Arrangements and methods for contacting a gas and a liquid

Abstract

Arrangements and methods for contacting a gas and a liquid involve transferring a gas from one side of a pleated fluid treatment medium, through the fluid treatment medium, and into a liquid on the other side of the pleated fluid treatment medium to form a solution of the gas in the liquid.

1 - 248 . (canceled)  
   
   
       249 . An arrangement for contacting a liquid and a gas comprising: 
 a fluid treatment assembly including a housing and a pleated fluid treatment pack disposed in the housing, wherein the fluid treatment pack has a plurality of generally axially extending pleats and includes a pleated fluid treatment medium having a first side and a second side, the fluid treatment assembly further including a first fluid path which extends axially within the pleats along the first side of the fluid treatment medium and a second fluid path which extends axially within the pleats along the second side of the fluid treatment medium;    a source of gas coupled to one of the first and second fluid paths; and    a source of liquid coupled to the other of the first and second fluid paths.    
   
   
       250 . The arrangement of  claim 249  wherein the second fluid path extends through the housing.  
   
   
       251 . The arrangement of  claim 249  wherein the second fluid path extends through the housing.  
   
   
       252 . The arrangement of  claim 249  wherein the pleated fluid treatment pack has a hollow configuration and wherein the first side of the fluid treatment medium comprises an inner side and the second side of the fluid treatment medium comprises an outer side.  
   
   
       253 . The arrangement of  claim 252  wherein the pleated fluid treatment pack has first and second opposite ends, wherein the fluid treatment assembly further includes first and second end members secured to the first and second ends of the fluid treatment pack, respectively, each end member having an opening, and wherein the first fluid path extends through the opening in one of the end members to the inner side of the fluid treatment medium, axially within the pleats along the inner side of the fluid treatment medium, and from the inner side of the fluid treatment medium through the opening in the opposite end member.  
   
   
       254 . The arrangement of  claim 253  wherein each end member comprises an end cap.  
   
   
       255 . The arrangement of  claim 253  wherein the fluid treatment assembly further includes a core disposed in the interior of the hollow fluid treatment pack.  
   
   
       256 . The arrangement of  claim 255  wherein the core includes first and second opposite open ends fluidly communicating with the openings in the first and second end members, respectively, a perforated region at each open end of the core, each perforated region fluidly communicating between the open end of the core and the inner side of the fluid treatment medium, and a blind region extending between the perforated regions.  
   
   
       257 . The arrangement of  claim 252  wherein the pleated fluid treatment pack has first and second opposite ends, wherein the fluid treatment assembly further includes first and second end members secured to the first and second ends of the fluid treatment pack, and wherein the second fluid path extends from the exterior of the fluid treatment pack to the outer side of the fluid treatment medium near one end of the fluid treatment pack, axially within the pleats along the outer side of the fluid treatment medium, and from the outer side of the fluid treatment medium near the other end of the fluid treatment pack to the exterior of the fluid treatment pack.  
   
   
       258 . The arrangement of  claim 257  wherein the fluid treatment assembly further includes a tube fitted closely around the exterior of the fluid treatment pack.  
   
   
       259 . The arrangement of  claim 258  wherein the tube has one or more openings near each end of the fluid treatment pack, each opening fluidly communicating with the outer side of the fluid treatment medium, and the tube is blind between the openings near the one end of the fluid treatment pack and the openings near the other end of the fluid treatment pack.  
   
   
       260 . The arrangement of  claim 249  wherein the pleated fluid treatment pack further includes a first pleated drainage layer positioned along the first side of the fluid treatment medium.  
   
   
       261 . The arrangement of  claim 260  wherein the pleated fluid treatment pack further includes a second pleated drainage layer positioned along the second side of the fluid treatment medium.  
   
   
       262 . The arrangement of  claim 249  wherein the fluid treatment medium is impermeable to the liquid.  
   
   
       263 . An arrangement for contacting a liquid and a gas comprising: 
 a fluid treatment assembly including a housing and a pleated fluid treatment pack disposed in the housing, wherein the pleated fluid treatment pack has a hollow configuration and a plurality of generally axially extending pleats and includes a pleated fluid treatment medium having an inner side and an outer side, the fluid treatment medium being generally impermeable to liquid, and wherein the housing has first and second end regions, first and second ports positioned near the first and second end regions, respectively, and third and fourth ports positioned near the first and second end regions, respectively, a first fluid path which extends between the first and second ports axially within the pleats along the inner surface of the fluid treatment medium, and a second fluid path which extends through the housing between the third and fourth ports and axially within the pleats along the outer surface of the fluid treatment medium;    a source of gas coupled to one of the first and second fluid paths; and    a source of liquid coupled to the other of the first and second fluid paths.    
   
