Fluid mixing apparatus and fluid mixing method

Abstract

The present invention provides a fluid mixing apparatus having a numbering-up mechanism that distributes plural kinds of fluids and concurrently performs multiple mixing or reactions, comprising: a rectifying section having a plurality of annular channels that rectify the plural kinds of fluids into respective concentric annular flows; a distribution section having a plurality of distribution channels that distribute the plural kinds of fluids rectified by the rectifying section into a plurality of flows; a converging section having a plurality of converging channels that converge different kinds of fluids among the plural kinds of fluids distributed by the distribution section; and a mixing/reaction section having a plurality of mixing/reaction channels that cause mixing or reaction of the plural kinds of fluids converged by the converging section, wherein a plurality of pressure loss increasing devices are provided in the distribution channels.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view for illustrating an example of a fluid mixing apparatus according to a first embodiment;

FIGS. 2A and 2B are exploded perspective views for illustrating a rectifying section in the fluid mixing apparatus in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view for illustrating a distribution section, a mixing/reaction section, and an outflow section in the fluid mixing apparatus according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the mixing/reaction section in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view for illustrating an operation in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for illustrating another aspect of the mixing/reaction channel in the first embodiment;

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view for illustrating an example of a fluid mixing apparatus according to a second embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a partial perspective view of a converging section in FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 illustrates an operation in FIG. 8.

Claims

1. A fluid mixing apparatus having a numbering-up mechanism that distributes plural kinds of fluids and concurrently performs multiple mixing or reactions, comprising: a rectifying section having a plurality of annular channels that rectify the plural kinds of fluids into respective concentric annular flows;a distribution section having a plurality of distribution channels that distribute the plural kinds of fluids rectified by the rectifying section into a plurality of flows;a converging section having a plurality of converging channels that converge different kinds of fluids among the plural kinds of fluids distributed by the distribution section; anda mixing/reaction section having a plurality of mixing/reaction channels that cause mixing or reaction of the plural kinds of fluids converged by the converging section,wherein a plurality of pressure loss increasing devices are provided in the distribution channels.

2. The fluid mixing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the converging section and the mixing/reaction section are integrally formed.

3. The fluid mixing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressure loss in the distribution channel is the highest among all the channels that constitute the fluid mixing apparatus.

4. The fluid mixing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the pressure loss in the distribution channel is the highest among all the channels that constitute the fluid mixing apparatus.

5. The fluid mixing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressure loss increasing device is an orifice.

6. The fluid mixing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the pressure loss increasing device is an orifice.

7. The fluid mixing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the pressure loss increasing device is an orifice.

8. The fluid mixing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the distribution section is provided in multiple stages before the converging section, and the distribution number for one distribution is ten or less.

9. The fluid mixing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the distribution section is provided in multiple stages before the converging section, and the distribution number for one distribution is ten or less.

10. The fluid mixing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the distribution section is provided in multiple stages before the converging section, and the distribution number for one distribution is ten or less.

11. The fluid mixing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fluid mixing apparatus includes no accumulating portion where the plural kinds of fluids accumulate.

12. The fluid mixing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the fluid mixing apparatus includes no accumulating portion where the plural kinds of fluids accumulate.

13. The fluid mixing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the fluid mixing apparatus includes no accumulating portion where the plural kinds of fluids accumulate.

14. The fluid mixing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a circle equivalent diameter of the microchannel in the mixing/reaction section is 1 mm or less.

15. The fluid mixing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a circle equivalent diameter of the microchannel in the mixing/reaction section is 1 mm or less.

16. The fluid mixing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a circle equivalent diameter of the microchannel in the mixing/reaction section is 1 mm or less.

17. A fluid mixing method for distributing plural kinds of fluids and concurrently performing multiple mixings or reactions, comprising the steps of: rectifying the plural kinds of fluids into respective concentric annular flows;distributing the plural kinds of fluids rectified in the rectifying step into a plurality of flows;converging different kinds of fluids among the plural kinds of fluids distributed in the distributing step; andcausing mixing or reaction of the plural kinds of fluids converged in the converging step, whereina pressure loss of the plural kinds of fluids are increased in the distributing step.

18. The fluid mixing method according to claim 17, wherein the pressure loss of each of the plural kinds of fluids is the highest when the fluids are distributed into the plurality of flows in the distributing step.