Patent Grant
8322910
The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for mixing by producing shear and/or cavitation, and components for the apparatus.
Cavitation refers to the process of forming vapor bubbles in a liquid. This can be done in a number of manners, such as through the use of a swiftly moving solid body (as an impeller), hydrodynamically, or by high-frequency sound waves.
Apparatuses and methods for producing cavitation are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,399,031; 4,675,194; 5,026,167; 5,492,654; 5,810,052; 5,837,272; 5,931,771; 5,937,906; 5,969,207; 5,971,601; 6,365,555 B1; 6,502,979 B1; 6,802,639 B2; 6,857,774 B2; 7,041,144 B2; 7,178,975 B2; 7,207,712 B2; 7,247,244 B2; 7,314,516 B2; and 7,338,551 B2. One particular apparatus for producing hydrodynamic cavitation is known as a liquid whistle. Liquid whistles are described in Chapter 12 “Techniques of Emulsification” of a book entitled Emulsions—Theory and Practice, 3rd Ed., Paul Becher, American Chemical Society and Oxford University Press, NY, N.Y., 2001. An example of a liquid whistle is a SONOLATOR® high pressure homogenizer, which is manufactured by Sonic Corp. of Stratford, Conn., U.S.A. The liquid whistle directs liquid under pressure through an orifice into a chamber having a knife-like blade therein. The liquid is directed at the blade, and the action of the liquid on the blade causes the blade to vibrate at audible or ultrasonic frequencies. Hydrodynamic cavitation is produced in the liquid in the chamber downstream of the orifice.
Liquid whistles have been in use for many years, and have been used as in-line systems, single or multi-feed, to instantly create fine, uniform and stable emulsions, dispersions, and blends in the chemical, personal care, pharmaceutical, and food and beverage industries.
It has been found, however, that improvements to such devices may be desirable. In particular, some of such devices need to be more easily cleanable, especially when they are used for processing products with microbial sensitivity (subject to growth of microbes) such as food products, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. For example, although the SONOLATOR® high pressure homogenizer is available in “clean-in-place” models, such a feature is only available on very simple models which have no mechanism for adjusting the spacing of the blade relative to the orifice.
In addition, at least some of these devices are not scalable for some transformations. For example, in some cases where a pilot-size unit is used prior to “scaling up” to a production-size unit for commercial production, the physical properties (such as stability, viscosity, appearance, and micro-structure) of the finished product produced by the production-sized unit may be quite different from those of the product produced by the pilot-size unit, even under the same operating conditions. As used herein, the term “operating conditions” refers to conditions such as: pressure drop, back pressure, temperature of liquid components fed into the apparatus, and the distance between the blade and the orifice. The search for improved apparatuses and methods for mixing by producing shear and/or cavitation, and components for such apparatuses has, therefore, continued.
The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for mixing by producing shear and/or cavitation, and components for the apparatus. There are numerous non-limiting embodiments of the present invention.
In one non-limiting embodiment, an apparatus for mixing by producing shear and/or cavitation is disclosed. The apparatus comprises: a mixing and/or cavitation chamber having an entrance, at least one inlet, and at least one outlet; and at least one element with at least one orifice therein located adjacent the entrance of the mixing and/or cavitation chamber. In one version of this embodiment, the apparatus is configured to be cleaned in place. The apparatus may, for example, be provided with at least one drain in liquid communication with the mixing and/or cavitation chamber. The apparatus may further comprise at least one blade in the mixing and/or cavitation chamber disposed opposite the element with the orifice therein. If the apparatus comprises at least one blade, the apparatus may further comprise a blade holder that is movable so that the distance between the tip of the blade(s) and the discharge of the orifice can be varied. Improvements to the mixing and/or cavitation chamber, blade, blade holder, and orifice component are also described herein.
In these or other embodiments, the apparatus may be configured to be scalable. In one version of such an embodiment, the apparatus is provided with an injector that is movable so that the distance between the discharge end of the injector and the at least one orifice can be adjusted. In this, or other embodiments, the upstream mixing chamber has a diameter measured at the centerline of the inlet, and the dimension measured from the centerline of the inlet to the point where the upstream mixing chamber first narrows at a location downstream of the inlet is greater than or equal to about 1.1 times the diameter of the upstream mixing chamber measured at the centerline of the inlet.
A process for mixing by producing shear and/or cavitation in a fluid is also described herein.
