Diffuser/emulsifier

[Background of invention] The present invention relates to diffusers in a comprehensive manner, particularly to methods and devices for diffusing or emulsifying a gas or liquid into a material.

[Explanation of related technologies] In many applications, it is necessary to diffuse or emulsify the first material (gas or liquid) into the second material. Emulsification is a subset of the diffusion process, in which the small globules of the first liquid are not mixed with the first liquid, for example, in suspension of fats and oils in vinegar. Suspend in. One important use of the diffusion process is in wastewater treatment. Many local governments aerate their wastewater as part of the treatment process to stimulate the biological breakdown of organic matter. The rate of biological digestion of organic matter is highly dependent on the amount of oxygen in the wastewater, as oxygen is required to sustain the life of the microorganisms that consume the organic matter. In addition, oxygen can remove some compounds such as iron, magnesium, and carbon dioxide.

There are several ways to oxygenate water. First, a turbine aeration system expels air near the rotary blades of the blades, which mix air or oxygen with water. Second, water can be sprayed into the air to increase its oxygen content. Third, the AQUATEX system injects air or oxygen into the water, exposing the water / gas to a large vortex. Testing with the AQUATEX device showed an improvement of up to 200% dissolved oxygen (about 20 ppm (per million)) under ideal conditions. Naturally occurring oxygen levels in water are up to about 10 ppm, which is considered to be 100% dissolved oxygen levels. Therefore, the dissolved oxygen of the AQUATEX device is twice the oxygen content of water. The increase in oxygenation levels continues only minutes before reverting to 100% dissolved oxygen levels. Higher oxygenation levels, and longer-lasting increases in oxygen levels, provide significant advantages in treating wastewater. Importantly, the efficiency of organic digestion is increased and biological improvement is achieved. If the amount of time required for remediation) is reduced, the function of the wastewater treatment facility will be improved.

Therefore, there is a need for a diffusion mechanism capable of diffusing one or more materials into another material at high levels.

[A brief overview of the invention] In the present invention, the diffuser is said to form a first member having a surface containing surface disturbances and a channel through which the first and second materials can flow. It includes a second member positioned with respect to the member. The first material is drawn against surface turbulence so as to generate cavitation within the first material and diffuse the second material into the first material.

The present invention provides significant advantages over prior art. First, devices that can allow diffusion to occur at the molecular level generate micro cavitations, increase the amount of injectable material held by the host material, and increase the persistence of diffusion. Second, fine cavitation and shock waves can be generated by relatively simple mechanical devices. Third, the frequency (s) of the shock waves produced by the mechanical device can be used in many applications to help break down complex structures or combine structures. Fourth, cavitation and shock waves can be generated uniformly within the material due to constant diffusion.

Next, in order to more fully understand the present invention and its advantages, the following description will be given together with the accompanying drawings.

[Detailed description of the invention] The present invention is best understood with respect to FIGS. 1-8 (similar reference numerals are used for similar elements in various drawings).

1 and 1a, respectively, can diffuse or emulsify one or two gas or liquid materials (injection material) into another gas or liquid material (host material), respectively. FIG. 3 is a partial block diagram and a partial cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of a possible device 10. The host material can usually be a solid material that is heated or treated to be liquid or gaseous during the diffusion / emulsification process.

The rotor 12 includes a hollow cylinder with both ends generally closed. The shaft 14 and the inlet 16 are connected to both ends of the rotor 12. The first injection material can enter the interior of the rotor 12 through the inlet 16. The shaft 14 is connected to a motor 18, which rotates the rotor at a desired speed. The rotor 12 is penetrated with a plurality of openings 22 shown in FIG. 1a in more detail. In a preferred embodiment, each opening 22 comprises a small diameter orifice 24 and a large diameter borehole. The side wall 28 of the bowling hole 26 can take a variety of shapes, including straight (shown in FIG. 4), inclined (shown in FIG. 1), or curved.

The stator 30 surrounds the rotor 12 leaving a space between it and the channel 32 (through which host material can flow). The stator 30 also has an opening 22 formed on its circumference. The housing 34 surrounds the stator 30 through which a second injection material is passed from the inlet 36 through a region 35 between the stator 30 and the stator 30. Host material enters channel 32 through inlet 37. A seal 38 is formed between the shaft 14 and the housing 34 and between the inlet 16 and the housing 34. The outlet 40 passes the host material through channel 32 to the pump 42 and the host material exits through the pump outlet 44. The pump may be driven by motor 18 or an auxiliary source.

