Multifunctional hydrodynamic vortex reactor and method for intensifying cavitation

Abstract

The proposed multifunctional hydrodynamic vortex type reactor includesa housing having curvilinear inner sidewalls,a base attached to the housing, an inverse taper narrowing downward and attached to the top of housing,a supporting tube passing at least through the housing and base,a set of washers tapered downward and mounted on an outer surface of the supporting tube such that outer upper edges of the set of washers and the inner sidewalls form predetermined gaps therebetween, anda number of inlets tangentially attached to the base for introducing, under external pressure, a solid substance and a liquid (or a suspension of their mixture) thereinto, forming a circulating flow therein. The flow forms a high speed bypassing cavitation zone and, changing its direction at the inverse taper, forms a vortex cavitation zone, providing for mixing and grinding the substance up to nanoscale sizes. Methods for intensifying cavitation are also provided.

Claims

1. A multifunctional hydrodynamic vortex type reactor for mixing a solid substance with a liquid and grinding the solid substance therein, said multifunctional hydrodynamic vortex type reactor comprising: a hollow housing (1) defining at least a top, a bottom, inner sidewalls, and a central vertical longitudinal axis thereof, wherein the inner sidewalls are tapered upward forming, in a cross-sectional plane extended through the central vertical longitudinal axis, a curved line; a hollow base (2) attached to the bottom of said housing (1); an inverse taper (3) narrowing downward, the inverse taper (3) is situated inside the housing (1), the inverse taper (3) has an upper portion attached to the top of said housing (1); a supporting tube (4) passing through the base (2); said supporting tube (4) includes an upper portion situated inside the housing (1), said upper portion having a tube inlet (10) on a top thereof, a middle portion situated inside the base (2), and a low portion situated below the base (2) having a discharge outlet (8) situated at a bottom of the lower portion of said supporting tube (4); at least one washer (5) mounted partially on an outer surface of the upper portion and partially on an outer surface of the middle portion of said supporting tube (4), such that outer upper edges of said at least one washer (5) and the inner sidewalls of said housing (1) form predetermined gaps therebetween; and at least one inlet tangentially attached to the base (2) for introducing under external pressure at least said solid substance with said liquid into the base (2), thereby providing for said mixing and grinding.

2. The multifunctional hydrodynamic vortex type reactor according to claim 1, wherein said curved line is parabola.

3. The multifunctional hydrodynamic vortex type reactor according to claim 1, wherein said at least one inlet further includes a first inlet (6) for introducing said solid substance into the base (2) and a second inlet (7) for introducing said liquid into the base (2), such that the solid substance and the liquid form a suspension circulating inside the base (2) in a predetermined direction.

4. The multifunctional hydrodynamic vortex type reactor according to claim 1, wherein said at least one washer (5) further includes a plurality of washers of predetermined shapes.

5. A multifunctional hydrodynamic vortex type reactor for mixing a solid substance with a liquid and grinding the solid substance therein, said multifunctional hydrodynamic vortex type reactor comprising: a hollow housing (1) defining at least a top, a bottom, inner sidewalls, and a central vertical longitudinal axis thereof, wherein the inner sidewalls are tapered upward forming, in a cross-sectional plane extended through the central vertical longitudinal axis, a curved line; a hollow base (2) attached to the bottom of said housing (1); an inverse taper (3) narrowing downward, the inverse taper (3) is situated inside the housing (1), the inverse taper (3) has an upper portion attached to the top of said housing (1); a supporting tube (4) passing through the base (2); said supporting tube (4) includes an upper portion situated inside the housing (1), said upper portion having a tube inlet (10) on a top of said upper portion; and said supporting tube (4) includes a low portion situated in and below the base (2), having a discharge outlet (8) situated at a bottom of the lower portion of said supporting tube (4); at least one washer (5) mounted on an outer surface of the upper portion of said supporting tube (4), such that outer upper edges of said at least one washer (5) and the inner sidewalls of said housing (1) form predetermined gaps therebetween; and at least one inlet tangentially attached to the base (2) for introducing under external pressure at least said solid substance with said liquid into the base (2), thereby providing for said mixing and grinding.

6. The multifunctional hydrodynamic vortex type reactor according to claim 5, wherein said curved line is parabola.

7. The multifunctional hydrodynamic vortex type reactor according to claim 5, wherein said at least one inlet further includes a first inlet (6) for introducing said solid substance into the base (2) and a second inlet (7) for introducing said liquid into the base (2), such that the solid substance and the liquid form a suspension circulating inside the base (2) in a predetermined direction.

8. The multifunctional hydrodynamic vortex type reactor according to claim 5, wherein said at least one washer (5) further includes a plurality of washers of predetermined shapes.

