Method and apparatus for generating a mist

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10507480-B2
Application number	US-201514672015-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2015
Priority date	Feb 26, 2004
Publication date	Dec 17, 2019
Grant date	Dec 17, 2019

Abstract

Apparatus for generating a mist comprising a conduit having a mixing chamber and an exit; a transport nozzle in fluid communication with the said conduit, the transport nozzle being adapted to introduce a transport fluid into the mixing chamber; a working nozzle positioned adjacent the transport nozzle intermediate the transport nozzle and the exit, the working nozzle being adapted to introduce a working fluid into the mixing chamber; the transport and working nozzles having an angular orientation and internal geometry such that in use interaction of the transport fluid and working fluid in the mixing chamber causes the working fluid to atomize and form a dispersed vapor/droplet flow regime, which is discharged as a mist from the exit, the mist comprising working fluid droplets having a substantially uniform size.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Apparatus for generating a mist comprising:
a conduit having a mixing chamber and an exit;
a first annular transport fluid nozzle in fluid communication with the conduit, the first transport fluid nozzle being adapted to introduce a transport fluid into the mixing chamber;
a second annular transport fluid nozzle in fluid communication with the conduit, the second transport fluid nozzle being adapted to introduce further transport fluid or a second transport fluid into the mixing chamber; and
an annular working fluid nozzle positioned adjacent the first transport fluid nozzle intermediate the first transport fluid nozzle and the exit, the working fluid nozzle being adapted to introduce a working fluid into the mixing chamber;
wherein the first transport fluid nozzle and the working fluid nozzle have an angular orientation and internal geometry such that in use interaction of the transport fluid and working fluid in the mixing chamber causes the working fluid to atomise and form a dispersed vapour/droplet flow regime, which is discharged as a mist from the exit, the mist comprising working fluid droplets;
wherein each of the working fluid nozzle, the first transport fluid nozzle, and the second transport fluid nozzle comprise an annular nozzle that circumscribes the conduit and provides fluid into the mixing chamber,
wherein each of the first transport fluid nozzle, the working fluid nozzle, and the second transport fluid nozzle include a corresponding convergent-divergent portion, a first portion of the first transport fluid nozzle downstream of the corresponding convergent-divergent portion defining a first axis, a second portion of the working fluid nozzle downstream of the corresponding convergent-divergent portion defining a second axis, an angle between the first axis and the second axis being acute such that the first transport fluid nozzle is angled towards a stream of working fluid from the working fluid nozzle; and
wherein the second annular transport fluid nozzle is positioned nearer to the exit of the conduit than the working fluid nozzle, such that the working fluid nozzle is intermediate both the first transport fluid nozzle and the second annular transport fluid nozzle.

2. Apparatus for generating a mist comprising:
a conduit having a mixing chamber and an exit;
a first transport nozzle in fluid communication with the conduit, the first transport nozzle being adapted to introduce a transport fluid into the mixing chamber;
a second transport nozzle in fluid communication with the said conduit, the second transport nozzle being adapted to introduce further transport fluid or a second transport fluid into the mixing chamber;
a working nozzle positioned adjacent the first transport nozzle intermediate the first transport nozzle and the exit, the working nozzle being adapted to introduce a working fluid into the mixing chamber;
wherein the second transport nozzle is positioned nearer the exit than the working nozzle, such that the working nozzle is intermediate both transport nozzles, and
wherein the transport and working nozzles have an angular orientation and internal geometry such that in use interaction of the transport fluid and working fluid in the mixing chamber causes the working to atomise and form a dispersed vapour/droplet flow regime, which is discharged as a mist from the exit, the mist comprising working fluid droplets;
wherein each of the first transport nozzle, the working nozzle, and the second transport nozzle include a convergent-divergent portion, and the working fluid nozzle is annular, a first portion of the first transport nozzle downstream of the corresponding convergent-divergent portion defining a first axis, a second portion of the working nozzle downstream of the corresponding convergent-divergent portion defining a second axis, an angle between the first axis and the second axis being acute such that the first transport nozzle is angled towards a stream of working fluid from the working nozzle.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first transport nozzle, the second transport nozzle, and the working nozzle circumscribes the conduit.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the angular orientation and internal geometry of the transport and working nozzles is such that the size of the working fluid droplets is less than 50 μm.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the mixing chamber includes a converging portion.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the mixing chamber includes a diverging portion.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the mixing chamber includes an inlet adapted to introduce an inlet fluid into the mixing chamber, the inlet being distal from the exit, the transport and working nozzles being arranged intermediate the inlet and exit.

8. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the transport nozzles have inner and outer surfaces each being substantially frustoconical in shape.

9. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the working nozzle has a convergent-divergent profile.

10. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the working nozzle has inner and outer surfaces each being substantially frustoconical in shape.

11. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the internal geometry of the transport nozzle has an area ratio, namely exit area to throat area, in the range 1.75 to 15, having an included angle α substantially equal to or less than 6 degrees for supersonic flow and substantially equal to or less than 12 degrees for sub-sonic flow.

12. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the transport nozzle is oriented at an angle β of between 0 to 30 degrees.

13. The apparatus of claim 2 , herein the mixing chamber is closed upstream of the transport nozzle.

14. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the exit of the apparatus is provided with a cowl to control the mist.

15. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the conduit includes a passage.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the passage, the transport nozzles, or the working nozzle has a turbulator to induce turbulence of the fluid therethrough prior to the fluid being introduced into the mixing chamber.

17. The apparatus of claim 2 , comprising:
the first transport nozzle and the working nozzle are continuous.

Assignees

• Tyco Fire Products Lp

Inventors

• Fenton Marcus Brian Mayhall
• Heathcote John Gervase Mark
• Wallis Alexander Guy

Classifications

• C08K5/098 Primary

  Metal salts of carboxylic acids · CPC title

• C08K3/32

  Phosphorus-containing compounds · CPC title

• C08J5/18

  Manufacture of films or sheets · CPC title

• C08K5/0083

  Nucleating agents promoting the crystallisation of the polymer matrix · CPC title

• C08J2367/02

  Polyesters derived from dicarboxylic acids and dihydroxy compounds; (C08J2367/06 takes precedence) · CPC title