WO2025003397A1

WO2025003397A1 - A chamber unit for a fluid-fluid vortex contactor and a reactor comprising such a unit

Info

Publication number: WO2025003397A1
Application number: PCT/EP2024/068241
Authority: WO
Inventors: Geraldine HEYNDERICKX; Kevin VAN GEEM; Yi Ouyang; Tom VERSPEELT; Siyuan CHEN
Original assignee: Universiteit Gent
Current assignee: Universiteit Gent
Priority date: 2023-06-30
Filing date: 2024-06-28
Publication date: 2025-01-02
Anticipated expiration: 2025-12-30

Abstract

According to an embodiment a chamber unit (101) is disclosed for a gas-liquid vortex reactor (500) for contacting a first with a second fluid stream comprising a circumferential wall (400, 401) enclosing a cylindrically shaped mixing chamber and a set of tangentially distributed fluid inlet slots (406, 407) axially running from a bottom to a top base to supply the first stream from the outer surface of the wall (400, 401) into the chamber, the wall (400, 401) further comprising a first set of inner axially running between the bottom base towards the top base and comprising a supply inlet (402) at a first end at the bottom base, and a discharge outlet (403) at a second end radially extending from the inner conduit to the inner surface of the wall (400, 401) wherein the inner conduit is configured to supply the second stream from the bottom base into the chamber.

Description

A CHAMBER UNIT FOR A FLUID-FLUID VORTEX CONTACTOR AND A REACTOR COMPRISING SUCH A UNIT

Field of the Invention

[01] The present invention relates to the field of gas-liquid vortex reactors and to a method of mixing fluid streams by use of a gas-liquid vortex reactor.

Background

[02] A gas-liquid vortex reactor is a rotating bed reactor having a static geometry.

[03] In Yi Ouyang, et. al., “Liquid hydrodynamics in a gas-liquid vortex reactor”, Chemical Engineering Science, Volume 246, 2021 , 116970, ISSN 0009-2509, a gasliquid vortex reactor is disclosed. The gas-liquid vortex reactor comprises an annular jacket surrounding a vortex chamber. From the jacket, a gas can enter the reactor zone through tangentially inclined inlet slots, circumferentially spaced over the outer wall of the vortex chamber. Further, water is pumped from a liquid storage tank into the cylindrical vortex chamber via a single liquid inlet pipe through the upper reactor end wall.

[04] In Siyuan Chen, et. al., “CFD analysis on hydrodynamics and residence time distribution in a gas-liquid vortex unit”, Chemical Engineering Journal, Volume 446, Part 2, 2022, 136812, ISSN 1385-8947, a method is disclosed for mixing fluid streams by use of a gas-liquid vortex reactor as known in the art. [05] A problem with the gas-liquid vortex reactors known in the art is that the interface area and/or gas-liquid contact time between fluid phases is limited due to its geometry.

[06] It is therefore an object of the present invention to adapt the geometry of the gas-liquid vortex reactors known in the art with the aim to enlarge the interface area and the gas-liquid contact time of fluid streams injected therein.

Summary of the Invention

[07] This object is achieved, in a first aspect, by a chamber unit configured for a gasliquid vortex reactor for contacting a first fluid stream with a second fluid stream, the chamber unit comprising a circumferential wall enclosing a cylindrically shaped or uniform n-gonal prism with n>4 mixing chamber and comprising a set of tangentially distributed fluid inlet slots axially running between a bottom base and a top base configured to supply the first stream from the outer surface of the wall into the chamber characterized in that the circumferential wall further comprises a first set of inner conduits, an inner conduit from the first set axially running from the bottom base towards the top base and comprising:

- a supply inlet at a first end positioned at the bottom base; and

- a discharge outlet at a second end extending from the inner conduit to the inner surface of the wall; wherein the inner conduit is configured to supply the second stream from the bottom base into the chamber.

[08] The chamber unit, also referred to as the reactor chamber or just the chamber, is the core of the reactor wherein the contacting of different fluid streams takes place. To his end, the chamber unit comprises a circumferential wall which encloses a mixing chamber wherein each fluid stream is guided to, as will be explained. [09] A fluid stream is a stream of a fluid, whereby a fluid comprises a liquid or a gas. The first fluid stream may therefore comprise either a liquid or a gas, and the same applies for the second fluid stream. The different combinations of contacting fluids are therefore gas-gas, liquid-gas, gas-liquid, and liquid-liquid.

