Abstract: The present invention provides devices and methods for achieving mixing and gas exchange in chambers having a small volume. According to the invention a chamber includes one or more walls that are made of a gas-permeable material and that include multiple portions that are selectively deflectable into the interior of the chamber. The deflectable portions are in communication with a hollow cavity or space that can be pressurized. Pressurization results in deflection of the deflectable portion into the chamber. Pressurization is achieved using a gas or fluid that contains a gas of interest such as oxygen. The portions are deflected in a sequence that results in peristaltic action that mixes and oxygenates the contents of the chamber. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the hollow cavities are an assembly of tubes that deflect into a plurality of chambers. A particular use for the invention is as a culture vessel for cells such as bacteria.

Abstract: A cooling tower and/or a fan drive system are provided which enhance cooling performance, are able to reduce lateral temperature gradients at least to some degree, provide for easy removable of debris and/or provide for easy fan adjustment.

Abstract: A continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) apparatus to supply pressurized breathable gas to a patient includes a flow generator having a gas inlet and a gas outlet, a humidifier having a gas inlet coupled to the gas outlet of the flow generator, and a filter operatively positioned between the gas outlet of the flow generator and the gas inlet of the humidifier.

Abstract: A divided wall exchange column includes a dividing wall strengthened by stiffening members and/or a double wall design to better withstand pressure differentials and minimize temperature differentials. When a double wall is used, cost of manufacture and installation is minimized by reducing the manufacturing tolerances required while providing a design robust in construction, installation, and operation. When structured packing is used, the stiffening members, combined with positioning the layers of packing at preferred angles relative to the dividing wall, result in minimal interference with the heat and/or mass transfer process while minimizing the complexity of manufacture and construction of the packing. Further, by positioning the top layer of structured packing at other preferred angles relative to the dividing wall, a simplified liquid distributor design may be used in the divided wall exchange column while the layers below may still be orientated as described above with all the associated benefits.

Abstract: A process fluid treating apparatus includes an ejector assembly fluidically connected to a process fluid supply assembly. A Coanda airfoil is located in the ejector assembly. Primary fluid is injected into the ejector duct to form a Coanda layer. A process fluid, or part of it, flows toward the ejector assembly through the process fluid assembly, which gradually turns that process fluid towards fluid treating channel formed adjacent to the Coanda layer. Shear and other forces and pressure gradients associated with the Coanda layer serve to pump or assist in pumping the process fluid from the source and to operate on the process fluid to atomize it, to pulverize, or de-agglomerize solid particles entrained in the process fluid, to produce high mass flow rate of the process fluid and to provide aerosol down to micron and sub micron mean droplet diameter size.

Abstract: A humidifier which creates a visually entertaining helical flow of mist generally includes a base unit defining a reservoir for holding a quantity of water, a water tank supported on the base unit for supplying water to the reservoir, a humidification device, such as an ultrasonic transducer, in communication with the reservoir for vaporizing the water held in the reservoir to produce a mist, a vortex unit supported on the base unit and a nozzle and a vortex creator positioned in the vortex unit. The vortex unit has an opening disposed above the base unit reservoir to permit the mist produced by the humidification device to rise upwardly into the vortex unit.

Abstract: An aeration system for a submerged membrane module has a set of aerators connected to an air blower, valves and a controller adapted to alternately provide a higher rate or air flow and a lower rate of air flow in repeated cycles. In an embodiment, the air blower, valves and controller, simultaneously provide the alternating air flow to two or more sets of aerators such that the total air flow is constant, allowing the blower to be operated at a constant speed. In another embodiment, the repeated cycles are of short duration. Transient flow conditions result in the tank water which helps avoid dead spaces and assists in agitating the membranes.

Abstract: A tray column is proposed which includes column trays, two or more supports which are arranged on the underside of the column trays and support them and a bearing ring for the column trays on the inner wall of the tray column, wherein three-way joints of inner column wall, bearing ring and support are prevented by cutouts in the bearing ring.

