Tubular reactor and working method thereof

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of general physical or chemical methods or devices, and particularly relates to a tubular reactor and a working method thereof.The tubular reactor comprises an outer tube, a middle tube and an inner tube which are arranged from outside to inside; an annular closed cavity is formed between every two adjacent tubular components, a first annular cavity is defined between the outer tube and the middle tube, a second annular cavity is defined between the middle tube and the inner tube, and an inner cavity of the innermost tubular component forms a third cavity. The first fluid input pipe is communicated with the first annular cavity; the second fluid input pipe is communicated with the second annular cavity; the fluid output pipe is communicated with the third cavity; the ultrasonic vibrator is arranged in the third cavity; the first annular cavity and the second annular cavity are communicated through a first through hole formed in the pipe wall of the middle pipe. The second annular cavity communicates with the third cavity through a second through hole formed in the pipe wall of the inner pipe.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the general field of physical or chemical methods or devices, and in particular relates to a tubular reactor and a working method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Tubular reactors, with their continuous flow operation, high heat transfer efficiency, and modularity, are widely used in chemical synthesis, nanomaterial preparation, and biopharmaceuticals. Traditional single-tube or tube-in-tube structures rely on fluid turbulence or static mixing elements to achieve material mixing, but they have significant drawbacks when dealing with high-viscosity liquids or gas-liquid mixing processes. High-viscosity fluids have poor flow properties, resulting in poor mixing. Furthermore, when mixing gas and liquid, large bubbles are easily formed when gas is injected into the liquid phase, leading to an unstable gas-liquid mass transfer interface and reduced reaction efficiency.

[0003] Therefore, how to avoid incomplete reaction due to uneven mixing of gas / liquid multiphase fluids in a tubular reactor is a technical problem that needs to be solved urgently by those skilled in the art.

[0004] It should be noted that the above information disclosed in this background technology section is only used to understand the background technology of the present application concept, and therefore, the above description is not considered to constitute information of the prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide at least one tubular reactor and a working method thereof.

[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a tubular reactor, comprising: At least three coaxially sleeved tubular components, which are, from outside to inside, an outer tube, an intermediate tube, and an inner tube; An annular closed cavity is formed between adjacent tubular members, wherein the outer tube and the middle tube form a first annular cavity, the middle tube and the inner tube form a second annular cavity, and the inner cavity of the innermost tubular member forms a third cavity; a first fluid input pipe, connected to the first annular cavity; a second fluid input pipe, communicating with the second annular cavity; a fluid output tube, connected to the third cavity; an ultrasonic vibrator, disposed in the third cavity; The first annular cavity and the second annular cavity are connected via a first through hole formed in the wall of the intermediate tube to form an impact turbulence premixing zone; The second annular cavity is communicated with the third cavity via a second through hole formed in the wall of the inner tube to form a high-speed shearing homogenization zone.

[0007] In an optional embodiment, the axial centerline of the first through hole is orthogonal to the axial centerline of the inner tube, so that the fluid in the first annular cavity collides orthogonally with the fluid flowing tangentially into the second annular cavity.

[0008] In an optional embodiment, the aperture of the second through hole is smaller than that of the first through hole, so that the mixed fluid in the second annular cavity is sheared and squeezed when flowing through the second through hole to form a high-speed jet.

[0009] In an optional embodiment, the first through holes and the second through holes are evenly distributed along the circumference of the tube wall of the intermediate tube and the inner tube respectively.

[0010] In an optional embodiment, the walls of the outer tube and the inner tube form an output buffer cavity, and the output buffer cavity is connected to the third cavity through a second through hole; and The fluid output pipe is arranged on the pipe wall of the outer pipe and is connected with the third cavity through the output buffer cavity.

[0011] In an optional embodiment, the ultrasonic vibrator includes an external transducer and a radiation rod, and the radiation rod radially passes through the output buffer cavity and extends to the central axis position of the third cavity.

[0012] In an optional embodiment, a heat exchange cavity is further provided on the outside of the outer tube, and the heat exchange cavity is provided with an inlet and an outlet for the cooling medium to pass through.

[0013] In an optional embodiment, the first fluid input pipe is located at the bottom of the first annular cavity, the second fluid input pipe is located at the bottom of the first annular cavity; and the fluid output pipe is located at the top of the third cavity.

[0014] In an optional embodiment, the first fluid input pipe is used to input liquid, and the second fluid input pipe is used to input gas.

