Gas and liquid contact apparatus – Contact devices – Rotating
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-27
2004-06-01
Bushey, Scott (Department: 1724)
Gas and liquid contact apparatus
Contact devices
Rotating
C261S092000, C366S279000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06742774
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to materials processing involving a chemical and/or a physical action(s) or reaction(s) of a component or between components. More specifically, the present invention produces a gas-in-liquid emulsion in a reactor to continuously process relatively large quantities of materials.
2. General Background and State of the Art
Apparatus for materials processing consisting of coaxial cylinders that are rotated relative to one another about a common axis, the materials to be processed being fed into the annular space between the cylinders, are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,370,999, issued Dec. 6, 1994 to Colorado State University Research Foundation discloses processes for the high shear processing of a fibrous biomass by injecting a slurry thereof into a turbulent Couette flow created in a “high-frequency rotor-stator device”, this device having an annular chamber containing a fixed stator equipped with a coaxial toothed ring cooperating with an opposed coaxial toothed ring coupled to the rotor. U.S. Pat. No. 5,430,891, issued Aug. 23, 1994 to Nippon Paint Co., Ltd. discloses processes for continuous emulsion polymerization in which a solution containing the polymerizable material is fed to the annular space between coaxial relatively rotatable cylinders.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,463, issued Jan. 18, 1994, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,538,191, issued Jul. 23, 1996, both having the same applicant as the present invention, disclose methods and apparatus for high-shear material treatment, one type of the apparatus consisting of a rotor rotating within a stator to provide an annular flow passage. U.S. Pat. No. 5,538,191, in particular, at column 13, line 37, describes using the invention as a gas/liquid chemical reactor by enveloping the greater part of the liquid that clings to the periphery of the spinning rotor with a body of the reactant gas. The high peripheral velocity of the wetted, spinning rotor causes the gas to be in a highly turbulent state of surface renewal at its contact interface with the liquid film. However, this gas/liquid reaction method provides a relatively small gas/liquid contact area and is prone to considerable back-mixing (mixing in the longitudinal, axial or general flow direction) of the gas component thus providing an undesirably large residence time distribution (RTD), impairing the overall efficiency of the process.
Sparging gasses through liquids for reacting the gasses with the liquids is also known in the prior art, but also fails to provide adequate interfacial contact area between the liquid and gas.
It would be desirable to provide a large interfacial contact area between a liquid and a gas in an efficient continuous or batch type process.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for producing a gas-in-liquid emulsion for providing increased interfacial contact area between the liquid and the gas for improved reaction of the gas with the liquid, or more rapid solution or reaction of a difficulty soluble or immiscible gas in or with a liquid. This invention provides a superior, more economical and more efficient way of contacting gases with liquids for the purpose of effecting reactions between them to be carried out as a continuous or batch type process.
REFERENCES:
patent: 591494 (1897-10-01), Pond
patent: 2261257 (1941-11-01), Kiesskalt et al.
patent: 2295740 (1942-09-01), Keen
patent: 2314598 (1943-03-01), Phelan
patent: 2474006 (1949-06-01), Maycock
patent: 2577247 (1951-12-01), Irwin
patent: 3095349 (1963-06-01), Rich
patent: 3215642 (1965-11-01), Levy
patent: 3595531 (1971-07-01), Williams et al.
patent: 3841814 (1974-10-01), Eckhardt
patent: 3870082 (1975-03-01), Holl
patent: 4000993 (1977-01-01), Holl
patent: 4057331 (1977-11-01), Ong et al.
patent: 4071225 (1978-01-01), Holl
patent: 4073567 (1978-02-01), Lakerveld et al.
patent: 4174907 (1979-11-01), Suh et al.
patent: 4198383 (1980-04-01), Konsetov et al.
patent: 4251576 (1981-02-01), Osborn et al.
patent: 4287075 (1981-09-01), Fujiwara et al.
patent: 4306165 (1981-12-01), Kitabayashi et al.
patent: 4311570 (1982-01-01), Cowen et al.
patent: 4315172 (1982-02-01), Intichar et al.
patent: 4335180 (1982-06-01), Traut
patent: 4405491 (1983-09-01), Sando et al.
patent: 4556467 (1985-12-01), Kuhn et al.
patent: 4593754 (1986-06-01), Holl
patent: 4670103 (1987-06-01), Holl
patent: 4708198 (1987-11-01), Holl
patent: 4744521 (1988-05-01), Singer et al.
patent: 4769131 (1988-09-01), Noll et al.
patent: 4778631 (1988-10-01), Cobbs, Jr. et al.
patent: 4784218 (1988-11-01), Holl
patent: 4889909 (1989-12-01), Besecke et al.
patent: 4921473 (1990-05-01), Lee et al.
