A controlled cavitation reactor is disclosed that is particularly suited to the treatment of abrasive fluids and slurries with a minimum of erosion and mechanical failure caused by abrasion. The reactor includes a generally cylindrical housing having a peripheral wall that extends between end plates. A rotor is rotatably disposed in the housing and has at least one outer peripheral surface spaced from the peripheral wall to define a cavitation zone therebetween. A plurality of bores extends through the peripheral surface of the rotor. The rotor may be formed with a central void zone between two lobes of the rotor with each lobe defining a separate cavitation zone with the peripheral wall of the housing. One or more inlet ports is arranged to introduce fluid to the housing tangentially and within one or more void zones. One or more exit ports is arranged to receive fluid from the housing tangentially within another void zone. As a result, fluid takes a spiral path into the housing, across the cavitation zone, and out of the housing. This greatly reduces sharp changes in direction and accordingly reduces abrasion and consequent damage.

The invention relates to a method for controlling a chemical reaction which creates a product, wherein at least one reactant that is present in a liquid phase is subjected to a pressure change.

A method of producing a localized concentration of energy including providing a pocket of gas in a non-gaseous medium and in contact with a surface. The surface includes a depression shaped so as to at least partially receive the pocket of gas. A static pressure is applied to the non-gaseous medium, with an average value greater than atmospheric pressure such that the pocket of gas collapses to form a transverse jet. The surface depression is arranged to receive the transverse jet impact such that at least some of pocket of gas is trapped between the impacting jet and the surface depression. An apparatus for producing a localized concentration of energy is also provided.

A system and method for degumming oil is used to increase oil yield and reduce impurities such as phosphorus. An oil feedstock, water and enzyme mixture is passed through a high shear mixing device prior to being fed to an agitated reactor equipped with a recirculation system. The recirculation system includes a second high shear mixing device that further mixes the oil mixture in the reactor during processing. The reacted mixture is discharged from the reactor to a downstream post-reaction system for separating the degummed oil from the reacted mixture. The separation step can be used to remove the phosphatides and other impurities from the reacted oil to form a purified oil product.

The present invention aims to provide techniques for efficiently preparing calcium carbonate particles having an average primary particle size of less than 1 m. Calcium carbonate microparticles having an average primary particle size of less than 1 m can be synthesized efficiently by synthesizing calcium carbonate in the presence of cavitation bubbles.

A method of dispersing graphene and graphitic nanomaterials uses a multiphase fluid dynamic technique. The method includes a device, incorporating a high intensity fluid dynamics technique, controlling the expansion and compression ratio of the working stream that leads to an effective dispersion of the nanomaterial in the matrix. The condensation of the injected steam creates high intensity and controllable cavitation, leading to effective dispersion of the graphitic nanomaterial. The dispersion is most preferably done in a medium that creates a repulsive potential to balance the attractive inter-graphitic layer potential.

Embodiments under the present disclosure include the application of an electric field in a region of liquid undergoing ultra-high shear impact, mixing and or cavitation. The co-location of electrolysis and high shear mixing and or cavitation has demonstrated the ability to cause advanced oxidation reactions and advanced reduction reactions in fluid systems such as water with both dissolved and suspended solids, and hydrocarbon with and without water emulsion.

A mobile biodiesel manufacturing plant for continuously producing biodiesel from a triglyceride source and a method of continuously producing biodiesel from a triglyceride source in the mobile biodiesel manufacturing plant.

A cavitation plate and system comprises a plurality of flow elements through the thickness of the cavitation plate. Each of the plurality of flow elements comprises an inlet channel a converging nozzle coupled to the inlet channel, a throat in fluid communicating with the converging nozzle, a diverging diffuser in fluid communication with the throat and an outlet channel in fluid communication with the diverging diffuser.

A method and device for processing a liquid with cavitation uses a channel element with passageways having local constrictions and a moving rotor surrounding the channel element. The rotor contains a plurality of rotor channels that are moved during rotation to periodically line up with the passageways in the channel element. To operate the device, liquid is passed through the local constriction in the passageway into an outlet channel at a velocity of at least 1.4 m/s at the exit of the outlet channel to form cavitation bubbles. Cavitation bubbles in the liquid in the outlet channel are collapsed by subjecting the cavitation bubbles to a water hammer hydraulic pulse pressure resulting from periodically rapidly closing of the outlet channel by rotation of the rotor.