During operation, the diffuser receives host material from inlet 37. In a preferred embodiment, the pump 42 draws the host material to the pump suction side so that the host material can be passed through the channel at low pressure. The first and second injection materials are introduced into the host material through the opening 22. The injection material can be pressurized at their source to prevent the host material from passing through the opening 22.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the inlet for the diffusing material is divided into 16 and 36. Such a configuration allows two different injection materials to be introduced into the host material. Alternatively, a single injection material can be introduced at both inlets.

At the time of testing, the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 showed a high level of diffusion of the injectable material (s) into the host material. In tests using oxygen as the injection material and water as the host material, the dissolved oxygen in the water reached a level of 400%, and the oxygen level continued to increase for several days.

The reason for the high efficiency and sustainability of diffusion is considered to be due to the fine cavitation described with FIGS. 2a-2c. Whenever a material flow flows over a smooth surface, it is somewhat layered due to surface tension between the moving fluid and the stationary surface, due to a thin boundary layer that is stationary or moves very slowly. Flow is established. However, the opening 22 can disrupt the layered flow, compressing and depressurizing the material. If the pressure during the depressurization cycle is low enough, voids (cavitation bubbles) will form in the material. The cavitation bubbles generate a tornado-like rotating (swirl) flow pattern 46 as the low pressure local region draws in the host material and injection material as shown in FIG. 2a. When cavitation bubbles implode, a high degree of pressure is created. As the two aligned openings pass through each other, vibrations (shock waves) occur, producing significant energy. The energy associated with cavitation and vibration mixes the injectable and host materials highly (perhaps at the molecular level).

The tangential velocity of the rotor 12 and the number of openings passing through each other per revolution specify the frequency at which the device is operated. Operating at ultrasonic frequencies has been found to be beneficial in many applications. Operating the device in the ultrasonic frequency domain provides maximum vibrational shock energy that alters the binding angle of the fluid molecules, which allows it to carry additional injectable material that normally cannot be retained. It is considered to be. The frequency at which the diffuser is operated will affect the degree of diffusion, which will result in longer persistence of the infused material in the host material.

Depending on the application, it may be desired to decompose certain complex molecules at a particular frequency (s), such as in the case of water purification. In such applications, multiple vibration frequencies can be used to decompose composite structures such as VOCs (volatile organic compounds) into smaller substructures. Ozone can be used as one of the injection materials to oxidize the substructure with high efficiency.

Sound chemistry can be applied to device 10. In general, sound chemistry uses ultrasonic waves to assist chemical reactions. Ultrasound is usually generated using piezoelectric or other electroacoustic devices. The problem with electroacoustic transducers is that the sound waves do not provide uniform sound waves in the material, but rather the desired cavitation is localized around the device itself. The present invention makes it possible to generate ultrasonic waves in a material using a simple mechanical device.

FIG. 3 shows an exploded view of an embodiment of the rotor 12 and the stator 30 that can obtain multiple frequencies at a single rotational speed. In FIG. 3, three circular opening arrays 50 with openings 22 (shown as arrays 50a, 50b, and 50c, respectively) are arranged on the circumference of the rotor 12. Each annulus has a different number of openings evenly spaced around its circumference. Similarly, the stator 30 has three circular opening arrays 52 (shown as arrays 52a, 52b, and 52c, respectively). To ensure that only a pair of openings between the corresponding arrays always match, the number of openings 22 in a given array 52 of the stator 30 is the number of openings 22 in the corresponding array 50 of the rotor 12. Can be one more (or less) than. Thus, for example, if the array 50a has 20 openings evenly spaced around the circumference of the rotor 12, the array 52 can have 21 openings evenly spaced around the circumference of the stator 30.

As the rotor 12 of FIG. 3 rotates with respect to the stator 30, each array oscillates at a different frequency. By properly selecting different frequencies, the sum and difference interference patterns are obtained and a wide frequency spectrum is generated. This frequency spectrum can be useful in many applications where unknown impurities in the host liquid need to be decomposed or oxidized.

FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the stator 30. With a stator having a smaller diameter, it may be difficult to form the boring hole 26 inside the stator 30. The embodiment of FIG. 4 uses an inner sleeve 54 and an outer sleeve 56. The boring hole 26 can be drilled from the outside of the inner sleeve 54. If the inner sleeve 54 is provided with each boring hole 26, the corresponding aligned orifice 24 is drilled into the outer sleeve 56. The inner sleeve 54 is then placed and fixed to the outer sleeve 56 to form the stator 30. Other methods, such as casting, can also be used to form the stator 30.

5a, 5b, and 6 show alternative embodiments of the diffuser 10. As appropriate, the reference numerals in FIG. 1 are repeatedly used in these figures.

FIG. 5a shows a cross-sectional view of an embodiment in which the rotor 12 and the stator 30 have a disk shape. FIG. 5b shows a top view of the disc-shaped rotor 12. The stator 30 is formed up and down with the rotor 12 in between. Both the stator 12 and the rotor 30 have a plurality of openings of the type described with FIG. 1 and pass through each other when the rotor 12 is driven by a motor. As mentioned above, in each array 52, the stator 30 has one more or less opening than the corresponding array 50 of the rotor 12 to prevent simultaneous vibrations at the two openings in the array. Can be. The opening 22 can have the same shape as shown in FIG. The hollow shaft serves as an inlet 16 into the interior of the disc-shaped rotor for the first injection material. Again, the region 35 between the stator 30 and the housing 34 receives the second injection material. As the host material flows through the channel 32 between the rotor 12 and the stator 30, it suffers from the generation of eddy currents at the opening 22, causing diffusion of the first and second materials with the host material. The injected host material goes to outlet 40.

FIG. 5b shows a top view of the rotor 12. As can be seen, the plurality of openings form a concentric array of openings in the rotor 12. Each array can generate vibrations at different frequencies if desired. In a preferred embodiment, the openings 22 are formed at the top and bottom of the rotor 12. Corresponding openings are formed above and below the opening of the stator 30.

FIG. 6 shows a notched view of an embodiment of the present invention, in which the rotor 12 has a conical shape. Both the stator 12 and the rotor 30 have a plurality of openings of the type described with FIG. 1, which pass through each other as the rotor 12 is driven by the motor. In addition to the circumferential opening of the rotor 12, there may be an opening at the bottom of the cone, which may correspond to the opening of the stator 30 at the bottom. As mentioned above, for each array, the stator 30 may have one more or less opening than the rotor 12 to prevent simultaneous vibrations in the two openings 22 of the same array. it can. The hollow shaft serves as an inlet 16 into the interior of the disc-shaped rotor for the first injection material. Again, the region 35 between the stator 30 and the housing 34 receives the second injection material. As the host material flows between the rotor 12 and the stator 30, it suffers from the generation of eddy currents at the opening 22, which results in the diffusion of the first and second materials in the host material. The injected host material goes to outlet 40.

In the embodiments of FIGS. 5a, 5b, and 6, the array of openings 22 can be formed at points of increasing diameter, making it easier to generate multiple frequencies. Note that the rotor 12 and stator 30 can be implemented using any number of shapes, including hemispherical and spherical shapes.

The diffusers described herein can be used in many applications. The optimum opening size (for both orifice 24 and boring hole 29), channel 32 width, rotation speed and rotor / stator diameter will depend on the application of the device.

As mentioned above, the diffuser 10 is water aerated. Can be used for aeration). In this embodiment, air or oxygen is used as both the first and second injection material. Air / oxygen is diffused into the wastewater (or other water that requires aeration) as described with Figure 1. The diffuser can increase oxygenation to about 400% dissolved oxygen, and it is expected that the concentration will increase as the parameters are optimized for this application. In a test in which approximately 25 gallons of public water (initially showing an 84.4% dissolved oxygen reading (reading)) was circulated at ambient temperature for 5 minutes by the device to achieve a 390% dissolved oxygen content. Increased levels of oxygen concentration maintained more than 300% dissolved oxygen for 4 hours and more than 200% dissolved oxygen for more than 19 hours. After 3 days, the dissolved oxygen content remained above 134%. A frequency of 16 kHz was used in these tests. The size of the opening was 0.76 mm (0.030 inch) for the orifice 24 and 6.35 mm (0.25 inch) for the boring hole (the boring hole 26 of the rotor has an inclined side). Lower temperatures can significantly increase oxygenation levels and persistence.

