3D printed modular centrifugal contactors and method for separating moieties using 3D printed optimized surfaces

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9744476-B2
Application number	US-201615066393-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2016
Priority date	Sep 30, 2014
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

The present invention provides an annular centrifugal contactor, having a housing to receive a plurality of liquids; a rotor inside the housing; an annular mixing zone, with a plurality of fluid retention reservoirs; and an adjustable stem that can be raised to restrict the flow of a liquid into the rotor or lowered to increase the flow of liquid into the rotor. The invention also provides a method for transferring moieties from a first liquid to a second liquid, the method having the steps of combining the fluids in a housing whose interior has helically shaped first channels; subjecting the fluids to a spinning rotor to produce a mixture, whereby the channels simultaneously conduct the mixture downwardly and upwardly; and passing the mixture through the rotor to contact second channels, whereby the channels pump the second liquid through a first aperture while the first fluid exits a second aperture.

First claim

The embodiment in which an exclusive property right or privilege is claimed is defined as follows:

1. An annular centrifugal contactor, said annular centrifugal contactor comprising:
a) a housing adapted to receive a plurality of flowing liquids;
a hollow rotor coaxially positioned within the housing, the rotor defining a first open depending end, and a second open upwardly facing end, wherein medially facing surfaces of the hollow rotor define first fluid flow enhancing topographies;
b) an annular mixing zone defined by the housing and a vane plate,
wherein the annular mixing zone has a plurality of fluid retention reservoirs with ingress apertures near the bottom of the annular mixing zone and egress apertures located above the ingress apertures of the annular mixing zone; and
c) an adjustable vane plate stem, wherein the stem can be raised to restrict the flow of a liquid into the rotor or lowered to increase the flow of the liquid into the rotor.

2. The annular centrifugal contactor of claim 1 , wherein the first fluid flow enhancing topographies comprise helically shaped channels positioned along longitudinally extending surfaces of the hollow rotor.

3. The annular centrifugal contactor of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of baffles are disposed within each fluid retention reservoir.

4. The annular centrifugal contactor of claim 1 , wherein the second open upwardly facing end comprises regions defining fluid flow enhancing grooves.

5. The annular centrifugal contactor of claim 1 , wherein each of the fluid retention reservoirs are jacketed with a volume enclosing a flowing heat transfer fluid.

6. The annular centrifugal contactor of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of baffles extend from a surface of each of the fluid retention reservoirs.

7. The annular centrifugal contactor of claim 1 , wherein the annular mixing zone is impregnated with a catalyst, reactant, adsorbent, or a combination thereof.

8. The annular centrifugal contactor of claim 1 , wherein the adjustable vane plate stem is adapted to serve as a needle valve and drain tube.

9. The annular centrifugal contactor of claim 1 , wherein the adjustable vane plate stem is in mechanical communication with a mechanized assembly such that the adjustable vane plate stem is adjusted up and down using the mechanized assembly.

Assignees

• Wardle Kent E
• Uchicago Argonne Llc

Inventors

• Wardle Kent E

Classifications

• B01D11/048 Primary

  Mixing by counter-current streams provoked by centrifugal force, in rotating coils or in other rotating spaces · CPC title

• B01J19/18

  Stationary reactors having moving elements inside (B01J19/08, B01J19/26 take precedence) · CPC title

• B01J2219/00094

  Jackets · CPC title

• B01D2011/002

  Counter-current extraction · CPC title

• B01J2219/00024

  Revamping, retrofitting or modernisation of existing plants · CPC title