Methods and apparatus for high-shear mixing and reacting of materials
First Claim
1. A method for high-shear mixing and reacting of materials comprising:
- supplying a first material to a flow path constituted by an interdiffusion passage between two closely spaced stationary surfaces at a respective first flow rate;
supplying a second material to the flow path through the interdiffusion passage at a respective second flow rate, to be interdiffused with the first material therein, with resultant material from the interdiffusion and any consequent reaction moving in the flow path at a respective resultant flow rate;
wherein the first and the second materials, and material resulting from interdiffusion and any consequent reaction of the materials, form respective boundary layers against both surfaces;
wherein the radial spacing between the two surfaces is equal to or less than the back-to-back radial thicknesses of the two boundary layers of material against the two surfaces, and if larger than the back-to-back radial thicknesses with a third layer between the two boundary layers has the third layer too thin to support turbulent convection or to cause channeling; and
wherein the flow rates of the materials in the flow path are such that they are subjected to laminar shear of the value required for the interdiffusion.
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for high shear reacting and/or mixing of moving fluid streams of materials employ an interdiffusing and reacting zone formed in the space between two stationary surfaces, the surfaces being spaced apart a maximum distance of the sum of the thicknesses of the back-to-back boundary layers of the materials and/or resulting materials on the surfaces, to a value such that any third layer between the two boundary layers is too thin to support agitation characterized by turbulent convection and/or to cause channeling. The materials are interdiffused by high speed laminar shear produced by the flow of the materials rather than mixed by macroscopic convection, the materials being driven by high velocity inlet feeds, auxiliary high pressure gas flow pumped into the reaction/mixing zone, or auxiliary high pressure gas flow created as an evolving gaseous byproduct of any chemical reaction that may occur.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method for high-shear mixing and reacting of materials comprising:
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supplying a first material to a flow path constituted by an interdiffusion passage between two closely spaced stationary surfaces at a respective first flow rate;
supplying a second material to the flow path through the interdiffusion passage at a respective second flow rate, to be interdiffused with the first material therein, with resultant material from the interdiffusion and any consequent reaction moving in the flow path at a respective resultant flow rate;
wherein the first and the second materials, and material resulting from interdiffusion and any consequent reaction of the materials, form respective boundary layers against both surfaces;
wherein the radial spacing between the two surfaces is equal to or less than the back-to-back radial thicknesses of the two boundary layers of material against the two surfaces, and if larger than the back-to-back radial thicknesses with a third layer between the two boundary layers has the third layer too thin to support turbulent convection or to cause channeling; and
wherein the flow rates of the materials in the flow path are such that they are subjected to laminar shear of the value required for the interdiffusion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 17)
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9. Apparatus for high-shear mixing and reacting of materials comprising:
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apparatus structure providing two parallel, closely spaced stationary surfaces constituting between them a flow path that is an interdiffusion passage;
means supplying a first material to the flow path through the interdiffusion passage at a respective first flow rate;
means supplying a second material to the flow path through the interdiffusion passage at a respective second flow rate, to be interdiffused with the first material therein, with resultant material from the interdiffusion and any consequent reaction moving in the flow path at a respective resultant flow rate;
wherein the first and the second materials, and material resulting from interdiffusion and any consequent reaction of the materials, form respective boundary layers against both surfaces;
wherein the radial spacing between the two surfaces is equal to or less than the back-to-back radial thicknesses of the two boundary layers of the material against the two surfaces, and if larger than the back-to-back radial thicknesses with a third layer between the two boundary layers has the third layer too thin to support turbulent convection or to cause channeling; and
wherein the means supplying the first and second materials supply those materials at flow rates such that the materials in the passage are subjected to laminar shear of the value required for the interdiffusion. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification