In numerous fields of the technical world there is a necessity for the intensive mixing of liquids with gases, but there is also a frequent requirement for the mixture of liquids with liquids, or liquids with dry, solid, granular, primarily powder-like, pulverised materials, especially for the purpose of intensifying chemical and bio-technical processes. For example, in wastewater treatment one of the most important tasks is the input of air into the raw wastewater and to mix this as effectively as possible, with this ensuring the most favourable reaction conditions possible for the chemicals, and, for example, the creation of the optimum conditions for life for the aerobic micro-organisms that carry out the degradation of the organic contamination in community wastewater with an effective oxygen supply that is essential for this process.

At present these processes take place in reaction tanks, which may be closed, internal mixing tanks, or open topped basins supplied with mixing equipment. The former are mainly used in the pharmaceuticals industry, food industry, chemical industry, etc., while open topped basin systems are applied in water and wastewater treatment. The open topped basins may have mechanical mixers, flow aiding auxiliary devices, auxiliary devices aiding the effect mechanism of the reactions, e. g. air-injectors, chemical feeders, pumps, etc.

Tank reaction mixing and feeding systems mainly operate as equipment with a large diameter and volume, generally with separately built in machinery units.

Hungarian patent description No. 201 258 describes a revolving injector turbo mixer, with the help of the revolving injectors in the impellers of the mixing structure the gas or other liquid may be injected into the liquid, and by using the potential energy of the primary medium as mechanical energy, as a result of which the degree of efficiency of the mixing structure is not very favourable.

In practice the mixing structure may only be used built into tank reactors; in order to increase the energy of the mixture a separate pump with an output in the medium pressure range is required.

A revolving injector mixer is described in Hungarian patent description No. 201 258, which is primary designed for the mixing of liquid and gas, primarily air in a open topped basin. The bad degree of efficiency of the injection system and the fact that the mixer may only be operated in a clean medium, without sediment or sludge, a liquid not containing lumps of material, its range of application is severely restricted.

The subject of Hungarian patent description No. 192 007 is equipment for the mixture of liquids and gases, which can only be operated in open toped liquid containing basins, is only suitable for mixing and not for transportation, and its degree of mixing efficiency probably only makes its application rational in a specific range.

The task of the invention is to provide a device for the mixing of liquid with gas and/or other liquids and/or granular, favourably powder-like material and for the transportation of such mixtures which formed as a single unit requiring a small amount of space is capable of ensuring the mixing of different media with an exceptionally intensive and good degree of efficiency and the transportation of these media.

The invention is based on the recognition that due to the angular momentum of the liquid at the external edge of the impeller blades of a centrifugal pump, such a suction effect is created that apart from increasing the potential energy of the primary medium- liquid-it is extremely effective at aiding the increase of the energy of the secondary medium sent there and greatly increases the intensity of the mixing of the media. A further recognition is that if on the upper side of the pump impeller, turbine blades fixed to the impeller are applied, these aid the influx of the secondary medium and its mixing with the primary medium, or with the liquid that is under overpressure due to centrifugal force.

On the basis of the above recognitions the set task has been solved according to the invention with a device for the mixing of liquid with gas and/or other liquids and/or granular, favourably powder-like material and for the transportation of such mixtures, which has a liquid transportation pump placed inside a closed pump housing containing a suction opening and an output opening fixed on an axle connected to a motor, and it has an impeller fitted with blades on the side facing the suction opening, characterised by that the device, for the input of the gas and/or further liquids and/or granular, favourably powder-like material moving towards the opposite side of the impeller from the side facing the suction opening the device has a feed pipe, connected to which is a turbine wheel with blades containing openings connecting the internal space of the feed pipe with the internal space of the pump housing.

According to a favourably constructed example looking from above the impeller favourably has a circular disc, and on the side facing the pump turbine wheel the disc has blades arranged perpendicularly, in a radial direction with spaces between them on the sides, and the turbine wheel has a favourably circular disc when viewed from above, which disc in the section perpendicular to the plane of the disc has a broken line determination so that it enters the range along the edge, which is situated higher with respect to the intermediate range of the disc, with an angular wall part, and into the space bordered by this range along the edge and the angular wall part are fitted the above blades of the pump impeller in a way that they can rotate; and the openings in the disc of the turbine wheel are constructed in a way that they enter this space. In this case it can be favourable, if the blades on the side of the impeller facing the turbine wheel are situated in the boundary range of the disc, practically projecting over the edge of the disc; and the diameter of the turbine wheel is the same or more or less the same as the value of the diameter of the impeller increased by double the extent of this projection. It may also be practical, if the blades on the side of the impeller facing the suction opening are arched, and they are bent in the opposite direction to the direction of rotation of the impeller.

