Atomizing spray dryer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12209806-B2
Application number	US-202318103794-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2023
Priority date	Jun 30, 2021
Publication date	Jan 28, 2025
Grant date	Jan 28, 2025

Abstract

An atomizing spray dryer employs one or more stages defined by ultrasonic transducers in close proximity to a liquid feed opening forming a path of an atomization flow for producing uniform droplets from a close tolerance with the transducer. The atomization flow exits a gap between the transducer and an outer edge of the opening, such that the passed liquid is responsive to an oscillation of the transducer for forming the droplets. A conical or other suitably shaped transducer engages a substantially round liquid feed opening. Subsequent stages may include a circular, ring, or other suitable shape aligned to receive the atomization flow from a circumference of the conical base, or may also take any suitable shape, preferably to receive droplets directed by the first stage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of atomization and spray drying, comprising:
receiving a liquid feed via a nozzle;
passing the liquid feed though an atomization exit in a proximity to a transducer, the transducer disposed to define an opening forming the atomization exit between the nozzle and the transducer; and
driving the transducer at an oscillation rate while propelling the liquid from a liquid feed vessel through the opening for generating an atomized liquid having droplets of a predetermined size based on at least the oscillation rate;
receiving the droplets at a second transducer, the second transducer disposed in interference with a downstream flow from the atomized liquid resulting from the transducer,
the second transducer defined by a mesh of microchannels, each microchannel of the mesh of microchannels disposed for having an inlet and an outlet on a circular planar surface aligned with the atomized liquid for drying the droplets.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising propelling a drying gas around the atomization exit for propelling the droplets along an atomization path and depositing dried droplets as particles in a hopper.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising driving a second stage, the second stage defined by a second transducer disposed in alignment with the transducer for engaging the atomized liquid emerging from the atomization exit.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising forming the opening defining the atomization exit, the opening having an exit angle defined by a surface of the nozzle and a surface of the transducer.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising forming the transducer such that the transducer includes a tapered surface defined by a protrusion centered around the atomization exit.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving the liquid feed from a waste source; and
heating the atomized liquid for extracting moisture for rendering a solid waste product.

7. A method of processing waste, comprising:
receiving a liquid feed emanating from a waste source;
directing the liquid feed in contact with a transducer disposed in an interference path with the liquid feed;
agitating the transducer at an oscillation rate from a driver circuit, the oscillation rate based on achieving an atomized spray, the atomized spray resulting from agitated droplets of the liquid feed; and
receiving the agitated droplets at a second transducer, the second transducer disposed in interference with a downstream flow from the atomized spray,
the second transducer defining an array of microchannels, each microchannel of the array of microchannels disposed for having an inlet and an outlet on a circular planar surface aligned with the atomized spray.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:
further agitating the atomized spray based on an oscillation rate of the second transducer, the further agitation changing a droplet size of the atomized spray.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising:
delivering a drying gas in alignment with the atomized spray, the drying gas removing moisture from droplets of the atomized spray for forming propelled particles.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:
receiving the propelled particles as solid waste, the solid waste having a weight and volume less than a weight and volume of the liquid feed.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the transducer is circular and the mesh of microchannels is circumferentially engaged within the transducer.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein each of the microchannels has an equidistant spacing with the others of the microchannels in the array of microchannels.

13. The method of claim 7 wherein the microchannels each define a microhole at an inlet and an outlet, the microhole at the inlet having a diameter of between 40 and 60 μm and the microhole at the outlet having a diameter of between 15 and 25 μm.

14. The method of claim 7 wherein the atomized spray is circular for delivering a circular spray concentric with the circular planar surface.

Assignees

• Worcester Polytech Inst

Inventors

• Yagoobi Jamal S
• Yang Mengqiao
• Dardashti Mehrnoush F

Classifications

• B05B17/0646

  Vibrating plates, i.e. plates being directly subjected to the vibrations, e.g. having a piezoelectric transducer attached thereto · CPC title

• B05B17/0607

  generated by electrical means, e.g. piezoelectric transducers · CPC title

• B01D1/18

  to obtain dry solids (B01D1/24 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F26B25/002

  for bulk goods · CPC title

• F26B2200/18

  Sludges, e.g. sewage, waste, industrial processes, cooling towers · CPC title