The following detailed description will be more fully understood in view of the drawings in which:
The embodiments shown in the drawings are illustrative in nature and are not intended to be limiting of the invention defined by the claims. Moreover, individual features of the drawings and the invention will be more fully apparent and understood in view of the detailed description.
The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for mixing by producing shear and/or cavitation. It should be understood that, in certain embodiments, the ability of the apparatus and method to induce shear may not only be useful for mixing, but may also be useful for dispersion of solid particles in liquids and in breaking up solid particles. In certain embodiments, the ability of the apparatus and method to induce shear and/or produce cavitation may also be useful for droplet and/or vesicle formation.
The apparatus 20 can comprise a hydrodynamic cavitation apparatus. One example of such an apparatus is a liquid whistle. One commercial example of a liquid whistle is the SONOLATOR® high pressure homogenizer available from Sonic Corp. of Stratford, Conn., U.S.A. SONOLATOR® high pressure homogenizers are described in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,176,964 issued to Cottell, et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 3,926,413 issued to D'Urso. The apparatus 20 described herein contains additional features and improvements relative to certain existing devices.
The components of the present apparatus 20 can include: an injector component 42, an inlet housing 44, an orifice housing (or “orifice support component”) 46, the orifice component 32, a downstream mixing chamber housing 48, a blade holder 50, an adjuster support 52 and an adjustment component 54 for adjusting the distance between the tip of blade 40 and the discharge of the orifice 34. It may also be desirable for there to be a throttling valve (which may be external to the apparatus 20) that is located downstream of the downstream mixing chamber 26 to vary the pressure in the downstream mixing chamber 26. The inlet housing 44, upstream mixing chamber housing 46, and downstream mixing chamber housing 48 can be in any suitable configurations. Suitable configurations include, but are not limited to cylindrical, configurations that have elliptical, or other suitable shaped cross-sections. The configurations of each of these components need not be the same. In one embodiment, these components comprise generally comprise cylindrical elements that have substantially cylindrical inner surfaces and generally cylindrical outer surfaces.
These components can be made of any suitable material(s), including but not limited to: stainless steel, AL6XN, Hastalloy, and titanium. It may be desirable that at least portions of the blade 40 and orifice component 32 to be made of materials with higher surface hardness or higher hardnesses. Suitable materials with higher surface hardness or higher hardnesses are described in provisional U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/937,501, filed Jun. 28, 2007. The components of the apparatus 20 can be made in any suitable manner, including but not limited to by machining the same out of solid blocks of the materials described above. The components may be joined or held together in any suitable manner.
The term “joined”, as used in this specification, encompasses configurations in which an element is directly secured to another element by affixing the element directly to the other element; configurations in which the element is indirectly secured to the other element by affixing the element to intermediate member(s) which in turn are affixed to the other element; configurations where one element is held by another element; and configurations in which one element is integral with another element, i.e., one element is essentially part of the other element. In certain embodiments, it may be desirable for at least some of the components described herein to be provided with threaded, clamped, or pressed connections for joining the same together. One or more of the components described herein can, for example, be clamped, held together by pins, or configured to fit within another component.
For the purposes of discussion, the apparatus 20 (especially the interior thereof) may be considered to comprise several zones. These will be designated Zone 1, Zone 2, Zone 3, Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6 and Zone 7. Zone 1 comprises the portion of the upstream mixing chamber 24 prior to the location where the two or more streams of liquid fed into the apparatus 20 meet. The flow of streams of liquid is indicated by arrows in
The apparatus 20 comprises at least one inlet (or “inlet conduits”) 22, and typically comprises two or more inlets, such as inlets 22A, 22B, and 22C, so that more than one material can be fed into the apparatus 20. The apparatus 20 can comprise any suitable number of inlets (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, . . . , etc.) so that any of such numbers of different materials can be fed into the apparatus 20. The apparatus 20 may also comprise at least one drain, or at least one dual purpose, bidirectional flow conduit that serves as both an inlet and drain. The inlets and any drains may be disposed in any suitable orientation relative to the remainder of the apparatus 20. The inlets and any drains may, for example, be axially, radially, or tangentially oriented relative to the remainder of the apparatus 20. They may form any suitable angle relative the longitudinal axis of the apparatus 20. The inlets and any drains may be disposed on the sides of the apparatus. If the inlets and drains are disposed on the sides of the apparatus, they can be in any suitable orientation relative to the remainder of the apparatus. It may be desirable for any drain to be located on the gravitational bottom of the apparatus 20 and to have at least an initial section that extends straight downwardly therefrom. It also may be desirable for at least one inlet to be oriented at an angle of 180 degrees relative to the drain, for ease of flushing the apparatus 20.