Another favourable construction of the device is characterised by that the openings of the turbine wheel are situated in the range of its disc along the boundary, radially, spaced from each other at lateral distances; and the blades of the turbine wheel are situated along these openings, crossing the plane of the disc, favourably at right angles to it. It may be practical, if at least one side of the openings is arched, and arched blades are fitted to the arched side of the openings, favourably projecting over both ends.

In accordance with another invention criterion the feed pipe has the shape of a cup turned upside down, with a wider end part at the bottom, and the turbine wheel is attached to its edge in a fixed position or is integrated into it; the blades of the turbine wheel are built into this lower end part, attached to its walling.

Another favourable construction of the device is characterised by that the power axle of the impeller of the pump is inside the feed pipe which, as well as the turbine wheel, is connected to the drive unit enabling it to rotate in the opposite direction to the direction of rotation of the drive axle, with a different number of revolutions per minute. In this case practically the drive unit should be situated in an upper space of the housing of the device, which is in connection with the external airspace and where the lead-in opening of the feed-pipe is; and the drive unit contains a cogwheel with inner gearing attached to the axle of the motor, and this cogwheel is in active connection with the feed pipe through an epicyclical, braked mechanism, resulting in the rotation of the feed pipe in the opposite direction to that of the axle of the motor, with a different number of revolutions per minute, favourably exceeding the speed of rotation of the motor axle many times.

In accordance with another invention criterion the feed pipe is in a fixed position, and the drive axle of the pump is led inside the feed pipe.

Another favourable construction of the device is characterised by that in the central range of the impeller of the pump there is a cup formed, and the hub of the turbine wheel fits into it in a way that the impeller and the turbine wheel can rotate with respect to each other.

Finally, in order to forward the agents combined/mixed in the suction-mixing space of the pump housing and also as a tubular reactor for the compound/mixture, a force tube functioning as a bio-tubular reactor in the given case, practically also equipped with a vertical section, should be practically connected to the outlet opening of the pump housing.

Below the invention is described in detail on the basis of the appended drawings, which include the favourable constructions of the device and the most important structure partial solutions. In the drawings figure 1 is a favourable construction of the device in diagrammatic axial section; figure 2 shows the impeller of the pump of the device as in figure 1, separated from the device, in larger scale; figure 3 is the top view of the impeller as in figure 4; figure 4 shows the turbine wheel of the device as in figure 1, in larger scale, separated from the device; figure 5 is the bottom view of the turbine wheel as in figure 4; figure 6 shows another construction of the device in axial view; figure 7 shows another construction of the turbine wheel used in the device as in figure 6, in longitudinal section, on a larger scale, separated from the device; figure 8 is the bottom view of the impeller as in figure 7.

The whole of the device to be seen in figures 1-4 has a pipe shaped housing 1 with a circular cross-section designated with reference number 1, in the upper space la of which there is the epicyclical gear drive unit 7, and it is from here that the feed pipe 2 starts from, which is for putting the secondary medium into the device or removing it, which runs through the central space lb of the housing 1, and its lower end empties into the suction-mixing space. The whole of the device has a pump-centrifugal pump- designated with reference number 20, with a impeller 9 with blades, the driving of which is carried out by the drive unit 7 connected to the upper end of the axle 3; the lower end of this is fixed to the impeller 9 with a bolt 3a. The direction of rotation of the axle 3 has been shown with the arrow marked Mi. The central line of the axle 3 is the longitudinal geometrical central axis X of the whole device.

In the case of the construction example according the figures 1-3 the feed pipe 2 is formed as a pipe axle that may be rotated by the epicyclical gear drive unit 7, which is set in bearings 4a, 4b that are under one another or above one another in the central part lb of the housing 1. The direction of rotation CJ2 of the feed pipe is opposite to that of the direction of rotation Mi of the axle 3 of the pump 20.

