Mimicking Nature to Generate
Nanobubbles
The Shaft by CRS can generate an industry-leading concentration of 300 million nanobubbles and charged particles per mL of water. Approximately 3X the concentration generated by the competition.
What is a "nanobubble"?
The team at CRS has spent nearly a decade studying nanobubbles and their industrial applications. Through years of research and testing, CRS recently developed a proprietary method for generating nanobubbles using a combination of ionization and hydrodynamic cavitation.
​
Nanobubbles are often described as nature’s own cleaning technology. They occur naturally in rushing rivers, breaking waves, and waterfalls. Although invisible to the naked eye and unlike ordinary bubbles that fizz and rise quickly, nanobubbles remain suspended in water and provide powerful cleaning effects.
​
Because of their unique physical and chemical properties, nanobubbles can improve water quality, enhance cleaning performance, and reduce dependence on conventional chemical treatments across a wide range of water and industrial systems.
​
Despite being extremely small — smaller than many microorganisms — nanobubbles deliver significant industrial performance benefits.
​
Because of their size, nanobubbles:
-
Remain suspended in water for extended periods due to Brownian motion
-
Distribute evenly throughout the entire water column
-
Often carry a negative surface charge
-
Provide high surface area for enhanced gas transfer and improved water interaction, while helping reduce surface tension
​
These properties enable nanobubbles to improve cleaning efficiency, support water quality, and enhance overall performance across a wide range of water and industrial applications.​
​
_edited_edited.png)
Normal sized air bubbles rise to the surface of the liquid and burst, but nanobubbles can remain suspended in liquids for very long periods of time. ​
How can microscopic bubbles improve cleaning and system performance?
Nanobubbles are extremely small and can remain suspended in water for long periods, allowing them to move throughout a system and interact closely with surfaces. Many nanobubbles carry a surface charge, which can influence how they interact with particles, contaminants, and material surfaces.
​
Because of their size and surface properties, nanobubbles can penetrate microscopic surface features and help improve contact between water and the surface. This enhanced interaction supports the lifting and dispersing of deposits, particles, and residues, allowing them to be more easily removed by normal water flow. Over time, these effects can contribute to cleaner surfaces, improved system efficiency, and reduced buildup in a variety of water-based applications.
How The Shaft Works
The Shaft is a passive, in-line hydrodynamic cavitation device designed to influence the physical behavior of water through controlled hydrodynamic cavitation + ionization of entrained gasses.
​
-
It contains no electronics, no external power source, no chemical additives, and no consumable media.
​
-
The device operates solely by altering internal flow conditions as water passes through a tubular housing containing highly engineered internal baffles.
​
Existing Condition
Initial Reaction
Post Installation
Scale, biofilm and rust attach to pipes, heat exchangers, chillers and appliances resulting in significantly less efficient operation
Nanobubbles and charged particles have physical and chemical reactions with the scale, biofilm and rust causing them to be released from the surface
Scale, biofilm and rust are flushed downstream and are not able to accumulate in the future
Hydrodynamic Cavitation and Nanobubble Formation
As water flows through The Shaft, the internal geometry creates localized pressure differentials and high shear zones. Under appropriate flow conditions, these effects induce controlled hydrodynamic cavitation.
Hydrodynamic cavitation is a well-documented physical phenomenon in which microscopic vapor- or gas-filled cavities form and collapse due to transient pressure reductions in a moving liquid. In The Shaft, this process also results in the formation of stable micro- and nanobubbles.
Nanobubbles are characterized by:
-
Diameters typically below 1 µm
-
Neutral or slightly negative surface charge
-
Extended residence time in water relative to larger bubbles
-
The formation of nanobubbles in cavitating flow regimes is widely reported in the scientific literature and does not require external gas injection, electricity, or chemical additives.
Role of Dissolved Gases
The Shaft operates using the gases naturally present in water, most importantly dissolved atmospheric oxygen.
​
During hydrodynamic cavitation and bubble collapse events:
​
-
A small fraction of entrained and dissolved gas experiences temporary excitation or partial ionization
-
These effects are highly localized, transient, and immediately dissipate as flow continues
​
No free gas needs to be introduced, and no persistent ionized species are produced downstream of the device.
How are People Using The Shaft?
CRS SHAFTS ON A WASHWORLD RAZOR
Benefits of CRS Nanobubbles on a Car Wash:
​
-
Reduced maintenance
-
Increase RO membrane lifespan
-
Better detergency of soaps, more foam, more dwell
-
Reduced soap concentration ease ionic burden on reclaim
-
Reduce odors and sludge hauling costs
-
Turbo charge reclaim processes (ozone, biologic, UV, etc.)
-
Nanobubble infused water breaks easier improving drying
-
Eliminate the need for a salt-based water softener
CHILLER
AFTER
BEFORE
Using CRS Equipment Results in:
​
-
Improved heat transfer
-
Lower energy costs
-
Reduced cleaning frequency
-
Extended equipment life and lower maintenance
-
More efficient and effective chemical use
-
Improved water clarity
-
Reduced odors and TSS