Reactor mixing assembly

A continuous dynamic mixing assembly, comprising:

• a mixing chamber having an inner wall which is generally symmetrical about a central axis;
• at least one first fluid inlet for introducing first fluid material into said mixing chamber;
• at least one second fluid inlet for introducing second fluid material into said mixing chamber;
• at least one outlet for discharging a mixture of said first fluid material and said second fluid material from the mixing chamber;
• first baffles extending along the inner wall generally parallel to said axis for disrupting generally circumferential fluid flow in said mixing chamber;
• second baffles extending from the inner wall generally transverse to said axis for disrupting generally axial fluid flow in said mixing chamber;
• and
• a rotatable agitator comprising a cylindrical central portion extending in said mixing chamber along said axis and at least one blade that extends along an arc of said central portion;
• wherein said second baffles partition said mixing chamber into at least two axial segments and the first baffles in one of said segments are circumferentially offset from the first baffles in an adjacent one of said segments as viewed in a direction of said axis, and
• wherein a relative construction and arrangement among said first baffles, said second baffles and said agitator enable residence time of fluid in said reactor to be selectively adjusted.

A continuous dynamic mixing assembly, comprising:

• a generally horizontally extending mixing chamber having an inner wall which is generally cylindrical and symmetrical about a central axis;
• at least one first fluid inlet for introducing first fluid material into said mixing chamber;
• second fluid inlets disposed at a plurality of locations around said mixing chamber for introducing second fluid material into said mixing chamber;
• at least one outlet for discharging a mixture of said first fluid material and said second fluid material from the mixing chamber;
• first baffles extending along the inner wall generally parallel to said axis for disrupting generally circumferential fluid flow in said mixing chamber;
• second baffles extending from the inner wall generally transverse to said axis for disrupting generally axial fluid flow in said mixing chamber, wherein said second baffles are constructed and arranged to segment the mixing chamber axially;
• plate assemblies each disposed at a location of said second fluid inlet adjacent the mixing chamber wall having one of a particular porosity and sized openings effective to admit said second fluid material into said mixing chamber at a selected flow rate;
• and
• a rotatable agitator comprising a central cylindrical hub portion extending in said mixing chamber along said axis and at least one blade that extends along an arc of said hub portion;
• wherein a relative construction and arrangement among said first baffles, said second baffles and said agitator enable residence time of fluid in said reactor to be selectively adjusted.

A continuous dynamic mixing assembly, comprising:

• a generally horizontally extending mixing chamber having an inner wall which is generally cylindrical and symmetrical about a central axis, a liquid inlet for introducing liquid material into said mixing chamber, and an outlet for discharging mixed substances from said mixing chamber;
• flow means disposed adjacent the mixing chamber wall for admitting a gaseous substance into said mixing chamber at a selected flow rate;
• at least one gas port for introducing the gaseous substance into said mixing chamber through each of said flow means;
• first baffles extending axially along the inner wall of said mixing chamber for disrupting generally circumferential fluid flow in said mixing chamber;
• second baffles extending inwardly from said inner wall generally transverse to said axis for disrupting generally axial fluid flow in said mixing chamber, said second baffles partitioning said mixing chamber into at least two distinct axial segments;
• a rotatable agitator comprising a cylindrical hub portion extending in said mixing chamber along said axis and blades that extend along arcs of said hub portion, each said blade having a pitch such that a generally constant gap is maintained between an edge of each said blade and edges of said first baffles along an entire length of said blade, wherein a generally annular space is located radially between said blades and said first baffles and a size of said space is selected to produce a particular residence time of liquid material in said mixing chamber;
• and
• a variable speed drive mechanism that is connected to said agitator and can rotate said agitator in clockwise and counterclockwise directions;
• wherein a relative construction and arrangement among said first baffles, said second baffles and said agitator enable residence time of fluid in said reactor to be selectively adjusted.

A method of mixing a first fluid material and a second fluid material, comprising:

• directing the first fluid material into a generally horizontally extending mixing chamber having an inner wall which is generally symmetrical about a central axis;
• directing the second fluid material into said mixing chamber;
• rotating an agitator that comprises a cylindrical central portion extending in said mixing chamber along said axis and at least one blade extending from said central portion, the central portion being impervious to fluid flow;
• disrupting generally circumferential fluid flow in said mixing chamber with first baffles that extend from the inner wall generally along said axis;
• disrupting generally axial fluid flow with second baffles that extend from the inner wall generally transverse to said axis;
• and
• selectively adjusting residence time of fluid in said reactor based upon a relative construction and arrangement among said first baffles, said second baffles and said agitator.

