US 11,712,669 B2
Apparatus in the form of a unitary, single-piece structure configured to generate and mix ultra-fine gas bubbles into a high gas concentration aqueous solution
Tim Blevins, Peoria, AZ (US); Mayur Dev, Phoenix, AZ (US); and Jason Applewhite, Spring, TX (US)
Assigned to Gaia USA, Inc., Scottsdale, AZ (US)
Filed by Gaia USA, Inc., Scottsdale, AZ (US)
Filed on Mar. 5, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/194,162.
Application 17/194,162 is a continuation of application No. 16/768,609, granted, now 10,953,375, previously published as PCT/US2019/034749, filed on May 30, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/679,702, filed on Jun. 1, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0187449 A1, Jun. 24, 2021
Int. Cl. B01F 3/04 (2006.01); B01F 25/313 (2022.01); B01F 23/232 (2022.01); B01F 25/4314 (2022.01); B01F 23/2373 (2022.01)
CPC B01F 25/3131 (2022.01) [B01F 23/2323 (2022.01); B01F 25/31331 (2022.01); B01F 25/43141 (2022.01); B01F 23/2373 (2022.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for generating and mixing gas bubbles into an aqueous solution, the apparatus comprising:
a structure defining an interior fluid-flow chamber extending along a longitudinal axis between an input port at a liquid input end and an output port at a liquid output end, wherein the structure is characterized by:
a gas injection portion located upstream from the liquid output end, the gas injection portion defining a gas injection lumen and a first region of the interior fluid-flow chamber, the first region of the interior fluid-flow chamber comprising a plurality of side fluid-path lumens that extend in a downstream direction alongside a first part of the gas injection lumen, wherein the first part of the gas injection lumen and the plurality of side fluid-path lumens merge with a downstream fluid-path lumen of the first region, and the first part of the gas injection lumen is closer to the longitudinal axis than any of the plurality of side fluid-path lumens; and
a mixing vane portion extending in the downstream direction from the gas injection portion and defining a second region of the interior fluid-flow chamber,
wherein the gas injection portion comprises:
an outer wall;
a first geometric structure surrounded by the outer wall and having a tip facing the input port and a base facing the output port; and
a second geometric structure surrounded by the outer wall and extending in the downstream direction from the base, wherein the second geometric structure comprises the first part of the gas injection lumen; and wherein a first wing structure and a second wing structure are on opposite sides of the second geometric structure.