Angled Acoustic Mixer Plates for Viscous Flow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Continuous acoustic mixers face challenges in processing pastes and viscous liquids due to backflow and chugging issues caused by the viscosity and surface tension of materials, which can lead to incomplete mixing and blockages in the processing vessel.
Innovation Solution
The system employs a continuous process vessel with angled surfaces that narrow in the direction of flow, combined with an acoustic agitator that oscillates at specific frequencies and accelerations, to create a uniform shear field and prevent backflow by ensuring a downward bulk flow of materials, and optionally introduces gas to adjust the physical properties of the materials for improved mixing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional mixing methods are used for pastes and viscous liquids, then the mixing process can be simplified, but backflow and chugging occur leading to incomplete mixing and blockages
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs acoustic vibration to agitate the process materials within the continuous process vessel. The vibration creates a uniform shear field that prevents backflow and chugging of viscous liquids and pastes, ensuring complete mixing without blockages while maintaining continuous flow through the vessel.
2Productivity
If the process vessel uses parallel plates, then the structure is simple, but backflow occurs reducing mixing efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces parallel plates with angled surfaces that are asymmetrically oriented relative to the flow direction. This asymmetry creates a downward bulk flow component that counteracts backflow, improving mixing efficiency while maintaining structural simplicity. The angled surfaces direct material flow downward, preventing the harmful backflow effect.
3Reliability
If the distance between mixing surfaces is large, then blockages are reduced, but mixing uniformity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The acoustic vibration applied to the process materials creates intense mixing action that maintains mixing uniformity even with larger distances between surfaces. The vibration-generated shear field ensures thorough mixing while the larger spacing prevents blockages and maintains continuous flow, resolving the trade-off between flow continuity and mixing uniformity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration enhances the continuous processing of pastes and viscous liquids by preventing backflow and promoting efficient mixing, reducing the occurrence of blockages and improving the uniformity of the final product.
Implementation Method 1
The acoustic energy can mix, react, coat, or combine the materials
Implementation Method 2
continuous process vessel configured to oscillate along an oscillation axis
Implementation Method 3
create a uniform shear field and prevent backflow by ensuring a downward bulk flow of materials
Data Source
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AI summary
A system for continuously processing materials. The system includes a continuous process vessel (CPV) and an acoustic agitator coupled to the CPV and configured to agitate the CPV along an oscillation axis. The CPV includes at least one inlet configured for introducing first and second process ingredients into an upper portion, with respect to the oscillation axis, of the CPV. The CPV includes an outlet for discharging the product of mixing the ingredients from a lower portion, with respect to the oscillation axis, of the CPV. The CPV includes a plurality of mixing regions, each defined by an upper angled surface and a lower angled surface. The surfaces of each mixing region are angled such that the distance between the surfaces is greater towards the upper portion of the continuous process vessel than the distance between the surfaces towards the lower portion of the continuous process vessel.