   
       264 . The arrangement of  claim 263  wherein the pleated fluid treatment pack further includes first and second opposite ends, an inner pleated drainage layer positioned along the inner side of the fluid treatment medium, and an outer pleated drainage layer positioned along the outer side of the fluid treatment medium, wherein the fluid treatment assembly further includes first and second end caps secured to the first and second ends of the fluid treatment pack, respectively, each end cap having an opening, the opening in the first end cap fluidly communicating with the first port and the opening in the second end cap fluidly communicating with the second port, and a core disposed in the interior of the hollow fluid treatment pack, the core having first and second opposite open ends fluidly communicating with the openings in the first and second end caps, respectively, a perforated region at each open end of the core which fluidly communicates between the open end of the core and the inner side of the fluid treatment medium, and a blind region which extends between the perforated regions, wherein the first fluid path extends between the first and second ports from the opening in one of the end caps through an open end and a perforated region at one end of the core to the inner side of the fluid treatment medium, axially within the pleats along the inner side of the fluid treatment medium, and from the inner side of the fluid treatment medium through a perforated region and an open end at the other end of the core to the opening in the other end cap.  
   
   
       265 . The arrangement of  claim 264  wherein the fluid treatment assembly further includes a tube fitted closely around the exterior of the fluid treatment pack and including one or more openings near each end of the fluid treatment pack and the tube is blind between the openings near the ends of the fluid treatment pack, the opening near the first end of the fluid treatment pack fluidly communicating between the third port and the outer side of the fluid treatment medium and the opening near the second end of the fluid treatment pack fluidly communicating between the fourth port and the outer side of the fluid treatment medium, and wherein the second fluid path extends between the third and fourth ports through the opening in the tube near one end of the fluid treatment pack to the outer side of the fluid treatment medium, axially within the pleats along the outer side of the fluid treatment medium, and from the outer side of the fluid treatment medium through the opening in the tube near the other end of the fluid treatment pack.  
   
   
       266 . A method for contacting a liquid and a gas comprising: 
 directing a liquid along the pleats of a pleated fluid treatment pack, including directing the liquid axially within the pleats along a first side of a pleated fluid treatment medium;    directing a gas along the pleats of the pleated fluid treatment pack, including directing the gas axially within the pleats along a second side of the pleated fluid treatment medium; and    passing at least a portion of the gas from the second side through the fluid treatment medium to the first side to form a solution of the gas in the liquid.    
   
   
       267 . The method of  claim 266  wherein directing the liquid along the first side of the pleated fluid treatment medium includes passing the liquid along a first fluid path through a housing containing the pleated fluid treatment pack.  
   
   
       268 . The method of  claim 266  wherein directing a gas along the second side of the pleated fluid treatment medium includes passing the gas along a second fluid path through a housing containing the pleated fluid treatment pack.  
   
   
       269 . The method of  claim 266  further comprising not passing liquid from the first side through the fluid treatment medium to the second side.  
   
   
       270 . The method of  claim 266  wherein directing the liquid includes directing the liquid into the pleats at one end of the fluid treatment pack and directing the gas includes directing the gas into the pleats at the opposite end of the fluid treatment pack.  
   
   
       271 . The method of  claim 266  wherein passing the gas through the fluid treatment medium includes not forming gas bubbles in the liquid.  
   
   
       272 . The method of  claim 266  wherein passing the gas through the fluid treatment medium includes transferring the gas diffusively through the fluid treatment medium.  
   
   
       273 . The method of  claim 266  further comprising maintaining the pressure of the liquid within the pleats greater than the pressure of the gas within the pleats.  
   
   
       274 . The method of  claim 266  wherein directing the liquid along the first side of the pleated fluid treatment medium includes passing the liquid into the interior of a hollow pleated fluid treatment pack and then generally outwardly into the pleats along the inner side of the pleated fluid treatment medium at one end of the fluid treatment pack, then passing the liquid generally axially within the pleats along the inner side of the pleated fluid treatment medium to the other end of the fluid treatment pack, and then passing the liquid generally inwardly into the interior of the hollow fluid treatment pack.