US 9,851,145 B2Granted

Radial counterflow reactor with applied radiant energy

AssigneeMcCutchen Co.

InventorsDavid J. McCutchen, Wilmot H. McCutchen

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Abstract

An improvement is described for the processing of biological material in a continuous stream by the application of radiant energy taken from the wavelengths from infrared to ultraviolet, and its absorption by a feedstock in a workspace of featuring controlled turbulence created by one or more counter-rotating disk impellers. The absorbed energy and the controlled turbulence patterns create a continuous process of productive change in a feed into the reactor, with separated light and heavy product output streams flowing both inward and outward from the axis in radial counterflow. The basic mechanism of processing can be applied to a wide range of feedstocks, from the promotion of the growth of algae to make biofuel or other forms of aquaculture, to a use in the controlled combustion of organic material to make biochar.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A radial counterflow apparatus with radiant energy applied to the transformation of a feed, comprising:

a source of radiant energy in a wavelength from infrared to ultraviolet;
two counter-rotatable disk impellers with a common axis of rotation, defining a workspace between them, the disk impellers being at least one of optically transparent or thermally conductive to the radiant energy, at least one impeller having an output deflector wall;
a baffle disposed between said two coaxial counter-rotatable disk impellers;
an axial feed port approximately centered on said axis of rotation, disposed underneath the baffle, and communicating with the workspace;
a feed transport communicating with the axial feed port;
a heavy products exhaust port located on the periphery of the workspace to receive heavy products including any heavy products deflected from the deflector wall;
an axial exhaust port approximately centered on said axis of rotation, disposed above the baffle, and communicating with the workspace;
an axial suction pump communicating with the axial exhaust port;
a drive wheel to cause counter-rotation connected to the disk impellers, and a feed.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/333,276Filed 16 Jul 2014 · division
Priority: 28 Jan 2011
Published: US 2014/0325866 A16 Nov 2014
Granted: 26 Dec 2017
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification20 codes

F26B 3/283
By radiation, e.g. from the sun: in combination with convection
A01K 61/59
Of shellfish: of crustaceans, e.g. lobsters or shrimps
C12M 21/02
Bioreactors or fermenters specially adapted for specific uses: photobioreactors
C12M 27/02
Means for mixing, agitating or circulating fluids in the vessel: stirrer or mobile mixing elements

Family

Application61/437,277Us provisional application · filed 28 Jan 2011
Application13/360,564Parent of this division · filed 27 Jan 2012
US 2014/0325866 A1Pre-grant publication · published 6 Nov 2014
US 2012/0196336 A1Published application
US 9,851,145 B2This patent

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