[0015] In a second aspect, the present disclosure also provides a method for operating a tubular reactor, comprising: Injecting the first fluid into the first annular cavity through the first fluid input pipe; injecting the second fluid into the second annular cavity through the second fluid input pipe; Allowing the first fluid to pass through the first through hole and collide orthogonally with the second fluid flowing tangentially into the second annular cavity to form a mixed fluid; Forcing the mixed fluid to pass through the second through hole with a sharply reduced aperture, so that the mixed fluid is sheared by the second through hole and forms a high-speed jet, which is then ejected into the third cavity; The high-speed jet encounters the cavitation field at the radiation end of the ultrasonic vibrator, triggering the collapse of cavitation bubbles and homogenizing the mixed fluid; The homogenized mixed fluid flows out through the fluid output pipe after the reaction.

[0016] The beneficial effect of the present invention is that the tubular reactor and its working method utilize the progressive compression path of the first annular cavity, the second annular cavity, and the third cavity to make the fluid undergo three-stage enhancement of impact turbulent mixing, high-speed shear mixing, and cavitation reaction mixing of the ultrasonic vibrator in sequence, ultimately achieving uniform mixing of gas / liquid multiphase fluid, thereby avoiding insufficient reaction of the multiphase fluid due to uneven mixing.

[0017] Other features and advantages of the present invention will be described in the following description, and in part will become apparent from the description, or understood by practicing the present invention. The objects and other advantages of the present invention are realized and obtained by the structures particularly pointed out in the description and drawings.

[0018] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, preferred embodiments are specifically cited herein and described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] In order to more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the specific embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0020] Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a tubular reactor provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 2 A structural diagram of a first through hole and a second through hole of a tubular reactor provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of a fluid output pipe of a tubular reactor provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of a heat exchange cavity of a tubular reactor provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] In the picture: 100, outer tube; 110, first annular cavity; 120, first fluid input tube; 200, intermediate tube; 210, second annular cavity; 220, second fluid input tube; 230, first through hole; 300, inner tube; 310, third cavity; 320, fluid output tube; 330, second through hole; 400, ultrasonic vibrator; 410, external transducer; 420, radiation rod; 500, output buffer cavity; 600, heat exchange cavity; 610, inlet; 620, outlet. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention more clear, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments of the present invention without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0023] In this document, when it is mentioned that a first component is located on a second component, this may mean that the first component may be directly formed on the second component, or that a third component may be interposed between the first component and the second component. In addition, in the drawings, the thickness of components may be exaggerated or reduced in order to effectively describe technical content.

[0024] As used herein, when an element or layer is referred to as being "located on," "engaged to," "connected to," "attached to," or "coupled to" another element or layer, it may be directly located on, engaged, connected, attached to, or coupled to the other element or layer, or there may be intervening elements or layers. Conversely, when an element is referred to as being "directly on," "directly engaged to," "directly connected to," "directly attached to," or "directly coupled to" another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a similar manner (e.g., "between" versus "directly between," "adjacent" versus "directly adjacent," etc.). As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0025] Herein, example embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. As used herein, expressions such as "at least one of..." when following a list of elements modify the entire list of elements, rather than modifying individual elements in the list. For example, the expression "at least one of a, b, and c" should be understood to include only a, only b, only c, both a and b, both a and c, both b and c, or all of a, b, and c.

[0026] The terms used herein are only used to describe specific exemplary configurations and are not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular articles "a", "an" and "the" may also be intended to include plural forms, unless otherwise clearly indicated herein. The terms "comprise", "include" and "have" are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of features, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components and / or combinations thereof. The method steps, processes and operations described herein should not be interpreted as necessarily requiring them to be performed in the particular order discussed or shown, unless specifically identified as an execution order. Additional or alternative steps may be adopted.

[0027] As used herein, the phrases "in one embodiment," "according to one embodiment," "in some embodiments," and the like generally refer to the fact that the particular feature, structure, or characteristic following the phrase may be included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, a particular feature, structure, or characteristic may be included in more than one embodiment of the present disclosure, such that these phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. As used herein, the terms "example," "exemplary," and the like are used to "serve as an example, instance, or illustration." Any implementation, aspect, or design described herein as "example" or "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations, aspects, or designs. Instead, the use of the terms "example," "exemplary," and the like is intended to present concepts in a concrete manner.

[0028] Research has found the shortcomings of existing technologies: traditional single-tube or sleeve-tube structures rely on fluid turbulence or static mixing elements to achieve material mixing, but have significant defects when facing high-viscosity liquids or gas-liquid mixing processes: high-viscosity fluids have poor fluidity, resulting in poor mixing effects; and when gas-liquid is mixed, bubbles are formed when the gas is injected into the reactor and mixed with the liquid phase, resulting in insufficient gas-liquid contact area and uneven mixing, thereby causing insufficient reaction of the mixed fluid.