9. A method for intensification of cavitation in a liquid comprising the steps of: providing a hollow cylindrical base; a hollow housing mounted above the base, including a top and internal sidewalls tapered upward and communicating with the base; a conical inverse taper narrowing downward having an upper part attached to the top of the housing; a set of washers tapered downward, including an upper portion having a top surface, wherein said upper portion is mounted below the conical inverse taper at least partially within the housing, wherein said upper portion defines outer upper edges of the set of washers, wherein the outer edges and the inner sidewalls form predetermined gaps therebetween, and wherein an internal volume is defined between the inverse taper and the top surface of said upper portion; providing a liquid flow under external pressure circulating in the base; passing the liquid flow through the predetermined gaps thereby initiating high-speed bypassing cavitation, wherein the liquid bypasses the set of washers with a predetermined speed in a first cavitation zone situated above and around the outer upper edges; passing the liquid flow upward into the internal volume between the inverse taper and said top surface creating vortex cavitation in a second cavitation zone situated in the internal volume, thereby providing for the intensification of cavitation in the liquid.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said housing defines a central vertical longitudinal axis thereof, and any of said internal sidewalls, in a cross-sectional plane extended through the central vertical longitudinal axis of the housing, forms a curved line.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the curved line is parabola.

Description

DRAWINGS OF THE INVENTION

[0039] The following drawings attached hereto illustrate the invention. In particular:

[0040] FIG. 1 illustrates a frontal projection and a plan projection of the multifunctional hydrodynamic vortex type reactor, according to the parent application.

[0041] FIG. 2 illustrates frontal projections of three optional configurations of washers of the MHVR, according to preferred embodiments of the present invention.

[0042] FIG. 3 illustrates frontal projections of four optional configurations of a base of the MHVR, according to preferred embodiments of the present invention.

[0043] FIG. 4 illustrates a frontal projection and a plan projection of the MHVR, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] FIG. 5 illustrates a frontal projection and a plan projection of the MHVR, according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0045] While the invention may be susceptible to embodiment in different forms, there is shown in the drawing, and will be described in detail herein, a specific exemplary embodiment of the present invention, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the invention, and is not intended to limit the invention to that as illustrated and described herein.

[0046] According to one preferred embodiment (FIG. 4), the inventive MHVR comprises: a housing 1 tapered upward and having curvilinear internal walls (wherein the preferable shape of the internal walls is parabola); a hollow base 2 (preferably of a cylindrical shape) attached to the bottom of housing 1; an inverse taper 3 (preferably of a conical shape) narrowing downward with its upper inner portion attached to the top of housing 1 preferably by means of a threaded joint; a supporting pipe 4 having a top inlet 10 and a bottom discharge outlet 8, and passing through the base 2, while an upper portion of supporting tube 4 is situated inside the housing 1, a middle portion of supporting tube 4 is situated inside the base 2, and a lower portion of supporting tube 4 is situated outside the housing 1 below the base 2; and a set of washers 5 (one washer 5 is shown in FIG. 4), tapered downward, while the set of washers 5 is situated partially inside the housing 1 and partially inside the base 2, and wherein the set of washers 5 is mounted partially on the outer surface of the upper portion of supporting tube 4 and partially on the outer surface of the middle portion of supporting tube 4, such that the upper outer edges of washers 5 and the inner sidewalls of housing 1 form predetermined gaps.

[0047] According to another preferred embodiment (FIG. 5), the inventive MHVR comprises: a housing 1 tapered upwards and having curvilinear internal walls (wherein the preferable shape of the internal walls is parabola); a hollow base 2 (preferably of a cylindrical shape) attached to the bottom of housing 1; an inverse taper 3 (preferably of a conical shape) narrowing downwards with its upper inner portion attached to the top of housing 1 preferably by means of a threaded joint; a supporting pipe 4 having a top inlet 10 and a bottom discharge outlet 8, and passing through the base 2, while an upper portion of supporting tube 4 is situated inside the housing 1 and a lower portion of supporting tube 4 is situated outside the housing 1; and a set of washers 5, tapered downward, and mounted on the outer surface of the upper portion of supporting tube 4 such that the upper outer edges of washers 5 and the inner sidewalls of housing 1 form predetermined gaps.

[0048] The base 2 of the MHVR, depending on particular purposes of mixing and grinding, can have a single inlet 6, or multiple tangential inlets 6, 7 and 9, which may be aligned in the same direction or in different directions (including the opposite direction) as shown in FIG. 3. The inlet(s) provide input of working liquid and/or a preliminary prepared suspension of solid substances to be mixed and ground, as well as serve the purpose of initially creating a peripheral flow B of the liquid circulating inside the base 2, as shown in FIG. 4. The working liquid or the preliminary prepared suspension is introduced into the base 2 under external pressure.