Abstract: The equipment of high-gravity multi-rotors zigzag rotating beds according to the present invention comprises a casing, a gas inlet and a liquid outlet being provided at the bottom of the casing, a gas outlet and a liquid inlet being provided at the top of the casing, a rotating shaft being provided at the center of the casing and going through the top and the bottom of the casing, a plurality of rotors being installed in series on the rotating shaft and being arranged in layers from top to bottom, and a middle feed inlet being provided on the side of the casing and being communicated with zigzag channels. The rotor comprises a mobile disk fixed on the rotating shaft and an immobile disk fixed on the casing, A series of concentric mobile and immobile circular baffle-sheets are fitted on the mobile disk and the immobile disk respectively.

Abstract: A fragrance disperser (10) in one form includes a single fan (101) that passes air over a wicked single or double fragrance (102). A second form has the fan (11) reversible to provide two different airstreams (29a, 29b; 60a, 60b) that evaporate respective different fragrances one after the other. Where two fragrances are provided, the evaporation may be by respective electrical heaters. A fragrance source may be formed by two sheets (31, 40; 47, 48) joined together to form two chambers each receiving a respective wick (37a, 37b; 56a, 56b) and having respective exposed wick portions. The source may incorporate a source of electrical power (45). An alternative source (81a, 81b) has a reservoir (82a, 82b) for fragrance and a wick (87a, 87b) located in an air passage (83a, 83b) forming part of the source so that an air flow is guided through the passage past the wick to evaporate fragrance.

Abstract: A water curtain is provided which includes a drape assembly having a drape hood, material drape, float overflow shut-off, collection return, a drainage line solenoid which preferably is electric, a drainage line, a filter, drape solenoid which preferably is electric, a drape feed line, a pump, a pump power line, an on/off switch to a power source which preferably is a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) power line for obvious safety concerns, a feed line, and a shutoff valve. The water supply may be electrically controlled by solenoid valves and has a float overflow shutoff control in some embodiments.

Abstract: A device and method for generating micro bubbles in a liquid. The method includes the steps of: providing a flow-through channel containing at least two local constrictions of flow therein; passing the liquid at a velocity of at least at least 12 m/sec through a first local constriction of flow to create a first hydrodynamic cavitation field downstream from the first local constriction of flow; introducing a gas into the liquid in the first local constriction of flow, thereby creating gas-filled cavitation bubbles; collapsing the gas-filled cavitation bubbles formed in the first hydrodynamic cavitation field to dissolve the gas into the liquid, thereby forming a gas-saturated liquid; passing the gas-saturated liquid through a second local constriction of flow to create a second hydrodynamic cavitation field downstream from the second local constriction of flow; and extracting the dissolved gas from the gas-saturated liquid, thereby generating micro bubbles in the liquid.

Abstract: Hot water (12) in a bath (11) is pumped up by a suction pump (9) and introduced into a carbon dioxide gas dissolver (7) through solution flow rate adjusting means (14) and then, poured into the bath (11). Carbon dioxide gas supplied from a carbon dioxide gas cylinder (1) is introduced into the carbon dioxide gas dissolver (7) through gas flow rate adjusting means (5). At this time, the quantity of bubbles existing in artificial carbonated spring in a take-out pipe (15) is measured with a measuring device (13), and the solution flow rate adjusting means (14), gas flow rate adjusting means (5) and the like are controlled by means of a control device (16) using a relational expression between a preliminarily set quantity of bubbles and carbon dioxide concentration to obtain a desired concentration of carbon dioxide gas in carbonated spring.

Abstract: A system for aerating liquid within a liquid retention structure including a liquid delivery tube in fluid communication with a gas exchange chamber and a pump. The gas exchange chamber includes an air inlet and a gas outlet. The pump is configured to pump liquid within the liquid retention structure through the liquid delivery tube and into the gas exchange chamber so that harmful gases contained within the liquid escape from the liquid and exit through the gas outlet. Fresh air enters into the gas exchange chamber through the air inlet and is absorbed into the liquid within the gas exchange chamber.

