Patent ID: 11969671
Assignee: nan
Field: Chemical engineering (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 13:
14. A method comprising:
introducing first and second particles into a flow circuit, the first and second particles having different densities;
introducing a gas into the flow circuit at a velocity that causes Dean vortices to form through first and second channel portions of the flow circuit,
wherein the first channel portion is oriented so that a flow through the first channel portion has a first vector component in the direction of gravity, the first channel portion having a first cross-sectional area,
wherein the second channel portion is oriented so that a flow through the second channel portion has a second vector component opposite to the direction of gravity, the second channel portion having a second cross-sectional area that is larger than the first cross-sectional area;
wherein the difference between the first cross-sectional area and the second cross-sectional area prevents Deans vortices present in the first flow portion and the second flow portion from collapsing.