[0049] The supporting tube 4 in conjunction with the inverse taper 3 and the set of washers 5 (FIG. 1 exemplarily depicts two washers 5, whereas FIG. 4 depicts one washer 5 to facilitate showing liquid flows). The set of washers 5 is provided for structuring the process of liquid flow and creating conditions for primary (initial) cavitation surrounding a solid body (i.e. the washer(s) 5 being the solid body in this case) placed within the MHVR. The washers 5, depending on the nature of solid substance ground/mixed in the MHVR, may have various configurations, for example, as shown in FIG. 2: 5(a), 5(b) and 5(c). Discharge of the liquid flow from the MHVR is provided through the bottom discharge outlet 8 (see above).

[0050] The peripheral flow B (shown in FIG. 4) rises to upper outer edges of the washer 5, wherein it bypasses the outer edges and initiates primary cavitation (zone D in FIGS. 1 & 4) around there. Due to the primary cavitation, the liquid turns into a vapor-gas mixture and continues to move towards the top of the housing 1. This preliminary transformation of the liquid flow creates conditions for the secondary (vortex) cavitation (zone V in FIGS. 1 & 4), which significantly increases intensity of the cavitation process in whole within MHVR.

[0051] The movement of liquid along the inner walls of the housing 1 has a vortex character and, due to the shape of the inner walls (made curvilinear, preferably parabolic, and tapered upward), is accelerated by radial velocity. Reaching the inverse taper 3, the liquid movement turns in the opposite direction, causing formation of an internal/axial vortex liquid flow C (FIG. 4).

[0052] Due to the shape of the inverse taper 3, the axial vortex flow C continues moving at high radial speed in the opposite direction. The interaction of the peripheral flow B and the counter-axial vortex flow C in the space between the inverse taper 3 and the top inlet 10 of the supporting tube 4 forms a limited zone V of intensive vortex cavitation (FIGS. 1, 4, 5). In the zone V, a mutual collision of particles of the solid substance in the liquid occurs.

[0053] Thus, in the limited zone V, a simultaneous multifactorial energy effect on the liquid and solid substance arises as a result of physical phenomena artificially created in the MHVR. By varying the size and shape of the inverse taper 3, as well as the size and shape of the internal curvilinear (preferably parabolic) walls of the housing 1, it is possible to change the size and configuration of zone V; this, in turn, allows changing processing modes of the mixture of liquid and solid substances contained therein.

[0054] Practical experiments conducted by the instant inventors, as well as computer simulations, showed that the velocity of the liquid in some parts of the MHVR, compared with the input velocity of the peripheral flow B, increases tens of times.

[0055] Based on the formula for determining energy of a moving body: E=m*V.sup.2, it can be demonstrated that the energy of the body (i.e. the flow of mixture of the liquid and solid particles) moving in the MHVR can increase by several orders of magnitude (e.g. up to 100 times).

[0056] The diameter and height of the housing 1, the diameter of the base 2, and the diameter of the supporting tube 4 are calculation values and can be predetermined for a particular embodiment of the invention, which depends on characteristics of the solid substance to be ground and mixed within the MHVR, the required size of ground particles, and the particular shape of the MHVR.

[0057] The present invention also proposes a method for intensification of cavitation of a liquid, preferably using the MHVR. In preferred embodiment, the method comprises the steps of:providing a hollow cylindrical base 2; a hollow housing 1 mounted above the base, including a top and internal sidewalls tapered upward and communicating with the base 2; a conical inverse taper 3 narrowing downward having an upper part attached to the top of the housing 1; a set of washers 5 tapered downward, including an upper portion having a top surface and at least partially mounted within the housing 1 below the inverse taper 3, wherein the upper portion defines outer upper edges of the set of washers, wherein the outer upper edges and the inner sidewalls form predetermined gaps therebetween, and wherein an internal volume is defined between the inverse taper 3 and the top surface of the upper portion of the set of washers 5;providing a liquid flow circulating in the base 2 under external pressure;passing the liquid flow through the predetermined gaps thereby initiating cavitation of a high-speed bypassing type (see above), wherein the liquid bypasses a solid body (in this case, the set of washers 5) with a high speed in a first cavitation zone (zone D) situated above and around the outer upper edges;passing the liquid flow upward into the internal volume between the inverse taper and the top surface creating cavitation of a vortex type in a second cavitation zone situated (zone V) in the internal volume, thereby providing for the intensification of cavitation of the liquid.

[0058] Herein the high speed of the liquid flow bypassing the solid body can be experimentally predetermined by varying the speed by means of adjusting shapes, relative positions, and sizes of the housing 1 and the set of washers 5.

