Liquid-liquid extractor with serrated overflow edges
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Solution Overview
Problem
Low flow rates in liquid-liquid extractors lead to irregular phase flows due to capillarity forces, and existing extractors are difficult to modify or dismantle in hostile environments, such as nuclear settings, especially for small-sized units with low flow rates.
Innovation Solution
The design includes a liquid-liquid extractor with a block featuring mixing and settling cells, equipped with overflow edges of irregular height and open outlet channels to reduce capillarity effects and facilitate remote manipulation, allowing for improved flow regularity and ease of assembly in nuclear environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the extractor is designed for very low flow rates, then it achieves applicability to nuclear fuel processing, but capillarity forces cause irregular phase flows and level variations
Solution Approach 1:
The overflow edges are segmented into multiple reliefs instead of being continuous, creating discrete flow paths that prevent capillarity forces from affecting the entire overflow surface. This segmentation allows controlled flow at very low rates while maintaining regularity.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the overflow edge have different local geometries (reliefs with specific dimensions and spacing) optimized for low flow rate performance. The local structure at each relief point is designed to minimize capillarity effects while maintaining overall flow control.
2Volume of moving object
If the extractor size is reduced for low flow rates, then it fits nuclear applications, but modification and dismantling become difficult in hostile environments
Solution Approach 1:
The extractor is divided into modular components (mixing cell, settling cell, overflow assemblies) that can be independently manipulated, removed, and replaced. This modular segmentation enables remote maintenance operations in hostile nuclear environments without requiring complete disassembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The overflow edges are designed as moveable or adjustable components rather than fixed structures, allowing remote manipulation and adjustment of flow characteristics without requiring extractor replacement or complex disassembly operations.
3Device complexity
If conventional overflow designs are used, then the structure is simple, but capillarity forces and air bubble trapping occur at low flow rates
Solution Approach 1:
The overflow reliefs have asymmetric geometries with specific height, width, and spacing relationships that create flow patterns resistant to capillarity effects. The asymmetric design prevents uniform liquid distribution that would allow capillarity to dominate at low flow rates.
Solution Approach 2:
The relief structures incorporate curved surfaces and rounded edges rather than sharp corners, modifying flow patterns to reduce capillarity effects. The curvature helps prevent liquid retention and air bubble trapping by creating smooth flow transitions.
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
The solution ensures consistent and regular liquid flows even at low rates, simplifies remote manipulation and assembly, and enhances the extractor's usability in challenging environments by reducing capillarity forces and air bubble trapping.
Implementation Method 1
A specific problem with low flow rates is that the capillarity forces may make the flows of the liquid phases irregular, with variations, that may be unacceptable, of the levels of the phases or of their mixing in the compartments
Implementation Method 2
The two liquid phases are mixed by creating an emulsion, then separated by settling, which makes it possible for the solute initially contained in one of the liquids to be transferred to the second
Implementation Method 3
The two liquid phases are mixed by creating an emulsion
Data Source
AI summary
These liquid-liquid extractors are adapted to very low fluid flow rates passing through them. In order to reduce the influence of capillarity and air phenomena that may make the flow irregular, the outlet ducts comprise, downstream of the settling cell where the heavy and light phases separate, overflows of the phases the edge of which is irregular in height, for example serrated. The circulation channels of the phases are advantageously open to also reduce the risks of blocking by air bubbles.