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US 4,297,111 AGranted
Process and apparatus for the contact and separation of immiscible fluids
AssigneeCaribbean Properties Limited
InventorLeon I. Ross
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process and apparatus for the continuous contact and the subsequent separation from one another of immiscible fluids differing in density from one another, in which the entrainment of either fluid by the other is suppressed by obliging the less dense fluid to flow radially inward, from an annular passage between the interlapped walls of two coaxial conduits, through a generally continuous spinning ring of the denser fluid connecting the overlapped outlet of the inner conduit with the overlapping wall of the outer conduit, the two immiscible fluids separating centrifugally from one another with the less dense fluid being withdrawn from an inner space closer to the axis of spin than the surrounding denser fluid being separately withdrawn from the outer conduit.
Claims38
A process for the continuous contact of a denser fluid feed with a less dense fluid feed and the subsequent separation of a resultant denser fluid product from a less dense immiscible fluid product, the process comprising:
- (a) introducing the denser fluid feed into a first conduit, having a wall with a generally circular transverse section surrounding a central longitudinal axis, the conduit being open at one end to provide an outlet for the denser fluid feed therefrom, the outlet having a circular rim, centered upon the longitudinal axis of the conduit and located in a plane generally perpendicular thereto,
- (b) directing the flow of the denser fluid feed through the first conduit axially toward and through the said circular outlet into a coaxial second conduit, also having a wall with a generally circular transverse section overlapping the wall of the first conduit, surrounding the circular outlet and defining a generally annular passage between the interlapped walls of the coaxial conduits, the annular passage having an outlet defined by the rim of the outlet from the first conduit,
- (c) spinning the denser fluid feed emerging from the circular outlet of the first conduit around the longitudinal axis thereof fast enough to form the emerging denser fluid into a generally continuous spinning fluid ring connecting the rim of the said circular outlet directly with the overlapping wall of the second conduit, thereby curtaining off the outlet from the annular passage between the interlapped walls of the coaxial conduits.
- (d) introducing the less dense fluid feed into the annular passage between the interlapped walls of the coaxial conduits,
- (e) directing the flow of the less dense fluid feed through the said annular passage axially toward and through the outlet thereof, the said outlet having been curtained off by the generally continuous spinning ring of denser fluid connecting the interlapped walls of the coaxial conduits, whereby the less dense fluid feed must be intercepted by the said spinning fluid ring, the fluid feeds consequently interacting with one another within the second conduit to yield immiscible fluid products differing in density from one another, the spinning fluid products separating centrifugally from one another, with the less dense fluid product flowing toward an inner space closer to the longitudinal axis than the surrounding denser fluid product,
- (f) withdrawing the less dense fluid product from the said inner space and
- (g) separately withdrawing the denser fluid product from the second conduit.
4 more elements
A process as claimed in either preceding claim, in which at least part of the spinning of the denser fluid feed is provided by the introduction into either conduit of a vapor in a generally circumferential direction at a higher circumferential velocity than that of the fluid in that conduit.
An apparatus for the continuous contact of a denser fluid feed with a less dense fluid feed and the subsequent separation of a resultant denser fluid produce from a less dense immiscible fluid product, the apparatus comprising:
- (a) a first conduit, having a wall with a generally circular transverse section surrounding a central longitudinal axis, the conduit being open at one end to provide an outlet for the denser fluid feed therefrom, the outlet having a circular rim, centered upon the longitudinal axis of the conduit and located in a plane generally perpendicular thereto,
- (b) a second conduit, coaxial with the first conduit, the second conduit also having a wall with a generally circular transverse section overlapping the wall of the first conduit, surrounding the said circular outlet for the denser fluid therefrom and defining a generally annular passage between the interlapped walls of the coaxial conduits, the annular passage having an outlet defined by the rim of the outlet from the first conduit,
- (c) means for introducing the denser fluid feed into the first conduit,
- (d) means for directing the flow of the denser fluid feed through the first conduit axially toward and through the said circular outlet therefrom into the overlapping coaxial second conduit,
- (e) means for spinning the denser fluid feed emerging from the circular outlet of the first conduit around the longitudinal axis thereof fast enough to form the emerging denser fluid into a generally continuous spinning fluid ring connecting the rim of the said circular outlet directly with the overlapping wall of the second conduit, thereby curtaining off the outlet from the annular passage between the interlapped walls of the coaxial conduits,
- (f) means for introducing the less dense fluid feed into the annular passage between the interlapped walls of the coaxial conduits,
- (g) means for directing the flow of the less dense fluid feed through the said annular passage axially toward and through the outlet thereof, the said outlet having been curtained off by the generally continuous spinning ring of denser fluid connecting the interlapped walls of the coaxial conduits, whereby the less dense fluid feed must be intercepted by the said spinning fluid ring, the fluid feeds consequently interacting with one another within the second conduit to yield immiscible fluid products differing in density from one another, the spinning fluid products separating centrifugally from one another, with the less dense fluid product flowing toward an inner space closer to the longitudinal axis than the surrounding denser fluid product,
- (h) an outlet for the less dense fluid product from the said inner space and
- (i) a separate outlet for the denser fluid product from the second conduit.
