Patent ID: 6279611
Filing Date: 2001-08-28
Classification: B01F,Y10T

Abstract:
Apparatus for generating microspheres while mixing an additive liquid with a mainstream liquid in order to enhance the blending of said additive liquid with said mainstream liquid, said apparatus having: a section of a pipe of uniform diameter from an inlet to receive a mainstream liquid flowing under pressure to an outlet; a flow constriction device affixed to an inside tubular surface of said section of pipe between said inlet and said outlet, thereby producing a venturi effect of increasing the velocity of said mainstream liquid through said constriction device in order to lower the pressure of said mainstream liquid flowing therethrough; an aspiration tube having an outer diameter less than an inner diameter of said pipe section, said aspiration tube having an inlet to receive an additive liquid to be mixed with said mainstream liquid and an outlet affixed inside said section of pipe in a position centrally disposed upstream with respect to said constriction device and proximate thereto, whereby lowered pressure of said mainstream liquid flowing around and past said aspiration tube through restricted space between said aspiration tube outlet and said constriction device produces said venturi effect of lowering the pressure of said mainstream liquid passing through said constriction device in order to draw additive liquid from said aspiration tube for mixing with said mainstream liquid, said apparatus further having a turbulence part of said section of pipe immediately downstream between said constriction device and said aspiration tube outlet, and a plurality of staggered protuberances inside said turbulence part of said pipe section protruding radially from the inside surface thereof toward an axis thereof to a point spaced from said surface a distance equal to approximately the distance from said pipe section to the inside surface of said aspiration tube, whereby each of said protuberances creates a disruption of the flow of said mainstream liquid and additive liquid, thereby to enhance a mixture of said mainstream liquid and additive liquid and cause variational tensile stresses in the flow of said mixture to generate microspheres in said mixture.