Gas and liquid contact apparatus – Fluid distribution – Pumping
Patent
1994-03-16
1996-04-30
Miles, Tim R.
Gas and liquid contact apparatus
Fluid distribution
Pumping
261 91, 261 93, 261DIG75, B01F 304
Patent
active
055122175
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This application is a 371 of PCT/AU93/00340, filed Jul. 9, 1993.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a reactor for a two-phase or a three-phase system.
The invention has particular application to the aeration of a fluid comprising a slurry of mineral particles with a gas comprising air or any other suitable oxygen-containing gas. However, the invention is not restricted to this application and extends to the aeration of any gas/liquid, gas/liquid/solid or gas/liquid/solid/microbial systems.
The term "aeration" is understood to mean herein the injection of a gas or gases into a fluid.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
International application PCT/AU92/00645 entitled "Reactor" lodged on Dec. 2, 1992 in the name of the applicant discloses a reactor for aerating a fluid with a gas.
The reactor comprises a mixing tank for the fluid, a centrally located draft tube that partitions the mixing tank into a central chamber and an annular chamber which are in fluid communication at upper and lower regions of the mixing tank, and an axial flow pump located in the draft tube for circulating the fluid downwards in the draft tube and upwards in the annular chamber. The reactor also comprises an external circuit that removes a sidestream of the fluid from the mixing tank, aerates the fluid, and returns the aerated fluid to the mixing tank. The external circuit comprises an aerator in the form of a venturi of frusto-conical design having holes or a porous membrane in the region of the throat of the venturi for introducing the gas into the fluid. The aerator takes advantage of the fact that the fluid pressure in the throat region of the venturi is less than that upstream and downstream of the throat region and enables the air to be introduced into the liquor by natural aspiration or at low pressure. The external circuit further comprises a centrifugal pump for pumping the fluid around the external circuit.
The reactor disclosed in the International application is an effective means of aerating a fluid. This is reflected in the experimental results in the International application which show a decrease in power requirements with the reactor when compared with a conventional air agitated reactor.
An object of the present invention is to provide a reactor for introducing a gas into a fluid which is capable of achieving a further significant decrease in power requirements when compared with the reactor disclosed in International application PCT/AU92/00645.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a reactor for introducing a gas into a fluid comprising, a mixing tank for the fluid, a partition means for dividing the tank into at least two chambers, a first pump means located in one of the chambers for circulating the fluid downwards in one chamber and then upwards in the other chamber, an aerator assembly for aerating a sidestream of the fluid and introducing the aerated fluid into the tank for mixing the aerated fluid with the circulating fluid in the tank, the aerator assembly comprising a venturi aerator having: for creating a region of reduced pressure in the fluid, the constriction being elongate in a section transverse to the direction of flow of the fluid through the constriction; and fluid.
The term "elongate" as used herein is understood to mean that the ratio of the length and width dimensions of the constriction be at least 1.5:1.
According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a reactor for introducing a gas into a fluid comprising, a mixing tank for the fluid, a partition means for dividing the tank into at least two chambers and for allowing the fluid to flow between the chambers, a first pump means located in one of the chambers for circulating the fluid downwards in one chamber and then upwards in the other chamber, an aerator assembly located in an upper region of the tank for aerating a sidestream of fluid and introducing the aerated fluid into the tank for mixing the aerated fluid with the circulating fluid in the tank, the aerator assemb
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Batterham Robin J.
Conochie David S.
Hoffmann Warwick A.
Miles Tim R.
Technological Resources Pty. Limited
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