Abstract: Provided is an exhaust gas treating tower in which exhaust gas flow velocity is increased more than a prior art case so that exhaust gas treating efficiency can be enhanced or the exhaust gas treating tower can be made compact if equivalent performance is to be maintained. Also, an exhaust gas treating tower ensuring a liquid recovery is provided. In an exhaust gas treating tower 10A, liquid columns C are generated and also a liquid drop generating member 20 is provided to thereby generate liquid drops M therearound to be floated. Also, liquid is spouted from spray nozzles to thereby generate liquid films F in area different from the liquid columns C. In an exhaust gas treating tower 110, a liquid drop eliminator 120 is provided upstream of a mist eliminator 118. Interval P1 of collecting plates 121 of the liquid drop eliminator 120 is made larger than interval P2 of collecting plates 119 of the mist eliminator 118.

Abstract: A device for conditioning breathing air includes a housing (1) provided with an inlet (5) for non treated breathing air and an outlet (6) for the treated breathing air. The housing (1) contains a passive humidifier (7) and an active humidifier wherein the active humidifier includes a water supply inlet (13), a heating device for the supplied water, a membrane (12) having substantial water impermeable and water vapor permeable characteristics, and a heat exchange element (14). The membrane (12) is divided into a hydrophilic membrane (12a) and a water vapor permeable and water impermeable membrane (12b). The heat exchange element is a perforated metal plate (14) and/or a heating resistance. A method for the conditioning of breathing air includes the steps of: supplying through the inlet opening non treated breathing air, passively humidifying the supplied air through the passive humidifier, and actively humidifying the breathing air, through the active humidifier of a device.

Abstract: The invention describes a stirring device made from a gassing stirrer and a liquid mixer or two liquid mixers, which are arranged on a shaft and each have a feed and at least one exit opening, wherein the exit openings of the gassing stirrer and of the liquid mixer or the liquid mixers are at a distance from one another, the ratio, a/d, of the distance, a, between the exit openings to the diameter, d, of the gassing stirrer or liquid mixer being 0.02 to 0.5 and the ratio, b/d, of the distance, b, between the outer edges to the diameter, d, of the gassing stirrer or liquid mixer being 0.01 to 0.4.

Abstract: A method for heating a fluid using a heating tower. The method includes the steps of drawing an air stream into the heating tower through an inlet and passing the air stream over a series of coils. The method for heating a fluid also includes discharging the air stream from the heating tower through an outlet and isolating the inlet air stream from the outlet air stream.

Abstract: A carbonating apparatus includes an elongated carbonation chamber defining a longitudinal axis and having an inlet end and an outlet end. A manifold assembly is provided at the inlet end of the carbonation chamber. The manifold assembly includes a manifold body having an outlet end connected to the inlet end of the carbonation chamber and an inlet end. A liquid passage and a carbon dioxide passage extend in a direction between the inlet and outlet ends of the manifold body in communication with the inlet end of the carbonation chamber. At least one check valve is disposed inside the liquid passage within the manifold body. At least one check valve is disposed inside the carbon dioxide passage within the manifold body.

Abstract: The present invention provides an aeration device made up of a rectangular elastic porous body, a support base supporting the elastic porous body from below and having an orifice for pressurized air, and a securing component which secures the elastic porous body to the support base integrally, wherein the support base contains a supporting portion supporting the elastic porous body from below and an attaching portion connected to the supporting portion and attaching the supporting portion to a pressurized air distribution pipe, the rectangular elastic porous body having a box shape having an opening portion, and the supporting portion being disposed in an elastic porous body. In addition, the present invention provides an aeration system made up of two or more of the above described aeration devices installed on a pressurized air distribution pipe, wherein each aeration device is disposed contacting mutually with no space between them.