Gas and liquid contact apparatus – Contact devices – Wet baffle
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-19
2001-12-04
Bushey, C. Scott (Department: 1724)
Gas and liquid contact apparatus
Contact devices
Wet baffle
C261S114300, C096S275000, C096S299000, C096S323000, C096S326000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06325361
ABSTRACT:
A method of this kind is described in International Patent Application PCT/NL/94/00187, in the name of Leendert Aandewiel. The most significant advantage of this method is that gas and liquid can be mixed effectively using a low-pressure ventilator and a low-pressure liquid recirculation pump.
In the first instance, the invention relates to a method for bringing a gas and liquid into contact with one another, comprising moving a wall which is provided with openings an a liquid which is in contact with one side of this wall with respect to one another, gas flowing into the liquid via the said openings.
A first object of the invention is to improve the contact between the gas and the liquid by lengthening the contact time and increasing the contact area. For this purpose, the method is characterized by using the venturi-effect caused by motion of the liquid over one end of an opening in a wall to cause the gas which is positioned on the other end of the opening to pass into the liquid, forming elongated gas bubbles therein. Therefore, the gas on the other end of opening in the wall does not have to be at greater pressure than the surrounding atmosphere to cause contact with the liquid.
The gas bubbles will be in contact with the liquid for a longer period of time, since they break out at the surface of the stream of liquid less quickly.
The gas is guided into the stream of liquid at atmospheric pressure or at very slightly superatmospheric pressure, in virtually the same direction as the direction of flow of the stream of liquid, via the channels or diverter elements which are connected to the openings in the walls and which open entirely into the stream of liquid.
As a result of the venturi effect generated by the stream of liquid where the openings open out, the gas, which is at atmospheric pressure or at very slightly superatmospheric pressure, is entrained in the liquid and the gas pressure in the gas bubbles is virtually identical to the pressure in the surrounding liquid. This results in long thin gas bubbles extending in the direction of the stream of liquid.
These relatively long and thin gas bubbles have a relatively great contact area with the surrounding liquid and are entrained by the liquid over a relatively much longer distance than the expanding gas bubbles, which quickly break out at the surface of the liquid, which are formed if the gas is supplied at superatmospheric pressure.
A further improvement to the venturi effect can be achieved if the adhesion force between the liquid and the material from which the said channels or diverter elements are produced is reduced by the fact that at least the outflow openings of the said channels or diverter elements are produced from or covered with a hydrophobic, or at least non-hydrophilic, material.
According to the invention, the openings, on that side of the wall which is in contact with the liquid, are provided with projecting channels or diverter elements, which open into the liquid and are formed and directed in such a manner that if the liquid and the wall move with respect to one another a venturi effect is generated at the location where the channels or diverter elements open out, this effect leading to subatmospheric pressure at this location.
In a surprisingly simple and effective device, use is made, for the purpose of separating the gas stream which is supplied to the liquid and the gas stream which is discharged after passing through the liquid, of a so-called water seal, in which case, according to the invention, a number of inclined plates which are provided with openings and a number of closed, inclined plates are disposed alternately one behind the other, a side chamber is arranged on one or both sides of the said set of plates, which side chamber is connected at the top, via gas-supply openings, to the spaces beneath an inclined plate which is provided with openings and above a closed, inclined plate, and at the bottom is connected, via gas-discharge openings, to the spaces above an inclined plate which is provided with openings and beneath a closed, inclined plate, the gas-supply openings and the said gas-discharge openings furthermore being separated from one another by means of a partition arranged in the said chamber, and the inclined plates projecting, in the region of their bottom ends, into a space which during use is filled with liquid, so that a water seal can be formed.
Preferably, a gas-suction device is connected to that part of the chamber or chambers which is connected to the gas-discharge opening.
The liquid-supply means may comprise a channel which is arranged above the inclined plates and is connected, by means of openings, to the spaces above the inclined plates which are provided with openings. In order to recirculate the liquid, one or more pipes with pumps present therein may extend, from the liquid chamber into which the bottom edges of the inclined plates project, to the channel above the inclined plates.
In a variant of the above-described embodiment, the said projecting channels or diverter elements are arranged on the inside of the walls of one or more vertically disposed tubes which are situated between two tube plates, liquid flowing through the tubes during use.
In one embodiment which deviates rather from the abovementioned embodiments but nevertheless fulfils the principle of the invention, the projecting channels or diverter elements are arranged on the underside of a rotating disc which is in contact with liquid.
The method and device described can be used, inter alia, for:
exchanging, removing or adding components and/or calorific energy present in the gas and/or the liquid,
mixing or dissolving oxidizing or reducing gases into liquid,
at elevated temperature of the liquid, evaporating the liquid or the components situated therein in the gas stream,
at reduced temperature of the liquid, condensing the liquid or components evaporated in the gas stream out of the latter.
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Bushey C. Scott
Handal & Morofsky
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