A diffusion pipe is provided in which the air diffusion efficiency can be quickly recovered just after conducting a cleaning process for the diffusion pipe with a cleaning solution supplied into the membrane support body, and in which air diffusion is evenly and constantly provided. The diffusion pipe includes a membrane body made of a viscoelastic material and formed in a tubular shape having an inner surface and an outer surface, and a tubular membrane support body that supports the membrane body from inside of the membrane body. The membrane body has a plurality of diffusion slits cutting therethrough between the outer surface and the inner surface. The membrane support body has through-holes on an upper side and a lower side thereof. The diffusion slits are not provided in a region of the membrane body corresponding to the through-holes.

A container assembly includes a flexible bag having an interior surface bounding a chamber and an opposing exterior surface. The bag has a bottom end wall that includes a first sparger and a second sparger. The first sparger and the second sparger each have a flexible first sheet overlying a flexible second sheet, the first sheet and the second sheet being secured together so as to form a sparging area bounded between the first sheet and the second sheet, at least a portion of the first sheet overlying the sparging area being gas permeable so that gas can pass from the sparging area, through the first sheet, and into the chamber.

A wine aerating device for adding oxygen containing gas into wine, the device comprising a gas cylinder containing pressurised gas which contains more than 21% oxygen by volume when measured at atmospheric conditions, a tube with a first end in fluid communication with the gas cylinder to a membrane which is in fluid communication with a second end of the tube, wherein the membrane is insertable through the neck of a wine bottle so that, in use, oxygen gas diffuses via the membrane into the wine, wherein the said membrane has a pore size of 0.1 m to 10 m, preferably 1 m to 10 m.

An NO-accumulation apparatus, method and use, comprising: a container (120) defining a cavity for accommodating a liquid (105), an inlet (150) for feeding the liquid into the container (120) and an outlet (151) for delivering the liquid from the container (120) to a bath unit; an NO-gas dissolving unit (140) for dissolving gaseous NO in the liquid (105) to produce an NO-containing liquid, wherein the NO-gas dissolving unit (140) is arranged in the container (120) and/or forms a part of the container (120); and an NO-gas port (110) in fluid communication with the NO-gas dissolving unit (140), wherein the NO-gas port (110) is adapted for coupling, particularly for releasably coupling, with an NO-gas supply, whereby the apparatus further comprises means for decoupling the inflow of NO to the liquid (105) within the container from the removal of the NO-containing liquid (NO-decoupling means), so that the removal of the NO-containing liquid is inhibited, when the NO is flowing into the liquid, and also the NO inflow is inhibited when the NO-containing liquid is removed from the container (105).

Disclosed herein is an aeration hose capable of diffusing bubbles of air within a body of water, comprising a) a hose portion derived from a composition, comprising a polyvinyl chloride resin; a first rubber component; a second rubber component; at least one copolymer; at least one low temperature plasticizer; at least one filler comprising titanium dioxide; at least one heat stabilizer; at least one internal lubricant; at least one antioxidant; and at least one biofouling agent, wherein the hose portion comprises an outer hose portion, an inner hose portion and a plurality of hose apertures capable of receiving and diffusing pressurized air, and wherein the hose is flexible and has no memory, wherein the hose apertures are provided therethrough the inner hose portion and the outer hose portion and proportionally spaced about the outer hose portion along a length of the hose portion.

The present invention relates. to methods and devices for exchanging gas molecules between a gaseous medium and a liquid medium which are particularly suited for applications such as blood oxygenation in heart-lung machines and gas scrubbing. The method of the invention comprises the following steps: a) providing a liquid medium having a surface tension in the range of from 0.02 N/m to 0.06 N/m, b) providing a gaseous medium, c) providing a membrane on an interface between the liquid medium and the gaseous medium, wherein the membrane comprises i) a carrier substrate with through-going openings having a mean diameter in the range from 0.2 ?.Math.? to 200 ??.Math., and ii) a porous superamphiphobic coating layer with openings having a mean diameter in the range from 0.1 ?m to 10 ?m, which is provided at least on the substrate surface facing the liquid medium, wherein either the liquid medium or the gaseous medium, preferably the gaseous medium, comprises at least one target gas to be transferred and said membrane is permeable for the at least one gas to be transferred and not permeable for the liquid medium due to the super-amphiphobic properties of the membrane surface facing the liquid medium with respect to said liquid medium, d) contacting the gaseous medium with the liquid medium via said superamphiphobic layer for a sufficient time to enrich the liquid or gaseous target medium with the at least one gas to be transferred.

In a submerged membrane bioreactor (MBR or SMU), diffusers are used to eject air bubbles, primarily to facilitate the movement of mixed liquor past the membrane surfaces, cleaning and scouring the surfaces of the membranes with the mechanical energy of the combined air/liquid/solids movement. Oxygen transfer from the bubbles into the mixed liquor is often a secondary goal, for supplying oxygen to biological processes. The invention involves the use of a specific bubble diffuser, oriented at a selected upward angle, to enable a single style diffuser to accomplish simultaneous generation of mid-size and fine bubble aeration, with adjustment of the tilt angle varying the percentages of mid-size and fine bubble aeration. The angle selection, along with the number of diffusers and air volume selected, allows achievement of target liquid movement through the MBR.

There is provided an inline saturator system and method for gas exchange with an aqueous-phase liquid. The system includes a pressure vessel, configured to receive a first liquid and a first gas from external sources and to discharge a second liquid and a second gas from the pressure vessel, and a gas infusion device situated within the pressure vessel. The gas infusion device is configured to receive the first liquid and first gas, to facilitate gas exchange therebetween, producing the second liquid and the second gas, and to discharge the second liquid and second gas into the pressure vessel. The system further includes a recirculation system configured to direct a portion of liquid within the pressure vessel back into the saturator device, where injection of the redirected liquid into the gas infusion device forces the first liquid into the gas infusion device for the gas exchange.

Disclosed herein is an aeration hose capable of diffusing bubbles of air within a body of water, comprising a) a hose portion derived from a composition, comprising a polyvinyl chloride resin; a first rubber component; a second rubber component; at least one copolymer; at least one low temperature plasticizer; at least one filler comprising calcium carbonate; at least one heat stabilizer; at least one internal lubricant; at least one antioxidant; and at least one biofouling agent, wherein the hose portion comprises an outer hose portion, an inner hose portion and a plurality of hose apertures capable of receiving and diffusing pressurized air, wherein the hose is flexible and has no memory, and wherein the hose apertures are provided therethrough the inner hose portion and the outer hose portion and proportionally spaced about the outer hose portion along a length of the hose portion.

A diffuser membrane and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. In the method for manufacturing, a first material is heated and extruded to form a base layer and a second material is heated and extruded to form a coating layer. The base layer and coating layer may be extruded substantially simultaneously in a coextrusion process. Accordingly, the coating may be applied to the base layer in a manner that optimizes the bonding between the two layers and provides the ability to control the thickness of the coating layer. Alternatively, the base layer is formed initially and the coating layer is subsequently formed thereover. The first and second materials have differing properties. The first material may comprise polyurethane and the second material may comprise polyurethane and PTFE.