Process cooling rod

A process vessel system, comprising:

• a process vessel adapted for holding fluid, the process vessel having a lower floor below a main portion with vertical sidewalls that transition to an upwardly angled upper wall leading to an upper mouth;
• a heat exchange rod mounted through the upper wall of the process vessel and having:
• an elongated outer jacket made of a metal extending along an axis defining a closed lower end and an open upper end, an inner cavity defined within the outer jacket having an inner wall;
• a manifold attached to the upper end of the outer jacket, the manifold having two connectors providing fluid communication with the inner cavity, a first connector being offset from a centerline through the manifold and a second connector being located along the centerline and aligned with the outer jacket axis;
• and
• an elongated polymer flow diverter positioned within the inner cavity, the flow diverter extending from the manifold to a point spaced from the lower end such that a lower space is formed in the inner cavity between the flow diverter and the lower end, the flow diverter having a central inner bore extending the length of the flow diverter and being in fluid communication with the second connector to fluidly connect the second connector and the lower space, the flow diverter also having an outer surface defined by at least one helical flute extending the length of the flow diverter and being in contact with the inner wall of the outer jacket, the at least one helical flute defining at least one helical groove spaced inward from the inner diameter of the outer jacket that forms at least one helical flow passage between the flow diverter and the outer jacket fluidly connecting the first connector and the lower space, a circulatory flow path being thus formed from the first connector down through the at least one helical flow passage, the lower space, and up through the inner bore to the second connector,
• wherein the lower end of the outer jacket extends downward within the process vessel main portion so as to be submerged in fluid therein, and the outer jacket of the heat exchange rod has a length sufficient to position the lower end in close proximity with the lower floor of the vessel, wherein fluid flowing through the circulatory flow path in either direction may heat or cool fluid within the process vessel, and
• a mixer with vanes positioned just above a lower floor of the process vessel and journaled to rotate about a vertical axis, the mixer incorporating magnets that face the lower floor to enable rotation by an external magnetic drive on which the process vessel is supported.