Cooling loop with a supercritical fluid system using compressed refrigerant fluid flow with a positive Joule Thomson coefficient
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current supercritical fluid systems face challenges in achieving high performance chromatography with higher solvent flow stream pressures while using disposable plastic cartridges, which are typically unsuitable for medium to high pressure applications due to limitations in pressure resistance.
Innovation Solution
A cooling loop refrigeration circuit utilizing a compressed refrigerant with a positive Joule-Thomson coefficient is integrated into the system, allowing for thermal energy absorption from supercritical fluids through expansion devices like capillaries or larger channels, enabling efficient cooling and solvent management within the chromatography process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stress or pressure
If higher solvent flow stream pressures are used in supercritical fluid systems, then separation performance and mass flow rates are improved, but disposable plastic cartridges cannot withstand the pressure and fail
Solution Approach 1:
A cooling loop refrigeration circuit is introduced as an intermediary system between the high-pressure solvent source and the disposable cartridge. The refrigeration circuit cools the solvent to subambient temperatures before it enters the cartridge, enabling the cartridge to withstand higher pressures while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The temperature parameter of the solvent is changed from ambient to subambient temperatures through the refrigeration circuit. This parameter change allows the disposable plastic cartridge to resist higher pressures that would otherwise cause failure at ambient temperatures.
2Reliability
If refrigeration is applied to cool the solvent, then cartridge pressure resistance is improved, but additional cooling equipment and complexity are required
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the cold solvent from the refrigeration circuit to cool both the cartridge and the surrounding components. The cold solvent acts as a self-service cooling medium, reducing the need for additional active cooling equipment while maintaining cartridge pressure resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The refrigeration circuit serves multiple functions: it cools the solvent to enable cartridge pressure resistance, cools the cartridge directly, and provides temperature control for the separation process. This multi-functionality reduces overall system complexity.
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 solution allows for the use of disposable plastic cartridges in higher pressure applications, reducing organic solvent usage by up to 80-90% and enabling efficient separation and extraction processes with improved mass flow rates and temperature control, facilitating the use of standard HPLC pumps and off-the-shelf chromatography columns.
Implementation Method 1
A cooling loop refrigeration circuit is provided which uses the expansion of a refrigerant fluid with a positive Joule-Thomson coefficient from an area of high pressure to one of lower pressure in an expansion device
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a chiller and system that may be utilized in a supercritical fluid chromatography method, wherein a non-polar solvent may replace a portion or all of a polar solvent for the purpose of separating or extracting desired sample molecules from a combined sample/solvent stream. The system may reduce the amount of polar solvent necessary for chromatographic separation and/or extraction of desired samples. The system may incorporate a supercritical fluid chiller, a supercritical fluid pressure-equalizing vessel and a supercritical fluid cyclonic separator. The supercritical fluid chiller allows for efficient and consistent pumping of liquid-phase gases employing off-the-shelf HPLC pumps. The pressure equalizing vessel allows the use of off-the-shelf HPLC column cartridges. The system may further incorporate the use of one or more disposable cartridges containing silica gel or other suitable medium. The system may also utilize an open loop cooling circuit using fluids with a positive Joule-Thomson coefficient.