Liquid purification or separation – Processes – Separating
Patent
1993-11-29
1995-08-01
Drodge, Joseph W.
Liquid purification or separation
Processes
Separating
95241, 95291, 210188, 210511, 210790, B01D 1700
Patent
active
054377994
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention refers to a method and to an interface valve for the separation of fluids.
Hitherto fluids were separated by mechanical means, for example by stop cocks or by slide valves. As a fluid gaseous as well as liquid mediums are designated equally. Within the patent specification FR-A 10 31 082 a valve for regulating the flux of a fluid by the aid of spongy porous material is depicted. The valve is open when the spongy material is dry. In case the spongy material absorbs a control liquid the valve is closing. The spongy material may be depleted again by mechanical, physical or chemical means and may thus be led back to the opened state.
The purpose of this invention is to create a method and an interface valve for the separation of fluids where the local separation of the fluid occurs controllably along a separation plane that is defined freely within wide limits and requires only minimal expenditure of energy.
Within a space, filled out by a fluid, an arbitrary separation plane may be chosen separating the space in two parts of space and along to them a separating layer is built up by the separating fluid.
The separating fluid may be brought in directed along this separating layer layer-like and may be maintained for a pre-determined time under such a high interface tension that the fluid filling both parts of space on either side of the separation plane is separated.
A separation of that kind is performed contollably since it suffices to maintain the interface tension between the separating fluid and the fluid for a predetermined time in such a way that the fluid does not mix.
This method allows also to maintain the separating layer only at a fractional part of the separating plane of the space or to conduct the separating fluid along the separating layer especially by pumping and exhausting.
The separation of the fluid according to the inventional method affords only minimal expenditure of energy since the inserting of the separating fluid into the fluid is an elastic-like process.
This method allows separation of a fluid consisting of one substance only as well as a fluid comprising two different fluids, whereby in the latter case the two different fluids may be separated.
The precondition for this is only that the separating fluid does not mix at least with one of the fluids which are to be separated. The pressure rates necessary for the interface tension are chosen according to the material components of the separating fluid and the separated fluid and to the geometric conditions of space.
Preferred types of design of the invention are shown in the drawings.
The operating mechanism of the invention deals closely with the theory of surface tensional forces and with the minimal surfaces of liquids.
The interface valve is to be classified between membranes and mechanical valves according to its function.
The procedure and the interface valve according to the invention offer new prospects to several domains of chemical engineering and electrochemistry.
Some possible fields of application are specified in the following: material, construction of chemical reactors; industrial scale, electrodeposition of metallic layer structures, generation of heterostructures and multilayer structures, manufacturing of new materials having anisotropical material properties, manufacturing of large energy conversion elements by electrodeposition; of rare metals, exploitation of hitherto not mineable mineral desposits, gaining of rare metals from sea-water or from waste water; mercurium by ion separation, recycling of plating bathes and of chemical waste water; within the domain of silicon etching;
Further essential advantages of the method
and interface valve according to the invention together with examples of design types are mentioned in the following: easily and economically by well-known materials being under technical control, especially by polymetric material, for example by the so-called deep-drawing technique. within a range of some square meters and more, abruptly under control and with minimal operating ti
REFERENCES:
patent: 4949742 (1990-08-01), Rando et al.
patent: 4997569 (1991-03-01), Sirkar
"Liquid Extraction", Publication by Robert E. Treyball, Second Edition, pp. 437-440 and 452-457, Published Feb. 4, 1963.
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