Impeller system and method for enhanced-flow pumping of liquids

An enhanced-flow impeller system for forming a dispersion of non-entraining droplets of at least one liquid in at least one other immiscible liquid in a tank and pumping said dispersion through an outlet port of said tank, the system comprising:

• a radial flow impeller rotatably driven by a drive shaft and having a plurality of radial flow inducing blades having radially outermost blade tips terminating along a blade terminating circle and providing stress inducing threes on the liquids so as to create and pump said dispersion of droplets, a first face of said radial flow impeller disposed proximate an inlet port for said liquids at the bottom of said tank and concentric with said drive shaft;
• a radial flow extension plate disposed adjacent a second opposing face of said radial flow impeller and extending radially outwardly therealong by a radial distance at least to said blade terminating circle;
• and
• an axial flow impeller rotatably driven by said drive shaft and having a plurality of pitched axial flow inducing blades with blade tips extending radially outwardly to at least said blade terminating circle of said radial flow impeller, said axial flow impeller disposed on said drive shaft at an axial spacing from said plate in a direction toward an upper portion of said tank, and providing a spatially uniform distribution of said droplet dispersion throughout the tank during a dispersion residence time therein.

A method for pumping with enhanced flow at least one liquid in a tank from an inlet port through an outlet port thereof, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a radial flow impeller having a first face of a plurality of radial flow inducing blades extending into said inlet port for said at least one liquid disposed at a bottom surface of said tank, said blades having radially outermost blade tips terminating along a blade terminating circle;
• providing a radial flow extension plate disposed adjacent a second opposing face of said radial flow impeller and extending radially outwardly therealong by a radial distance beyond said blade terminating circle;
• and
• pumping said at least one liquid by rotatably driving a drive shaft attached to at least said radial flow impeller.

A method for forming and pumping with enhanced flow a dispersion of non-entraining droplets of at least one liquid in at least one other imnmiscible liquid in a tank from an inlet port through an outlet port thereof, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a radial flow impeller having a first face of a plurality of radial flow inducing blades disposed proximate an inlet port for said at least two liquids at a bottom surface of said tank, said blades having radially outermost blade tips terminating along a blade terminating circle;
• providing a radial flow extension plate disposed adjacent a second opposing face of said radial flow impeller and extending radially outwardly therealong by a radial distance at least to said blade terminating circle;
• providing in an upper portion of said tank an axial flow impeller rotatably driveable by a drive shaft common to at least said radial flow impeller, said axial flow impeller having a plurality of pitched axial flow inducing blades with blade tips extending radially outwardly to at least said blade terminating circle of said radial flow impeller;
• and
• rotatably driving said drive shaft, thereby creating said droplet dispersion by stress inducing forces acting on said at least two liquids and provided by said radial flow impeller, and pumping with enhanced flow said droplet dispersion by said radial flow impeller and said radial flow extension plate, and forming a spatially uniform distribution of said droplet dispersion throughout the tank by said axial flow impeller during a residence time of said dispersion in said tank.