In the embodiment shown in
The first material may comprise any suitable fluid. The fluid can comprise any suitable liquid or gas. In some embodiments, it may be desirable for the fluid to comprise two or more different phases, or multiple phases. The different phases can comprise one or more liquid, gas, or solid phases. In the case of liquids, it is often desirable for the liquid to contain sufficient dissolved gas for cavitation. Suitable liquids include, but are not limited to: water, oil, solvents, liquefied gases, slurries, and melted materials that are ordinarily solids at room temperature. Melted solid materials include, but are not limited to waxes, organic materials, inorganic materials, polymers, fatty alcohols, and fatty acids. The first material may, for example, comprise an oil, or an aqueous material. The first material may be heated or unheated. In one embodiment of a process of using the apparatus 20, the first material comprises a heated oil.
The fluid(s) can also have solid particles therein. The particles can comprise any suitable material including, but not limited to: TiO2, bismuth containing materials, ZnO, CaCO3, Na2SO4, and Na2CO3. The particles can be of any suitable size, including macroscopic particles and nanoparticles. In some cases, at least some of these solid particles may be amorphous. In some cases, at least some of these solid particles may be crystalline. In some cases, at least some of the solid particles may be abrasive. These particles may be present in any suitable amount in the liquid. Suitable amounts may fall within any suitable range, including but not limited to between about 0.001% to about 65%, or more; alternatively between about 0.01% to about 40%; alternatively between about 0.1% to about 10%; or, alternatively between about 0.5% and about 4% by weight.
The apparatus 20 also comprises a second inlet 22B. The second inlet 22B can be used to introduce an additional stream of the first material into the apparatus, or it can be used to introduce a second material into the apparatus. If a second material is fed into the apparatus, the second material may comprise any of the general types of materials described in conjunction with the first material. The second material may also be heated or unheated. In one embodiment of a process of using the apparatus 20, the second material comprises an unheated aqueous material. The materials can be supplied to the apparatus 20 in any suitable manner including, but not limited to through the use of pumps and motors powering the same. The pumps can supply the materials to the apparatus 20 under the desired pressure.
In the embodiment shown in
The apparatus 20 may be provided with one or more features that allow the apparatus to be more “scalable” than certain prior liquid whistles. As used herein, the term “scalable” refers to equipment that provides substantially the same processing conditions and results from using the equipment, such that a process can be scaled-up from at least one size unit to another. “Scale-up” is a methodological approach to building a manufacturing process using data obtained from a smaller scale process, with the objective of producing identical (high quality) product, in a reasonable period of time following construction completion. Scale-up can be done from lab bench-top to pilot-plant scale, from pilot-plant to “semi-works” (or small production unit) size, and from “semi-works” size to large national scale manufacturing systems. The work of the scale-up study is the analysis of the fundamental transformations that take place in a process to a level of understanding that the probability of similar operation and product between the different scales is very high. Typically, scale-up between different size units is carried out between units that differ in maximum flow rate by a factor of any number between two and fifteen, or alternatively between five and fifteen, for example, such as a factor of ten. As used herein, a “transformation” is the conversion (physical, chemical, thermodynamic, biological, or combinations thereof) of a material or materials from one form to another. Examples of transformations in chemical, mechanical, and packaging processes include emulsification, hydration, crystallization, binding, cutting, etc.
Typically, the scale of apparatuses of the types described herein can be described in terms of the amount of liquid that can be processed through the apparatuses. Such apparatuses may, for example, range in size from a pilot scale unit capable of processing 3-15 L/minute to a semi-works, or small full scale production units that are capable of processing 30-200 L/minute to large full scale production units capable of processing 300-1,500 L/min. Such flow rate ranges may be overlapping, or non-overlapping. In some embodiments, it may be desirable to provide a set of two or more apparatuses of different sizes/scales that provide substantially the same processing conditions in the time and space domains in each size of apparatus wherein the apparatuses are scalable. Such processing conditions may include, but are not limited to substantially the same: mass weighted residence time and/or residence time distribution of liquid in the upstream mixing chamber; velocity of liquid flowing into the orifice; distribution of materials through each of the different zones, in particular across the opening of the orifice; mass weighted residence time and/or residence time distribution of liquid in the downstream mixing chamber; and, local turbulent dissipation rate. Typically, such processing conditions will be compared at the respective design or “centerline” flow rates for each apparatus for the particular composition or formula being processed. That is, if a composition is made on one scale of apparatus, the composition will typically be made at a certain flow rate in order for the composition to have the desired properties. In order to make substantially the same composition on a second apparatus of a different size/scale, a greater or lesser centerline flow rate will be selected for operating the second apparatus. It is understood that the centerline flow rates may depend on the desired characteristics of the composition being processed.
