METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING LIQUIDS AND CONDUCTING SONOCHEMICAL REACTIONS

• US 20170007976A1
• Filed: 07/01/2016
• Published: 01/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arisdyne Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Arisdyne Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: KOZYUK, OLEG
• Granted Patent: US 10,065,167 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/272 with means for moving the materials to be mixed axially between the surfaces of the rotor and the stator, e.g. the stator rotor system formed by conical or cylindrical surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/2722 provided with ribs, ridges or grooves on one surface
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/008 Processes for carrying out reactions under cavitation conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/10 employing sonic or ultrasonic vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/185 of the pulsating type
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0877 Liquid

Abstract

A method of processing a liquid including (a) passing a flow of the liquid through a local constriction into an outlet channel, the flow of liquid having a velocity of at least 1.4 m/s at the exit end of the outlet channel, the flow of liquid in the outlet channel containing cavitation bubbles, and (b) collapsing the cavitation bubbles by subjecting the cavitation bubbles to a water hammer hydraulic pulse pressure resulting from periodically rapidly closing the outlet channel. A device for practicing the method is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of processing a liquid comprising the steps of:

(a) passing a flow of the liquid from an inlet channel through at least one local constriction and into an outlet channel, the flow of liquid having a velocity of at least 1.4 m/s at the exit end of the outlet channel;

(b) creating at least one liquid jet containing cavitation bubbles beyond the local constriction in the outlet channel; and

(c) collapsing the cavitation bubbles by subjecting the cavitation bubbles to a water hammer hydraulic pulse pressure, said water hammer hydraulic pulse pressure resulting from periodically closing the outlet channel, each said closing of the outlet channel occurring within a time period calculated using the equation;

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the closing of the outlet channel is performed by a rotational dynamic valve.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid is selected from the group consisting of aqueous liquids, organic liquids, and mixtures thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid is carrying solid or semisolid particles or mixtures thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid is carrying a gaseous component.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the local constriction is at least one orifice, nozzle or aperture.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the liquid comprises two liquids which are immiscible with each other.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein, in step (a), said velocity is at least 2 m/s.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the closing of the outlet channel occurs at an exit end of the outlet channel.

10. A device for processing a liquid comprising a housing, a channel element and a rotor, the channel element being mounted in the housing, the channel element having a cylindrical external surface, a longitudinal axis and a plurality of passageways, each passageway extending radially along a line which (a) originates at a point on the longitudinal axis and (b) extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, each passageway comprising a local constriction and an outlet channel, the rotor being mounted on a shaft and being located within the housing, the rotor having a cylindrical internal surface facing the channel element cylindrical external surface, the rotor having a plurality of radially-extending rotor channels, the rotor being rotatable about the channel element such that, as the rotor rotates, each rotor channel will periodically line up with each outlet channel so that the outlet channel is open.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the rotor is rotatable about the channel element such that, as the rotor rotates, each outlet channel is periodically closed by being covered by the internal surface of the rotor.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the device has an inlet port in fluid communication with each passageway.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the housing has an outlet port for allowing the exhaust of liquid which has been processed.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the outlet channels and the rotor channels have a circular or rectangular cross section.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein each local constriction is at least one orifice, nozzle or aperture.

16. The device of claim 10, wherein each outlet channel has an exit end and wherein the cross sectional area of the exit end of each outlet channel and the cross sectional area of each rotor channel are the same.

17. The device of claim 10, wherein the rotor is rotatable about the channel element such that, as the rotor rotates, each outlet channel will be periodically closed by the internal surface of the rotor.

18. The device of claim 10, wherein the shaft is connected to a motive means effective to rotate said rotor.