Double wedge mixing baffle and associated static mixer and methods of mixing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9724653-B2
Application number	US-201514620227-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2015
Priority date	Feb 12, 2015
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

A static mixer includes a series of mixing elements, at least some of which are a double wedge mixing baffle. The double wedge mixing baffle includes first and second dividing panels oriented transverse to each other, first and second deflecting surfaces projecting from opposite sides of the first dividing panel, and third and fourth deflecting surfaces projecting from opposite sides of the second dividing panel. One or each of the deflecting surfaces includes first and second planar surfaces arranged at different angles relative to the fluid flow. The double wedge arrangement reduces retained waste volume within the mixer while further manipulating the flow characteristics of fluid flow entering and exiting the mixing baffle, to thereby optimize mixing performance.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A mixing baffle for mixing a fluid flow having at least two components, the mixing baffle comprising:
a first dividing panel including a first side and a second side, said first dividing panel defining a leading edge;
a first deflecting surface projecting from said first side of said first dividing panel so as to occlude at least part of a path for fluid flow along said first side of said first dividing panel;
a second deflecting surface projecting from said second side of said first dividing panel so as to occlude at least part of a path for fluid flow along said second side of said first dividing panel;
a second dividing panel connected to said first dividing panel and oriented transverse to said first dividing panel, said second dividing panel defining a trailing edge and including a first side and a second side;
a third deflecting surface projecting from said first side of said second dividing panel proximate to said first deflecting surface; and
a fourth deflecting surface projecting from said second side of said second dividing panel proximate to said second deflecting surface,
at least one of said first, second, third and fourth deflecting surfaces being defined by a first planar surface and a second planar surface oriented at an angle from said first planar surface such that said first and second planar surfaces are arranged at different angles relative to the fluid flow,
the fluid flow being divided at said leading edge by said first dividing panel into a first flow portion, which is shifted by said first and fourth deflecting surfaces from said first side of said first dividing panel to said second side of said second dividing panel, and a second flow portion, which is shifted by said second and third deflecting surfaces from said second side of said first dividing panel to said first side of said second dividing panel, and
the first and second flow portions being recombined at said trailing edge.

2. The mixing baffle of claim 1 , wherein each of said first, second, third and fourth deflecting surfaces is defined by a first planar surface and a second planar surface oriented at an angle from said first planar surface, such that said first and second planar surfaces are arranged at different angles relative to the fluid flow.

3. The mixing baffle of claim 2 , wherein:
said first dividing panel includes first and second hook sections bent in opposite directions towards corresponding said first and second sides of said first dividing panel at said leading edge, and
said second dividing panel includes first and second hook sections bent in opposite directions towards corresponding said first and second sides of said second dividing panel at said trailing edge.

4. The mixing baffle of claim 2 , wherein each said second planar surface is angled from an adjacent said first planar surface by an angle ranging between 25° and 50°.

5. The mixing baffle of claim 2 , wherein each said first planar surface is angled from a plane perpendicular to the fluid flow by a non-zero angle such that each of the first, second, third and fourth deflecting surfaces defines a double wedge shape.

6. The mixing baffle of claim 5 , wherein each of said first planar surface is angled from a plane perpendicular to the fluid flow by an angle ranging between 5° and 15°.

7. The mixing baffle of claim 5 , wherein:
said first planar surfaces of said first and second deflecting surfaces are angled from the plane perpendicular to the fluid flow by a first angle, and
said first planar surfaces of said third and fourth deflecting surfaces are angled from the plane perpendicular to the fluid flow by a second angle different than the first angle.

8. The mixing baffle of claim 7 , wherein said first angle is larger than said second angle.

9. The mixing baffle of claim 2 , wherein said first dividing panel is oriented generally perpendicular to said second dividing panel such that when the mixing baffle is located within a conduit containing the fluid flow, said first dividing panel is oriented generally vertically in the conduit while said second dividing panel is oriented generally horizontally in the conduit.

10. The mixing baffle of claim 9 , wherein:
said first and fourth deflecting surfaces shift the first flow portion to contract downwardly along said first dividing panel before expanding to the right along said second dividing panel, and
said second and third deflecting surfaces shift the second flow portion to contract upwardly along said first dividing panel before expanding to the left along said second dividing panel, thereby effectively shifting the first and second flow portions in a counterclockwise direction.

11. The mixing baffle of claim 9 , wherein said first and fourth deflecting surfaces shift the first flow portion to contract upwardly along said first dividing panel before expanding to the right along said second dividing panel, and
said second and third deflecting surfaces shift the second flow portion to contract downwardly along said first dividing panel before expanding to the left along said second dividing panel, thereby effectively shifting the first and second flow portions in a clockwise direction.

12. The mixing baffle of claim 2 , wherein said first and second dividing panels and said first, second, third and fourth deflecting surfaces are integrally formed as a unitary piece by injection molding.

13. A static mixer for mixing a fluid flow having at least two components, the static mixer comprising:
a mixer conduit configured to receive the fluid flow; and
a mixing component defined by a plurality of mixing elements positioned in said mixer conduit, said plurality of mixing elements including at least one mixing baffle according to claim 1 .

14. The static mixer of claim 13 , wherein each of said first, second, third and fourth deflecting surfaces of said mixing baffles is defined by a first planar surface and a second planar surface oriented at an angle from said first planar surface such that said first and second planar surfaces are arranged at different angles relative to the fluid flow.

15. The static mixer of claim 14 , wherein said plurality of mixing baffles include left-handed mixing baffles that shift the fluid flow in a counterclockwise direction and right-handed mixing baffles that shift the fluid flow in a clockwise direction, and said mixing component includes an alternating series of said left-handed mixing baffles and said right-handed mixing baffles.

16. The static mixer of claim 15 , wherein said plurality of mixing elements further include at least one different type of flow shifting element interspersed with said alternating series of said left-handed mixing baffles and said right-handed mixing baffles.

17. The static mixer of claim 14 , wherein said mixing component is integrally formed as a unitary piece by injection molding, said plurality of mixing elements collectively defining first and second opposed sidewalls of said unitary piece, with said sidewalls extending along a length of said mixer conduit.

18. The static mixer of claim 14 , wherein each said first planar surface is angled from a plane perpendicular to the fluid flow by a non-zero angle such that each of the first, second, third and fourth deflecting surfaces defines a double wedge shape.

19. The static mixer of claim 14 , wherein said first dividing panel is oriented generally perpendicular to said second dividing panel such that said first dividing panel is oriented generally vertically in the mixer conduit w

Assignees

• Nordson Corp

Inventors

• Pappalardo Matthew E

Classifications

• B01F5/0606 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F5/0617

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F5/0641

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F25/105 Primary

  Mixing heads, i.e. compact mixing units or modules, using mixing valves for feeding and mixing at least two components · CPC title

• B01F25/4231 Primary

  using baffles · CPC title