By “substantially the same” processing conditions, it is meant that at least some of the aforementioned processing conditions, with the exception of the turbulent dissipation rate, are within a range of about 75%-125% of that of an apparatus of one size/scale smaller or larger. With respect to the turbulent dissipation rate, “substantially the same” processing conditions refers to turbulent dissipation rates that are within a factor of ten (that is, ten times) each other. Turbulent dissipation rate can be measured in Zones 3, 4, 5, and 6. In some embodiments, it may be specified that the turbulent dissipation rates are within a factor of five of each other. The processing conditions described in this paragraph are calculated using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), and more specifically, are calculated using Fluent software available from Fluent, Inc. (subsidiary of ANSYS, Inc.) of Lebanon, N.H., U.S.A.
In one embodiment, Zone 1 may be elongated to provide a more scalable apparatus 20. The portion of the upstream mixing chamber 24 in Zone 1 at the second inlet 22B has a diameter D. It may be desirable for the ratio of the diameter D of the upstream mixing chamber 24 measured at the centerline of the inlet to the diameter d of the inlet to be greater than 2. When Zone 1 is described herein as being “elongated”, this refers to the fact that the dimension E measured from the centerline, CL, of the inlet 22B to the to the point where the upstream mixing chamber 24 first narrows at a location downstream of the inlet 22 is greater than or equal to about 1.1 D. Without being bound by any particular theory, it is believed that these relationships will allow the flow of liquid coming from the inlet 22B to be slowed, and to be formed into a generally axially symmetric configuration (e.g., a generally cylindrical configuration in the embodiment shown) before it is accelerated further downstream in the apparatus 20. This will allow control to be maintained over the conditions of the liquid flowing into the orifice 34. Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is believed that if the flow of liquid is more axially symmetric in apparatuses of different sizes/scales, the apparatuses will be more nearly scalable. If the characteristics of the flow of liquid, such as symmetry of flow, vary significantly between apparatuses of different sizes/scales, then it will be difficult to make such devices substantially scalable.
In some versions of such an embodiment, the injector component 42 is reconfigurable/adjustable to vary the residence time and/or residence time distribution of the liquid in Zone 1. The injector component 42 may, for example, be interchangeable/replaceable, or it may be movable (e.g., provided with a threaded mechanism for movement inwardly and/or outwardly, or it may be slidable). Providing a reconfigurable/adjustable injector component 42 may allow the residence time and/or residence time distribution of the liquid in Zone 1 to be adjusted so that they are matched between different scales of apparatuses.
The upstream mixing chamber 24 has an upstream end 24A, a downstream end 24B, and interior walls 24C. In certain embodiments, it may further be desirable for at least a portion of the upstream mixing chamber 24 to be provided with an initial axially symmetrical constriction zone 24D that is tapered in Zone 1 (prior to the location of the 42B downstream end of injector 42) so that the size (e.g., diameter) of the upstream mixing chamber 24 becomes smaller toward the downstream end 24B of the upstream mixing chamber 24 as the orifice 34 is approached. In some of the cases where a portion 24D of the upstream mixing chamber 24 is tapered, the tapered portions of the walls of the upstream mixing chamber 24 may form an included angle, A, with respect to each other of greater than or equal to about 11° and less than about 135°. The included angle A may, for example be less than or equal to about 90°. This may also assist in forming the liquid stream flowing into the orifice 34 in an axially symmetrical configuration.
This can be contrasted with the prior art device shown in
In some embodiments, it is desirable for the apparatus 20 described herein to be substantially free of liquid baffles or turning vanes in the path of liquid into the orifice 34 so that the apparatus 20 will be easier to clean. In alternative embodiments, baffles or turning vanes can be used to create axially symmetric flow; however, this would make cleaning the apparatus more difficult.