[0029] Based on the above research, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a tubular reactor and a working method thereof. By utilizing the progressive compression path of the first annular cavity, the second annular cavity, and the third cavity, the mixed fluid is caused to collide and mix in the second cavity, and then is squeezed into the second through hole by the second cavity for shear mixing, and finally enters the third cavity. The mixing is further enhanced by the vibration of the ultrasonic vibrator, thereby achieving uniform mixing of the multiphase fluid and solving the above problems.

[0030] The defects in the above solutions are the results obtained by the inventors after practice and careful research. Therefore, the discovery process of the above problems and the solutions proposed by the present disclosure in this article should be the contributions made by the inventors to the present disclosure during the disclosure process.

[0031] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters denote similar items in the following drawings, and therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further defined or explained in subsequent drawings.

[0032] The following embodiments of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the absence of conflict, the following embodiments and features therein may be combined with each other.

[0033] See also Figure 1The present disclosure provides a tubular reactor comprising at least three coaxially arranged tubular components, namely, from the outside inward, an outer tube 100, an intermediate tube 200, and an inner tube 300. Adjacent tubular components form an annular closed cavity: a first annular cavity 110 is defined between the outer tube 100 and the intermediate tube 200, and is provided with a first fluid input pipe 120, through which a first fluid can be delivered to the first annular cavity 110. A second annular cavity 210 is defined between the intermediate tube 200 and the inner tube 300, and is provided with a second fluid input pipe 220, through which a second fluid can be delivered to the second annular cavity 210. The inner cavity of the innermost tubular member constitutes a third cavity 310, in which an ultrasonic vibrator 400 is disposed; and the third cavity 310 is also connected to a fluid output tube 320. After the mixed fluid formed by the first fluid and the second fluid completes the reaction in the third cavity 310, it flows out through the fluid output tube 320.

[0034] Continue to see Figure 1 The first annular cavity 110 and the second annular cavity 210 are connected via a first through-hole 230 provided in the wall of the intermediate tube 200, forming an impinging turbulent premixing zone. The second annular cavity 210 and the third cavity 310 are connected via a second through-hole 330 provided in the wall of the inner tube 300, forming a high-speed shear homogenization zone. As the fluid passes from the first annular cavity 110 through the impinging turbulent premixing zone and the high-speed shear homogenization zone and into the third cavity 310, it undergoes three stages of enhanced mixing: impinging turbulent mixing, high-speed shear mixing, and cavitation reaction mixing by the ultrasonic vibrator. Ultimately, uniform mixing of the gas / liquid multiphase fluid is achieved, thus avoiding inadequate reaction due to uneven mixing of the multiphase fluid.

[0035] See also Figure 2 In some embodiments, the axial centerline of the first through hole 230 is orthogonal to the axial centerline of the inner tube 300, so that the first fluid (attached Figure 2 The second fluid (shown by arrow F2 in FIG. 2 ) flows tangentially into the second annular cavity 210 (shown by arrow F2 in FIG. 2 ). Figure 2 The orthogonal collision (as shown by the arrow F1 in the figure) induces strong turbulence at the intersection, which tears the fluid into small droplets. The small droplets mix with each other, thereby improving the mixing uniformity of the fluid.

[0036] Continue to see Figure 2In some embodiments, the diameter of the second through hole 330 is smaller than that of the first through hole 230, so that the mixed fluid in the second annular cavity 210 is sheared and squeezed when flowing through the second through hole 230, forming a high-speed jet. When the mixed fluid of the first and second fluids is squeezed into the second through hole 330 with a smaller diameter, the mixed fluid is sheared by the wall of the second through hole 330, forming a high-speed jet in the second through hole 330.

[0037] Further, such as Figure 2 As shown by the arrow F3, the high-speed jet formed by the mixed fluid is suitable for passing through the second through hole 330 and entering the third cavity 310. Under the action of the cavitation field excited by the ultrasonic vibrator 400, the cavitation bubble collapses under the impact of the high-speed jet to generate a collapse shock wave, which triggers a local high-pressure gradient to tear the droplets to submicron size; the broken droplets are remixed through turbulent diffusion, so that the concentration distribution of the mixed fluid is uniform.

