Computer operated material processing systems and method

• US 5,946,220 A
• Filed: 06/05/1996
• Issued: 08/31/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jerome H. Lemelson
• Original Assignee: Jerome H. Lemelson
• Inventors: Lemelson, Jerome H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kemper, Melanie A.
• Application Number:
  US08/658,317
• Time in Patent Office: 1,182 Days
• Field of Search: 364/502, 364/500, 364/496, 364/555, 364/528.08, 364/528.39, 364/528.01, 73/1.87, 73/61.43, 73/61.44, 73/61.48, 73/64.56, 422/72, 422/74, 436/45, 436/43, 436/50, 356/39, 356/426, 356/427, 356/335, 356/336, 356/338, 210/745, 210/600, 210/739, 210/767, 210/781, 210/787, 210/143, 210/512.1, 435/286.5, 494/1, 494/7, 494/9, 494/10, 494/37
• US Class Current: 700/273
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/00 Separation of liquids, not provided for elsewhere, e.g. by thermal diffusion devices for separating or removing fatty or oily substances or similar floating material from water, waste water, or sewage C02F1/40; cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water from oil or like materials E02B15/04; arrangements for separating lubricants from refrigerants F25B43/02
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/0217 by centrifugal force
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/12 Auxiliary equipment particularly adapted for use with liquid-separating apparatus, e.g. control circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/00 Separation of suspended solid particles from liquids by sedimentation separation of ores or the like by sedimentation B03B5/48 - B03B5/60 ; differential sedimentation B03D3/00; purification of water, waste water, sewage or sludge C02F, e.g. devices for separating or removing fatty or oily substances or similar floating material from water, waste water or sewage C02F1/40
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/26 Separation of sediment aided by centrifugal force or centripetal forcecentrifuges B04B; cyclones B04C
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/262 by using a centrifuge
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/302 Active control mechanisms with external energy, e.g. with solenoid valve
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/32 Density control of clear liquid or sediment, e.g. optical control ; Control of physical properties
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/34 Controlling the feed distribution; Controlling the liquid level ; Control of process parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2221/10 Separation devices for use in medical, pharmaceutical or laboratory applications, e.g. separating amalgam from dental treatment residues
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/047 by static multidetectors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/111666 Utilizing a centrifuge or compartmented rotor

Abstract

Improvements in computer controlled material processing are disclosed including an apparatus and method in which the centrifugation of a liquid mixture in order to separate out components of the mixture with different sedimentation rates is adaptively controlled by monitoring the sedimentation of detectable particles and controlling the centrifugation so as to effect a desired localization of the detectable particles. Such adaptive control may be performed with a continuous flow centrifugal separator or a batch-type centrifuge. The detectable particles may be test particles having a sedimentation constant approximately equal to a component of interest in the mixture whose localization is desired.

Claims

1. A computer operated material processing apparatus comprising:

a centrifuge tube for containing a liquid mixture and adapted for rotation about an axis by a mechanically driven rotor so as to subject the mixture to centrifugal forces;

a scanning device for detecting the presence of specific test particles injected into the mixture and generating scanning signals in accordance therewith;

an injector for injecting test particles into the mixture, said test particles being detectable by said scanning device and having a sedimentation constant approximately equal to a component of the mixture that is desired to be separated;

a computer for analyzing the scanning signals and controlling the rotation of the centrifuge tube in accordance with the scanning signals so as to localize said specific particles in a desired sedimentation layer of said tube; and

a reaction column comprising immobilized molecules with a specific binding affinity for said test particles for removing said test particles when said mixture is passed therethrough.

2. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said computer is operable to control the duration for which said centrifuge tube is rotated.

3. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said scanning device comprises a laser for irradiating specific particles in the mixture and a photodetector for detecting the light scattered thereby.

4. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said scanning device comprises a laser for irradiating fluorescently labeled specific particles in the mixture and a photodetector for detecting the light scattered or emitted thereby.

5. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said computer is operable to control the rate at which said centrifuge tube is rotated.

6. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

a mixing vessel for containing fluid components to be mixed;

a fluid agitating device for imparting motion to the fluid components within said mixing vessel;

a computer for controlling the operation of said agitating device;

a scanning device for scanning the fluid components within the mixing vessel during mixing, generating scanning signals indicative of a quality of the mixing, and feeding said scanning signals to said computer.

8. A centrifugal separator in accordance with claim 6 further comprising a control valve for controlling the flow of liquid in a particular stream, said control valve being actuated under control of said computer in a manner so as to maintain a desired concentration of said specific particles in the particular stream.

7. An adaptively controlled centrifugal separator comprising:

a housing into which may be flowed an input stream of a feedstock liquid whose components are desired to be separated, said housing containing an impeller for imparting rotation to the liquid contained therein and subject the fluid to centrifugal forces causing separation of components making up the liquid in accordance with density, said separated components making up a plurality of output streams;

a scanning device for detecting the presence of specific test particles in a stream and generating scanning signals in accordance therewith;

an injector for injecting test particles into the feedstock liquid, said test particles being detectable by said scanning device and having a sedimentation constant approximately equal to a component of the feedstock liquid whose concentration in a particular stream is desired to be controlled;

a computer for analyzing the scanning signals, determining the concentration of particles in a particular stream, and controlling the rotation of the impeller so as to maintain a desired concentration of said specific particles in a particular stream; and

a reactor column into which is flowed a particular stream, said reactor column containing immobilized molecules for removing said test particles by binding therewith.