[10] Note that the relative terms such as radially, axially, and tangentially refer to the axis of a cylinder defining the chamber unit. Preferably, the chamber unit encloses a cylindrical mixing chamber, but the shape can also be a type of a prism, or dodecahedron. The axis is then the axis of said shape. The axis also corresponds to the rotational axis of the vortex. This axis connects two parallel circles bases at the top and the bottom, and the distance therebetween is the height of the chamber unit. Thus, the chamber unit is preferably a hollow cylinder, wherein the inner part comprises the already discussed mixing chamber. Therefore, the cylinder comprises two annuli, one at the bottom and one at the top. The cylinder further has an inner and outer circle sharing the same axis as just discussed, while the base is the area or surface between said concentric circles on the same side. It should thus be further understood that the circumferential wall has a predefined thickness corresponding to the difference in radii between the concentric circles of the annuli.

[11] It should be further understood that the terms bottom and top are used to refer to opposite sides of the chamber unit, and that they are interchangeable. Depending on the orientation or placement of the reactor wherein the chamber unit is used, the second stream may thus be positioned at the bottom side or the top side of the reactor.

[12] The circumferential wall comprises a set of tangentially distributed fluid inlet slots running between the bottom base and the top base, thus in the direction of the axis of rotation. They are further configured to supply a liquid or a gas from the outside through the wall into the chamber. In the wording of the claims, this liquid or gas is defined as the first fluid stream. Preferably, the first fluid stream comprises a gas, such as air. Preferably, the fluid inlet slots are symmetrically tangentially distributed. Differently formulated, the fluid inlet slots are tangentially distributed in a symmetrical manner. This way, the streams of the first fluid can enter the mixing chamber in a symmetric manner. [13] Further note that the tangential fluid inlet slots run between the bottom base to the top base, meaning that they may extend over the full length, thus the height, of the chamber unit, but that it also can be limited to only a part of the total height. The height of the different inlet slots may also vary between themselves, meaning that they not necessarily all have the same height.

[14] The fluid inlet slots are further, according to an embodiment, arranged in such a way that they define an oblique tangentially direction. This means that the fluid enters the chamber under a predefined angle. Said angle is defined as the smallest angle between the slot opening and the tangential vector on the chamber wall and has preferably a value between 5° to 30° but can vary between a minimum of 0° to a maximum of 90°. One slots can be, for example, at 0°, the other at 90°. If a flow rate through the 0° inclined slots is higher than that of the 90° inclined slot, a rotation within the chamber is created.

[15] The chamber unit further comprises inner conduits within the circumferential wall thereof. A conduit is a tubular channel through which a fluid can flow. These conduits run in the axial direction between the bottom base and the top base, thus along a direction parallel with the axis of the cylindrically shaped mixing chamber and within the wall.

[16] Besides the cylindrically shaped mixing chamber, the mixing chamber can also have a uniform n-gonal prism with n>4 shape. A prism is a polyhedron comprising n- sided polygon base, a second base which is a translated copy of the first, and n other faces. In the context of this disclosure, these faces are all rectangular since it is a uniform prism. With the constraint that n has to be at least equal to four excludes the shape of a beam.

[17] A conduit comprises two ends, whereby one end is, in a first configuration, positioned at the bottom base. This end is defined as the supply inlet. At the other end a discharge outlet is present which extends from said inner conduit to the inner surface of the wall, thus into the mixing chamber. This way the second fluid stream can be supplied from the bottom base through the inner conduit, along the discharge outlet, into the chamber. Preferably, the inner conduits are symmetrically tangentially distributed, implying that the discharge outlets at the second ends are likewise symmetrically tangentially distributed at the inner surface of the wall of the chamber. As a result, the streams of the second fluid can be symmetrically injected into the mixing chamber.

[18] The first fluid stream is preferably a gas stream, while the second fluid stream is preferably a liquid stream. Due to the design of the tangential slots, the first fluid stream can be injected in such a way that it creates a vortex flow and centrifugal force field within the cylindrically shaped or uniform n-gonal prism with n>4 mixing chamber. Next, by inserting the second fluid stream through the set of inner conduits into the chamber in combination with the just discussed gas stream, the momentum is exchanged between two fluids and causes a rotating movement of the streem. This causes a contacting and mixing of the gas stream with the liquid stream. Furthermore, in comparison with vortex reactors known in the art, the interface area and the contact time is enlarged respectively increased, and the two streams are dispersed more uniformly at circumferential direction. In an alternative embodiment, the first fluid stream is a liquid stream and the second a gas stream. In a further alternative embodiment the first and second fluid streams are liquid streams. In an even further alternative embodiment, the first and the second fluid streams are gas streams.

