Development of an energy-efficient nanobubble generator

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Nanobubbles are gas-filled bubbles in water with typical diameters in the ~100 nm range. Nanobubbles in bulk aqueous solution have only recently come under focused scientific investigation, and this work has already triggered considerable interest and excitement. While many questions remain regarding bulk nanobubbles, they possess several consistently reported features, most notably being stable in water over long periods (e.g. months). It has been established that nanobubbles can dramatically enhance the total amount of gas present in water (e.g. values of >20-fold have been reported), and hence they can act as buffers that push the limits of gas solubility. Their very small size results in nanobubbles having very large surface area to volume ratios (affording extremely high gas transfer rates) and negligible buoyancy.Nanobubbles have potential for tremendous impact across a wide range of application areas that rely on gases dissolved in water, ranging from water treatment and environmental applications to energy innovation and food production. For example, air/oxygen nanobubbles can increase the supply of oxygen in wastewater biological treatment, and therefore decrease the amount of energy required for aeration (currently 55-70% of the total) thereby significantly reducing the overall energy consumption in wastewater treatment.A major limitation that has restricted the use of nanobubbles to this point has been challenges with their efficient generation, e.g. high-energy costs, modest concentrations and lack of scalability. This research project will build upon a recently published revolutionary technology where electric fields are used to catalyze nanobubble generation. This novel approach requires ~1000-fold less energy compared to current methods, thereby overcoming the crucial limitation that has thus far restricted the potential impacts and widespread application of nanobubbles. This project will focus on developing this breakthrough technology from a research concept to a functioning laboratory prototype generator, featuring an energy-efficient, continuous-flow, multistage, scalable design.