a bubble-containing liquid that is connected to the bubble-generating unit and is supplied from the bubble-containing unit are passed through, and the passing bubble-containing liquid is irradiated with ultrasonic waves.
A bubble crushing portion that crushes the bubble of the bubble-containing liquid and a storage portion that is connected to the bubble crushing portion and stores the bubble-containing liquid supplied from the bubble crushing portion are provided.
The bubble crushing portion includes a passage having a circular cross section through which the bubble-containing liquid is filled, and a plurality of ultrasonic transducers that irradiate ultrasonic waves from different directions from the outside to the inside of the passage. Equipped with
The plurality of ultrasonic oscillators form a plurality of pairs of oscillators, and the plurality of ultrasonic oscillators form a pair of oscillators.
The plurality of oscillator pairs are characterized by irradiating ultrasonic waves from opposite directions toward the center of the passage.
A propagating liquid capable of propagating ultrasonic waves is filled between the passage and the exterior body surrounding the passage.
The plurality of ultrasonic transducers are a method for manufacturing a bubble-containing liquid using a bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus, which irradiates ultrasonic waves from different directions from the outside to the inside of the passage.
The bubble generation unit generates a first bubble-containing liquid containing the first bubble in the liquid.
The bubble crushing portion irradiates the first bubble-containing liquid with ultrasonic waves to crush the first bubble to generate a second bubble-containing liquid containing the second bubble.
A method for producing a bubble-containing liquid, which comprises storing the second bubble-containing liquid in the storage unit.

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