US 7,601,377 B2Granted

Method for treating liquid materials

AssigneeMillisecond Technologies Corp.

InventorsYuri Vasilvevich Aksenov, Michael Nikolaevich Ivanovsky, Nikolai Ivanovich Loginov, Albina Vasilyevna Milovidova, Valentine Alexeevich Morozov, Nikolai Nikolaevich Ponomarev-Stepnoi, Boris Alexandrovich Chulkov, Alexander Lvovich Shimkevich, Joel B. Grae

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Abstract

An method for processing a fluid, having a vacuum chamber having an associated heater, to heat a condensable gas therewithin, a spray nozzle to atomize a cool fluid, having a non-condensible gas dissolved therewithin, a vacuum line to maintain reduced pressure in the vacuum chamber and remove non-condensing gas, and a control, for maintaining steady state conditions in the vacuum chamber by controlling pressure and temperature conditions. Gases condenses on the atomized droplets to release a latent heat of vaporization.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method for processing an aqueous liquid, comprising:

(a) providing a vacuum chamber, having a heating element for providing at least a portion of a latent heat of vaporization of a condensable gas within the vacuum chamber;
a spray nozzle, for producing an atomized aqueous liquid spray pattern of a cool aqueous liquid within the vacuum chamber, the cool aqueous liquid comprising varying amounts of a dissolved volatile non-condensable component, wherein at least a portion of the varying amounts of dissolved volatile non-condensable component are released from the cool aqueous liquid after passing through the spray nozzle;
a conduit for continuously withdrawing, to achieve subatmospheric pressure, at least a portion of the released volatile non-condensable component from the vacuum chamber;
and a liquid withdrawal conduit, to permit egress of pooled processed liquid from the vacuum chamber after treatment;
(b) controlling conditions in the vacuum chamber comprising at least (i) a subatmospheric pressure within the vacuum chamber;
and (ii) temperature conditions within the vacuum chamber adapted to achieve a steady state of condensation of the condensable gas on the atomized droplets of cool aqueous liquid;
(c) condensing the condensable gas on relatively cooler atomized droplets of cool aqueous liquid from the spray nozzle, to thereby heat the droplets of cool aqueous liquid by release of the latent heat of vaporization;
and
(d) withdrawing processed aqueous liquid from the vacuum chamber through the liquid withdrawal conduit.

6 more elements

An method for processing an aqueous fluid, comprising:

providing:
(a) a vacuum chamber;
(b) a heating element surrounding at least a portion of the vacuum chamber, for heating a portion of an internal wall of the vacuum chamber;
(c) a spray nozzle, for producing a spray pattern of atomized droplets of an aqueous liquid within the vacuum chamber, the aqueous liquid comprising varying amounts of a dissolved volatile non-condensable component, wherein at least a portion of the varying amounts of dissolved volatile non-condensable component are released from the aqueous liquid after passing through the spray nozzle;
(d) a conduit for continuously withdrawing, to achieve subatmospheric pressure, at least a portion of the released volatile non-condensable component from the vacuum chamber;
(e) a withdrawal conduit, to permit egress of pooled aqueous liquid from the vacuum chamber;
and
(f) a control, for maintaining steady state conditions in the vacuum chamber by controlling (i) a subatmospheric pressure within the vacuum chamber;
and (ii) temperature conditions within the vacuum chamber,
continuously filling the vacuum chamber principally with a condensing gas which condenses on relatively cooler atomized droplets of aqueous liquid from the spray nozzle, to thereby heat the atomized droplets of the aqueous liquid by release of a latent heat of vaporization of the condensing gas, while evacuating pooled aqueous liquid from the vacuum chamber through the withdrawal conduit, to achieve controlled process conditions.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/416,024Filed 2 May 2006 · continuation
Priority: 6 Mar 1996
Published: US 2006/0199258 A17 Sep 2006
Granted: 13 Oct 2009
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

C12H 1/18
By physical means, e.g. irradiation: by heating
A23B 2/05
Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general: by heating using irradiation or electric treatment
A23B 2/103
By treatment with pressure variation, shock, acceleration or shear stress: using sub- or super-atmospheric pressures, or pressure variations…
A23B 2/40
Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general: by heating loose unpacked materials

Family

Application60/017,121Us provisional application · filed 6 Mar 1996
Application08/812,109Parent of this continuation · filed 5 Mar 1997
Application09/411,088Parent of this continuation · filed 4 Oct 1999
Application10/179,657Parent of this continuation · filed 24 Jun 2002
US 2006/0199258 A1Pre-grant publication · published 7 Sep 2006
US 7,037,694 B2Parent of this continuation
US 6,410,284 B1Parent of this continuation
US 5,962,288 AParent of this continuation
US 2003/0035752 A1Published application
US 7,601,377 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.