Circulating device for liquids containing long-chain molecules
AssigneeAtara Corporation
InventorPeter Lipert
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus is provided for causing circulation within a large body of fluid, especially a fluid comprising long molecules, such as polymer chains. The apparatus comprises a so-called "large bubble" generator, which generates a gas bubble to push the liquid through a series of bent pipes and ultimately into a vertically extending stackpipe. Upon generating a large gas bubble into the stackpipe, the gas acts as a piston within the stackpipe, pushing liquid upwardly therethrough, and thereby drawing liquid into the bottom. In order to prevent "motoring", a sharp-edged baffle plate is provided at a bend in the pipes between the gas-accumulator and the stackpipe. The baffle plate serves to prevent continuing flow of the fluid created by the presence of the long chain molecules.
Claims9
In a device for creating circulation within a body of liquid, the liquid including long-chain molecules, the device comprising a substantially vertically extending stackpipe means designed to be wholly submerged within the liquid, the stackpipe having an upper discharge opening and a lower inlet opening;
- a large bubble generator means, also designed to be wholly submerged within the liquid, and for delivering bubbles to said stackpipe, the generator means comprising a gas accumulating chamber having an opening in the lower part thereof, and curved piping, defining a siphon, connecting the gas accumulator chamber to the stackpipe, and means for delivering gas under pressure into the accumulator chamber;
- the improvement comprising:
- the presence of a sharp-edged baffle plate at a bend in the pipe between the gas accumulator chamber and the stackpipe, the sharp-edged baffle plate extending from the inner portion of the curve in the bent pipe towards the centerline of the pipe, so as to block at least about 10% of the cross-sectional flow area of the pipe.
A large bubble generator designed to be connected to a substantially vertically extending pipe and to be wholly submerged within a liquid, the large bubble generator comprising a gas accumulator chamber designed to be connected to a source of gas pressure, and an inverted siphon comprising a pipe having a series of bends therein, one end of the siphon being connected to the upper portion of the gas accumulator chamber, the second end designed to be connected to a substantially vertically extending pipe;
- the improvement comprising:
- a sharp-edged baffle plate secured to the internal circumference of the pipe substantially at the interior apex of a bend in the inverted siphon pipe, the baffle plate blocking at least about 10% of the cross-sectional flow area of the pipe.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.