Fluid mixing device
AssigneeNoram Engineering and Constructors Ltd.
InventorStefan F. Meili
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fluid mixing device (10) for use in chemical reactions involving two or more immiscible fluid phases. It mixes the reactants and prevents phase separation, particularly in pipe bends. The device (10) for mixing fluids flowing through a pipe (16), comprises a plate (12) having a flowpath (14) therethrough and two or more tabs (20) extending from the plate into the flowpath at an angle (24) from the plane (22) of the plate. The tabs (20) are formed by first folds (32) in the plate, at least two of the tabs (20A) having a second fold (26) therein, the tabs and first and second folds being arranged to produce two counter-rotating vortices (30) in the fluids passing through the pipe. The device has a plane of symmetry (28) perpendicular to the plane (22) of the plate (12).
Claims18
A system for mixing fluids, comprising:
- a mixing device;
- a pipe having a bend therein;
- the mixing device being in the pipe upstream of the pipe bend;
- two immiscible liquids flowing through the pipe;
- two counter-rotating Dean vortices in the two immiscible liquids downstream of the pipe bend, induced by the pipe bend;
- the mixing device comprising a plate having a flowpath therethrough for the two immiscible liquids and three or more tabs extending from the plate into the flowpath at an angle from the plane of the plate, the tabs being formed by first folds in the plate, at least two of the tabs having a second fold therein, at least one of the tabs being flat and unfolded, the tabs and first and second folds being arranged to produce two counter-rotating vortices in the two immiscible liquids passing through the pipe;
- the two produced counter-rotating vortices being oriented to reinforce the counter-rotating Dean vortices.
A method of reducing phase separation in a flow through a pipe of a mixture of two or more immiscible fluid phases, the pipe having a mixing device upstream of a pipe bend, the mixing device comprising a plate having a flowpath therethrough and two or more tabs extending from the plate into the flowpath at an angle from the plane of the plate, the tabs being formed by first folds in the plate, at least two of the tabs having a second fold therein, the tabs and first folds and the second folds being arranged to produce two counter-rotating vortices in the fluids passing through the pipe, the method comprising:
- (a) flowing the fluids through the pipe in a direction from the mixing device to the pipe bend;
- (b) forming the counter-rotating vortices in the fluids as the fluids flow past the mixing device;
- and
- (c) flowing the fluids past the pipe bend and thereby inducing counter-rotating Dean vortices in the fluids, the Dean vortices being reinforced by the counter-rotating vortices formed by the mixing device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.