The lower end of the feed pipe 2, which widens in accordance with the diameter D of the suction-mixing space Ic, and which extends over most of the width of this space, is rigidly fixed to the turbine wheel the whole of which is designated with reference number 10.

We note here that the internal diameter dl of the central space lb of the housing 1 is naturally smaller than the aforementioned diameter D, but exceeds the external diameter d2 of the feed pipe 2, the diameter of the axle 3, however, is smaller than the internal diameter of the feed pipe 2 that surrounds it.

The impeller 9 has a hub 14 with a bearing 5, this hub 14 surrounds the lower end of the axle 3, so the turbine wheel 10 may be rotated in the direction M2, together with the feed pipe 2 set in bearings 4a, 4b around axle 3; while the latter, naturally, may rotate in direction mi. The hub 14 also contains a seal 15 next to the bearing 5.

According to this construction example a motor 6-favourably an electric motor-connected to the drive unit 7 serves to rotate the axle 3 and the feed pipe 2 that functions here as a pipe axle; the internally cogged cogwheel 16 is wedged up to the upper end of the axle 3 of the pump 20, which starts at the motor 6, while the ring wheel 17 is fixed to the upper end of the feed pipe 2 that functions as a pipe axle. The epicyclical gear drive unit 7 has a braked frame 18, which has bearings designated for the axles 8 and the axle 3 of the pump 20. The cogwheels 8a at the upper end of the axles 8 are connected to the internally cogged cogwheel 16 and the cogwheels 8b at the lower end are connected to the cogwheel 19 fitted to the end of the feed pipe 2-with a sun wheel -which are positioned in the upper space la with a diameter Di, which is greater that the diameter dl of the central space lb, just like the above-listed other elements of the drive unit 7. As we have already mentioned the lead-in opening 2a of the feed pipe 2 that functions here as a revolving pipe axle is also positioned in the upper space 1 a, and above it there is enough space for the secondary medium, e. g. air, flowing in from the outside in accordance with arrow a to get into the feed pipe and flow down it.

The lower suction-mixing space 1 c of the housing 1 is bordered by the pump housing 11-closed worm housing-into which the suction connection 11 a opens from below; the suction opening itself has been designated with reference number fla'. The pipe 12 is connected to the output opening 13 that opens on the side from the space lc with a flange connection, which pipe 12-as we will see-functions as an effective pipe reactor with respect to the mixture components flowing into it from the direction indicated with arrow c. We note here that several output openings, and so several leading-out pipes, may open out of the suction-mixing space lc. The primary medium-liquid-in accordance with arrow b flows into the suction-mixing space 1 c through the suction opening 1 la', while pipe 12, shown with the broken line, is connected to the output opening 13 with the flange connection 12a, which pipe 12 is naturally a pressure pipe.

In the interest of better comprehensibility the impeller of the pump 20 has been shown on figures 2 and 3 and the impeller 9 connected to the lower end of the feed pipe 2 of the device according to figure 1 has been shown on figures 3 and 4 separately in a larger scale. In figures 1-3 it can be well seen that the circular disc 9a of the impeller 9 contains a central, upwards opening cup 23, into which the hub 14 of the aforementioned turbine wheel fits (figures 1,4 and 5) in a way so that it may revolve. In the bottom of the cup 23 there is a transfer opening 24, through which the axle 3 runs, and-as we mentioned in connection with figure 1-underneath it may be fixed to disc 9a with bolt 3a. Backwards tilted, curved blades 21 are connected to the lower side of the disc 9a perpendicularly-according to the present construction example six blades-which are divided with equal spaces between them, they have the same degree of tilt, and the direction of their tilt is opposite to the direction of rotation Mi of the impeller 20; these"backwards leaning", which start out from the cup 24, do not fill up the whole of the suction-mixed space Ic (backwards leaning, multi-channel, radial blades, e. g. the "VORTEX"system blades), and do not extend to the area of the circular disc 9a, but in side projection they end at a distance e2 from it, in general they extend to about one half to three quarters of the disc radius. There are radial blades fixed to the outer part of the upper side of disc 9a, the blades are perpendicular to the plane of the disc and have spaces between each other of distance f, and which blades extend of the edge of the disc 9a by a distance el, and in a projection from above their internal edges are cut at an angle to a distance s; this angled edge is marked with reference number 22a on figure 2. These upper blades 22 start in the range where the lower blades 21 finish, and their el projection is practically half of the complete h blade length at the maximum. In the case of the present construction the impeller 9 has eighteen blades 22. The mi height of the lower blades 21 (the turbine type blades) is practically more than the m2 height of the upper blades 22; For example the h length can be 1/6-1/3 of the D2 diameter of the disc 9a, and the m2 height can be 1/5-1/2 of the h size at the maximum. Obviously the currently used optimal sizes are to be determined depending on the given task, by dimensions and/or with experiments. It must be pointed out that the lower blades 21 can extend as far as to the lower wall of the closed worm housing 11, that is, speaking in heights, they can fill the complete suction- mixing space Ic. In the case of the present construction eighteen identical upper blades 22 are used spaced from each other at the same distance.

