Process and apparatus for enriching liquids with gases, eg. H2O with CO2

Claim 2

A process for enriching a liquid with a gas, wherein the liquid is cooled and intensive contact between the gas and liquid is effected as one of the two media is fed into the other, and continuous intermixing of the gas and the gas-enriched liquid is carried out by means of a closed recirculation of -gas or the gas-enriched liquid, which is superimposed on the feed of the two media.

Claim 3

A process according to claim 1, wherein gas is continuously withdrawn from a gas cushion which forms above the liquid, and is fed into the gas-enriched liquid below the liquid surface.

Claim 4

A process according to claim 1, wherein part of the gas-enriched liquid is continuously removed and fed back into the gas cushion which forms above the liquid.

Claim 5

Apparatus for carrying out the process according to claim 1 or claim 2, the apparatus comprising a pressure vessel arranged to hold a gas-enriched liquid and provided with a refrigeration system and insulation, a liquid feed pipe terminating above the liquid surface in the pressure vessel, a gas pipe opening below the said liquid surface, a dip pipe arranged to withdraw gas-enriched liquid and extending to the vicinity of the base of the pressure vessel, and a gas circulation pump a suction nozzle which is connected to a head space formed above the liquid surface in the pressure vessel and filled with gas, the pump delivery nozzle being connected to a gas feed line leading to the gas pipe.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the gas circulation pump is disposed inside the head space of the pressure vessel.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the gas circulation pump is disposed in a housing which is connected to the head space of the pressure vessel.

Claim 8

Apparatus for carrying out a process according to claim 1 to claim 3, the apparatus comprising a pressure vessel arranged to hold a gas-enriched liquid and provided with a refrigeration system and insulation, a liquid feed pipe terminating above the liquid surface in the pressure vessel, a gas pipe opening below the said liquid surface, a dip pipe arranged to withdraw gas-enriched liquid and extending to the vicinity of the base of the pressure vessel, and a liquid circulation pump a suction nozzle of which projects into a liquid space below the liquid surface in the pressure vessel, the pump delivery nozzle being connected to a feed pipe provided with a spray nozzle and opening into a head space above the said liquid surface.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein the the end of the gas pipe is provided with a solid diffuser block.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 8 wherein the said liquid feed pipe is provided with a spray nozzle.

Claim 11

A process for enriching a gas with a liquid, the process comprising cooling the liquid, contacting the gas with the liquid by feeding the gas through a gas feed into a liquid space in a pressure vessel and feeding liquid through a liquid feed into a gas head space within the pressure vessel, and circulating either gas or gas-enriched liquid to the gas feed or the liquid feed respectively.

Claim 12

A process for enriching a gas with a liquid, the process comprising cooling the liquid, contacting the gas with the liquid by feeding the gas through a gas feed into a liquid space in a pressure vessel and feeding liquid through a liquid feed into a gas head space within the pressure vessel, and circulating either gas or gas-enriched liquid to the gas feed or the liquid feed respectively.

Claim 13

Apparatus for enriching a liquid with a gas, the apparatus comprising a pressure vessel, cooling means arranged to cool the contents of the pressure vessel, liquid feed means extending into an upper portion of the pressure vessel, gas feed means extending into a lower portion of the pressure vessel, means for withdrawing liquid from the lower portion of the pressure vessel, and pumping means arranged to pump either gas or liquid contained in the vessel to the gas feed means or liquid feed means respectively. 1 2. Apparatus according to claim 9 further comprising means for maintaining a level of liquid in the pressure vessel intermediate the said liquid feed means and the said gas feed means. 1 3. Apparatus for enriching a liquid with a gas substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 1 or Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawing. 1 4. A process according to claim 1 or claim 10 substantially as hereinbefore described. 1 5. Gas-enriched liquid whenever produced by a process according to any one of claims 1 to 3 or claim 10.