[19] According to a preferred embodiment, the inner conduits and the fluid inlet slots are alternating arranged or arranged alternately. This way the contacting and/or mixing of the two distinct fluid streams may be performed in an even more optimal and efficient manner. The alternating arrangement means that there can be arrangements with a slot next to a conduit, but also two slots followed by two conduits, three slots followed by three conduits, and so on.

[20] Gas-liquid vortex reactors known in the art have a liquid inlet located at the bottom and base side of the open cylindrical mixing chamber thereby allowing to inject the liquid stream into said chamber, thus without inner conduits. In contrast to the reactors known in the art, the chamber unit according to the invention allows to inject the liquid stream in a more efficient manner, namely through the inner side wall of the mixing chamber. Again as already highlighted, this results in an enlarged contact surface between the gas and the liquid and more uniform dispersion. [21] According to an embodiment, the chamber unit is further configured for contacting the first fluid stream and the second fluid stream with a third fluid stream, and wherein the circumferential wall further comprises a second set of inner conduits, an inner conduit from the second set axially running from the top base towards the bottom base and comprising:

- a supply inlet at a first end positioned at the top base; and

- a discharge outlet at a second end extending from the inner conduit to the inner surface of the wall; wherein the inner conduit is configured to supply a third stream from the top base into the chamber.

[22] The second set of inner conduits are arranged in a similar manner as the first set, but in an opposite manner. This means, where the first set runs from the bottom base to the top base, the second set runs from the top base to the bottom base. As a result, the third fluid stream can be injected in the mixing chamber from the opposite side compared to the second fluid stream. This way, three different fluid streams can be injected in the mixing chamber for contacting and/or mixing them.

[23] Preferably, the inner conduits of the second set are also symmetrically tangentially distributed such as the first set of inner conduits.

[24] According to an embodiment, the first set of inner conduits and the second set of inner conduits are alternating arranged. This allows mixing the different fluid streams in an even more efficient manner, since this way the interactions therebetween are enlarged.

[25] According to an embodiment, the second fluids stream corresponds to the third fluid stream. In other words, the second fluid stream, being a liquid or a gas, can be injected on two opposite sides, being the top base and the bottom base.

[26] According to an embodiment, the inner conduits extend between the bottom base and the top base. In order to use the inner conduits for injecting the second fluid stream, and in case the third fluid stream, blocking means can be used on the side opposite to that side by which the fluid stream is injected. This way, a conduit is not always running from one side to the other, and may be interrupted thereby allowing fir individual fluid injection.

[27] According to a second aspect, a gas-liquid vortex reactor for contacting fluid streams is disclosed comprising the chamber unit according to the first aspect of the invention.

[28] According to an embodiment, the vortex reactor further comprises two or more fluid inlets and/or at least one exhaust, in particular at least one gas inlet, at least one liquid inlet, and/or at least one exhaust. More specific, the vortex reactor further comprises a liquid distributor configured to inject a liquid into the mixing chamber through the inner conduits, and a gas inlet configured to inject a gas into the mixing chamber through the fluid inlet slots. Alternatively, the gas inlet may also be configured to inject a gas into the mixing chamber through the inner conduits, and the liquid distributor may also be configured to inject a liquid into the mixing chamber through the fluid inlet slots.

[29] According to an embodiment, the gas-liquid vortex reactor further comprises a gas and liquid exhaust configured to exhaust the liquid and the gas from the mixing chamber.

[30] According to an embodiment, the vortex reactor further comprises a base plate and a jacket.

[31] According to a third aspect a method is disclosed for contacting and/or mixing fluid streams by use of the gas-liquid vortex reactor according to the second aspect.

Brief Description of the Figures

The invention will be further illustrated with reference to the figures wherein, [32] Fig. 1 illustrates a partly opened gas-liquid vortex reactor comprising a base plate; and

[33] Fig. 2 illustrates a configuration whereby one or more fluid inlets are used at the bottom side for injecting it into the mixing chamber by use of the inner conduits;

[34] Fig. 3 illustrates the configuration of Fig. 2 with a view on the bottom side thereof;

[35] Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B illustrate the chamber unit according to an embodiment of the invention; and

[36] Fig. 5 illustrates a closed gas-liquid vortex reactor having a liquid inlet, a gas inlet, and an exhaust.