A continuous dynamic mixing assembly, comprising:

• a generally horizontally extending mixing chamber having an inner wall which is generally symmetrical about a central axis;
• at least one first fluid inlet for introducing first fluid material into said mixing chamber;
• at least one second fluid inlet for introducing second fluid material into said mixing chamber;
• at least one outlet for discharging a mixture of said first fluid material and said second fluid material from the mixing chamber;
• first baffles extending along the inner wall generally along said axis for disrupting generally circumferential fluid flow in the mixing chamber;
• second baffles extending from the inner wall generally transverse to said axis for disrupting generally axial fluid flow in the mixing chamber, said second baffles extending between said first baffles;
• and
• a rotatable agitator comprising a central portion extending in said mixing chamber along said axis and multiple blades extending outwardly from said central portion, wherein each of said blades extends along a different axial portion of said central portion than an adjacent one of said blades;
• wherein said second baffles are disposed so that a portion of at least one of said second baffles is aligned transverse to said axis with a region that extends along said axis containing an axially terminal end of a first of said blades, and said second baffles partition said mixing chamber into at least two axial segments,
• wherein said first blade extends so as to be confined along said axis by said one second baffle in a first of said segments and a second of said blades that is adjacent said first blade extends so as to be axially confined by said one second baffle in a second of said segments that is adjacent said first segment.

A system for mixing fluid materials comprising:

• (a) a continuous dynamic mining assembly comprising:
• a generally horizontally extending mixing chamber having an inner wall which is generally symmetrical about a central axis;
• at least one first fluid inlet for introducing first fluid material into said mixing chamber;
• at least one second fluid inlet constructed and arranged for introducing second, gaseous fluid material into said mixing chamber;
• at least one outlet for discharging mixture of said first fluid material and said second fluid material from said mixing chamber;
• first baffles extending along the inner wall generally parallel to said axis for disrupting generally circumferential fluid flow in said mixing chamber;
• second baffles extending from the inner wall generally transverse to said axis for disrupting generally axial fluid flow;
• and
• a rotatable agitator comprising a central portion extending in said mixing chamber along said axis and at least one blade that extends from said central portion, the central portion being impervious to fluid flow;
• wherein a relative construction and arrangement among said first baffles, said second baffles and said agitator enable residence time of fluid in said reactor to be selectively adjusted;
• (b) a separator tank for receiving said mixture that is discharged from said mixing chamber;
• and
• (c) a pressure control valve in communication with gas from said separator tank for pressurizing said mixing chamber.

A continuous dynamic mixing assembly comprising:

• a generally horizontally extending mixing chamber having an inner wall which is generally symmetrical about a central axis;
• at least one first fluid inlet for introducing first fluid material into said mixing chamber;
• at least one second fluid inlet constructed and arranged for introducing second, gaseous fluid material into said mixing chamber;
• at least one outlet for discharging a mixture of said first fluid material and said second fluid material from said mixing chamber;
• first baffles extending along the inner wall generally parallel to said axis for disrupting generally circumferential fluid flow in said mixing chamber;
• second baffles extending from the inner wall generally transverse to said axis for disrupting generally axial fluid flow;
• and
• a rotatable agitator comprising a central portion extending in said mixing chamber along said axis and at least one blade that extends from said central portion, the central portion being imperious to fluid flow;
• wherein a relative construction and arrangement among said first baffles, said second baffles and said agitator enable residence time of fluid in said reactor to be selectively adjusted.

A system for mixing fluid materials comprising:

• (a) a continuous dynamic mixing assembly comprising:
• a generally horizontally extending mixing chamber having an inner wall which is generally symmetrical about a central axis;
• at least one first fluid inlet for introducing first fluid material into said mixing chamber;
• at least one second fluid inlet constructed and arranged for introducing second, gaseous fluid material into said mixing chamber;
• at least one outlet for discharging a mixture of said first fluid material and said second fluid material from said mixing chamber;
• first baffles extending along the inner wall generally parallel to said axis for disrupting generally circumferential fluid flow in said mixing chamber;
• second baffles extending from the inner wall generally transverse to said axis for disrupting generally axial fluid flow;
• and
• a rotatable agitator comprising a central portion extending in said mixing chamber along said axis and at least one blade that extends from said central portion, the central portion being impervious to fluid flow;
• wherein a relative construction and arrangement among said first baffles, said second baffles and said agitator enable residence time of fluid in said reactor to be selectively adjusted;
• and
• (b) means for removing gas from said mixture.