Colloid mill
AssigneeAPV North America, Inc.
InventorHarald O. Korstvedt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A colloid mill utilizes a motor-driven shaft configuration that connects to the rotor of the colloid mill to the electric motor rotor. In this way, the mill rotor shaft is directly driven. Complex gear or belt drive arrangements between a separate electric motor and the fluid processing components of the colloid mill are thus avoided. Moreover, the gap between the mill rotor and mill stator can be adjusted simply by axially translating the motor-driven shaft. Such translation is provided by a timing belt-based arrangement to limit backlash. As a result, a simple hand-operated knob or stepper motor arrangement can be used to control the gap.
Claims10
A colloid mill rotor comprising:
- a primary processing surface extending annularly around the rotor;
- a secondary processing surface extending annularly around the rotor downstream of the primary processing surface;
- and
- an intermediate processing surface extending annularly around the rotor and axially located between the primary and the secondary processing surfaces, the intermediate processing surface being depressed relative to the primary and secondary processing surfaces wherein the intermediate processing surface is depressed to establish a cavitation field during operation of the colloid mill.
A method for processing fluid in a colloid mill, the method comprising:
- passing the fluid over a primary processing surface extending annularly around the rotor;
- passing the fluid through a low pressure region over an intermediate processing surface extending annularly around the rotor that is depressed relative to the primary processing surface;
- and
- passing the fluid over a secondary processing surface extending annularly around the rotor downstream of the intermediate processing surface,
- establishing a cavitation field between the intermediate processing surface and a mill stator during operation of the colloid mill.
A colloid mill rotor comprising a first processing surface and a second processing surface, an intermediate processing surface between the first and second processing surfaces being depressed relative to the first and second processing surfaces, and wherein the intermediate processing surface is depressed to cause cavitation of a material being processed by the rotor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.