Oscillating Flow Minireactor for Solid Suspension Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Minireactors face challenges in preventing sedimentation and clogging due to their small cross-sectional areas, which limits their ability to achieve turbulent flow and increases manufacturing costs, while scaling up these reactors is complex and costly.
Innovation Solution
An oscillating flow minireactor with a reactor channel featuring directional changes and a smooth, unbaffled design, where the hydraulic diameter and curvature of the channel induce secondary flows, enhancing mixing without the need for internal structures, thus preventing sedimentation and clogging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If conventional tube reactors use turbulent flow to prevent sedimentation, then mixing performance is improved, but the required tube length becomes impractically long
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies oscillatory flow by periodically reversing the flow direction through the reactor. This periodic action creates intense mixing during each oscillation cycle, achieving suspension stability without requiring the long tube length needed for continuous turbulent flow. The oscillatory motion disrupts sedimentation patterns and keeps solids suspended throughout the reaction period.
Solution Approach 2:
The reactor system transitions from static or steady-state flow to dynamic oscillatory flow. By making the flow regime dynamic with periodic reversals, the system achieves enhanced mixing and suspension stability in a compact configuration, avoiding the need for impractically long reactors required by conventional steady turbulent flow approaches.
2Loss of energy
If minireactors operate at low linear velocity to reduce pressure drop, then energy consumption is reduced, but mixing performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The oscillatory flow creates periodic acceleration and deceleration phases that generate intense mixing even at low average linear velocities. During each oscillation cycle, the rapid changes in flow direction and velocity create turbulence and eddies that enhance mixing performance without requiring high steady-state velocities that would cause excessive pressure drop.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the flow parameters from steady-state high velocity to oscillatory low velocity with high acceleration phases. By modifying the temporal characteristics of the flow (adding periodic variation), the system achieves effective mixing at lower energy consumption levels, decoupling mixing intensity from average linear velocity and pressure drop.
3Stability of the object's composition
If internal structures like baffles are added to enhance mixing, then mixing performance is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes internal mixing structures like baffles and helical elements from the reactor design. Instead of using complex internal geometries to achieve mixing, the system extracts the mixing function and achieves it through external oscillatory flow actuation, resulting in a simpler reactor structure with fewer manufacturing requirements and lower costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces mechanical mixing structures (baffles, helical ribbons, static mixers) with an oscillatory flow mechanism. This substitution eliminates the need for complex internal mechanical or geometric features, achieving mixing through controlled fluid motion generated by oscillatory pumping or boundary conditions, thereby simplifying the overall device design.
4Object-generated harmful factors
If ultrasound is applied to prevent fouling, then solid deposition is reduced, but the reactor itself is put into motion causing connection damage and high energy consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary oscillatory flow mechanism that indirectly prevents solid deposition without directly moving or vibrating the reactor structure. The oscillatory flow acts as an intermediary that creates mixing and prevents fouling through fluid motion, while the reactor itself remains stationary, avoiding connection damage and reducing energy consumption compared to direct ultrasonic or mechanical vibration of the reactor.
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 design effectively maintains solid materials in suspension, prevents reactor blockage, and allows for easier scale-up with lower manufacturing costs by achieving intense and uniform mixing within the minireactor, improving heat and mass transfer capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
an oscillating flow device; wherein the microreactor channel pathway comprises one or more directional changes, wherein the net flow of the reaction stream is in the forward direction but the oscillating flow device slows, pauses and/or reverses this forward flow periodically
Implementation Method 2
the hydraulic diameter and curvature of the channel induce secondary flows, enhancing mixing
Implementation Method 3
each directional change has a ratio of hydraulic diameter, d h, to radius of curve, R c, of from 0.5 to 5
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The present invention relates to an apparatus comprising a) an unbaffled reactor or microreactor having a channel defined by a pathway, and b) an oscillating flow device, wherein the channel pathway comprises a pluraltiy of directional changes. The reactor channel has a hydrolic diameter from 0.1 mm to 10 mm. A method of making said apparatus and the use of said apparatus to carry out a process on a suspension is also disclosed.