In figures 4 and 5 the turbine wheel, marked in figure 1 with reference number 10 as a whole, on a larger scale, and in the case of this construction this turbine wheel is attached in a fixed position to the wider lower end part 2a of rotating feed pipe 2, shaped like an upside down flat cup, and in top view it has a circular disc 10a with a Ds diameter, and it contains a central hub 14 with an opening 25 to let in the axle 3.

In section (figures 1 and 4) the disc 1 Oa has a broken line determination, that is it has a surrounding intermediate wall part 26 angular upwards going outside, and it is situated in the range between the hub 14 and the boundary of the disc 10a, in top section it is of s'width; the values of the s'and the m'2 height of the step created by the angular wall part 26 are chosen in accordance with the s and m2 values shown in figure 2, so that the impeller 9 and the turbine wheel 10 fit next to each other in their required position shown in figure 1, and the upper blades 22 of the former, with little distance between them, can rotate freely in the space 27 bordered by the external range 10a'of the disc 10 along the edge and the angular wall part 22.

As it can be seen especially well in figures 4 and 5, in the disc 10a, mainly in its range along the edge 10a', there are openings 29 (twelve openings in the present case) of the same size, more or less triangular-shaped-one of the long sides is slightly arcing- spaced radially at equal distances from each other, becoming narrower towards the inside, with lateral distances g between them-twelve openings in the case of the present construction- which also extend to the angular wall part 26, to its internal starting line (bottom line) in this case, and they start from the vicinity, practically from the direct vicinity of the boundary of the disc 10a. Beside each elongated triangular-shaped opening 29, touching their arcing side there is a turbine blade 28 on the upper part of the disc 10a, at right angles to the plane of the disc, and- as it can be seen well in figure 1-they completely fill the cross- section of the space along the boundary bordered by the lower widening end part 2a of the feed pipe 2 and the disc 10a, and inside they project over internal edge, that is the bottom line of the wall part 26. The H length and maximum M height of these arcing turbine blades 28 is practically 1/4 of the D3 diameter at the maximum or favourably even smaller than that. The turbine blades 28 are arced in the same direction as the 0) 2 direction of rotation of the turbine wheel 10.

The construction of the device as in figures 6-8 differs from the constructions according to figures 1-5 only in that the feed pipe 2 in this case is not rotating; for this reason in figure 6 the structural units already described in connection with figures 1-5 are marked with the already used reference numbers. As it is not necessary to rotate the feed pipe 2, the complete drive unit 7 shown in figure 1 is left out, and a horizontal pipe section 2b is connected to the feed pipe 2 for the purpose of entering the secondary medium, such as air. The impeller 9 of the pump 20 and the turbine wheel 10 can be the same as in figures 4 and 5, but a version of the turbine wheel 10 as in figures 7 and 8 can also be used, which differs from the former only in respect of the shape of the openings created for the purpose of letting in the secondary medium, and in this case these openings are marked with reference number 30, and in this case the transmission cross-section of these openings is larger and they are drop shaped.