Zone 3 comprises a zone at the orifice 34. The element 32 with the orifice 34 therein can be in any suitable configuration. In some embodiments, the element 32 with the orifice 34 therein can comprise a single component. In other embodiments, the element 32 with the orifice 34 therein can comprise one or more components of an orifice component system. One non-limiting embodiment of an orifice component 32 system is shown in greater detail in
In the embodiment shown in
In addition, as shown in
The orifice component 32 system, and the components thereof, can be made of any suitable material or materials. Suitable materials include, but are not limited to: stainless steel, tool steel, titanium, cemented tungsten carbide, diamond (e.g., bulk diamond) (natural and synthetic), and coatings of any of the above materials, including but not limited to diamond-coated materials. The insert 70 and/or the nozzle 72 may be made of a harder material than other portions or components of the structure comprising the orifice component system 32. The insert 70 and nozzle components are used so that the other larger portions or components of the orifice component system 32 can be made from less hard, and less expensive materials, or without using materials with a hard lining.
In the embodiment shown in
The orifice component system 32, and the components thereof, can be formed in any suitable manner. Any of the components of the orifice component system 32 can be formed from solid pieces of the materials described above which are available in bulk form. The components may also be formed of a solid piece of one of the materials specified above, which is coated over at least a portion of its surface with one or more different materials specified above. As noted above, the components of the orifice component system 32 shown in the drawings are formed from more than one piece. In one version of the embodiment shown in the drawings, the nozzle 72 is made of synthetic bulk diamond. The orifice 34 is provided in the nozzle 72 by cutting using a laser or hot wire diamond cutter, or diamond-based cutting tools. The nozzle 72 is optionally polished using diamond dust. The orifice insert 70 is made of tungsten carbide. The rest of the orifice component system 32, including the housing 66 and nozzle backing 68 are made of stainless steel.
In other embodiments, the element 32 with the orifice 34 therein can comprise a single component having any suitable configuration, such as the configuration of the orifice component system shown in
The orifice 34 is configured, either alone, or in combination with some other component, to mix the fluids and/or produce shear and/or cavitation in the fluid(s), or the mixture of the fluids. The orifice 34 can be in any suitable configuration. Suitable configurations include, but are not limited to: slot-shaped, eye-shaped, cat eye-shaped, elliptically-shaped, triangular, square, rectangular, in the shape of any other polygon, or circular. In some embodiments, it may be desirable for the width, W, of the orifice to exceed the height of the orifice. In such embodiments, the orifice 34 may spray liquid in a jet in the form of a flat ribbon of spray in the longitudinal direction. The width of the orifice 34 may be any multiple of the height of the orifice including, but not limited to: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 2, . . . , 2.5, 3, 3.5, . . . , etc. up to 100 or more times the height of the orifice. The orifice 34 can be of any suitable width including, but not limited to, up to about 1 inch (2.54 cm), or more. The orifice 34 can have any suitable height including, but not limited to, up to about 0.5 inch (about 1.3 cm), or more.
In some embodiments, the shape of the orifice 34 may be matched between different sizes of orifices and/or apparatuses to provide substantially the same distribution of materials (or “species”) across the opening of the orifice 34 during operation of the apparatus 20. This can be done by maintaining substantially the same ratio of the perimeter of the orifice 34 to the area of the orifice 34. In certain embodiments, it is desirable for the mean and the standard deviation of the distribution of materials across the opening of the orifice 34 in two different size/scale apparatuses to be at least within 20% of each other. This will enable substantially the same transformations to be carried out on different sizes of orifices and/or apparatuses while maintaining the physical parameter (including, but not limited to the orifice perimeter and geometry) consistency necessary for scale-up.
In some cases, the apparatus 20 may comprise a blade 40. A blade 40 may be used, for example, if it is desired to use the apparatus 20 to form emulsions with a lower mean droplet size than if the blade was not present. As shown in
As shown in
The blade 40 can have any suitable configuration. As shown in
The blade 40 can have any suitable dimensions. In certain embodiments, the blade 40 can range in size from as small as 1 mm long and 7 microns thick to as big as 50 cm long and over 100 mm thick. One non-limiting example of a small blade is about 5 mm long and 0.2 mm thick. A non-limiting example of a larger blade is 100 mm long and 100 mm thick.
As shown in
The blade 40 can comprise any suitable material or materials. The blade 40 desirably will comprise a material, or materials, that are chemically compatible with the fluids to be processed. (The same may also be desirable for the components of the orifice component system 32.) It may be desirable for the blade 40 to be comprised at least partially of a material that is chemically resistant to one or more of the following conditions: low pH's (pH's below about 5); high pH's (pH's above about 9); salts (chloride ions); and oxidation.
