APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR SPRAYING LIQUIDS AND PRODUCING VERY FINE MIST

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus and a process for spraying liquids and producing very fine mist, where the apparatus comprises a needle injector, a liquid supply (5) and a gas supply (4). The needle injector comprises at least one capillary line (1) and at least one outer tube (8), where the capillary line (1) is arranged in the interior space of the outer tube (2) and the internal diameter of the capillary line in the needle injector is in the range of 2-1000 m, preferably in the range of 4-300 m, more preferably in the range of 5-250 m. The capillary line is in active communication with a gas supply (4) and the outer tube (2) is in active communication with a liquid supply (5). A spray mist which comprises the liquid in the form of very finely dispersed droplets of 10-20 m and has a low flow velocity is produced by means of the process of the invention. The properties of the spray mist can be controlled very well via the configuration of the apparatus and the experimental parameters. A preferred field of use of the apparatus is the controlled introduction of spray mists into reaction apparatuses for the study of catalysts or in impregnation apparatuses for the deposition of liquids.

Claims

1. An apparatus for spraying liquids, which comprises a needle injector, a liquid supply and a gas supply, wherein the needle injector comprises at least one capillary line and at least one outer tube and the internal diameter of each capillary line of the needle injector is in the range of 2-400 m, and the capillary line is coaxially arranged in the interior space of the respective outer tube, the capillary line is in active communication with the gas supply and the outer tube is in active communication with the liquid supply.

2. The apparatus for spraying liquids according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is joined to a housing.

3. The apparatus for spraying liquids according to claim 1, wherein a tip of the apparatus is configured in such a way that a length difference between the capillary line and the outer tube is in the range of 0-10 mm.

4. The apparatus for spraying liquids according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured for operation in conjunction with a catalyst testing setup for examining FCC catalysts and/or an aging or impregnation unit for FCC catalysts.

5. A process for spraying liquids with the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the process comprises: (i) controlled introduction of a gas via the gas supply into a capillary line, (ii) controlled introduction of a liquid via the liquid supply into an interior space of an outer tube, and (iii) contacting of the liquid conveyed through the outer tube with the gas conveyed through the capillary line at a tip of the apparatus.

6. The process for spraying liquids according to claim 5, wherein the liquid which is conveyed through the outer tube has a volume flow in the range of 0.1-10 ml/min, and/or the gas which is conveyed through the capillary line has a volume flow in the range of 10-300 ml/min.

7. The process for spraying liquids according to claim 5, wherein the housing, the gas supply and/or the liquid supply are heated, with the temperature of the gas supply being in the range of 50-300 C.; the temperature of the liquid supply being in the range from 50 to 300 C; and the temperature of the housing being in the range of 80-700 C.

8. The process for spraying liquids according to claim 5, comprising spraying a heavy oil.

9. The process for spraying liquids according to claim 5, comprising spraying an oil, wherein the oil is introduced in pulses or continuously and the pulses have a duration in the range of 1-400 seconds.

10. The process for spraying liquids according to claim 5, wherein the needle injector comprising the capillary line and the outer tube is arranged vertically.

11. The process for spraying liquids according to claim 5, wherein a very fine mist is produced by the process, having a mass flow ratio of gas to liquid of <0.1.

12. The process for spraying liquids according to claim 5, wherein the process is controlled by a PC.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES:

[0061] FIG. 1 schematically shows the apparatus of the invention for spraying liquids having a capillary line (1) and outer tube (2), with the apparatus being arranged in a tubular housing (3). The tubular housing is surrounded by a heating device (6).

[0062] FIG. 2.a schematically shows the cross section through the injector of the apparatus of the invention, with the injector having a capillary line (1) and an outer tube (2).

[0063] FIG. 2.b schematically shows the cross section through the injector of the apparatus of the invention, with the injector having two different capillary lines (1) and (1) and also an outer tube (2).

[0064] FIG. 2.c schematically shows the cross sections of variously configured capillary lines having a hexagonal shape (1), a square shape (1) and a triangular shape (1).

[0065] FIG. 3 shows a photograph of the injector tip (8) in the operating state, with a colored solution being sprayed by means of the apparatus of the invention. The spray cone has an opening angle of 14. Individual droplets cannot be resolved optically.

[0066] FIG. 4 schematically shows the apparatus of the invention for spraying liquids in an arrangement having a plurality of apparatuses. In the present case, the apparatuses for spraying liquid are used in a setup for impregnating catalysts, with the setup having three apparatuses (d1, d2, d3) at the top and two lateral apparatuses (d4, d5).

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0067] 1, 1, 1capillary line in various configurations

[0068] . . .

[0069] 2outer tube for liquid supply/oil supply

[0070] 3housing

[0071] 4gas supply

[0072] 5liquid supply

[0073] 6heating device

[0074] 8injector tip

[0075] 9contact space, reaction space

[0076] 12flow direction

[0077] 13joint liquid supply for injectors d1, d2, d3

[0078] 14joint gas supply for the injectors d1, d2, d3

[0079] 15gas supply for fluidizing gas

[0080] 16screen or frit for screening the gas feed lines

[0081] d1, d2, d3vertically arranged injectors, top of the setup

[0082] d4, d5laterally arranged injectors, longitudinal axis of the injectors has a tilt angle relative to the vertical axis, tilt angle is <40, preferably <30, more preferably <25