Method for emulsion treatment

Abstract

A method for producing a single-phase phase-stable liquid is provided, in which, in an embodiment: in a first step, a lipophilic liquid is mixed with a hydrophilic liquid, so that a mixture of the liquids is obtained; in a second step, the static pressure of the mixture is brought below the vapor pressure of at least one of the liquids, so that cavitation bubbles occur, for example, as a result of what is known as hard cavitation; and in a third step, the cavitation bubbles are caused to implode, a single-phase phase-stable liquid being obtained.

Claims

1. A method for producing a single-phase phase-stable liquid, comprising: in a first step, mixing a lipophilic liquid with a hydrophilic liquid, so that a mixture of the liquids is obtained, wherein the mixture is set in rotational motion by a worm with a tapering tube having a helical shape; in a second step, lowering the static pressure of the mixture below a vapor pressure of at least one of the liquids, so that cavitation bubbles occur; and in a third step, causing the cavitation bubbles are caused to implode, a single-phase phase-stable liquid being obtained.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the lowering of the static pressure in the second step is brought about by an outlet of the mixture from a nozzle.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the tapering tube of the worm widens again in a throughflow direction toward an end of the worm.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein an outlet orifice of the worm is smaller than an inlet orifice.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the nozzle includes a convergent nozzle.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the nozzle includes a convergent/divergent nozzle.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mixture is first set in rotational motion using the centrifugal pump, and wherein the mixture is subsequently accelerated further in the worm.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the mixture is subsequently conducted through the tube having internal swirl-generating shapes.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the tube of the worm has at a smallest diameter a diameter of at most 30% of a diameter of an inlet.

10. The method according to claim 2, wherein the liquid surrounds the outlet of the nozzle.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the tapering tube of the worm widens again in a throughflow direction toward an end of the worm, wherein an outlet orifice of the worm is smaller than an inlet orifice of the worm, and wherein the tube of the worm has at a smallest diameter a diameter of at most 30% of a diameter of the inlet orifice.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the tube has an inner wall made of copper.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Embodiments of the system described herein will be described in more detail below on the basis of the figures, which are briefly described as follows:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a test set-up for the method according to an embodiment of the system described herein, and

(3) FIG. 2 shows infrared spectroscopy results according to an embodiment of the system described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS

(4) FIG. 1 shows a typical test set-up for the method according to an embodiment of the system described herein. The following concrete description of the exemplary embodiment does not restrict the scope of protection and is intended merely to illustrate the system described herein by way of example.

(5) Commercially available kerosene and water were transferred in the weight ratio 1:1 under pressure via conventional delivery systems, and by way of centrifugal pump assemblies, out of the tanks 1 and 2 into a mixing chamber 8 which was configured like a vertically arranged funnel with high-grade steel balls located in it and having a diameter of 11 mm in each case. The high-grade steel balls were retained in the funnel via a retaining screen. As a result of the pressure and the balls, the liquids were emulsified with one another. Subsequently, the emulsion was conducted into a copper tube worm 9 having a uniform tube diameter of 2 cm, the tube being designed like a tapering helix which widens again toward the end of the worm. The worm 9 had an overall diameter of 20 cm at the upper end and a diameter of 5 cm at the smallest diameter. The worm 9 had at the outlet a diameter of 10 cm. Downstream of the worm 9, the emulsion was pressed through a vertically arranged tube 10 with a diameter of 7 cm and a length of 1.5 m and with a helicoidal worm-like deflecting device arranged therein (as in the case of a worm extruder in the sector of plastics technology). Thereafter, the liquid was pressed through nozzles into a container 11 having liquid. The abrupt pressure difference upon exit from the nozzles and the high velocity of the liquid (also the rotational speed) resulted in cavitation. Cavitation bubbles arose which subsequently imploded again immediately. This gave rise to a single-phase phase-stable liquid which obviously no longer contained any water and which had a very good calorific value. The liquid was subsequently transferred into a product container 12.

(6) The calorific value of the kerosene used lay at 43.596 kJ/kg. The calorific value of the liquid obtained lay at 43.343 kJ/kg.

(7) In the liquid obtained, no sign of water could be found by infrared spectroscopy (FIG. 2). The characteristic broad OH bands at about 3300 to 3400 cm.sup.−1 were absent.

(8) Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the specification or practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with the true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.