Ultra fine bubble generation apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11369926-B2
Application number	US-202117162117-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 29, 2021
Priority date	Feb 12, 2020
Publication date	Jun 28, 2022
Grant date	Jun 28, 2022

Abstract

An object of the present disclosure is to improve the generation efficiency of a UFB-contained liquid in a generation apparatus having a circulation mechanism. One embodiment of the present invention is an ultra fine bubble generation apparatus including: a first tank that stores a liquid; a generation unit configured to generate an ultra fine bubble in the liquid output from the first tank; a second tank that stores the liquid output from the generation unit; and a liquid passage that inputs again the liquid stored in the second tank to the first tank, and the ultra fine bubble generation apparatus includes a blocking configuration that blocks an ultra fine bubble included in the stored liquid from being input again to the first tank.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ultra fine bubble generation apparatus comprising:
a first tank that stores a liquid;
a generation unit configured to generate an ultra fine bubble in the liquid output from the first tank;
a second tank that stores the liquid output from the generation unit; and
a liquid passage that inputs again the liquid stored in the second tank to the first tank,
wherein the ultra fine bubble generation apparatus includes a blocking configuration that blocks an ultra fine bubble included in the stored liquid from being input again to the first tank.

2. The ultra fine bubble generation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the generation unit includes a heater that causes film boiling to take place by heating the liquid.

3. The ultra fine bubble generation apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an output unit configured to output the liquid stored in the second tank and a pump that inputs again the liquid stored in the second tank to the first tank,
wherein the second tank is connected with the pump, the generation unit, and the output unit.

4. The ultra fine bubble generation apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the blocking configuration is a set of electrodes arranged inside or outside the second tank.

5. The ultra fine bubble generation apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein by an electric field generated by the set of electrodes, the ultra fine bubble included in the liquid stored in the second tank is guided to a side of the output unit under the pump and the generation unit.

6. The ultra fine bubble generation apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein by an electric field generated by the set of electrodes, the ultra fine bubble included in the liquid stored in the second tank is guided in a direction opposite to a flow of circulation in the second tank.

7. The ultra fine bubble generation apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the blocking configuration is a first filter whose mesh is smaller than a diameter of the ultra fine bubble, which is installed inside the second tank.

8. The ultra fine bubble generation apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the second tank is divided by the first filter into a first area to which the pump is connected and a second area in which the ultra fine bubble exists.

9. The ultra fine bubble generation apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the generation unit and the output unit are connected to the second area.

10. The ultra fine bubble generation apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein in the second tank, an air-liquid interface exists.

11. The ultra fine bubble generation apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein in a case where a micro bubble that rises by a buoyant force reaches the air-liquid interface, the micro bubble having reached the air-liquid interface becomes extinct by coming into contact with a gas.

12. The ultra fine bubble generation apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein an electromagnetic induction force of an electric field generated by the set of electrodes is less than or equal to half a buoyant force of a micro bubble.

13. The ultra fine bubble generation apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein in the set of electrodes, a negative electrode is arranged on a side in a vertically upward direction of a positive electrode.

14. The ultra fine bubble generation apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein there is an air-liquid interface in the second tank, and
wherein a second filter whose mesh is smaller than a diameter of a micro bubble but larger than a diameter of the ultra fine bubble is installed inside the second tank.

15. The ultra fine bubble generation apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the first filter and the second filter divide the second tank into a first area in which both the ultra fine bubble and the micro bubble exist, a second area to which the output unit is connected, and a third area to which the pump is connected.

16. The ultra fine bubble generation apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the generation unit is connected to the first area.

17. The ultra fine bubble generation apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the first tank and the second tank are integrated into one.

18. The ultra fine bubble generation apparatus according to claim 17 , further comprising:
a stirring mechanism that stirs the first area.

19. The ultra fine bubble generation apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein a diameter of the second area is smaller than a diameter of the first area.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Yanai Yumi
• Kubota Masahiko
• Yamamoto Akira
• Imanaka Yoshiyuki
• Yamada Akitoshi
• Ishinaga Hiroyuki
• Ozaki Teruo
• Kashino Toshio
• Nakazawa Ikuo

Classifications

• B01F23/703

  Degassing or de-aerating materials; Replacing one gas within the materials by another gas · CPC title

• H05B3/82

  Fixedly-mounted immersion heaters · CPC title

• B01F33/3033

  using heat to mix or move the fluids · CPC title

• B01F2035/99

  Heating · CPC title

• B01F35/93

  arranged inside the receptacle · CPC title