A device or system includes a mixer comprising a three-dimensional lattice defining a plurality of tortuous, interconnecting passages therethrough. The mixer is in communication with sources or streams of at least two separate components which, when mixed, form a combined fluid stream. The sources or streams may be, at least initially, on opposite sides of the mixer, or the sources or streams may be on the upstream side of the mixer with an outlet disposed downstream of the mixer. A related method may include providing a mixer comprising a three-dimensional lattice defining a plurality of tortuous, interconnecting passages therethrough, and selecting a material for the mixer based on physical characteristics of said material, said characteristics including a selected one or more of mean flow pore size, thickness and porosity volume.

A device or system includes a mixer comprising a three-dimensional lattice defining a plurality of tortuous, interconnecting passages therethrough. The mixer is in communication with sources or streams of at least two separate components which, when mixed, form a combined fluid stream. The sources or streams may be, at least initially, on opposite sides of the mixer, or the sources or streams may be on the upstream side of the mixer with an outlet disposed downstream of the mixer. A related method may include providing a mixer comprising a three-dimensional lattice defining a plurality of tortuous, interconnecting passages therethrough, and selecting a material for the mixer based on physical characteristics of said material, said characteristics including a selected one or more of mean flow pore size, thickness and porosity volume.

The application is directed to a system and method for mixing fluid and dry material to produce fluid mixture compositions. The system may be provided on a portable platform for transport of the system for use at different locations or the system may be provided as a permanent installation. The system includes a first module for receiving fluid into the system and an optional second module attachable to the first module for providing dry material to be mixed with the fluid received into the system. The fluid mixture compositions produced by the system can be conveyed out from the system to one or more target locations.

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.

This invention generally relates to systems and methods for the formation and/or control of fluidic species, and articles produced by such systems and methods. In some cases, the invention involves unique fluid channels, systems, controls, and/or restrictions, and combinations thereof. In certain embodiments, the invention allows fluidic streams (which can be continuous or discontinuous, i.e., droplets) to be formed and/or combined, at a variety of scales, including microfluidic scales. In one set of embodiments, a fluidic stream may be produced from a channel, where a cross-sectional dimension of the fluidic stream is smaller than that of the channel, for example, through the use of structural elements, other fluids, and/or applied external fields, etc. In some cases, a Taylor cone may be produced. In another set of embodiments, a fluidic stream may be manipulated in some fashion, for example, to create tubes (which may be hollow or solid), droplets, nested tubes or droplets, arrays of tubes or droplets, meshes of tubes, etc. In some cases, droplets produced using certain embodiments of the invention may be charged or substantially charged, which may allow their further manipulation, for instance, using applied external fields. Non-limiting examples of such manipulations include producing charged droplets, coalescing droplets (especially at the microscale), synchronizing droplet formation, aligning molecules within the droplet, etc. In some cases, the droplets and/or the fluidic streams may include colloids, cells, therapeutic agents, and the like.

This invention generally relates to systems and methods for the formation and/or control of fluidic species, and articles produced by such systems and methods. In some cases, the invention involves unique fluid channels, systems, controls, and/or restrictions, and combinations thereof. In certain embodiments, the invention allows fluidic streams (which can be continuous or discontinuous, i.e., droplets) to be formed and/or combined, at a variety of scales, including microfluidic scales. In one set of embodiments, a fluidic stream may be produced from a channel, where a cross-sectional dimension of the fluidic stream is smaller than that of the channel, for example, through the use of structural elements, other fluids, and/or applied external fields, etc. In some cases, a Taylor cone may be produced. In another set of embodiments, a fluidic stream may be manipulated in some fashion, for example, to create tubes (which may be hollow or solid), droplets, nested tubes or droplets, arrays of tubes or droplets, meshes of tubes, etc. In some cases, droplets produced using certain embodiments of the invention may be charged or substantially charged, which may allow their further manipulation, for instance, using applied external fields. Non-limiting examples of such manipulations include producing charged droplets, coalescing droplets (especially at the microscale), synchronizing droplet formation, aligning molecules within the droplet, etc. In some cases, the droplets and/or the fluidic streams may include colloids, cells, therapeutic agents, and the like.

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.

One embodiment provides a wine aerating device, including: a funnel-shaped container comprising a bottom that is provided with an outlet aperture having a predetermined size, wherein said funnel-shaped container is at least partially filled with a multitude of substantially spherical elements for breaking up and diverting a flow of wine streaming from the top to the bottom of said funnel-shaped container, each of said substantially spherical elements having a size significantly smaller than the size of said outlet aperture, and wherein a non-spherical element having a size greater than the size of said outlet aperture is placed upon said outlet aperture to partially block it, thereby preventing said spherical or nearly-spherical elements to pass through said outlet aperture while allowing the passage of wine through said outlet aperture and increasing the wine's turbulent motion and oxigenation while coming out of said funnel-shaped container. Other aspects are described and claimed.

A process for increasing alcohol yield from biomass (the form or agro- or forest residue, grains, hops, etc.), involving multiple hydrodynamic cavitation treatments of biomass filtrateboth before and after fermentation. Carbohydrates extracted from biomass are subjected to a first cavitation treatment to promote additional conversion into carbohydrates. The carbohydrates are then combined with bacterial species and nutrients, and allowed to ferment. The fermentation product is subjected to a second hydrodynamic cavitation treatment to promote further conversion of carbohydrates into bioalcohol. After distillation, the bioalcohol is subjected to a second hydrodynamic cavitation treatment to increase its purity.

The present invention provides methods, systems and apparatus in which one fluid passes through an orifice or orifices and mixes with another fluid as it flows through a microchannel.