CONTINUOUS FLOW, ELECTROHYDRODYNAMIC MICROMIXING APPARATUS AND METHODS
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for mixing fluids comprising:
- a first conduit having an interior space for conveying at least one first liquid;
a second conduit having an interior space for conveying at least one second liquid, the second conduit comprising at least two ends and penetrating the first conduit at an opening in the first conduit, the first end of said second conduit for receiving the at least one second fluid is located exterior the interior space of the first conduit and the second end of said second conduit terminates in an outlet that is located within the interior space of the first conduit so that said at least one second fluid can be injected into the interior space of the first conduit and the second conduit electrically insulated from the first conduit at the opening in the first conduit through which the second conduit penetrates the first conduit;
at least one electrode located exterior the interior space of said first conduit and proximate the outlet of said second conduit so that an electric potential difference applied between the outlet of said second conduit and the at least one electrode has an influence on the at least one second fluid exiting the outlet of said second conduit; and
a means for applying an electric potential difference between the outlet of the said second conduit and the electrode.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to methods and apparatus that employ electrohydrodynamic flows in miscible, partially miscible and immiscible multiphase systems to induce mixing for dissolution and/or reaction processes. The apparatus and methods of the present invention allow micromixing of two or more components and can advantageously be used to conduct liquid-phase reactions uniformly and at high rates
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. An apparatus for mixing fluids comprising:
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a first conduit having an interior space for conveying at least one first liquid;
a second conduit having an interior space for conveying at least one second liquid, the second conduit comprising at least two ends and penetrating the first conduit at an opening in the first conduit, the first end of said second conduit for receiving the at least one second fluid is located exterior the interior space of the first conduit and the second end of said second conduit terminates in an outlet that is located within the interior space of the first conduit so that said at least one second fluid can be injected into the interior space of the first conduit and the second conduit electrically insulated from the first conduit at the opening in the first conduit through which the second conduit penetrates the first conduit;
at least one electrode located exterior the interior space of said first conduit and proximate the outlet of said second conduit so that an electric potential difference applied between the outlet of said second conduit and the at least one electrode has an influence on the at least one second fluid exiting the outlet of said second conduit; and
a means for applying an electric potential difference between the outlet of the said second conduit and the electrode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An apparatus for mixing fluids comprising:
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a conduit having an interior space for conveying at least one first liquid;
a metal capillary having an interior space for conveying at least one second liquid, the metal capillary comprising at least two ends and penetrating the conduit at an opening in the conduit, the first end of said metal capillary for receiving the at least one second fluid is located exterior the interior space of the conduit and the second end of said metal capillary terminates in an outlet that is located within the interior space of the conduit so that said at least one second fluid can be injected into the interior space of the conduit;
an insulating means disposed around the metal capillary from a portion of the metal capillary exterior the conduit and the opening in the conduit through which the metal capillary penetrates the conduit to an area proximate the outlet of the metal capillary;
at least one electrode located exterior the interior space of said conduit and proximate the outlet of said metal capillary so that an electric potential difference applied between the outlet of said metal capillary and the at least one electrode has an influence on the at least one second fluid exiting the outlet of said metal capillary; and
a means for applying an electric potential difference between the outlet of the said metal capillary and the electrode. - View Dependent Claims (11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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12. The apparatus of 10, wherein the at least one electrode is integral with or forms a portion of said conduit.
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20. An apparatus for mixing fluids comprising:
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a conduit having an interior space for conveying at least one first liquid and comprising a metal conductive portion;
a metal capillary having an interior space for conveying at least one second liquid, the metal capillary comprising at least two ends and penetrating the conduit at an opening in the conduit, the first end of said metal capillary for receiving the at least one second fluid is located exterior the interior space of the conduit and the second end of said metal capillary terminates in an outlet that is located within the interior space of the conduit and proximate the metal conductive portion of the conduit so that said at least one second fluid can be injected into the interior space of the conduit and is influenced by an electrical potential difference between the metal capillary and the metal portion of the conduit;
an insulating means disposed around the metal capillary from a portion of the metal capillary exterior the conduit and the opening in the conduit through which the metal capillary penetrates the conduit to an area proximate the outlet of the metal capillary; and
a means for applying an electric potential difference between the outlet of the said metal capillary and the metal conductive portion of the conduit. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method of mixing fluids comprising:
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conveying at least one first fluid through a first conduit having an interior space;
conveying at least one second fluid through a second conduit having an interior space, the second conduit comprising at least two ends and penetrating the first conduit at an opening in the first conduit, the first end of said second conduit for receiving the at least one second fluid is located exterior the interior space of the first conduit and the second end of said second conduit terminates in an outlet that is located within the interior space of the first conduit so that said at least one second fluid is injected into the interior space of the first conduit and the second conduit electrically insulated from the first conduit at the opening in the first conduit through which the second conduit penetrates the first conduit;
applying an electric potential difference between the outlet of said second conduit and at least one electrode located exterior the interior space of said first conduit and proximate the outlet of said second conduit so that an electric potential difference applied between the outlet of said second conduit and the at least one electrode has an influence on the at least one second fluid exiting the outlet of said second conduit and induces micromixing of said at least one first fluid and said at least one second fluid. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification