Micro-channels, micro-mixers and micro-reactors
AssigneesState University, State of Oregon acting by and through the State Board of Higher Education on behalf of Oregon
InventorRichard Todd Miller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fluid micro-mixer apparatus includes a plurality of first microchannels for receiving a first fluid and a plurality of second microchannels for receiving a second fluid. A mixing chamber flow path is disposed to receive the first and second fluids after the first and second fluids exit their respective output ports. The mixing chamber flow path can include a first mixing chamber in the vicinity of the respective output ports, and the mixing chamber flow path can separate into at least two different flow paths downstream from the first mixing chamber.
Claims25
A fluid micro-mixer apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of first microchannels comprising at least one input port and at least one output port, the first microchannels being configured to receive a first fluid;
- a plurality of second microchannels comprising at least one input port and at least one output port, the second microchannels being configured to receive a second fluid;
- and
- and a mixing chamber flow path disposed to receive the first and second fluids after the first and second fluids exit their respective output ports,
- wherein the mixing chamber flow path comprises a first mixing chamber in the vicinity of the respective output ports, and the mixing chamber flow path separates into at least two different flow paths downstream from the first mixing chamber.
An apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of patterned laminae that are stacked so that adjacent patterned laminae define microchannels therebetween, wherein at least some of the microchannels comprise first outlet ports, the first outlet ports having a width in a direction that is generally parallel to a plane of an adjacent lamina and a height in a direction that is generally perpendicular to the plane of the adjacent lamina, and the width of the plurality of first outlet ports is greater than the height of the outlet ports;
- and
- a mixing flow path downstream of the first outlet ports, the mixing flow path having at least one split section and one recombination section, wherein the split section is a section where the mixing flow path splits into at least two separate flow paths and the recombination section is a section where the at least two separate flow paths recombine into a single flow path.
An apparatus comprising:
- a first micro-mixer apparatus and a second micro-mixer apparatus, each of the first and second micro-mixer apparatuses comprising:
- a plurality of first microchannels comprising at least one input port and at least one output port, the first microchannels being configured to receive a first fluid;
- a plurality of second microchannels comprising at least one input port and at least one output port, the second microchannels being configured to receive a second fluid;
- and
- and a mixing chamber flow path disposed to receive the first and second fluids after the first and second fluids exit their respective output ports,
- wherein the mixing chamber flow path comprises a first mixing chamber in the vicinity of the respective output ports, and the mixing chamber flow path separates into at least two different flow paths downstream from the first mixing chamber,
- wherein the first and second micro-mixer apparatuses are arranged in sequence so that the first micro-mixer apparatus comprises a first mixing stage and the second micro-mixer apparatus comprises a second mixing stage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.