Suitable materials for the blade 40 include, but are not limited to any material or materials described herein as being suitable for use in the orifice component system 32, and the components thereof. It should be understood, however, that the materials specified herein do not necessarily have all of the desired chemical resistance properties.
The entire blade 40 may be comprised of one of the above materials, such as stainless steel or diamond. Alternatively, a portion of the blade 40 may comprise one of the materials described herein as being suitable for use in the orifice component system 32, and another portion (or portions) of the blade 40 may comprise a different one of these materials. For example, in some cases, it may be desirable for a portion of the blade 40, such as the tapered portion 96, to comprise a harder material (such as diamond) than the remainder of the blade 40. This may be desirable since the tapered portion 96 forms the leading edge 84 of the blade 40 and will be the portion of the blade subject to greatest wear during use. The remainder of the blade 40 (other than the leading edge of the blade) can be comprised of some other material, such as a material that has one or more of the following properties: is less hard, less expensive, more ductile, or less brittle than the tapered portion 96.
The blade 40, or various portions thereof, may have any suitable hardness. In one non-limiting embodiment, at least the tapered portion 96 of the blade is formed from a material with a Vickers hardness of greater than or equal to about 20 GPa. In such embodiments, the remainder of the blade 40 can comprise a material that has a Vickers hardness of less than 20 GPa. For instance, at least a portion of the tapered portion 96 of the blade 40 could comprise a diamond insert 102 (such as in the center of the leading edge 84 of the blade), and the remainder of the blade could be made of stainless steel. Such an insert could be joined to the remainder of the blade in any suitable manner, such as by bonding the insert to the remainder of the blade or by heat shrinking the insert onto the remainder of the blade. Alternatively, the tapered portion 96 of the blade 40 can be provided with a diamond coating, and the remainder of the blade could be made of stainless steel.
Several non-limiting examples of methods of forming a blade are possible. The blade 40 can comprise a bulk material, such as bulk diamond material. Such a material can be formed in any suitable manner such as by high pressure and high temperature sintering in the presence of bonding elements such as cobalt, nickel, or iron using presses that form synthetic diamond from diamond dust. In other embodiments, the blade 40 can be formed by forming a coated composite structure, or by coating layers of a material to form or build the final blade structure. The same techniques can be used to form components of the orifice component system 32.
In some embodiments, it is desirable to maintain substantially the same distance between the tip 84 of the blade 40 and the discharge of the orifice 34, and substantially the same pressure field distribution and turbulent energy dissipation in Zone 4 (the region where the liquid exits the orifice 34 to the leading edge 84 of the blade) and Zone 5 (the boundary layer around the blade) in at least two different sizes/scales of mixing devices (such as a pilot scale unit and a commercial scale unit). In some of these embodiments, it is desirable to maintain the same distance between the tip of the blade and the discharge of the orifice, and substantially the same pressure field distribution and turbulent energy dissipation in Zones 4 and 5 across all sizes/scales of mixing devices. This can improve the ability to scale-up between different sizes/scales of apparatuses.
In some embodiments, it may be desirable to change the configuration of the blade 40 (in Zone 5) so that the boundary layer configuration defined in terms of volume and volumetric shape factor of the liquid jet around the blades 40 used in different scales of the apparatus is substantially the same.
As shown in
Zone 6 comprises the downstream mixing chamber 26. In some embodiments, it is desirable to maintain substantially the same flow pattern and residence time (that is, mass weighted residence time) and/or residence time distribution in Zone 6 in at least two different sizes/scales of apparatuses (such as a pilot scale unit and a commercial scale unit). In some of these embodiments, it is desirable to maintain the same flow pattern and mass weighted residence time in Zone 6 across all sizes/scales of apparatuses to improve the ability to scale-up between different sizes/scales of apparatuses. In some embodiments, it is also desirable to maintain substantially the same iso-volume percentage of volume at certain pressure ranges as a fraction of total flow volume in Zone 6 in at least two different sizes/scales of apparatuses.
