US 5,471,913 AGranted

Apparatus for heating, mixing, and sealing a fluid

OwnerThomas B. Margittaiinventor

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Abstract

A processor for heating and mixing a liquid product, without changing the chemical and other characteristics of the product, includes a plurality of planar elements, or plates, having a thickness sufficient to be mechanically machined and each having a first fluid flow path defined by a groove formed on the top surface of the planar element. Each planar element includes a second fluid flow path which is isolated from the first fluid flow path and defined by a passage extending through the planar element from the top surface to the bottom surface. A mounting system or device mounts the planar elements adjacent one another so that the bottom surface of one planar element is in contact with the top surface of the planar element just below it. In addition, the plates are aligned such that a first fluid, such as a heating medium, will flow between a first and second planar element and a second fluid, such as a liquid product being heated, will flow between a second and third planar element. The design of the first fluid flow path formed on the top surface may be one of various designs such as a spiral, switch-back curve, oblong spiral or linear.

Claims26

Dependent claims

Apparatus for heating and mixing a fluid comprising:

a plurality of planar elements each having:
(a) a first fluid flow path defined by:
(1) a first spiral groove in a top surface of said planar element extending radially inward from a first point on said planar element to a central area of said planar element,
(2) a second spiral groove in said top surface of said planar element interlaced with said first spiral groove and extending radially outward from said central area of said planar element to a second point on said planar element 180.degree. from said first point on said planar element and at the same radial distance from the center of said planar element as the radial distance between the center of said planar element and said first point on said planar element,
(3) a first passage at said first point on said planar element extending into said top surface of said planar element to said first spiral groove, and
(4) a second passage at said second point on said planar element extending from said second spiral groove to a bottom surface of said planar element, and
(b) a second fluid flow path defined by a third passage extending through said planar element from said top surface to said bottom surface and disposed 90.degree. from said first and second points on said planar element and at the same radial distance from the center of said planar element as the radial distance between the center of said planar element and said first and said second points on said planar element;
and
means for mounting said plurality of planar elements adjacent one another with said bottom surface of a first planar element in contact with said top surface of an adjacent second planar element and with said first and second points of said first planar element disposed 90.degree. rotated from said first and second points of said second planar element such that:
(a) said second passage of said first planar element is aligned with said third passage of said second planar element, and
(b) said third passage of said first planar element is aligned with said first passage of said second planar element.

8 more elements

Apparatus for heating and mixing a fluid comprising:

a plurality of first planar elements each having:
(a) a first fluid flow path defined by:
(1) a first groove in a top surface of said first planar element extending from a first point on said first planar element to a second point on said first planar element 180.degree. from said first point on said first planar element and at the same radial distance from the center of said first planar element as the radial distance between the center of said first planar element and said first point on said first planar element,
(2) a first passage at said first point on said first planar element extending into said top surface of said first planar element to said first fluid flow path, and
(3) a second passage at said second point on said first planar element extending from said first fluid flow path to a bottom surface of said first planar element, and
(b) a second fluid flow path defined by a third passage extending through said first planar element from said top surface to said bottom surface and disposed at a third point which is:
(1) symmetrical with said first point relative to a first axis extending through the center of said first planar element and bisecting said first planar element, and
(2) symmetrical with said second point relative to a second axis, perpendicular to said first axis, and extending through the center of said first planar element and bisecting said first planar element;
a plurality of second planar elements each having:
(a) a first fluid flow path defined by:
(1) a first groove in a top surface of said second planar element extending from a first point on said second planar element to a second point on said second planar element 180.degree. from said first point on said second planar element and at the same radial distance from the center of said second planar element as the radial distance between the center of said second planar element and said first point on said second planar element,
(2) a first passage at said first point on said second planar element extending into said top surface of said second planar element to said first fluid flow path, and
(3) a second passage at said second point on said second planar element extending from said first fluid flow path to a bottom surface of said second planar element, and
(b) a second fluid flow path defined by a third passage extending through said second planar element from said top surface to said bottom surface and disposed at a third point which is:
(1) symmetrical with said first point relative to a first axis extending through the center of said second planar element and bisecting said second planar element, and
(2) symmetrical with said second point relative to a second axis, perpendicular to said first axis, and extending through the center of said second planar element and bisecting said second planar element,
wherein said first, second and third points of said second planar element are arranged relative to one another as a mirror image with respect to the arrangement of said first, second and third points of said first planar element;
and
means for mounting said plurality of first and second planar elements adjacent one another by alternately stacking said first planar elements and said second planar elements wherein:
(a) said bottom surface of a first of said first planar elements is in contact with said top surface of an adjacent first of said second planar elements,
(b) said bottom surface of said first of said second planar elements is in contact with said top surface of an adjacent second of said first planar elements, and
(c) said bottom surface of said second of said first planar elements is in contact with said top surface of an adjacent second of said second planar elements, and
wherein said first of said first planar elements is rotated 180.degree. from said second of said first planar elements, and said first of said second planar elements is rotated 180.degree. from said second of said second planar elements such that:
(a) said second passage of said first of said first planar elements is aligned with said third passage of said first of said second planar elements and said first passage of said second of said first planar elements,
(b) said third passage of said first of said first planar elements is aligned with said first passage of said first of said second planar elements,
(c) said second passage of said first of said second planar elements is aligned with said third passage of said second of said first planar elements and said first passage of said second of said second planar elements, and
(d) said second passage of said second of said first planar elements is aligned with said third passage of said second of said second planar elements.