BEST DESIGN MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0059] As a result of numerous practical experiments conducted by the instant inventors, a certain dependence of energy characteristics of the MHVR upon geometric shape of the housing 1 was established. The most effective design for the housing 1 was discovered having curvilinear (especially parabolic) shape of the internal walls, shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

[0060] Comparative characteristics of the MHVR with the housing having internal walls with a conical shape (disclosed in the parent application, annotated MHVRconical) and the MHVR with the housing having internal walls with a tapered upward parabolic shape (annotated MHVRparabolic) are represented in the table below.

TABLE-US-00001 Input Maximum Pressure speed of speed of Steam Turbu- at the Maximum liquid liquid concen- lence entrance pressure flow flow tration energy [bar] [bar] [m/s] [m/s] [%] [J/kg] MHVR - 5 12.5 4 40.1 74 34.1 conical MHVR- 5 46.4 4 80 95 114 parabolic

[0061] Thus, it is noticeable that, under equal initial conditions, due to optimization of the geometric shape of the inner walls of the housing, the energy characteristics of the MHVR with parabolic inner walls have critically increased comparatively with the MHVR with conical inner walls (disclosed in the parent application), specifically from about 1.5 to more than 3 times. This means that the above-described grinding process can be conducted with a significantly higher efficiency and lower input energy.

[0062] The size of washers 5 providing for the cavitation process depends on the size (linear and angular dimensions) and configuration of the housing 1, the configuration of washers 5, and their design is determined depending on cavitation modes required.

[0063] The design of MHVR includes no moving parts, which significantly simplifies its production, increases its reliability, and extends its operational lifespan.

[0064] The liquid is introduced into the base 2 at a certain pressure, for example, through the tangential inlet 6 (FIGS. 1 & 4). A solution containing the solid substance to be ground and/or mixed in the MHVR is introduced through the inlet 7. Depending on the physical characteristics of the solid substance, the substance can be fed into the MHVR, for example, in a dry form through the inlet 7 using an appropriate known ejector, or in the form of preliminary prepared solution containing the solid substance.

[0065] The liquid flow, under external pressure and due to the design of the base 2, takes a vortex, laminar or turbulent form. Then the mixed flow (i.e. a mixture of the solid substance and liquid introduced via the inlets 6 and 7), rising along the inner sidewalls of the housing 1, enters into the gaps between the inner sidewalls of housing 1 and the outer edges of washers 5 thus forming a cavitation zone.

[0066] Cavitation modes, depending on the characteristics of the substance to be ground/mixed, are determined by a selection of configurations of the washers 5. Having passed the cavitation zone, the flow rises to the inverse taper 3, and then changes its direction of circulation to the opposite one (this effect is also known as a gyratory motion along inner sidewalls of a chamber; it was observed by the instant inventors), while maintaining the character of vortex motion. Upon the reversal of the flow circulation, the most intensive grinding/mixing of the substance occurs due to a mutual collision of particles in the fluid flows moving in the opposite directions.

[0067] The so treated liquid flow is discharged through the supporting pipe 4. To obtain a required result of grinding/mixing, the treatment process in the MHVR is cycled during a predetermined time. Thus, the treatment of the flow passing through the MHVR results in dispersion of the suspension containing the solid substance and liquid, providing a reduction of the size of the substance's particles to nanometers. It may also activate physical and chemical processes occurring in the liquid.

OPERATION OF THE INVENTION

[0068] The MHVR operates as follows. Before launching, the suspension of liquids and solid substance to be ground are prepared in a separate container, while the suspension has a concentration required by technology of the process. The working liquid is fed into the inlet 6 under pressure, and the suspension, prepared in the container, is fed into the inlet 7 at the same time (shown in FIGS. 1 & 4).

[0069] At the base 2, these two flows are mixed and a resultant flow takes a vortex turbulent form (the direction of liquid flow in the lower and middle parts of housing 1 is shown in FIG. 1 by ordinary arrows) due to the design of MHVR. Further, under the influence of centrifugal force, the flow rises along the inner sidewall of the housing 1, while generating the above described two-stage cavitation process in the region of the washers 5 and inverse taper 3, achieving intensive grinding/mixing of the solid substance.

[0070] Upon rising to the upper part of the housing, the liquid flow turns back in the opposite direction (the direction of liquid flow in the upper part of housing 1 is shown in FIG. 1 by double arrows) forming a counter-flow, while maintaining the character of the vortex motion. After turning back at 180.degree. of the rotating liquid flow, an intensive grinding of the substance particles occurs due to their mutual collision produced by moving of the flow and the counter flow. The intensity of interaction of the two flows in the aforesaid MHVR zone depends on the configuration of the inverse taper 3.

[0071] Upon passing through the MHVR, the so treated flow is discharged through the discharge opening 8. The treatment time of particular substance depends on its physical characteristics and requirements for its grinding/mixing, as well as on the pressure of the fluid flow at the inlet.