Concentrically baffled reactors and systems that incorporate them

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017067005-A1
Application number	US-201515122967-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 3, 2015
Priority date	Mar 4, 2014
Publication date	Mar 9, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

In one embodiment, a concentrically baffled reactor includes an outer housing that defines an interior space, an inlet through which material can be delivered into the interior space, an outlet through which material can be removed from the interior space, and multiple concentric baffles within the interior space that define multiple concentric reactor zones through which the material can sequentially flow to the outlet.

First claim

Claimed are:

1 . A concentrically baffled reactor comprising:
an outer housing that defines an interior space; an inlet through which material can be delivered into the interior space; an outlet through which material can be removed from the interior space; and multiple concentric baffles within the interior space that define multiple concentric reactor zones through which the material can sequentially flow to the outlet.

2 . The reactor of claim 1 , wherein the housing has a generally cylindrical outer wall.

3 . The reactor of claim 1 , wherein the inlet delivers the material to a center of the reactor, the outlet removes the material from a perimeter of the reactor, and the material flows from a center reactor zone radially outward through each other reactor zone in sequence until finally passing through an outermost reactor zone.

4 . The reactor of claim 1 , wherein the inlet delivers the material to a perimeter of the reactor, the outlet removes the material from a center of the reactor, and the material flows from an outermost reactor zone radially inward through each other reactor zone in sequence until finally passing through a center reactor zone.

5 . The reactor of claim 1 , wherein the concentric baffles are generally vertical.

6 . The reactor of claim 5 , further comprising secondary concentric baffles that laterally extend from the vertical concentric baffles.

7 . The reactor of claim 1 , wherein the concentric baffles and the reactor zones are generally cylindrical.

8 . The reactor of claim 1 , wherein the concentric baffles include upper baffles that extend down from a top of a baffle section of the reactor and lower baffles that extend up from a bottom of the baffle section, the upper and lower baffles being arranged in an alternating configuration from a center of the reactor toward a perimeter of the reactor.

9 . The reactor of claim 1 , wherein the concentric baffles are shaped as polygonal cylinders.

10 . The reactor of claim 1 , further comprising a mechanical mixing apparatus for mixing the material within the interior space.

11 . The reactor of claim 1 , further comprising means for flowing gas through the material within the interior space.

12 . The reactor of claim 1 , further comprising means for returning material removed from the reactor back into the interior space to provide recirculation.

13 . The reactor of claim 1 , wherein the reactor comprises two baffle sections within the interior space, each baffle section comprising multiple concentric baffles that define multiple concentric reactor zones through which the material can sequentially flow.

14 . The reactor of claim 1 , further comprising means for heating the material.

15 . The reactor of claim 1 , further comprising a membrane filter provided in one of the reactor zones.

16 . A reactor system comprising:
a concentrically baffled reactor comprising an outer housing that define an interior space, an inlet through which material can be delivered into the interior space, an outlet through which material can be removed from the interior space, and multiple concentric baffles within the interior space that define multiple concentric reactor zones through which the material can sequentially flow to the outlet; and an external component that receives the material removed from the reactor and uses it to perform a desired function.

17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the external component comprises an algae bioreactor.

18 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the external component comprises a garden bed.

19 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the external component comprises a membrane filter.

20 . A method for processing material, the method comprising:
delivering the material to an interior space of a concentrically baffled reactor; enabling the material to sequentially pass through multiple concentric reactor zones of the reactor that are defined by multiple concentric baffles, the material reacting within the reactor zones; and removing reacted material from the interior space of after it has passed through the concentric reactor zones.

Assignees

• Univ South Florida

Inventors

• Yeh Daniel H
• Ozcan Onur Y
• Bair Robert A

Classifications

• C12M29/04

  Filters; Permeable or porous membranes or plates, e.g. dialysis · CPC title

• C12M27/20 Primary

  Baffles; Ribs; Ribbons; Auger vanes · CPC title

• C12M41/14

  Incubators; Climatic chambers (per se B01L1/00) · CPC title

• C12M29/18

  External loop; Means for reintroduction of fermented biomass or liquid percolate (loop type reactors for chemical or physical processes B01J19/2435) · CPC title

• B01D21/0042

  Baffles or guide plates · CPC title