METHOD AND DEVICE FOR PREPARING A FLUID LOADED WITH INGREDIENTS

Abstract

A method for treating a liquid loaded with ingredients includes injecting the liquid into a reactor vessel such that a circular movement is imparted to the liquid and such that a concentration of the ingredients in a region of a peripheral wall of the reactor vessel increases in a direction from a reactor inlet to a reactor outlet, impinging ultrasound waves having a first intensity and/or ultraviolet radiation having a first intensity on the liquid in a first portion of the reactor vessel, and impinging ultrasound waves having a second intensity and/or ultraviolet radiation having a second intensity on the liquid in a second portion of the reactor vessel. The concentration of the ingredients in the first portion is less than the concentration of the ingredients in the second portion and the first intensity is less than the second intensity. Also a reactor vessel.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A method for treating a liquid loaded with ingredients comprising: injecting the liquid into a reactor vessel such that a circular movement is imparted to the liquid and such that a concentration of the ingredients in a region of a peripheral wall of the reactor vessel increases in a direction from a reactor inlet to a reactor outlet; impinging ultrasound waves having a first intensity and/or ultraviolet radiation having a first intensity on the liquid in a first portion of the reactor vessel; and impinging ultrasound waves having a second intensity and/or ultraviolet radiation having a second intensity on the liquid in a second portion of the reactor vessel; wherein the concentration of the ingredients in the first portion of the reactor vessel is less than the concentration of the ingredients in the second portion of the reactor vessel; and wherein the first intensity is less than the second intensity.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein impinging the ultrasound waves having the first intensity and/or the ultraviolet radiation having the first intensity on the liquid comprises impinging the ultrasound waves having the first intensity and/or the ultraviolet radiation having the first intensity on the liquid to a first depth, wherein impinging the ultrasound waves having the second intensity and/or the ultraviolet radiation having the second intensity on the liquid comprises impinging the ultrasound waves having the second intensity and/or the ultraviolet radiation having a second intensity on the liquid to a second depth, and wherein the first depth is greater than the second depth.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein impinging the ultrasound waves having the first intensity and/or the ultraviolet radiation having the first intensity on the liquid comprises impinging the ultrasound waves having the first intensity and/or the ultraviolet radiation having the first intensity on the liquid in a radially inward direction.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the liquid is injected and/or discharged from the reactor vessel tangentially.

15. A device for treating a liquid loaded with ingredients comprising: a reactor vessel having an inlet and an outlet and a cylindrical inner surface configured to guide a liquid injected tangentially into the reactor vessel in a circular movement from the inlet to the outlet; and a plurality of ultrasound radiation sources and/or ultraviolet radiation sources disposed circumferentially around and axially along the cylindrical inner surface, a first set of the radiation sources being located in a first section of the reactor vessel and a second set of the radiation sources being located in a second section of the reactor vessel different than the first section; wherein the first set of radiation sources is configured to produce a first level of a radiation intensity in the first section of the reactor vessel, wherein the second set of radiation sources is configured to produce a second level of radiation intensity in the second section of the reactor vessel, the second level being greater than the first level, wherein the first set of the radiation sources is located axially between the second set of radiation sources and the inlet, and wherein a number of the first set of radiation sources per a unit area on the cylindrical inner surface is less than a number of the second radiation sources per the unit area on the cylindrical surface.

16. The device according to claim 15, wherein a power of the radiation sources of the first set of radiation sources is different than a power of the radiation sources of the second set of radiation source.

17. The device according to claim 15, wherein the inlet is located above the outlet in an axial direction.

18. The device according to claim 15, wherein the inlet is located below the outlet in an axial direction.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section of a first inventive exemplary embodiment,

[0024] FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal section of a second inventive exemplary embodiment,

[0025] FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal section of a third inventive exemplary embodiment,

[0026] FIG. 4 shows a cross-section of the first exemplary embodiment, and

[0027] FIG. 5 shows a cross-section of a fourth exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] In the drawings the same structural elements each have the same reference number.

[0029] FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section through an inventive device 1 for treating a liquid 8 loaded with ingredients. The device 1 is suited, for example, for treating of ballast water in watercraft such as container ships. The device 1 here has a cylindrical reactor vessel 2 for receiving the liquid 8.

[0030] The reactor vessel 2 has an interior that is delimited by a cylindrical reactor casing or reactor wall 16, a reactor cover 4, and a reactor base 10. The reactor vessel 2 is basically rotationally symmetric with respect to its cylinder axis 3. In the region of the reactor cover 4 the reactor vessel 2 includes an inlet 6 that opens tangentially into the interior. A liquid can be led into the reactor vessel 2 through the inlet 4. In the region of the reactor base 10 an outlet 12 is disposed that extends tangentially out of the interior and makes it possible for the liquid 8 to flow out from the reactor vessel 2.

[0031] Radiation sources 22 for destruction of ingredients or sterilization of the liquid 8 are disposed on the reactor casing 16. In this exemplary embodiment they are distributed uniformly in the circumferential direction and in the direction of the cylinder axis 3 and directed here in the radial direction toward the cylinder axis 3. In this exemplary embodiment the radiation sources 22 are embodied as ultrasound sonotrodes, however they can also be UV lamps or comparable equipment for generating of ultrasound waves and/or ultraviolet radiation. Here the radiation sources 22 are disposed in circumferential rows that have a defined identical spacing x1=x2=x3=x4 with respect to one another vertically.