[0038] See also Figure 1 In some embodiments, the first through-holes 230 and the second through-holes 330 are evenly distributed along the circumference of the intermediate tube 200 and the inner tube 300, respectively. This arrangement prevents fluid accumulation in a certain area and blockage, while also maintaining consistent shear force across the circumference of the second through-holes 330, preventing uneven shear force from affecting fluid mixing uniformity.

[0039] See also Figure 3 In some embodiments, the walls of the outer tube 100 and the inner tube 300 form an output buffer chamber 500, which communicates with the third cavity 310 via the second through-hole 330. Furthermore, a fluid output pipe 320 is disposed on the wall of the outer tube 100 and communicates with the third cavity 310 via the output buffer chamber 500. After the mixed fluid completes its reaction in the third cavity 310, it enters the output buffer chamber 500 through the second through-hole 330, preventing the mixed fluid from being directly injected at high pressure and impacting the tube wall.

[0040] See also Figure 1 In some embodiments, the ultrasonic transducer 400 includes an external transducer 410 and a radiating rod 420. The radiating rod 420 radially passes through the output buffer cavity 500 and extends to the central axis of the third cavity 310. The location of the radiating rod 420 at the central axis of the three cavities allows for uniform axial radiation of sound waves, avoiding blind spots in sound wave radiation.

[0041] See also Figure 4 In some embodiments, a heat exchange cavity 600 is further disposed outside the outer tube 100. The heat exchange cavity 600 has an inlet 610 and an outlet 620 for the cooling medium. Heat within the third cavity 310 is transferred to the outer tube 100 via the inner tube 300 and the intermediate tube 200. Heat exchange is achieved between the outer tube 100 and the heat exchange cavity 600, preventing the temperature within the cavity from rising too high.

[0042] See also Figure 1 and Figure 3 In some embodiments, the first fluid input pipe 120 is located at the bottom of the first annular cavity 110, the second fluid input pipe 220 is located at the bottom of the first annular cavity 110, and the fluid output pipe 320 is located at the top of the third cavity 310. This bottom-in, top-out layout effectively prevents high-viscosity fluids from sticking to the bottom.

[0043] See also Figure 1 In some embodiments, when one of the fluids is gas, the first fluid input pipe 120 is suitable for inputting liquid, and the second fluid input pipe 220 is suitable for inputting gas. When the gas enters the second annular cavity 210, the liquid in the first annular cavity 110 forms a sheath. When the gas-liquid mixed fluid enters the third cavity 310 through the second through-hole 330, it is sheared by the second through-hole 330 to form fine bubbles. If the gas enters from the outer layer, the gas in the large space will easily aggregate to form large bubbles, which require higher energy consumption to break.

[0044] Some embodiments also provide a working method of the tubular reactor as described above, including: injecting a first fluid into the first annular cavity 110 through the first fluid input pipe 120; injecting a second fluid into the second annular cavity 210 through the second fluid input pipe 220; allowing the first fluid to pass through the first through hole 230 and collide orthogonally with the second fluid flowing tangentially into the second annular cavity 210 to form a mixed fluid; forcing the mixed fluid to pass through the second through hole 330 with a sharply reduced aperture, so that the mixed fluid is sheared by the second through hole 330 and forms a high-speed jet, which is injected into the third cavity 310; the high-speed jet encounters a cavitation field at the radiation end of the ultrasonic vibrator 400, triggering the collapse of the cavitation bubble, and homogenizing the mixed fluid; the homogenized mixed fluid flows out through the fluid output pipe 320 after the reaction.

[0045] In summary, the tubular reactor and its working method utilize the progressive compression path of the first annular cavity 110, the second annular cavity 210, and the third cavity 310 to make the fluid undergo three-stage enhancement of impact turbulent mixing, high-speed shear mixing, and cavitation reaction mixing of the ultrasonic vibrator 400 in sequence, ultimately achieving uniform mixing of gas / liquid multiphase fluid, thereby avoiding insufficient reaction of the multiphase fluid due to uneven mixing.

[0046] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they may refer to fixed, detachable, or integral connections; mechanical or electrical connections; direct or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on specific circumstances.

[0047] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "center", "up", "down", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inside", "outside" and the like indicate positions or positional relationships based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, terms such as "first", "second" and other numerical terms do not imply an order or sequence when used herein unless expressly indicated above. Therefore, without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments, the first element, component, region, layer or section discussed above may be referred to as a second element, component, region, layer or section.

[0048] Spatially relative terms, such as "inside," "outside," "below," "beneath," "down," "above," "on," etc., may be used herein to describe the relationship of one element or feature to another element or feature as illustrated in the figures. In addition to the orientations depicted in the figures, spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation. For example, if the device in the figures is flipped, an element described as being "below" or "below" other elements or features will be oriented to be "above" the other elements or features. Thus, the example term "below" may encompass both above and below orientations. The device may be oriented otherwise (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptors used herein are interpreted accordingly.

