Induction Heating Immiscible Liquid Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current high-temperature liquid/liquid extraction systems, such as pyrocontactors, face limitations in kinetics and efficiency due to diffusion through perforated walls and corrosion issues, and induction heating has not been effectively integrated for direct implementation in extraction processes.
Innovation Solution
A method and device using induction heating and stirring to bring immiscible liquids into contact, where a metal or alloy in the liquid state is placed in a refractory container transparent to the magnetic field, inducing melting and mixing with a salt or salt mixture, enhancing material transfer kinetics and avoiding mixing by leveraging electromagnetic forces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional resistive heating is used for melting and mixing immiscible liquids, then the process is simple to implement, but the mixing speed and material transfer kinetics are slow, requiring several hours or days to reach thermodynamic equilibrium
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional resistive heating with induction heating to melt the salt phase and induce convection currents. This substitution dramatically accelerates the mixing process and material transfer kinetics between immiscible liquid phases, reducing equilibrium time from hours/days to much faster rates, while maintaining ease of implementation through standard induction heating equipment
2Device complexity
If perforated walls are used for phase contact in pyrocontactors, then the device structure is simple, but the material transfer is limited by diffusion through the perforated wall
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces passive diffusion through perforated walls with active induction-induced convection currents. The electromagnetic field generates fluid motion that dramatically enhances mass transfer rates between phases, overcoming the diffusion limitation while maintaining the simple perforated wall structure for phase contact
3Productivity
If centrifugal mixing is used for high-performance extraction, then the extraction efficiency is high, but corrosion problems quickly alter device operation and reliability is not proven
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical centrifugal mixing with induction heating and electromagnetic-induced convection. This substitution eliminates mechanical contact between moving parts and corrosive molten salts, thereby preventing corrosion-related failures while maintaining high extraction efficiency through effective phase mixing and contact
Solution Approach 2:
The induction heating system uses the electromagnetic field to directly heat and induce convection in the liquid phases themselves, making the phases self-mixing without requiring external mechanical agitators. This self-service approach eliminates mechanical components susceptible to corrosion while maintaining effective mixing
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 significantly improves the mixing speed and material transfer kinetics, reducing contact time by a factor of 10 to 100, allowing thermodynamic equilibrium to be reached in under an hour, compared to conventional resistive heating methods which take several hours or days.
Implementation Method 1
subjecting the first and second containers to the action of an electromagnetic field created by at least one inductor, whereby induced electric currents are generated in the first material in the solid state and cause the first material to melt
Implementation Method 2
subjecting the first and second containers to the action of an electromagnetic field created by at least one inductor, whereby induced electric currents are generated in the first material in the solid state and cause the first material to melt
Implementation Method 3
the first material in the liquid state begins to move under the action of Laplace forces
Implementation Method 4
the second material in the solid state begins to melt under the effect of a heat flow from the first container by conduction and radiation
Implementation Method 5
the second material in the solid state begins to melt under the effect of a heat flow from the first container by conduction and radiation
Implementation Method 6
the first material in the liquid state being in contact with the second material in the liquid state at said orifices, the first material in the liquid state is left in contact with the second material in the liquid state for a period sufficient duration for an exchange, transfer of material to occur
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2~3B
Figure 4~5
AI summary
The invention relates to a process and a device for bringing two immiscible liquids into contact, without mixing and at high temperature, with heating and brazing by induction. In particular, the invention relates to a process and a device for bringing molten metals and salts into contact at temperatures which may achieve, for example, up to around 1100 K.