Detailed Description of Embodiments

[37] The present invention will be described with respect to certain embodiments and with reference to certain figures, but the invention is not limited thereto and is defined only by the claims. The figures described are only schematic and non-limiting. In the figures, the size of certain elements may be exaggerated and not drawn to scale for illustrative purposes. The dimensions and relative dimensions do not necessarily correspond to actual practical embodiments of the invention.

[38] In addition, the terms first, second, third and the like are used in the specification and in the claims to distinguish between like elements and not necessarily to describe a sequential or chronological order. The terms are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and the embodiments of the invention may be used in sequences other than those described or illustrated herein. [39] Furthermore, the terms top, bottom, over, below and the like in the specification and claims are used for illustrative purposes and not necessarily to describe relative positions. The terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances, and the embodiments of the invention described herein may be used in orientations other than those described or illustrated herein.

[40] Further, although referred to as "preferred embodiments", the various embodiments are to be construed as exemplary in which the invention may be practiced rather than as a limitation on the scope of the invention.

[41] The term "comprising", used in the claims, should not be construed as being limited to the means or steps set forth below; the term does not exclude other elements or steps. The term should be interpreted as specifying the presence of the named features, elements, steps, or components referred to, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, steps or components, or groups thereof. The scope of the expression "a device comprising means A and B" should therefore not be limited to devices consisting only of the components A and B. The meaning is that with respect to the present invention only the components A and B of the device are listed, and the claim is further to be interpreted as including equivalents of these components.

[42] Fig. 1 illustrates a partly opened gas-liquid vortex reactor 100 comprising a base plate 104 having an upper surface 102 and a bottom surface 103. The gas-liquid vortex reactor as illustrated 100 further comprises a chamber unit 101 . This chamber unit 101 is configured to be placed on the base plate 104 as illustrated in Fig. 1 . This chamber unit 101 is further illustrated in Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B. Fig. 4A illustrates the chamber unit in a perspective view, while Fig. 4B illustrates the chamber unit in a top view, or a bottom view in case.

[43] Fig. 5 illustrates a closed gas-liquid vortex reactor 500 having a set of liquid inlets 501 , a gas inlet 502, and an exhaust 503. This reactor 500 corresponds to the partly opened reactor 100 of Fig. 1 , whereby a jacket is placed on top of the base plate 104. [44] With again reference to Fig. 1 , the chamber unit 101 comprises a circumferential wall enclosing a cylindrical mixing chamber. Reference 401 of Fig. 4B points to the inner wall of the chamber unit 101 , while reference 400 points to the outer wall thereof. With again reference to Fig. 4A the chamber unit 101 comprises a set of tangentially distributed fluid inlet slots, like inlet slot 407. As illustrated by reference 406 the fluid inlet slots run along the axis of the cylindrical chamber between the bottom base and the top base of the chamber unit 101. With reference to Fig. 4B, references 404 and 405 illustrate that the fluid inlet slots enter the cylindrical chamber under a certain angle, with reference 405 as the inlet port on the outer wall 400, and reference 404 the outlet port on the inner wall 401 . The inlet slots are configured to inject a fluid stream into the inner volume of the cylindrical chamber unit 101. This is achieved by placing the jacket on the base plate 104 as illustrated on Fig. 5 and injected a gas through the fluid inlet 502. The fluid will then be injected in the mixing chamber by passing through the fluid inlet slots 407.

[45] The chamber unit 101 further comprises a set of inner conduits. With reference to Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B the inner conduits are positioned within the circumferential wall of the chamber unit. In this illustrated embodiment, the inner conduits further run between the bottom side and the top side thereof. It should be however further understood that the inner conduits, being one or all of them, may also partly run from one side and not extend completely to the other side. It should however be clear that on at least one side an opening is available for injecting a fluid. Such openings are illustrated by reference 402.

[46] The inner conduits further comprise discharge outlets extending from the inner conduit to the inner surface 401 of the mixing chamber, preferably in a radial direction. This is illustrated by reference 403. Likewise as with the fluid inlet slots, the discharge outlets are configured in such a way that the fluid enters the inner chamber under a certain angle. A fluid is then injected into the chamber unit along one side, being the top or bottom one, or both in case of high flow rates, along the inner circumferential wall, and next into the chamber. [47] When the inner conduits run axially along the whole length of the inner wall as illustrated in Fig. 4A and 4B different configurations are possible for injecting a fluid by the use of said inner conduits.

