Systems and methods for actively controlling a vortex in a fluid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10718362-B2
Application number	US-201816185752-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 9, 2018
Priority date	Nov 9, 2017
Publication date	Jul 21, 2020
Grant date	Jul 21, 2020

Abstract

A vortex control device for modifying a vortex in a fluid stemming from a wall is disclosed. The device includes a rotatable hub disposed within an opening in the wall. The device also includes an inlet port and an outlet port in the rotatable hub. The inlet port forms a suction port to suction fluid from or about the vortex, and the outlet port forms an injection port to inject fluid into or about the vortex.

First claim

We claim:

1. A vortex control device for modifying a vortex in a fluid stemming from a wall, the device comprising:
a rotatable hub disposed within an opening in the wall; and
an inlet port and an outlet port in the rotatable hub, wherein the inlet port forms a suction port which is configured to suction the fluid from or about the vortex, wherein the outlet port forms an injection port which is configured to inject the fluid into or about the vortex, and wherein the suctioning and the injecting of the fluid is effective to disrupt the vortex.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein a surface of the hub is flush with a surface of the wall.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the inlet port and the outlet port are located at or near a core of the vortex.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the inlet port and the outlet port are disposed around a perimeter of the vortex.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the hub is configured to co-rotate with the vortex.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the hub is configured to counter-rotate with the vortex.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the inlet port is configured to suction fluid from or about the vortex at the same time that the outlet port is configured to inject fluid into or about the vortex.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein an angle, rotation speed/direction, and blowing/suction rate of the inlet port and the outlet port are controllable.

9. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a pump in fluid communication with the hub.

10. The device of claim 9 , further comprising a valve configured to control a mass flow of the fluid from the inlet port and to the outlet port.

11. The device of claim 1 , which is configured to be off-set from a vortex core of the vortex.

12. A method of disrupting a vortex in a fluid, the method comprising:
rotating a location of an inlet of a suction port about the vortex;
rotating a location of an outlet of an injection port about the vortex;
suctioning the fluid from or about the vortex; and
injecting the fluid into or about the vortex,
wherein the suctioning and the injecting of the fluid are effective to disrupt the vortex.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the location of the suction port and injection port co-rotate with the vortex.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the location of the suction port and injection port counter-rotate with the vortex.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the fluid comprises water in a sump basin.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising offsetting a control device from a vortex core of the vortex.

17. A method for modifying a vortex in a fluid, the method comprising:
rotating a suction port and an injection port about the vortex;
suctioning the fluid from or about the vortex; and
injecting the fluid into or about the vortex.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the suction port and the injection port co-rotate with the vortex or counter-rotate with the vortex.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
rotating a location of an inlet of the suction port about the vortex; and
rotating a location of an outlet of the injection port about the vortex.

Assignees

• Univ Florida State Res Found
• Ebara Corp
• Univ Florida State Res Found Inc

Inventors

• Taira Kunihiko
• Liu Qiong
• An Byungjin
• Nohmi Motohiko
• Obuchi Masashi

Classifications

• F04D29/70 Primary

  Suction grids; Strainers; Dust separation; Cleaning · CPC title

• F15D1/0095

  by means of injecting jet pulses of fluid wherein the injected fluid is taken from the fluid and re-injected again, e.g. synthetic jet actuators (F15D1/008 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F15D1/00

  Influencing flow of fluids · CPC title

• F04D29/708

  specially for liquid pumps · CPC title

• F15D1/008

  comprising fluid injection or suction means · CPC title