6 more elements
A process for the continuous contact of a liquid feed with a less dense fluid feed and the subsequent separation of a resultant fluid product from a less dense immiscrible fluid product, the process comprising:
- (a) directing a denser liquid feed into and axially through a first conduit, having a generally circular transverse cross-section surrounding a central longitudinal axis, into an overlapping coaxial second conduit, the second conduit also having a generally circular transverse cross-section overlapping the outlet from the first conduit, and defining a generally annular passage between the interlapped walls of the coaxial first and second conduits,
- (b) spinning the denser liquid feed emerging from the generally circular outlet of the first conduit around the longitudinal axis thereof fast enough to form the emerging denser liquid into a generally continuous spinning liquid curtain connecting the rim of said first conduit outlet directly with the overlapping wall of the second conduit, thereby curtaining off the annular passage between the interlapped walls of the coaxial conduits,
- (c) directing a less dense fluid feed into and through said annular passage axially and into and through the spinning curtain, the liquid and less dense fluid feeds consequently interacting with one another within the second conduit to yield spinning immiscible fluid products differing in density from one another;
- two immiscible spinning fluid products separating centrifugally from one another, the less dense fluid product flowing relatively radially inwardly towards the longitudinal axis,
- (d) withdrawing the less dense fluid product from a location relatively near the longitudinal axis;
- and
- (e) separately withdrawing the denser fluid product from the second conduit.
4 more elements
An apparatus for the continuous contact of a denser liquid feed with a less dense fluid feed and the subsequent separation of a resultant denser fluid product from a less dense immiscible fluid product, the apparatus comprising:
- (a) a first conduit, having a generally circular transverse cross-section and a central longitudinal axis, the conduit being open at one end to provide an outlet having a circular rim, centered upon the longitudinal axis of the conduit and located in a plane generally perpendicular thereto,
- (b) a second conduit, coaxial with and overlapping the first conduit, the second conduit also having a generally circular transverse cross-section and extending axially beyond the rim of the first conduit, the first and second conduits defining a generally annular passage between the interlapped portions, the annular passage having an outlet into the second conduit defined by the rim of the first conduit,
- (c) means for introducing a denser liquid feed into the first conduit and for directing the flow of the denser liquid feed through the first conduit axially toward and into the overlapping coaxial second conduit,
- (d) means for causing the denser liquid feed to spin about the longitudinal axis of the conduit as the liquid emerges from the outlet of the first conduit fast enough to form the emerging denser liquid into a generally continuous spinning fluid curtain connecting the rim of the said first conduit outlet with the overlapping second conduit, thereby curtaining off the outlet from the annular passage between the interlapped coaxial conduits,
- (e) means for introducing a less dense fluid feed into and through the annular passage between the interlapped walls of the coaxial conduits and into the second conduit, so as to intercept the spinning denser fluid curtain,
- (f) an outlet for the less dense fluid product located relatively near the longitudinal axis;
- and
- (g) separate outlet for the denser fluid product from the second conduit.
5 more elements
A process for producing a divided particulate solid product by the cooling of a spinning liquid curtain comprising:
- (a) directing a denser liquid feed into and axially through a first conduit, having a generally circular transverse cross-section surrounding a central longitudinal axis, into an overlapping coaxial second conduit, the second conduit also having a generally circular transverse cross-section overlapping the outlet from the first conduit, and defining a generally annular passage between the interlapped walls of the coaxial first and second conduits,
- (b) spinning the denser liquid feed emerging from the generally circular outlet of the first conduit around the longitudinal axis thereof fast enough to form the emerging denser liquid into a generally continuous spinning liquid curtain connecting the rim of said first conduit outlet directly with the overlapping wall of the second conduit, thereby curtaining off the annular passage between the interlapped walls of the coaxial conduits,
- (c) directing a less dense fluid feed into and through said annular passage axially and into and through the spinning curtain, such that heat is transferred from the liquid to the less dense fluid to yield a spinning stream of finely divided solid particles;
- and centrifugally separating the less dense fluid product therefrom.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.