Cyclone Liquid Purification Flat Jet Film Evaporation

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Solution Overview

Problem

High impurity content in purified liquids and pollution of the heat exchanger occur when liquid evaporation is intense in a cyclone, leading to incomplete purification and reduced heat exchanger performance.

Innovation Solution

A method involving a recirculation circuit that uses a cyclone with a liquid jet introduced tangentially as a flat jet, flowing in a helical line over the cyclone's inner surface to prevent drop formation and aerosol entrainment, allowing for intensive evaporation while minimizing pollution, with compressed vapor condensation transferring heat back to the recirculated liquid.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If intensive evaporation is performed in the cyclone to achieve high production capacity, then evaporation efficiency is improved, but impurity content in the purified liquid increases and heat exchanger pollution occurs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveevaporation capacityVSAvoidimpurity content and heat exchanger pollution

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The liquid flow is segmented into a thin film that flows over the cyclone inner surface, creating numerous small evaporation sites distributed across the surface area. This segmentation allows intensive evaporation without concentrated aerosol generation, resolving the contradiction between high evaporation capacity and low impurity content.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The liquid is transformed from a three-dimensional bulk flow into a two-dimensional thin film flowing over the cyclone wall. This dimensional change increases the evaporation surface area while preventing drop formation and aerosol entrainment, enabling high productivity without heat exchanger pollution.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Manufacturing precision

If the liquid jet is introduced tangentially to create rotation in the cyclone, then separation efficiency is improved, but drop formation and aerosol entrainment increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveseparation efficiencyVSAvoidaerosol formation

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The liquid forms a thin film along the cyclone inner surface rather than existing as discrete droplets. This thin film configuration maintains the rotational separation effect while eliminating aerosol formation, as the continuous film does not break up into entrainable drops.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The rotational force that would normally cause droplet formation and aerosol entrainment is converted into a beneficial thin film flow pattern. The rotation maintains separation efficiency while the film configuration prevents harmful aerosol generation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

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 approach enables high evaporation capacity with reduced pollution, maintaining heat exchanger efficiency by preventing aerosol formation and ensuring effective separation of liquid and vapor, thus achieving complete purification and efficient energy recovery.

Implementation Method 1

a portion of the liquid evaporates and is discharged via a vapor outlet

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectEvaporation: Evaporation

Implementation Method 2

causing a portion of the discharged evaporated portion of the liquid to condense

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCondensation: Condensation

Implementation Method 3

causing heat released in the condensing of the said portion of the discharged evaporated portion of the liquid to be transferred to the liquid which is recirculated

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat transfer: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentUS8951421B2Apparatus and method for purifying a liquid

Publication Date: 2015.02.10 CONVEX BV

AI summary

For purifying a liquid, the liquid is caused to evaporate in a cyclone in a recirculation circuit. Vapor is discharged via a discharge channel in which a compressor is included. In a heat exchanger downstream of the compressor, supplied vapor condenses and heat thereby released is transferred to liquid in the recirculation circuit. A liquid inlet of the cyclone is placed and directed for delivering a jet having a directional component tangential with respect to an inner surface of the cyclone. The liquid inlet has a section shaped such that in operation the delivered jet is a flat jet having a cross section which in a direction parallel to a nearest generatrix of the inner surface of the cyclone is greater than in a direction perpendicular thereto. The jet contacts the inner surface of the cyclone before drop formation occurs in the jet. A method for purifying a liquid is also described.