[0049] In the above discussion, unless otherwise indicated, the terms "about," "approximately," "substantially," etc., when used to describe a numerical value, mean a variation of + / - 10% of the value.

[0050] With the above-described preferred embodiments of the present invention as a guide, and with reference to the above description, relevant personnel are fully capable of making various changes and modifications without departing from the technical scope of this invention. The technical scope of this invention is not limited to the contents of the specification and must be determined according to the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A tubular reactor, characterized in that include: At least three coaxially sleeved tubular components, which are, from outside to inside, an outer tube (100), an intermediate tube (200), and an inner tube (300); An annular closed cavity is formed between adjacent tubular members, wherein the outer tube (100) and the middle tube (200) form a first annular cavity (110), the middle tube (200) and the inner tube (300) form a second annular cavity (210), and the inner cavity of the innermost tubular member forms a third cavity (310); a first fluid input pipe (120) communicating with the first annular cavity (110); a second fluid input pipe (220) communicating with the second annular cavity (210); a fluid output tube (320) communicating with the third cavity (310); An ultrasonic vibrator (400) is disposed in the third cavity (310); The first annular cavity (110) and the second annular cavity (210) are connected via a first through hole (230) provided on the wall of the intermediate tube (200) to form an impact turbulence premixing zone; The second annular cavity (210) and the third cavity (310) are connected via a second through hole (330) provided in the wall of the inner tube (300) to form a high-speed shear homogenization zone.

2. The tubular reactor according to claim 1, wherein The axial centerline of the first through hole (230) is orthogonal to the axial centerline of the inner tube (300), so that the fluid in the first annular cavity (110) collides orthogonally with the fluid flowing tangentially into the second annular cavity (210).

3. The tubular reactor according to claim 1, wherein The aperture of the second through hole (330) is smaller than the aperture of the first through hole (230), so that the mixed fluid in the second annular cavity (210) is sheared and squeezed when flowing through the second through hole (330), thereby forming a high-speed jet; and The high-speed jet is suitable for passing through the second through hole (330) and injected into the third cavity (310).

4. The tubular reactor according to claim 1, wherein The first through holes (230) and the second through holes (330) are evenly distributed along the circumference of the tube walls of the intermediate tube (200) and the inner tube (300), respectively.

5. The tubular reactor according to claim 1, wherein The walls of the outer tube (100) and the inner tube (300) form an output buffer cavity (500), and the output buffer cavity (500) is connected to the third cavity (310) via a second through hole (330); and The fluid output tube (320) is arranged on the tube wall of the outer tube (100), and is connected to the third cavity (310) through the output buffer cavity (500).

6. The tubular reactor according to claim 5, wherein The ultrasonic vibrator (400) comprises an external transducer (410) and a radiation rod (420), wherein the radiation rod (420) radially passes through the output buffer cavity (500) and extends to the central axis position of the third cavity (310).

7. The tubular reactor according to claim 1, wherein A heat exchange cavity (600) is further provided on the outside of the outer tube (100), and the heat exchange cavity (600) is provided with an inlet (610) and an outlet (620) for the passage of a cooling medium.

8. The tubular reactor according to claim 1, wherein The first fluid input pipe (120) is located at the bottom of the first annular cavity (110), the second fluid input pipe (220) is located at the bottom of the first annular cavity (110); and the fluid output pipe (320) is located at the top of the third cavity (310).

9. The tubular reactor according to claim 1, wherein The first fluid input pipe (120) is used for inputting liquid, and the second fluid input pipe (220) is used for inputting gas.

10. A method for operating a tubular reactor according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: include: Injecting a first fluid into the first annular cavity (110) through a first fluid input pipe (120); Injecting a second fluid into the second annular cavity (210) through a second fluid input pipe (220); allowing the first fluid to pass through the first through hole (230) and collide orthogonally with the second fluid flowing tangentially into the second annular cavity (210) to form a mixed fluid; Forcing the mixed fluid to pass through the second through hole (330) with a sharply reduced aperture, so that the mixed fluid is sheared by the second through hole (330) and forms a high-speed jet, which is then injected into the third cavity (310); The high-speed jet encounters a cavitation field at the radiation end of the ultrasonic vibrator (400), triggering the collapse of cavitation bubbles and homogenizing the mixed fluid; The homogenized mixed fluid flows out through the fluid output pipe (320) after the reaction.

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