Abstract: A bubble formation apparatus (500) includes: a rotor (100); a container (200) in which the rotor (100) is housed together with a liquid (LQ) and a gas (GS); and a rotary device (300) that causes rotation of the rotor (100) with the rotor (100) being pressed against an inner lower surface (221) that is the inner surface of the container (200). A bubble is formed by periodically repeating pressurization and depressurization of a mixture of the gas (GS) and the liquid (LQ) in a gap between the inner lower surface (221) and a portion, pressed against the inner lower surface (221), of the rotor (100) due to the rotation of the rotor (100) by the rotary device (300).

Abstract: A bubble generation device includes: a metallic narrow tube (10) through which water passes; and a pump that pressure-feeds the water containing a gas component into the metallic narrow tube (10). A drawer (11) in which a path through which the water passes is narrower than the front and the rear thereof in the flow direction of the water is disposed on the inside of the metallic narrow tube (10). The drawer (11) has the rectangular cross section orthogonal to the flow direction. The gas component contained in the water is dissolved in the water by pressure-feeding the water to the drawer (11), bubbles are evolved due to a decrease in pressure in the drawer (11), turbulent flow is generated in the water in the drawer (11) to crush bubbles in the water by the shearing force thereof, and bubbles are crushed by a shock wave caused by transonic flow occurring in the water that has exited from the drawer (11).

Abstract: An inert gas substituting method includes: a closing step of accommodating a honeycomb formed body in an indoor space of a gas substituting chamber and closing the same with airtightness from the outside being maintained; a pressure reducing step of reducing the pressure in the indoor space to a preset first vacuum pressure; a pressure increasing step of introducing argon gas into the pressure-reduced indoor space and increasing the pressure to a second vacuum pressure which is higher than the first vacuum pressure and lower than atmospheric pressure; a pressure re-reducing step of reducing the pressure to the first vacuum pressure again; and a pressure recovering step of repeating the pressure increasing step and the pressure re-reducing step at least twice, introducing argon gas into the indoor space in which the pressure has been reduced to the first vacuum pressure again, and recovering the pressure to atmospheric pressure.

Abstract: A bubble generation device includes: a metallic narrow tube (10) through which water passes; and a pump that pressure-feeds the water containing a gas component into the metallic narrow tube (10). A drawer (11) in which a path through which the water passes is narrower than the front and the rear thereof in the flow direction of the water is disposed on the inside of the metallic narrow tube (10). The drawer (11) has the rectangular cross section orthogonal to the flow direction. The gas component contained in the water is dissolved in the water by pressure-feeding the water to the drawer (11), bubbles are evolved due to a decrease in pressure in the drawer (11), turbulent flow is generated in the water in the drawer (11) to crush bubbles in the water by the shearing force thereof, and bubbles are crushed by a shock wave caused by transonic flow occurring in the water that has exited from the drawer (11).

Abstract: An inert gas substituting method includes: a closing step of accommodating a honeycomb formed body in an indoor space of a gas substituting chamber and closing the same with airtightness from the outside being maintained; a pressure reducing step of reducing the pressure in the indoor space to a preset first vacuum pressure; a pressure increasing step of introducing argon gas into the pressure-reduced indoor space and increasing the pressure to a second vacuum pressure which is higher than the first vacuum pressure and lower than atmospheric pressure; a pressure re-reducing step of reducing the pressure to the first vacuum pressure again; and a pressure recovering step of repeating the pressure increasing step and the pressure re-reducing step at least twice, introducing argon gas into the indoor space in which the pressure has been reduced to the first vacuum pressure again, and recovering the pressure to atmospheric pressure.

Abstract: There is provided an electric heater support plate which is not likely to be softened or deformed during firing at a high temperature, even if a material to be fired contains an alkaline component or an Si component as a volatile component. A passage 2 for the material to be fired surrounded by a ceiling refractory 11, wall refractories 12 and a floor refractory 13 is provided with an electric heater 3 heating from above and an electric heater 5 heating from below. This electric heater 3 has at least its heating part 31 mounted and supported on a fire-resistant support plate 4, and this support plate 4 in this invention has a two-layer structure in which an insulating ceramic support plate 41 is laminated on an SiC-based ceramic plate 42.

Abstract: A to-be-burned object including a metal Si component or SiC or Si3N4 can be burned in such a manner that vaporized SiO can be safely exhausted without causing SiO attached to a wall of a furnace or an inner face of an exhaust duct. An exhaust method of a continuous furnace for continuously burning a to-be-burned object containing a metal Si component or highly-fire-resistant SiC or Si3N4 includes steps of 1) exhausting in-furnace gas including SiO vaporized during a burning process. An exhaust duct 2 used for this exhaust is provided at an upper part of a side wall 12 of the furnace having a higher temperature (1300 degrees C. or more) than a concentration temperature of SiO vaporized during a burning process. 2) oxidizing the exhausted SiO at the outside of the furnace to detoxify SiO. The in-furnace gas exhausted by the exhaust duct 2 is guided to an exhaust pipe 3 connected to an outlet of the exhaust duct 2 at the outside of the furnace. This exhaust pipe 3 includes oxygen supply holes 31a and 31b.

Abstract: A to-be-burned object including a metal Si component or SiC or Si3N4 can be burned in such a manner that vaporized SiO can be safely exhausted without causing SiO attached to a wall of a furnace or an inner face of an exhaust duct. An exhaust method of a continuous furnace for continuously burning a to-be-burned object containing a metal Si component or highly-fire-resistant SiC or Si3N4 includes steps of 1) exhausting in-furnace gas including SiO vaporized during a burning process. An exhaust duct 2 used for this exhaust is provided at an upper part of a side wall 12 of the furnace having a higher temperature (1300 degrees C. or more) than a concentration temperature of SiO vaporized during a burning process. 2) oxidizing the exhausted SiO at the outside of the furnace to detoxify SiO. The in-furnace gas exhausted by the exhaust duct 2 is guided to an exhaust pipe 3 connected to an outlet of the exhaust duct 2 at the outside of the furnace. This exhaust pipe 3 includes oxygen supply holes 31a and 31b.

Abstract: There is provided an electric heater support plate which is not likely to be softened or deformed during firing at a high temperature, even if a material to be fired contains an alkaline component or an Si component as a volatile component. A passage 2 for the material to be fired surrounded by a ceiling refractory 11, wall refractories 12 and a floor refractory 13 is provided with an electric heater 3 heating from above and an electric heater 5 heating from below. This electric heater 3 has at least its heating part 31 mounted and supported on a fire-resistant support plate 4, and this support plate 4 in this invention has a two-layer structure in which an insulating ceramic support plate 41 is laminated on an SiC-based ceramic plate 42.