The construction of the device according to the invention as in figures 1-5 operates in the following when used for entering air into wastewater, for lifting the wastewater and transporting the mixture of wastewater and air: At least the lower part of the housing 1 containing the suction- mixing space 1c is dipped in the wastewater to which air is to be added, at the same time the penetration of the air is insured from the external air-space into spaces la and lb, that is the upper part of the device, and through this part above the turbine wheel 10. The electric motor 6 of the device is started, and as a result of this the axle 3 will rotate in the direction of arrow coi and the feed pipe 2 functioning as an axle tube will rotate in the opposite direction, in accordance with arrow 0) 2. The axle 3 is driven by the motor 6 with direct connection, while the axle tube, that is the feed pipe 2 is driven through a transmission, in the case of the present construction through the drive unit 7 with epicyclical inner gearing. It must be pointed out that as a transmission a half-disc, belted drive unit of adjustable width-known in itself- can also be used. So the device as in figures 1-5 can actually be regarded as a biaxial turbine pump with two impellers, built in a closed tube and worm housing, and apart from its impeller 9 attached to its main axle, axle 3, its turbine wheel 10 belonging to the axle tube, feed pipe 2, rotating with it, is also an impeller. The feed pipe 2 is embedded in the house with bearings 4a, 4b, while axle 3 is embedded as mentioned above, partly with the bearings in the drive unit 7 and partly at the bottom, with bearing 5.

As a result of the rotation of the impeller 9 and the turbine wheel 10 in the opposite direction, due to the sucking effect of the former one on the wastewater mass, the wastewater, that is the primary medium in this case, flows into the suction-mixing space through the sucking opening 11 a', as shown by arrow b (figure 1), while due to the rotation of the turbine wheel 10 the air flowing in intensively at a great speed from the external air-space through the free space below the epicyclical gear of the drive unit 7, through the input opening 2a into the rotating feed pipe, as shown by arrows a, it goes across spaces la, lb, and through the openings 29 of this turbine wheel 10 it gets to the arcing blades 21-turbine blades-of the impeller. As a result of the volume flow rate increasing effect of the two wheels rotating in the opposite direction, that is the impeller 9 and the turbine wheel 10, the air mixes with the waste water mass carried by the impeller rather intensively and efficiently in the closed worm housing, that is in the suction-mixing space Ic, from where the wastewater-air mixture enters the pipe 12 in the direction shown by arrow c. Due to the adjusting possibilities ensured by the drive unit 7- depending on the position of the turn bridge of the epicyclical wheel, in a range extending from complete revolution to free running, operating the braking mechanism-as a result of the rotation of the impellers, that is the turbine wheel 10 and the impeller 9 of the pump, in the opposite direction, the relative number of revolutions between the two impellers can change for example between 2,500-5,000 rev./min. The same changing of the number of revolutions can also be ensured-with a method known in itself-with belt drive with half discs that can be moved on the two sides. The transmission is accelerating, so the number of revolutions of the turbine wheel 10 can even be a multiple of that of the impeller 9. The relative number of revolutions to be set currently depends on the mixing/transporting task to be solved currently and on the current secondary and primary media, and it can be chosen for example in the above wide range between 2,500- 5,000 rev./min. depending on the optimal number of revolutions value, the concrete task and the parameters.

In the course of the above operation of the device-as mentioned above-a suction effect occurs on the external edge of the impeller 9 due to the liquid rotation, and it increases the potential energy of the waste water-the primary medium-and it also helps to increase the mixing and the energy of the air-the secondary medium-entering there. This effect is increased by the upper blades 22 of the impeller along the boundary, which help the flowing in of the secondary medium, that is the air, and its mixing with the primary medium, that is in this case with the liquid, the wastewater, put under pressure as a result of the centrifugal force. At the same time the turbine wheel 10 rotating in the opposite direction as the impeller 9 sucks in the air through the space lb in the feed pipe 2, through the pipe section left free by the axle 3 and its bearings, and it increases its energy with its parabolic or other shaped turbine blades 28 so that the air enters the liquid at a great speed, in the form of micro-sized units.

As a result of the circumferential speed of the upper blades 22 of the impeller 9 the liquid rotation increases in proportion with the square of the blade length; as a result of this in the case of a large number of revolutions the volume flow rate increases intensively, and by this the feeding rate of the current secondary medium (air in this case) can be increased rather significantly. As a result of the fact that the blades 22 situated on the upper side of the impeller 9 along the boundary rotate around a larger a diameter, they ensure a rather intensive secondary medium volume flow rate.

