Cavitation-Based Fluid Heating to Reduce Scaling and Coking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fluid heating and purification methods involve direct heat exchange at a solid interface, leading to issues like scaling, coking, and product destruction, particularly in applications like pasteurization and seawater distillation, where energy efficiency is compromised.
Innovation Solution
The use of a rotor and housing with indentations to induce cavitation bubbles in liquids, where the heat generated from the collapse of these bubbles is transferred directly to the fluid, eliminating the need for a solid heat exchanger interface and reducing maintenance costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If direct heat exchange at a solid interface is used, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but scaling and coking occur on the heat exchanger surface requiring frequent maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the heat transfer function from the solid heat exchanger surface and relocates it into the fluid bulk through cavitation bubble formation. The bubbles form, collapse, and transfer heat directly within the liquid, removing the interface that causes scaling and coking.
Solution Approach 2:
Cavitation bubbles serve as an intermediary medium for heat transfer. Instead of direct contact between the heating source and fluid through a solid surface, the bubbles act as transient carriers that form, absorb energy, collapse, and transfer heat to the surrounding liquid.
2Use of energy by moving object
If direct heating is used for pasteurization, then heating efficiency is improved, but scorching and destruction of the product occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The heating action is localized to the immediate vicinity of collapsing cavitation bubbles, which are distributed throughout the fluid bulk. This creates highly localized heating zones that avoid the concentrated heat flux at solid surfaces that causes scorching.
Solution Approach 2:
The cavitation bubbles mediate the heating process by distributing energy release throughout the fluid volume rather than concentrating it at an interface, preventing localized overheating and product destruction.
3Temperature
If mechanical energy is used to heat fluid through friction between fluid and rotor walls, then heating is achieved, but energy losses increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces mechanical friction heating with cavitation-induced heating. Instead of relying on viscous friction between the fluid and rotor surfaces, mechanical energy is converted into cavitation bubble formation and collapse, which directly heats the fluid bulk more efficiently.
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 method enables efficient heat transfer and fluid purification with reduced maintenance, as seen in applications like petroleum processing, ethanol production, and seawater desalination, where energy losses are minimized and production costs are lowered.
Implementation Method 1
The present invention is an apparatus for heating liquids using a rotor and housing featuring indentations therein that induce cavitation bubbles in the liquid. The heat generated when these bubbles rapidly collapse is transferred to the fluid.
Implementation Method 2
The heat generated when these bubbles rapidly collapse is transferred to the fluid. Thus, the apparatus permits efficient heat transfer to a fluid without a solid heat exchanger interface.
Data Source
AI summary
The apparatus described herein uses a disc wafer-type rotor featuring channels disposed around its circumference and around the interior circumference of the rotor housing specifically to induce cavitation. The channels are shaped to control the size, oscillation, composition, duration, and implosion of the cavitation bubbles. The rotor is attached to a shaft which is driven by external power means. Fluid pumped into the device is subjected to the relative motion between the rotor and the device housing, and exits the device at increased temperature. The device is thermodynamically highly efficient, despite the structural and mechanical simplicity of the apparatus. Such devices accordingly provide efficient, simple, inexpensive, and reliable sources of distilled potable water for residential, commercial, and industrial use, as well as the separation and evaporation of other liquids.