FLUID TREATMENT APPARATUS AND PROCESS
First Claim
1. Fluid treatment apparatus comprising at least two chambers being first and second chambers through which a fluid can flow, the two chambers being separated by at least one choke nozzle which has an entrance in the first chamber and an exit in the second chamber, wherein the choke nozzle comprises a converging section at its entrance, a throat section, a backward-facing step immediately after the throat section, and an exit section at its exit which opens into the second chamber wherein the choke nozzle is configured to promote cavitation resulting from choked flow under normal operating conditions.
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Abstract
Liquid treatment apparatus comprises at least two chambers being first and second chambers through which a fluid can flow. The two chambers are separated by at least one choke nozzle which has an entrance in the first chamber and an exit in the second chamber. The choke nozzle (1) comprises a converging section at its entrance (3), a throat section (4), a backward-facing step (5) immediately after the throat section (4), and an exit section at its exit (6) wherein the exit section (6) diverges from the step (5). Similarly constructed mixing nozzles (1) may be included in the apparatus. The apparatus is especially useful in processes requiring a gas to be entrained in a fluid so that the gas is in the form of very small bubbles that do not tend to coalesce and flash off such as in the dissolution of gold and other precious metals from ore in the removal of arsenic from an ore.
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Citations
14 Claims
- 1. Fluid treatment apparatus comprising at least two chambers being first and second chambers through which a fluid can flow, the two chambers being separated by at least one choke nozzle which has an entrance in the first chamber and an exit in the second chamber, wherein the choke nozzle comprises a converging section at its entrance, a throat section, a backward-facing step immediately after the throat section, and an exit section at its exit which opens into the second chamber wherein the choke nozzle is configured to promote cavitation resulting from choked flow under normal operating conditions.
- 12. A process for enhancing chemical or physical reactions occurring in processes by utilizing choked flow, the process comprising passing a fluid through a choke nozzle comprising a converging section, a throat section, a backward-facing step immediately after the throat section and an exit section wherein the directional flow, angular velocity, centrifugal acceleration and straight line acceleration of the fluid create conditions providing cavitation consequent on choked flow through the choke nozzle.
Specification