[0032] The reactor vessel 2 is continuously flowed-through by the liquid 8, wherein due to the tangential arrangement of the inlet 6 and of the outlet 12 the liquid 8 is set into rotation 14. A rotational movement is thus imposed on the liquid 8 and with it the ingredients. In a cylindrically configured reactor vessel 2 the cylinder axis 3 thus corresponds to the rotational axis 3 of the introduced liquid 8 set into rotation 14. Due to a centrifugal force acting on the ingredients due to the rotational movement the ingredients contained in the liquid 8 are driven radially outward toward a reactor wall 16 of the reactor vessel 2. Consequently a displacement, dependent on the rotational speed and a rotation duration of the liquid 8, of the ingredients (such as solids or microorganisms) contained in the liquid onto the reactor wall 16 of the reactor vessel 2 arises. The specific concentration of the ingredients in the liquid 8 near the casing-surface-side wall 16 is thus low 18 near the inlet 6 and high 20 in the region of the outlet 12. The radiation sources 22 are more powerfully embodied here in the region with higher specific concentration 20 of ingredients in the liquid 8 than in regions with lower specific concentration 18. Regions with higher specific concentration 20 are thereby impinged (irradiated) with a higher irradiation intensity than regions with lower specific concentration 18 of ingredients in the liquid 8. According to the exemplary embodiment the power of the radiation sources therefore increases continuously toward the reactor base 10.

[0033] In FIG. 2 a longitudinal section of the cylindrical reactor vessel 2 along its cylinder axis 3 is shown according to a second exemplary embodiment. The essential difference to the first exemplary embodiment is that the radiation sources 22 disposed on the reactor wall 16 in circumferential rows have a changing vertical distance to one another. In the second exemplary embodiment the vertical distance x5-x8 of the radiation sources 22 to one another decreases in the direction of the reactor base 10 of the reactor vessel 2. Consequently the relation x5>x6>x7>x8 results. The liquid 8 passing the reactor vessel 2 is thereby impinged with a varying irradiation intensity along the vertical extension of the reactor vessel 2. The varying irradiation intensity of the radiation sources 22 is adapted to the specific concentration 18, 20 (hatching) of the ingredients in the liquid 8 in the immediate vicinity of the reactor wall 16. The higher the specific concentration of the ingredients in the liquid 8, the more radiation sources 22 impinge it with ultrasound waves and/or UV radiation and vice versa. The irradiation intensity here is proportional to the number of radiation sources 22.

[0034] FIG. 3 illustrates a longitudinal section of the cylindrical reactor vessel 2 along its cylindrical axis 3 according to a third exemplary embodiment. In particular there is a difference to the first and the second exemplary embodiment in the reversed arrangement of the inlet 6 and the outlet 12. Here the liquid 8 reaches into the region of the base plate 10 in the reactor vessel 2 and leaves it in the region of the reactor cover 4. Accordingly the specific concentration 18, 20 of the ingredients in the liquid 8 increases in the vicinity of the reactor wall 16 vertically toward the reactor cover. The radiation sources 22 disposed on the reactor wall 16 are adapted to this specific concentration distribution. The vertical distances x9-x14 of the radiation sources to one another increase with a decrease of the specific concentration toward the reactor base 10. In the third exemplary embodiment a relative ratio x9<x10<x11<x12<x13<x14 of the distances to one another results.

[0035] In FIG. 4 the first exemplary embodiment is illustrated in the cross-section of the reactor vessel 2 perpendicular to its cylindrical axis 3. The radiation sources 22 are disposed circumferentially in the vertical direction on a plane on the reactor wall. The radiation sources 22 have a constant distance y1=y2=y3 to one another in the circumferential direction and are radially oriented toward the cylinder axis 3 in the reactor vessel 2. The liquid 8 loaded with ingredients introduced at the tangentially disposed inlet 6 is set into rotation 14. With the vertical flow-through of the reactor vessel 2 the ingredients of the loaded liquid 8 are increasingly strongly displaced toward the reactor wall 16.

[0036] FIG. 5 shows a the fourth exemplary embodiment in the cross-section of the reactor vessel 2; here the cross-section extends perpendicular to the cylinder axis 3 in a vertical plane of the reactor vessel 2 in the immediate vicinity to the reactor wall 16, at which a high specific concentration of ingredients 20 in the liquid 8 is set. In this exemplary embodiment the irradiation intensity is also realized by a higher number of radiation sources 22, however they are not disposed closer to each other vertically, but rather in a circumferential direction. The circumferential distances y4=y5=y6 of the radiation sources 22 to one another here are smaller than in a vertical plane of the reactor vessel 2 with a lower specific concentration of ingredients 18 in the liquid 8. However, in an analogous manner to the second exemplary embodiment, in the fourth exemplary embodiment the vertical distances of the radiation sources 22 to one another can also vary.

[0037] A method is disclosed for treating a liquid 8 loaded with ingredients. This liquid 8 is set into a circular movement 14 in a reactor vessel 2 and impinged with ultrasound waves and/or ultraviolet radiation 22. A local irradiation intensity is adapted to a specific concentration 18, 20 of the ingredients in the liquid, wherein with a high specific concentration 18, 20 the local irradiation intensity is higher than with a low specific concentration. Furthermore, a device 1 for carrying out the method is disclosed.

REFERENCE NUMBER LIST

[0038] 1 Device [0039] 2 Reactor vessel [0040] 3 Cylinder axis or rotational axis [0041] 4 Reactor cover [0042] 6 Inlet [0043] 8 Liquid loaded with ingredients [0044] 10 Reactor base [0045] 12 Outlet [0046] 14 Rotational direction of the liquid [0047] 16 Reactor wall [0048] 18 Region of low specific concentration [0049] 20 Region of high specific concentration [0050] 22 Radiation source [0051] 24 Displacement direction of the ingredients [0052] x Distances in the direction of the rotational axis [0053] y Circumferential distances