Similarly, in the case of wastewater treatment or bioremediation of other toxic substances, oxygen can be used as one injection material and ozone can be used as the other injection material. In this case, ozone is used to oxidize dangerous structures in host materials such as VOCs and dangerous microorganisms. In addition, as mentioned above, using a set of frequencies (determined by the array of openings in the rotor 12 and stator 30) to provide a destructive interference pattern that breaks down many composite structures into smaller substructures. Can be done. Alternatively, if the treatment is intended for the oxidation of a single known hazardous material, a single frequency known to successfully decompose the above structures could be used. Conversely, frequency sets that result in constructive interference patterns can be used to combine two or more compounds into more complex and highly structured materials.

To produce drinking water, ozone can be used as the first and second injection materials to decompose and oxidize pollutants.

Although the operation of the diffuser 10 has been described with major applications such as municipal wastewater remediation, it can also be used for household applications such as drinking water purifiers, swimming pools, and aquariums.

Diffusers can also be used in other applications where the properties of the host material are altered by diffusing the gas or liquid into another liquid. Examples of such applications include homogenization of milk fat or hydrogenation of fats and oils. Other applications include improving efficiency when mixing fuel and gas / liquid, resulting in higher energy savings of the fuel.

7a and 7b show alternative embodiments for the rotor 12 and the stator 30. In FIG. 7a, the "stator" 30 also rotates, in which case the vibration frequency is determined by the relative rotational speed of the rotor 12 and the stator 30. In FIG. 7b, either the rotor 12 or the stator 30 does not allow the injection material to pass through the component (in FIG. 7b, only the rotor passes the injection material), and the component that does not pass the injection material creates turbulence. Therefore, the opening 22 is replaced by the cavity 58. The cavity 58 can be similar in shape to the boring hole 26 without the orifice 24.

In FIG. 7c, the orifice 24 through which the injection material is passed through the rotor 12 or stator 30 is located next to the boring hole 26 rather than in the boring hole 26 as in the previous embodiment. Note that the main purpose of the boring hole 26 is to disrupt the layered flow of host material along the surfaces of the rotor 12 and stator 30. The compression and dilution (decompression) of the host material produces fine cavitation that gives the device a high degree of diffusion. Upon depressurization, voids (cavitation bubbles) are created in the host material. The cavitation bubbles grow and come into contact (or implode) under the stress induced by the vibration frequency. The implosion of cavitation bubbles produces energy as the host material passes through channel 32, which contributes to the high degree of diffusion of the injected material into the host material. Therefore, as long as the injection material and the host material are mixed at the point where cavitation and the resulting shock wave occur, the above-mentioned diffusion is obtained.

FIG. 7d shows an embodiment in which the initial mixing of the host material and one or more injection materials takes place outside channel 32. In this embodiment, the Mazzie diffuser 60 (or other device) is used to perform the initial mixing of the injection material (s) and the host material. The mixture is charged into channel 32 between the rotor 12 and the stator 30 where it is subjected to the compression / dilution cycle described above, which causes cavitation in the mixture and is subject to shock wave frequencies.

Further, the generation of cavitation and shock wave can be caused by using a structure different from that of the boring hole 26 shown in the above embodiment. As mentioned above, the boring holes 26 provide surface turbulence along the sidewalls of the channel 32 that impede the layered flow of host material. In FIG. 7e, protrusions such as bumps 62 can be used in place of or with the boring holes 26 as surface turbulence. A shape other than a circular shape can also be used. As shown in FIG. 7f, a groove (or ridge) 64 can also be formed in the rotor 12 and / or the stator 30 to generate cavitation and shock waves.

As mentioned above, not all applications require or benefit from the generation of shock waves at a particular frequency. Thus, the rotor 12 or stator 30 can have boring holes 26 (or other surface turbulence) arranged to produce white noise rather than a specific frequency. The structure used to generate cavitation need not be uniform, i.e. a sufficiently rough surface may be formed on the rotor 12, or the stator 30 may cause cavitation. Further, as shown in FIG. 7g, it may not be necessary for both the surface of the rotor 12 and the surface of the stator 30 to generate cavitation, but in many cases the operation of device 10 depends on the use of both surfaces. It is efficient.