The apparatus 20 comprises at least one outlet or discharge port 30 in Zone 7. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the apparatus 20 comprises one outlet 30A and one combination outlet/drain 30B. In this embodiment, one of the discharge ports, outlet 30A, is aligned adjacent the upper surface 90 of the blade 40, and one of the discharge ports, combination outlet/drain 30B, is aligned with the lower surface 92 of the blade 40. The outlet 30A can also serve as an inlet for flushing the apparatus 20 during cleaning and, thus, may be referred to as a combination outlet/flushing inlet. The combination outlet/drain 30B is on the gravitational bottom of the apparatus 20. It may be desirable for the combination outlet/drain 30B to comprise at least an initial section that is oriented vertically downward (which orientation may be normal to the surfaces 90 and 92 of the blade 40, or may be described as being generally parallel to the height dimension of the orifice 34 if, for example, no blade is present). The location of the discharge ports 30A and 30B above and below the blade 40, respectively, will help to ensure that there is a symmetrical flow of liquid over the blade 40 during use.
In addition to providing an outlet for the mixed liquids from the apparatus 20 during use, water (or other cleaning liquid) can be flushed into the apparatus 20 through the discharge ports 30A and 30B to clean the apparatus 20 between uses. The configuration of the blade holder 50 described above provides a structure which is believed to better distribute liquid used to clean the apparatus 20 throughout the downstream mixing chamber 26 when the downstream mixing chamber 26 is flushed.
It may also be desirable that the cross-section of the blade holder 50 be of a non-circular configuration such that the width of the blade holder 50 is greater than the height of the blade holder to aid in flushing the downstream mixing chamber 26. When the cross-section of the blade holder 50 is circular, the liquid used to clean the apparatus 20 will have a tendency to flow around the sides of the blade holder 50 without being distributed over the upper and lower surfaces of the blade 40. When the blade holder 50 has a non-circular cross-section with a larger space between the walls of the downstream mixing chamber 26 and the blade holder 50 at the top and bottom of the downstream mixing chamber 26 than there is between the blade holder 50 and the walls of the downstream mixing chamber 26 along the sides of the downstream mixing chamber, this will help force the cleaning liquid over the upper and lower surfaces of the blade 40.
It is also desirable that the interior of the apparatus 20 be substantially free of any crevices, nooks, and crannies so that the apparatus 20 will be more easily cleanable between uses. One prior art device, for example, has a metal backing block to hold the component with the orifice therein in place. The gaps in the metal-to-metal contact creates crevices therebetween into which liquid can enter and remain between uses of the apparatus. In addition, this prior art device has additional internal ports for the passage of liquid through the device during use of the device before liquid flows out of the exit ports. In one embodiment of the apparatus 20 described herein, the orifice component 32 comprises several subcomponents that are formed into an integral structure. This integral orifice component 32 structure fits as a unit into the upstream mixing chamber housing 46 and requires no backing block to retain the same in place, eliminating such crevices. In the embodiment of the apparatus 20 shown in the drawings, the outlets 30A and 30B are also positioned immediately off the downstream mixing chamber 26 and are in direct liquid communication with the downstream mixing chamber 26 so that liquid passes directly from the downstream mixing chamber 26 out of the apparatus via the outlets 30A and 30B. The outlets 30A and 30B are, thus, integral with the downstream mixing chamber 26 and are free of any additional internal ports for the passage of liquid before liquid flows out of the outlets 30A and 30B. It may also be desirable for clean-ability for the apparatus 20 to be free of any conduits that permit liquid to flow into such conduits, but which end at a termination point (“dead end” or “dead leg”) which is non-drainable.
As shown in
The blade holder 50 has one or more broad contact surfaces with the interior of the apparatus 20. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the blade holder 50 having at least two broad cylindrical contact surfaces 120A and 120B with at least two sealing points 122 and 124 per surface disposed adjacent to the ends of each surface. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the blade holder 50 has a larger dimension (e.g., diameter) at the upstream contact surfaces 120A than at the downstream contact surfaces 120B. It may be desirable for contact surfaces 120A and 120B to be machined surfaces, especially highly precisely machined surfaces. As shown in
Numerous other embodiments of the apparatus 20 and components therefor are possible as well. The blade holder 50 could be configured to hold more than one blade 40. For example, the blade holder 50 could be configured to hold two or more blades. In one version of such an embodiment, the blades could form an angle with each other. In another version of such an embodiment, the blades could intersect. If the blades intersect, they could intersect at any suitable angle. If they intersect at a 90° angle, they could be in the configuration of a cross when viewed from the front. Providing the apparatus with more than one blade could be done for any suitable purpose, including, but not limited to increasing the local turbulent dissipation rate.
