Standards Development

Scope

This document specifies a test procedure, equipment and environment for evaluating the concentration loss of ultrafine bubbles (UFB) due to long distance transfer of ultrafine bubble water in a plastic pipe. The test results are analysed and expressed in terms of a formula with the flow parameters, pipe length, flow velocity and number of circulations in the pipe. The formula is intended to the use of designing long-distance transport system for industrial application include agro- and aqua- farming. 

Purpose

Fine bubbles are applied to agro- and aqua-culture in their uses for supplying water, nutrition and chemicals for facilitation of growth, sterilization and cleaning. The characteristics of ultrafine bubbles water is known very stable as far as appropriate care is taken in the field of application. However, since their farms are spatially broad and so remotely located for water supplies and amount of water is so huge, transportation of water is made using transfer by pipe lines. Further, in order to function the benefit of the application of ultrafine bubbles, the transportation line should work as stable as possible in terms of fine bubble characteristics, such as number concentration index of ultrafine bubbles. One can show many mechanisms for removal of ultrafine bubble due to mechanical, chemical and thermodynamical effect to imagine the change in the number concentration index loss due to flow in the pipe. When designing the farming system, the reliable prediction on the removal of ultrafine bubbles in the water is claimed from the application ground. 

However, there is no useful test method for data or relevant experiment to evaluate how long ultrafine bubbles can practically survive after long transportation.

This technical specification provides the test method on experimental evaluation on long transfer plastic pipe system in terms of reduction in the ultrafine bubble concentration index due to the flow in pipes. The system consisting of a reservoir for ultrafine bubble water and a winding pipe, through which the water is circulated periodically from the reservoir, allows to describe concentration loss by empirical equation. The data output of practical test process is analyzed systematically, and its results will benefit the user planning and improving similar system. An example of deduced formula optimized to reproducing observed data is given in an informative annex.