FIG. 7h shows an embodiment in which the movement that causes cavitation is performed by the host material (optionally with an injectable material) rather than by the relative movement of the rotor 12 and the stator 30. In the embodiment of FIG. 7h, the channels 32 are formed between two walls 66 that are stationary with respect to each other and one or both have surface turbulence facing the channel 32. The host material is swept through the channel at high speed using a pump or other device that produces a high speed flow. One or more injection materials are introduced into the channel through the orifice 24 or by mixing the host material with the injection material outside the channel. The high speed movement of the host material with respect to the wall 66 causes the fine cavitation and vibration described above.

As an example, one or more of the walls 66 are fine mesh, through which the injection material (s) flow out and mix with the host material in channel 32. Surface turbulence in the grain causes fine cavitation and vibration as the host material flows over the grain at high speed. The vibration frequency depends on the resolution of the fine grain and the velocity of the host material. Again, the injection material diffuses into the host material at the molecular level at the site of fine cavitation.

8a and 8b show another embodiment in which the rotating member 70 is placed in the conduit 72 and rotated by the motor 73. The host material and injection material (s) are mixed in a conduit 72 upstream of the rotating member 70 using a Mazzie diffuser 74 or other device. The rotating member can be in the form of a propeller or auger, for example. The surface of the rotating member 70 has one or more surface turbulences 76, which causes the above-mentioned fine cavitation to occur due to the rotation of the rotating member 70, which causes a high degree of diffusion between the materials. The shape of the propeller blade or the pattern of turbulence 76 on its surface can cause cavitation and vibration at desired frequencies for the purposes described above. In addition, the shape of the rotating device allows material to be drawn into the conduit.

The present invention provides significant advantages over prior art. First, a device that allows diffusion to occur at the molecular level causes fine cavitation, increasing the amount of injectable material held by the host material and increasing the persistence of diffusion. Second, fine cavitation and shock waves can be generated by relatively simple mechanical devices. Third, the frequency (s) of the shock waves produced by the mechanical device can be used in many applications to help decompose or combine structures. Fourth, cavitation and shock waves can be generated uniformly within the material for constant diffusion.

Although the detailed description of the present invention has been directed to some exemplary embodiments, those skilled in the art will be suggested to various modifications and alternative embodiments of these embodiments. The present invention also includes any modification or alternative embodiment within the scope of the claims.

<figref num="1">It is a partial block diagram of the first embodiment of a diffuser.</figref><figref num="1a">It is a partial sectional view of the 1st Embodiment of a diffuser.</figref><figref num="2a">It is a figure which shows the diffusion process inside a diffuser.</figref><figref num="2b">It is a figure which shows the diffusion process inside a diffuser.</figref><figref num="2c">It is a figure which shows the diffusion process inside a diffuser.</figref><figref num="3">It is an exploded view of a rotor and a stator of a diffuser.</figref><figref num="4">It is an embodiment of the stator.</figref><figref num="5a">It is sectional drawing of the rotor stator assembly in 2nd Embodiment of this invention.</figref><figref num="5b">It is a top view of the rotor in the 2nd Embodiment of this invention.</figref><figref num="6">It is a cutout figure of the 3rd Embodiment of this invention.</figref><figref num="7a">It is a figure which shows the alternative embodiment which produces the diffusion.</figref><figref num="7b">It is a figure which shows the alternative embodiment which produces the diffusion.</figref><figref num="7c">It is a figure which shows the alternative embodiment which produces the diffusion.</figref><figref num="7d">It is a figure which shows the alternative embodiment which produces the diffusion.</figref><figref num="7e">It is a figure which shows the alternative embodiment which produces the diffusion.</figref><figref num="7f">It is a figure which shows the alternative embodiment which produces the diffusion.</figref><figref num="7g">It is a figure which shows the alternative embodiment which produces the diffusion.</figref><figref num="7h">It is a figure which shows the alternative embodiment which produces the diffusion.</figref><figref num="8a">It is a figure which shows another alternative embodiment of this invention.</figref><figref num="8b">It is a figure which shows another alternative embodiment of this invention.</figref>