Bladeless mixer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11311848-B2
Application number	US-201716081318-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 1, 2017
Priority date	Mar 1, 2016
Publication date	Apr 26, 2022
Grant date	Apr 26, 2022

Abstract

A bladeless mixer for mixing a liquid, includes a cylindrical or truncated cone-shaped receptacle having an axis A and a radius R, the radius R being the shortest distance between the axis A and a side wall of the receptacle, the liquid to be mixed being placed in the receptacle and having an exposed surface at a height H measured along axis A; a member for tilting the receptacle such that axis A forms a non-zero-degree angle of up to 30° relative to the vertical direction; a member for imparting a rotational movement to the receptacle along axis A at an angular speed of rotation Ω; wherein the aspect ratio H/R of the height H to the radius R and the angular speed of rotation Ω are selected such that an inherent mode of inertia of the liquid has an unstable resonance when the receptacle is tilted and rotates.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of mixing a liquid by means of a bladeless mixer containing a cylindrical or tapered container of axis A and radius R, wherein R is the smallest distance between axis A of the container and a side wall of the container, the container being tiltable such that axis A forms a non-zero angle α, chosen such that the angle is less than or equal to 30° relative to vertical, and the container being rotatable, the method comprising:
a) placing the liquid in the container such that the liquid has a free surface at a height H measured along axis A when axis A is vertical, and
b) applying a rotational motion to the container around axis A, with an angular speed of rotation Ω, and applying the non-zero angle α to tilt the container, wherein an aspect ratio H/R of height H over radius R and angular rotational speed Ω are chosen so as to observe an unstable resonance of an inertial eigenmode of the liquid
wherein the inertial eigenmode of the liquid is
the first mode with 1.79≤H/R≤2.19 and (Ω×R 2 ×α)/v>1000, or
the second mode with 0.86≤H/R≤1.06 and (Ω×R 2 ×α)/v>15000 or
the third mode with 0.56≤H/R≤0.68 and (Ω×R 2 ×α)/v>50000

wherein Ω is the angular speed of rotation expressed in rad/s, R is the radius of the container expressed in m, H the height of the liquid in meter measured along axis A; α the angle of tilt between axis A and vertical, expressed in degrees °, and v the kinematic viscosity of the liquid to be mixed, expressed in m 2 /s.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the angular speed of rotation Ω is chosen such that:

Ω
×

R
2

×
α

v

>
3000

and α is less than or equal to 2° or

Ω
×

R
2

×
α

v

>
5000

and α is between 3° and 7°.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the angular speed of rotation Ω is chosen such that:

Ω
×

R
2

×
α

v

>
15000

where α is between 5 and 10° or

Ω
×

R
2

×
α

v

>
30000

where α is less than or equal to 5°.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the angular speed of rotation Ω is variable, and
the variation of angular speed of rotation Ω is less than or equal to 25% during a complete revolution of the container.

Assignees

• Centre Nat Rech Scient
• Univ Aix Marseille
• Ecole Centrale Marseille

Inventors

• Meunier Patrice
• Manasseh Richard

Classifications

• B01F2215/0422

  Numerical values of angles · CPC title

• B01F29/4033

  inclined · CPC title

• B01F29/40112

  Polygonal sections, e.g. triangularor square · CPC title

• B01F29/40111 Primary

  Non-cylindrical sections, e.g. elliptical or irregular · CPC title

• B01F29/40113

  Conical, double-conicalor diabolo shapes · CPC title