patent: 4930708 (1990-06-01), Chen
patent: 4983307 (1991-01-01), Nesathurai
patent: 5154973 (1992-10-01), Imagawa et al.
patent: 5198137 (1993-03-01), Rutz et al.
patent: 5204416 (1993-04-01), Mercer et al.
patent: 5212278 (1993-05-01), Pfandner
patent: 5227637 (1993-07-01), Herold et al.
patent: 5268140 (1993-12-01), Rutz et al.
patent: 5279463 (1994-01-01), Holl
patent: 5300019 (1994-04-01), Bischof et al.
patent: 5335992 (1994-08-01), Holl
patent: 5358775 (1994-10-01), Horn, III
patent: 5370824 (1994-12-01), Nagano et al.
patent: 5370999 (1994-12-01), Stuart
patent: 5391603 (1995-02-01), Wessel et al.
patent: 5395914 (1995-03-01), Wilharm et al.
patent: 5449652 (1995-09-01), Swartz et al.
patent: 5471037 (1995-11-01), Goethel et al.
patent: 5484647 (1996-01-01), Nakatani et al.
patent: 5506049 (1996-04-01), Swei et al.
patent: 5523169 (1996-06-01), Rafferty et al.
patent: 5538191 (1996-07-01), Holl
patent: 5552210 (1996-09-01), Horn, III et al.
patent: 5554323 (1996-09-01), Tsukimi et al.
patent: 5558820 (1996-09-01), Nagano et al.
patent: 5576386 (1996-11-01), Kempter et al.
patent: 5658485 (1997-08-01), Cava et al.
patent: 5658994 (1997-08-01), Burgoyne, Jr. et al.
patent: 5659006 (1997-08-01), White
patent: 5674004 (1997-10-01), Takeuchi
patent: 5693742 (1997-12-01), White et al.
patent: 5739193 (1998-04-01), Walpita et al.
patent: 5754936 (1998-05-01), Jansson
patent: 5855865 (1999-01-01), Lambert et al.
patent: 5874516 (1999-02-01), Burgoyne, Jr. et al.
patent: 5929138 (1999-07-01), Mercer et al.
patent: 5974867 (1999-11-01), Forster et al.
patent: 5998533 (1999-12-01), Weber et al.
patent: 6039784 (2000-03-01), Luk
patent: 6040935 (2000-03-01), Michalicek
patent: 6074472 (2000-06-01), Jachow et al.
patent: 6093636 (2000-07-01), Carter et al.
patent: 6134950 (2000-10-01), Forster et al.
patent: 6143052 (2000-11-01), Kiyokawa et al.
patent: 6176991 (2001-01-01), Nordman
patent: 6190034 (2001-02-01), Nielsen et al.
patent: 6281433 (2001-08-01), Decker et al.
patent: 6391082 (2002-05-01), Holl
patent: 6464936 (2002-10-01), Mowat et al.
patent: 6471392 (2002-10-01), Holl et al.
patent: 2001/0030295 (2001-10-01), Holl
patent: 2002/0038582 (2002-04-01), Holl
patent: 2002/0078793 (2002-06-01), Holl
patent: 2002/0089074 (2002-07-01), Holl
patent: 2002/0148640 (2002-10-01), Holl
patent: 2003/0043690 (2003-03-01), Holl
patent: 2003/0066624 (2003-04-01), Holl
patent: 299 02 348 (1999-04-01), None
patent: 299 19 570 (2000-01-01), None
patent: 0 219 357 (1987-04-01), None
patent: 0 660 336 (1995-06-01), None
patent: 891 152 (1962-03-01), None
patent: 1 232 644 (1971-05-01), None
patent: 1 252 192 (1971-11-01), None
patent: 2 192 558 (1988-01-01), None
patent: 58 144549 (1983-08-01), None
patent: 3 279991 (1991-12-01), None
patent: 11322920 (1999-11-01), None
patent: 2000-213876 (2000-08-01), None
patent: 369 939 (1973-04-01), None
patent: 957 991 (1982-09-01), None
patent: 1 737 241 (1992-05-01), None
patent: WO 97 12665 (1997-04-01), None
patent: WO 97 42639 (1997-11-01), None
patent: WO 98 49675 (1998-11-01), None
patent: WO 02 071451 (2002-09-01), None
patent: WO 03 022415 (2003-03-01), None
US 6,159,264, 12/2000, Holl (withdrawn)
PCT International Search Report for PCT/US00/18038,Holl Technologies Company, completed Sep. 17, 2000, mailed Oct. 6, 2000.
PCT International Search Report for PCT/US01/1525
Bushey Scott
Darrow, Esq. Christopher
Greenberg Trauig LLP
Holl Technologies Company
LandOfFree
Process for high shear gas-liquid reactions does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Process for high shear gas-liquid reactions, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Process for high shear gas-liquid reactions will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3362962