A process for mixing by producing shear and/or cavitation in a fluid is also contemplated herein. In one non-limiting embodiment, the process utilizes an apparatus 20 such as that described above. The process comprises providing a mixing chamber, such as downstream mixing chamber 26, and an element, such as orifice component system 32, with an orifice 34 therein.
The process further comprises introducing at least one fluid into an optional upstream mixing chamber 24, and then into at least one entrance to the downstream mixing chamber 26 so that the fluid passes through the orifice 34 in the orifice component system 32. The at least one fluid can be supplied to the apparatus 20 in any suitable manner including, but not limited to through the use of pumps and motors powering the same. The pumps can supply at least one fluid to the apparatus under the desired pressure through inlets 22. The fluid(s), or the mixture of the fluids, pass through the orifice 34 under pressure. The orifice 34 is configured, either alone, or in combination with some other component, to mix the fluids and/or produce shear and/or cavitation in the fluid(s), or the mixture of the fluids.
The fluid can comprise any suitable liquid or gas. In some embodiments, it may be desirable for the fluid to comprise two or more different phases, or multiple phases. The different phases can comprise one or more liquid, gas, or solid phases. In the case of liquids, it is often desirable for the liquid to contain sufficient dissolved gas for cavitation. Suitable liquids include, but are not limited to: water, oil, solvents, liquefied gases, slurries, and melted materials that are ordinarily solids at room temperature. Melted solid materials include, but are not limited to waxes, organic materials, inorganic materials, polymers, fatty alcohols, and fatty acids. The fluid(s) can also have solid particles therein as described above.
The process may further comprise providing a blade, such as blade 40, disposed in the downstream mixing chamber 26 opposite the element 32 with an orifice 34 therein. In cases where a blade 40 is used, the process may include a step of forming the liquid into a jet stream and impinging the jet stream against the vibratable blade with sufficient force to induce the blade to vibrate harmonically at an intensity that is sufficient to generate cavitation in the fluid. The cavitation may be hydrodynamic or acoustic.
The process may be carried out under any suitable pressure. In certain embodiments, the pressure as measured at the feed to the orifice immediately prior to the point where the fluid passes through the orifice is greater than or equal to about 500 psi. (35 bar), or any number greater than 500 psi. including, but not limited to about: 1,000 (70 bar), 1,500 (100 bar), 2,000 (140 bar), 2,500 (175 bar), 3,000 (210 bar), 3,500 (245 bar), 4,000 (280 bar), 4,500 (315 bar), 5,000 (350 bar), 5,500 (385 bar), 6,000 (420 bar), 6,500 (455 bar), 7,000 (490 bar), 7,500 (525 bar), 8,000 (560 bar), 8,500 (595 bar), 9,000 (630 bar), 9,500 (665 bar), 10,000 psi. (700 bar), and any 500 psi. increment above 10,000 psi. (700 bar), including 15,000 (1,050 bar), 20,000 (1,400 bar), or higher.
A given volume of fluid can have any suitable residence time and/or residence time distribution within the mixing chamber 26. Some suitable residence times include, but are not limited to from about 1 microsecond to about 1 second, or more. The fluid(s) can flow at any suitable flow rate through the mixing chamber 26. Suitable flow rates range from about 1 to about 1,500 L/minute, or more, or any narrower range of flow rates falling within such range including, but not limited to from about 5 to about 1,000 L/min.
The process may also be run continuously for any suitable period of time. Suitable times include, but are not limited to greater than or equal to about: 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 1 hour, and any increment of 30 minutes above 1 hour.
The process may be used to make many different kinds of products including, but not limited to surfactants, emulsions, dispersions, and blends in the chemical, household care, personal care, pharmaceutical, and food and beverage industries.
A process for cleaning the apparatus 20 is also provided herein.
The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to mean “about 40 mm”.
It should be understood that every maximum numerical limitation given throughout this specification includes every lower numerical limitation, as if such lower numerical limitations were expressly written herein. Every minimum numerical limitation given throughout this specification will include every higher numerical limitation, as if such higher numerical limitations were expressly written herein. Every numerical range given throughout this specification will include every narrower numerical range that falls within such broader numerical range, as if such narrower numerical ranges were all expressly written herein.
Every document cited herein, including any cross referenced or related patent or application, is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety unless expressly excluded or otherwise limited. The citation of any document is not an admission that it is prior art with respect to any invention disclosed or claimed herein or that it alone, or in any combination with any other reference or references, teaches, suggests or discloses any such invention. Further, to the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to that term in this document shall govern.
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/083,583, filed Jul. 25, 2008.
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