Apparatus and method for liquids and gases

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure provide various apparatus and methods. In some embodiments, an apparatus is provided for mixing a gas with a liquid. The apparatus may include a pipe having two ends. The pipe may provide a main fluid path and may have an interior surface having a first groove. The apparatus may also include a helical vane disposed inside the pipe. The vane may have a first projecting tongue that engages the first groove. The apparatus may also include a gas injection port on the pipe adapted to inject gas into the fluid path upstream of the helical vane. In some embodiments, the helical vane may be a 3D printed component.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for mixing a gas with a liquid, the apparatus comprising:
 a tube having two ends, with a first end being a liquid input end and a second end being a liquid outlet end, the tube providing a fluid path;   a helical vane arrangement disposed inside the tube, dividing a portion of the main fluid path into two fluid path regions, the helical vane arrangement including a first helical vane and a second helical vane downstream from the first helical vane; and   a gas injection port associated with the tube and adapted to inject gas into the fluid path upstream of the first helical vane.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first helical vane and the second helical vane has a length, and the length of the second helical vane is less than the length of the first helical vane. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the length of the second helical vane is approximately 30% less than the length of the first helical vane. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first helical vane and second helical vane has a length, a beginning, an end, and an increasing helical pitch along the length, and the helical pitch at the beginning of the second helical vane is greater than the helical pitch at the beginning of the first helical vane. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the helical pitch at the beginning of the second helical vane is less than the helical pitch at the end of the first helical vane. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first helical vane and second helical vane has a beginning and an end, and the beginning of the second helical vane is separated from the end of the first helical vane by a gap. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the tube and the helical vane arrangement are unitary with each other. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the tube and the helical vane arrangement are a single three-dimensional (3D) printed component. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a pipe, wherein the tube with the helical vane arrangement is disposed within the pipe. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a structure located upstream of the helical vane arrangement, the structure having a sidewall configured to allow gas to flow there through. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the structure corresponds to a portion of the tube that is upstream of the first helical vane, the portion of the tube comprising at least one hole through the sidewall. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the structure corresponds to a porous membrane. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the gas injection port on the tube is at least partially aligned with the sidewall configured to allow gas to flow there through. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising a joint pipe coupled to tube, wherein the gas injection port is part of the joint pipe.