Method and apparatus for mixing fluids

A method for reacting fluent materials in a continuous flow process comprising:

• (1) injecting the materials into a device along a center axis of the device at a flow rate sufficient to create turbulence, the device comprising:
• a plurality of chambers, each chamber having a central conduit section extending from an inlet section to an outlet section, the inlet, central and outlet sections defining an interior surface of the chamber,
• the inlet section having a shape that progressively reduces the velocity and pressure of fluid flowing through it,
• the central section having a shape that tends to maintain constant the pressure and velocity of fluid flowing through it,
• the outlet section having a shape that progressively increases the pressure and velocity of fluid flowing through it;
• and
• wherein each of the inlet, central and outlet sections of each chamber extends along the center axis, and each plane in which the axis lies intersects the interior surface of the chamber in straight line segments, and with respect to each pair of the plurality of chambers, each pair consisting of an upstream chamber adjacent to a downstream chamber, the outlet section of the upstream chamber being connected to the inlet section of the downstream chamber in a manner such as to maintain turbulence in fluid flowing through the device;
• and
• (2) effecting a chemical reaction of the materials as they flow through the device.

A device for inducing turbulence in the flow of a fluid in the course of a continuous flow process, the device comprising a series of chambers extending along an axis, each chamber being defined by:

• a conduit of at least substantially cylindrical form having a length extending along the axis and between opposite ends;
• a generally frusto-conical diffuser having an internal cross-section increasing along the axis from a reduced internal cross-section at an inlet of the diffuser to an internal cross-section substantially equal to that of the conduit at an outlet of the diffuser;
• and
• a generally frusto-conical confuser having an internal cross-section decreasing along the axis from an internal cross-section substantially equal to that of the conduit at an inlet of the confuser to a reduced cross-section at an outlet of the confuser;
• the conduit, diffuser and confuser of each chamber being arranged coaxially, the conduit extending from the outlet of the diffuser to the inlet of the confuser, the outlet of one confuser and the inlet of one diffuser of adjacent chambers in the series being connected together to maintain the adjacent chambers in fluid communication therebetween in a manner such as to maintain turbulence in fluid flowing through the device and being no farther apart than half the length of the conduit.

A device for inducing turbulence in the flow of a fluid in the course of a continuous flow process, the device comprising:

• a plurality of chambers, each chamber having a central section, an inlet section and an outlet section arranged along a center axis, the inlet and outlet sections each having an entrance and an exit,
• the central section defining a hollow interior having an axial length of constant cross-sectional area extending from the exit of the inlet section to the entrance end of the outlet section,
• the inlet section defining a hollow interior with an axial length extending from the entrance to the exit of the inlet section, the interior having a cross-sectional area at any point x along the axis from the entrance to the exit of the inlet section proportional to (D.sub.i +K.sub.i).sup.2, wherein K.sub.i is a constant and D.sub.i is the axial distance from the entrance of the inlet section to point x,
• the outlet section defining a hollow interior with an axial length extending from the entrance to the exit of the outlet section, the interior having a cross-sectional area at any point y along the axis from the entrance to the exit of the outlet section proportional to (D.sub.o +K.sub.o).sup.2, wherein K.sub.o is a constant and D.sub.o is the axial distance from the exit of the outlet section to point y;
• with respect to each pair of the plurality of chambers, each pair consisting of an upstream chamber and a downstream chamber, the outlet section of the upstream chamber being connected to the inlet section of the downstream chamber in a manner such as to maintain turbulence in fluid flowing through the device and being no farther from the downstream chamber than half the axial length of the central section of either of the chambers of the pair.

A method for mixing fluent materials in a continuous flow process comprising injecting the materials into a device at a flow rate sufficient to create turbulence in the device, the device comprising:

• a plurality of chambers, each chamber having a central section, an inlet section and an outlet section arranged along a center axis, the inlet and outlet sections each having an entrance and an exit,
• the central section defining a hollow interior having an axial length of constant cross-sectional area extending from the exit of the inlet section to the entrance of the outlet section,
• the inlet section defining a hollow interior with an axial length extending from the entrance to the exit of the inlet section, the interior having a cross-sectional area at any point x along the axis from the entrance to the exit of the inlet section proportional to (D.sub.i +K.sub.i).sup.2, wherein K.sub.i is a constant and D.sub.i is the axial distance from the entrance of the inlet section to point x,
• the outlet section defining a hollow interior with an axial length extending from the entrance to the exit of the outlet section, the interior having a cross-sectional area at any point y along the axis from the entrance to the exit of the outlet section proportional to (D.sub.o +K.sub.o).sup.2, wherein K.sub.o is a constant and D.sub.o is the axial distance from the exit of the outlet section to point y;
• with respect to each pair of the plurality of chambers, each pair consisting of an upstream chamber and a downstream chamber, the outlet section of the upstream chamber being connected to the inlet section of the downstream chamber in a manner such as to maintain turbulence in fluid flowing through the device and being no farther from the downstream chamber than half the axial length of the central section of either of the chambers of the pair.