An aerator includes an air supply chamber into which air is supplied by an air supply pump, a water flow channel connected to a water feed pipe, and a gas-permeable porous body having multiple gas discharge pores and separating the air supply chamber and the water flow channel. Air in the air supply chamber is pushed into water in the water flow channel through the gas discharge pores of the porous body due to discharge pressure of the air supply pump. In the porous body, inner surfaces of the gas discharge pores are coated with a coating film made of a water repellent having such a wettability that a water droplet contact angle is 80 degrees or more and preferably 90 degrees or more, on a smooth flat film surface.

A gas injection system for injecting a gas into a liquid to form a solution includes a flow channel that conveys a liquid from an upstream inlet configured to receive the liquid and a downstream outlet configured to dispense the solution, sparger positioned in the flow channel, a solution pressure detection device configured to sense a pressure of the solution in the flow channel, and a liquid valve configured to regulate flow of the liquid in the flow channel based on the pressure sensed by the solution pressure detection device. The sparger is configured to inject the gas into the liquid through the porous surface as the liquid flows across the surface.

Disclosed are a system and a method for dissolving water-soluble gas such as oxygen into water, employing microporous membrane.

A method for manufacturing a porous membrane includes: mixing silicon carbide powders and a coagulant to form a first mixture; adding a sintering aid to the first mixture to form a second mixture; compressing the second mixture; and sintering the compressed second mixture. More particularly, the coagulant is in an amount of 1% to 3% by weight of the silicon carbide powders and the sintering aid is in an amount of 10% by weight of the first mixture.

A fine bubble generating apparatus has a storage tank, a liquid feeding unit suctioning and feeding liquid stored in the storage tank, a gas discharge unit discharging gas into the liquid which is being fed by the liquid feeding unit, and a storage tank. The gas discharge unit includes a gas discharge member with pores having pore diameters of 1.5 m or less, and a base member having a groove formed in a surface contacting the gas discharge surface of the gas discharge member. The liquid feeding unit moves the liquid along the gas discharge surface of the gas discharge member by causing the liquid to flow in a flow channel enclosed by the gas discharge surface of the gas discharge member and the groove of the base member such that a velocity relative to the gas discharge member is not less than 1 msec.

A chilling reservoir for providing in-line carbonation in a beverage dispenser includes a housing having a first beverage material pathway extending therethrough. The first beverage material pathway may have a flow inlet arrangement and a flow outlet arrangement. The chilling reservoir also includes a heat exchanger arrangement that is positioned and configured to be selectively operated to chill beverage material passing through the first beverage material pathway. The chilling reservoir also includes a carbonation chamber operably positioned in the first beverage material pathway of the housing. The carbonation chamber may be configured to removably receive therein a carbonator.

A functional water producing apparatus in an embodiment includes: a water pressure regulator configured to regulate the water pressure of the ultrapure water, the water pressure regulator having a pressure regulating valve configured to regulate a water pressure of the ultrapure water to an almost constant pressure and a feed water pump configured to pressurize the ultrapure water; a dissolving device configured to dissolve functional gas imparting a specific function in the ultrapure water regulated the water pressure by the water pressure regulator; and a control device configured to control the feed water pump to regulate the water pressure of the functional water to a predetermined constant pressure based on a water pressure or a flow rate of the functional water flowing out of the dissolving device.

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for generating nanobubbles of a gas in a liquid, the apparatus including: (a) an outer tube; (b) a porous inner tube coaxially located within the outer tube that is at least partially occluded so as to define one or more liquid flow paths through the inner tube; (c) a pair of end assemblies attached to respective first and second ends of the outer tube, each end assembly having an opening in fluid communication with the one or more liquid flow paths so as to allow a flow of liquid in an axial direction through the apparatus; and, (d) a gas inlet for allowing a flow of gas into a chamber formed between the outer and inner tube, the flow of gas permitted to permeate through the porous inner tube into the one or more liquid flow paths, wherein, as the gas permeates through the porous inner tube, nanobubbles of gas are generated which become entrained in the liquid flow.

A bubble-generating apparatus comprises: a casing defining a casing bore extending longitudinally therethrough; and a diffuser located in the casing bore, the diffuser defining a diffuser bore extending longitudinally therethrough. The diffuser bore comprises a fluid-input region at or near a fluid-input end of the diffuser and a fluid-output region at or near a fluid-output end of the diffuser. A cross-sectional area of the diffuser bore in the fluid-input region is greater than the cross-sectional area of the diffuser bore in the fluid-output region. At least a portion of the diffuser is porous for permitting a flow of pressurized gas from a region of the casing bore located outside of the diffuser bore, through the porous portion of the diffuser and into the diffuser bore.

A specific resistance value adjustment apparatus includes: a hollow fiber membrane module; a module passing pipe which passes through the hollow fiber membrane module; a bypassing pipe which bypasses the hollow fiber membrane module; a liquid discharge pipe which communicates with the module passing pipe and the bypassing pipe through a joint portion; a first flow rate detection unit which detects a first flow rate of a liquid flowing to at least one of a liquid supply pipe and the liquid discharge pipe; a control valve which opens and closes the module passing pipe; and a control unit which sets an opening degree of the control valve in response to the first flow rate detected by the first flow rate detection unit.