As it has been mentioned above, the wastewater mixed with air flows from the space Ic through the output opening 13 into the pipe 12, where it goes on with the pressure created by the impeller 9, exceeding the atmospheric pressure. The section of the pipe 12, the length of which can be dimensioned, functions as a closed pipe reactor in which the chemical and biotechnological processes can take place evenly, quickly and efficiently, because the pipe effect helps the combining of the media, increases the speed of the reactions and helps even mixing, excludes the creation of dead spaces, and so the action time of the different interventions decreases. With the device according to the invention it can be reached that the chemical reaction between the media to be mixed and/or biochemical action takes place completely in the pipe 12- pressure pipe- (or in more pressure pipes like this) of an appropriate diameter and length, leading out from the suction- mixing space Ic. With the appropriate amount of potential energy the combination or mixture flowing out of the output opening 13 moves with a volume flow rate in the pressure pipe, or in the case of the example according to figure 1 the pipe 12, so that settling or blocking may not occur in it. The dimensioned volume flow rate, for example in the case of wastewater-air mixing, may be chosen at a value in the range of 0.8-5.0 m/sec, but naturally it is practical to select the volume flow rate and the pipe section functioning as a pipe reactor in accordance with the current necessary reaction time.

We would like to note here that in the vertical 5-10 m, not shown, pipe 12-pressure pipe-section a mammoth pump effect is realised, due to which, beside a lower energy requirement, the volume flow rate becomes faster. In the pressure pipe-pipe reactor-a much more intensive mixing effect is created due to the conversion effect than in basins.

The operation of the device according to figures 6-8 is different from the devices in according to figures 1-5 in that the turbine wheel 10 does not rotate, in other words the feed pipe 2 is in a fixed position. This device version is to be used generally when it is not necessary to provide a greater potential energy in the system; this version can be applied, for example, in the case of smaller pressure heads, so it still mixes, for example, air (secondary medium) with wastewater (primary medium) with the appropriate effectiveness with a water column pressure of 2.0-3.0 m. In this case the blades 22 of the turbine wheel 10 basically function as stationary, secondary medium-air-directing elements, into the openings 30, in other words elements delineating the flow directing channels. The upper radial blades 28 of the impeller 9 rotated by the axle 3 fill the role of the turbine introducing the whole of the secondary medium, and they transport the secondary medium into the primary medium at the appropriate speed.

We would like to note that if the epicyclical gear of the drive unit 7 is in a free running setting, then the feed pipe 2, or pipe axle is not driven by the motor 6, and the torque is not transferred to the feed pipe 2, so it does not rotate, so the feed pipe functions as a simple secondary element introducing element.

Returning to figure 6: when the motor 6 is switched on the axle 3 and with it the impeller 9 start to rotate, the wastewater flows according to arrow b through the suction opening 11 a'into the suction-mixing space 1 c, and the air is mixed with the waste water through the pipe section 2 b, the space lb in the feed pipe 2 and the openings 30 of the turbine wheel 10 according to arrow a in the way described above, and the mixture according to arrow c gets into pipe 12 where the pipe effect is realised in the over pressured mixture with the discussed positive consequences, as this was described in detail in connection with figures 1-5.

The advantage of the invention is that a single, compact, combined device requiring a small amount of space and that may be manufactured simply and cheaply makes it possible to realise chemical reaction and/or bio-technological processes and the liquid-gas, liquid-liquid, liquid-pulverised dry material mixing/combining and material transportation processes necessary for this quickly and with a favourable degree of efficiency, also making use of the above-detailed pipe-effect, in which the intensive reaction is completed between the mixture or combination components within a short period of time. In the compact device the mixing/combining is realised in unison with the potential energy increase necessary for the liquid transportation-liquid lifting-in a completely closed space, from which the combination/mixture is put into a pressure pipe.

Although we have presented the invention in connection with wastewater aeration, we would like to emphasise that the device may be applied in numerous other areas of engineering, in the pharmaceuticals and chemical industry, in the food industry, etc. for the solving of the most diverse of tasks, practically under any conditions, and also under the level of a liquid.