24 more elements

Apparatus for heating and mixing a fluid comprising:

an end plate having first and second holes extending through said end plate from a top surface to a bottom surface;
a first pipe coupling element mounted to said top surface of said end plate at said first hole;
a second pipe coupling element mounted to said top surface of said end plate at said second hole;
a plurality of planar elements each having:
(a) a first fluid flow path defined by:
(1) a first spiral groove in a top surface of said planar element extending radially inward from a first point on said planar element to a central area of said planar element,
(2) a second spiral groove in said top surface of said planar element interlaced with said first spiral groove and extending radially outward from said central area of said planar element to a second point on said planar element 180.degree. from said first point on said planar element and at the same radial distance from the center of said planar element as the radial distance between the center of said planar element and said first point on said planar element,
(3) a first passage at said first point on said planar element extending into said top surface of said planar element to said first spiral groove, and
(4) a second passage at said second point on said planar element extending from said second spiral groove to a bottom surface of said planar element, and
(b) a second fluid flow path defined by a third passage extending through said planar element from said top surface to said bottom surface and disposed 90.degree. from said first and second points on said planar element and at the same radial distance from the center of said planar element as the radial distance between the center of said planar element and said first and said second points on said planar element;
and
means for mounting said end plate and said plurality of planar elements adjacent one another wherein:
(a) said bottom surface of said end plate is in contact with said top surface of a first of said plurality of planar elements,
(b) said bottom surface of said first planar element is in contact with said top surface of a second of said plurality of planar elements,
(c) said first hole of said end plate is aligned with said first passage of said first planar element,
(d) said second hole of said end plate is aligned with said third passage of said first planar element and said first passage of said second planar element, and
(e) said second passage of said first planar element is aligned with said third passage of said second planar element.

14 more elements

A system for heating and mixing a fluid comprising:

a unit for heating and mixing a product comprising:
(a) a first end plate having first and second holes extending through said first end plate from a top surface to a bottom surface,
(b) a first pipe coupling element mounted to said top surface of said first end plate at said first hole for introducing a liquid product to said unit,
(c) a second pipe coupling element mounted to said top surface of said first end plate at said second hole for conducting a heating medium from said unit,
(d) a second end plate having third and fourth holes extending through said second end plate from a top surface to a bottom surface,
(e) a third pipe coupling element mounted to said top surface of said second end plate at said third hole for conducting said liquid product from said unit,
(f) a fourth pipe coupling element mounted to said top surface of said second end plate at said fourth hole for introducing said heating medium to said unit,
(g) a plurality of planar elements each having:
(1) a first fluid flow path defined by:
(i) a first spiral groove in a top surface of said planar element extending radially inward from a first point on said planar element to a central area of said planar element,
(ii) a second spiral groove in said top surface of said planar element interlaced with said first spiral groove and extending radially outward from said central area of said planar element to a second point on said planar element 180.degree. from said first point on said planar element and at the same radial distance from the center of said planar element as the radial distance between the center of said planar element and said first point on said planar element,
(iii) a first passage at said first point on said planar element extending into said top surface of said planar element to said first spiral groove, and
(iv) a second passage at said second point on said planar element extending from said second spiral groove to a bottom surface of said planar element, and
(2) a second fluid flow path defined by a third passage extending through said planar element from said top surface to said bottom surface and disposed 90.degree. from said first and second points on said planar element and at the same radial distance from the center of said planar element as the radial distance between the center of said planar element and said first and said second points on said planar element;
and
(h) means for mounting said first end plate, said plurality of planar elements and said second end plate adjacent one another wherein:
(1) said bottom surface of said end plate is in contact with said top surface of a first of said plurality of planar elements,
(2) said bottom surface of said first planar element is in contact with said top surface of a second of said plurality of planar elements,
(3) said first hole of said first end plate is aligned with said first passage of said first planar element,
(4) said second hole of said first end plate is aligned with said third passage of said first planar element and said first passage of said second planar element, and
(5) said second passage of said first planar element is aligned with said third passage of said second planar element;
a boiler, having an inlet and an outlet, for heating said heating medium discharged from said unit;
first fluid flow means, extending between said second pipe coupling element and said inlet of said boiler, for conducting said heating medium from said unit to said boiler;
and
second fluid flow means, extending between said outlet of said boiler and said fourth pipe coupling element, for conducting said heating medium from said boiler to said unit.

22 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.