[48] When the fluid is injected from one side according to a first configuration, blocking means are placed on the openings in the other side. The fluid can then be injected via the non-blocked openings and through the discharge outlets. Obviously, a second configuration corresponds to an opposite set-up wherein the blocking means are placed on the other side, but this is in essence just turning around the chamber unit.

[49] Another configuration corresponds to that one whereby the fluid is injected through both sides of the unit. To this end, a number of inner conduits have blocking means on one side, while the other sides thereof are open. The other conduits have an opposite configuration. Again, the chamber unit can be turned around resulting in a fourth possible configuration thereof.

[50] Fig. 2 illustrates a configuration whereby the fluid may be injected into the chamber via the inner conduits by using only one side. The chamber unit 101 is placed on top of 200 the base plate 104. Through the liquid inlets 201 the fluid, in this case being a liquid is injected into the chamber. With reference to Fig. 3 which illustrates the bottom side 300 of the base plate 104 the liquid inlets are distributed in a tangential manner.

Claims

1 A chamber unit (101 ) configured for a gas-liquid vortex reactor (500) for contacting a first fluid stream with a second fluid stream, the chamber unit (101 ) comprising a circumferential wall (400, 401 ) enclosing a cylindrically shaped or uniform n-gonal prism with n>4 mixing chamber and comprising a set of tangentially distributed fluid inlet slots (406, 407) axially running between a bottom base and a top base configured to supply the first stream from the outer surface of the wall (400, 401 ) into the chamber

CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the circumferential wall (400, 401 ) further comprises a first set (410) of inner conduits, an inner conduit from the first set (410) axially running from the bottom base towards the top base and comprising:

- a supply inlet (402) at a first end positioned at the bottom base; and

- a discharge outlet (403) at a second end extending from the inner conduit to the inner surface of the wall (400, 401 ); wherein the inner conduit is configured to supply the second stream from the bottom base into the chamber.

2.- The chamber unit (101 ) according to claim 1 further configured for contacting the first fluid stream and second fluid stream with a third fluid stream, and wherein the circumferential wall (400, 401 ) further comprises a second set (411 ) of inner conduits, an inner conduit from the second set (411 ) axially running from the top base towards the bottom base and comprising:

- a supply inlet (402) at a first end positioned at the top base; and

- a discharge outlet (403) at a second end extending from the inner conduit to the inner surface of the wall (400, 401 ); wherein the inner conduit is configured to supply a third stream from the top base into the chamber.

3.- The chamber unit (101 ) according to claim 2, wherein the first set (410) of inner conduits and the second set (411 ) of inner conduits are alternating arranged.

4.- The chamber unit (101 ) according to any of the claims 2 to 3, wherein the second fluid stream corresponds to the third fluid stream.

5.- The chamber unit (101 ) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the fluid inlet slots (406, 407) and/or the discharge outlets (403) are arranged in an oblique tangential direction.

6.- The chamber unit (101 ) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the fluid inlet slots (406, 407) are symmetrically tangentially distributed.

7.- The chamber unit (101 ) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the inner conduits are symmetrically tangentially distributed.

8.- The chamber unit (101 ) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the inner conduits and the fluid inlet slots (406, 407) are alternating arranged.

9.- The chamber unit (101 ) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the inner conduits extend between the bottom base and the top base.

10.- The chamber unit according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cylindrically shaped mixing chamber comprises a shape of the group of a cylinder, a prism, a dodecahedron.

11.- A gas-liquid vortex reactor (500) for contacting fluid streams comprising the chamber unit (101 ) according to any of the preceding claims.

12.- The gas-liquid vortex reactor (500) according to claim 11 , further comprises a liquid distributor (501 ) configured to inject a liquid into the mixing chamber through the inner conduits, and a gas inlet (502) configured to inject a gas into the mixing chamber through the fluid inlet slots.

13.- The gas-liquid vortex reactor (500) according to any of the claims 11 to 12, further comprising a gas and liquid exhaust (503) configured to exhaust the liquid and the gas from the mixing chamber.

14.- A method for contacting fluid streams by use of the gas-liquid vortex reactor (500) according to any of the claim 11 to 13.