Electromagnetic wave assisted chemical processing
AssigneeHoll Technologies Company
InventorRichard A. Holl
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A window allows the introduction of radiation energy into an annular processing chamber filled with a material to be processed. The chamber is formed from coaxial cylinder members rapidly rotating relative to one another. The chamber can be thin enough so that it is short compared to the penetration depth of the radiation through the material, providing even exposure of the material to the radiation. Also, eddies created in the material by the relative rotation enhances the even exposure. When the material inside the annular processing chamber is opaque, resulting in an insignificant penetration depth, the eddies still insure that the material is evenly exposed to the irradiation.
Claims37
A method for processing materials, comprising:
- passing materials to be processed in a flow path through an annular processing passage between two closely-spaced smooth surfaces provided by respective inner and outer cylindrical apparatus members at least one rotating relative to the another, the height of the annular processing passage is small enough, the cylindrical apparatus members rotate relative to each other rapidly enough and the two closely-spaced smooth surfaces are smooth enough such that the materials are essentially free of Taylor vortices;
- and
- irradiating the materials in the processing passage with processing energy passing through at least one window of one of the two members, wherein the height of the annular processing passage is less than the penetration depth of the processing energy into the materials to be processed.
An apparatus for processing material comprising:
- two cylindrical apparatus members being mounted concentrically about a common axis for rotation relative to one another, and defining two closely-spaced smooth surfaces providing an annular processing passage constituting a flow path for the material, the height of the annular processing passage is small enough, the cylindrical apparatus members rotate relative to each other rapidly enough and the two closely-spaced smooth surfaces are smooth enough so that the materials to processed are essentially free of Taylor vortices;
- and
- an energy source for applying processing energy to the processing passage through at least one window in at least one wall of the two members, wherein the height of the annular processing passage is less than the penetration depth of said processing energy.
A means for electromagnetic processing of material comprising:
- two cylindrical apparatus members mounted for rotation relative to one another, and defining two closely-spaced smooth surfaces, the height of the annular processing passage is small enough, the cylindrical apparatus members rotate relative to each other rapidly enough and the two closely-spaced smooth surfaces are smooth enough providing an annular processing passage constituting a flow path for essentially Taylor vortex-free mixing the material;
- and
- a means for supplying electromagnetic energy to the material through at least one window in a wall of the two members.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.