Systems, methods and cartridges for carbonating or otherwise dissolving gas in a precursor liquid, such as water, to form a beverage. A gas source can be provided in a cartridge which is used to generate gas that is dissolved into the precursor liquid. A beverage medium, such as a powdered drink mix or liquid syrup, may be provided in the same, or a separate cartridge as the gas source and mixed with the precursor liquid to form a beverage. The use of one or more cartridges for the gas source and/or beverage medium may make for an easy to use and mess-free system for making sparkling beverages, e.g., in the consumer's home.

The confined plunging liquid jet reactor with modified downcomer includes a downcomer having an upper end, an open lower end, and a gas inlet for receiving gas. A plurality of longitudinally-extending baffles and/or a sieve are mounted in the downcomer, adjacent the open lower end thereof. A nozzle is mounted on the upper end of the downcomer for receiving a pressurized liquid from an external source to generate a liquid jet. The liquid jet impinges on liquid contained within the downcomer creating turbulence and bubbles with the gas entrained therein. The open lower end of the downcomer is positioned within a receiving tank holding a reservoir of the liquid such that a portion of the mixture of the liquid and the gas exits the open lower end of the downcomer to flow into the receiving tank.

The apparatus for measuring disentrainment rate of air includes a Confined Plunging Liquid Jet Reactor (CPLJR) having a downcomer column surrounding a liquid jet. The end of the downcomer column is partially immersed in a receiving liquid pool contained in a reservoir. A conical ring is placed in the downcomer column below the liquid jet, the ring bearing against the wall of the downcomer column and forming a seal to define a headspace in the column. A gas supply and first bubble meter are connected to the column above the conical ring to supply gas and measure total entrainment. A second bubble meter connected to the headspace between the ring and the receiving pool measures disentrainment, and a third bubble meter connected to headspace above the receiving pool outside the column measures net entrainment.

A pressurized decanting device decants wine, so that oxidation is prevented by not agitating the wine as it decants, or agitating solid matter resting on the bottom of bottle. The decanting device couples to the mouth of bottle through a cork having a cork borehole. A pump forces pressurized gas into the bottle of wine. The consequential pressure forces the wine out of the bottle through a discharge pipe in the housing. The device includes a base mounted with a housing. The housing includes an outlet apparatus, a pump, a power supply mechanism, and a switch mechanism operatively connected to the pump and the power supply mechanism. An outlet pipe and a gas guiding apparatus extend from the outlet apparatus. The switch mechanism mounts on the outlet apparatus through power supply mechanism. The outlet apparatus controls a liquid and a gas to discharge or stop discharging from outlet pipe.

The present disclosure provides a system for producing carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2)-dissolved deionized water (DIW), the system comprising: a DIW source for providing DIW; a CO.sub.2 source for providing CO.sub.2; a pressurized tank, coupled to the DIW source and the CO.sub.2 source, the pressurized tank being arranged for generating CO.sub.2-dissolved DIW with a first concentration according to the DIW of the DIW source and the CO.sub.2 of the CO.sub.2 source; a mixer, coupled to the DIW source and the pressurized tank, the mixer being arranged for generating CO.sub.2-dissolved DIW with a second concentration according to the CO.sub.2-dissolved DIW with the first concentration and the DIW of the DIW source; and wherein the second concentration is lower than the first concentration.

The apparatus for measuring disentrainment rate of air includes a Confined Plunging Liquid Jet Reactor (CPLJR) having a downcomer column surrounding a liquid jet. The end of the downcomer column is partially immersed in a receiving liquid pool contained in a reservoir. A conical ring is placed in the downcomer column below the liquid jet, the ring bearing against the wall of the downcomer column and forming a seal to define a headspace in the column. A gas supply and first bubble meter are connected to the column above the conical ring to supply gas and measure total entrainment. A second bubble meter connected to the headspace between the ring and the receiving pool measures disentrainment, and a third bubble meter connected to headspace above the receiving pool outside the column measures net entrainment.

The confined plunging liquid jet reactor with energy recovery includes a downcomer having an upper end, an open lower end, and a gas inlet for receiving gas, the downcomer extending into a liquid reservoir in a tank. A nozzle is mounted on the upper end of the downcomer for receiving a pressurized liquid to generate a liquid jet. The liquid jet impinges on liquid contained within the downcomer, creating turbulence and bubbles to entrain gas introduced through the gas inlet into the liquid reservoir as the jet travels downward in the downcomer. A riser is disposed around the downcomer and defines an annular air lift column. Unentrained gas and liquid exiting the downcomer rises in the air lift column with significant energy, the upper end of the riser being connected to a turbine coupled to a generator to recover energy from the air lift column.

A washing machine that includes a cabinet; an outer basket in the cabinet and configured to accommodate wash water; an inner basket in the outer basket and configured to accommodate laundry; a water supply valve unit in the cabinet and connected to an external water supply source, configured to receive wash water; and a micro-bubble generator configured to receive the wash water from the water supply valve unit, generate micro-bubbles, and supply the micro-bubbles to a washing space. The micro-bubble generator includes a dissolving unit configured to mix or dissolve gas into the wash water from the water supply valve unit. The dissolving unit includes: a water supply line connection connected indirectly to the water supply valve unit, configured to introduce the wash water; a supply hole providing a path in which gas is introduced into a dissolution space; and a dissolved water drain portion discharging the wash water in which gas is mixed or dissolved.

A washing machine includes a cabinet; an outer basket in the cabinet and configured to accommodate wash water; an inner basket in the outer basket and configured to accommodate laundry; a water supply valve unit in the cabinet and connected to an external water supply source to receive the wash water; and a micro-bubble generator configured to receive the wash water from the water supply valve unit, generate micro-bubbles, and supply the micro-bubbles. The micro-bubble generator includes a dissolving unit configured to mix or dissolve gas into the wash water. The dissolving unit includes a dissolving body having an open upper end and a dissolved water drain portion at one side, discharging wash water in which gas is mixed or dissolved; a cap fastened to the open upper end of the dissolving body and having a water supply line connection unit configured to introduce wash water and a supply hole configured to introduce gas into a dissolution space; and an air supply unit fastened to the cap at the supply hole.

A beverage aerator includes a housing, a pump-motor assembly, an uptake tube, and a spray nozzle. The housing is sized to removably seat on a neck of a decanting vessel. The pump-motor assembly is positioned within the housing, and has a pump inlet and a pump outlet. The uptake tube is fluidly coupled to the pump inlet upstream of the pump inlet. The uptake tube has a tube inlet end located below the housing. The spray nozzle is fluidly coupled to the pump outlet downstream of the pump outlet. The spray nozzle is located below the pump-motor assembly and oriented to have a laterally-outward discharge direction.