Abstract:
This invention pertains to a “modular, continuous, auger/feed screw, and scalable, chemical reactor systems” which can be used to produce pharmaceutical compounds, petrochemical products, Bio chemicals, organic compounds, inorganic compounds, and life science products.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     References Cited 
     US PATENT DOCUMENTS: 
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                 Nerad, Bruce A. 
               
               
                   
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                 6,022,419 
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                 Torget; Robert W. 
               
               
                   
                 6,268,531 
                 Jul. 31, 2001 
                 Hsu; Yung C. 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
       Other References 
     Provisional Patent: 
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                 61/887,673 
                 Oct. 7, 2013 
                 Keenan, Erick 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0003]    Not Applicable 
       BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
       [0004]    International Classification: A23K 1/16 (20060101); B01D 61/02 (20060101); B01D 013/00; B01J 14/00 (20060101); B01J 19/18 (20060101); B01J 19/24 (20060101); C07C 29/00 (20060101); C07C 29/76 (20060101); C07G 17/00 (20060101); C07G 17/00 (20130101); C08H 5/00 (20060101); C08H 04 (20060101); C13K 001/02; D21C 3/04 (20060101); 
         [0005]    Current United States Classification: 023; 095; 55/16; 127/37; 127/1; 158;198; 202; 209; 210/321; 210/636; 210/637; 210/641; 321.65; 366; 422; 435/105; 502; 518; 562/580; 562/581; 641; 637; 
         [0006]    1. Field of invention 
         [0007]    The describe invention is envisioned in the use as a reactor for the production of products being inorganic and organic chemicals or biological chemicals for life sciences. The invention is a replacement for batch style reaction reactors and the segmented process they are used in by providing a single continuous, modular reactor system. 
         [0008]    2. Discussion of related art 
         [0009]    In general, current reaction equipment used in industry is of batch or semi batch design which has several short comings. They are not continuous which makes them an inefficient design, wasting time to load and run a relatively, specific small volume of reactants between batches with a required costly down time for a “reset-up” step. Waste and loss can be very financially significant as a single batch tank is subject to an entire volume of reactants expose to mishap and loss. Also the batch process, in many situations, cannot as a unit complete all of the required processing without removal of the semi-finished product which is a time waste, costly, potentially hazardous, can have loss of material and can degrade the product by exposure to the atmosphere. A modular, continuous, and scalable chemical reactor system which uses an auger/feed screw will overcome all of the aforementioned flaws. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    This invention pertains to a modular, continuous, and scalable chemical reactor system using an auger/feed screw which can be used to produce pharmaceutical compounds, petrochemical products, biological chemicals, life science and bio-mass products. It has been designed to handle reactions that produce viscous slurry products during the chemical reaction process and/or reactions that process powders, liquid and gas reactants during a reaction. An advantage of a “continuous—one integrated device design” is that it does not require the reactor shut down and transfer of reactants from a batch reactor station to the next which is economically costly and an inefficient, labor intensive procedure. It is envisioned the “auger/feed screw” will convey solid and liquid reactants through a “tube body” allowing them to mix and chemically react to produce a product. During a controlled rotation the auger/feed screw meters volume intake, mixing and generates sheer to promote an efficient and controlled chemical reaction. The auger/feed screws can be designed so that the profiles are varied to specific requirements, such as mixing, volume control, sheer generation, compression, flow regulation and heat transfer. 
         [0011]    At the start of the process the reactants are introduced into the reaction/mixing chamber from the liquid and powder feed ports located on the introducer module to initiate the reaction. As the annular space is filled, the reactants begin to be mixed, react and heated or cooled by the jacket as the rotation of the feed screw begins to convey the material through the process. While proceeding down the reactor, temperature monitoring and control is performed, mixing completeness is check and more ports positioned along this section can add reactants or solvents as required. A design advantage of the feed screw is when processing vicious slurry is it is only moving and handling a very small volume which with the requirement of low mechanical torque conveyance is done with no issues. Options such as ultrasonic mixing outside the reaction chamber tube and RF heating can be added in this section. After reaction completion the liquid is removed via a vacuum section that has several porous rings entrapped in a vacuum jacket, more drying can be with a heated jacketed further down the line. Also, if the product needs to be cooled down a cooling jacket can be added before the product exit tube. Other additions to condition the product can be gas inlets, ultrasonic generators to break up the powder and feed screw modifications to let the powder release. Inline QC inspection can be done anywhere along the tube and reject diverters can also set inline which can be computer controlled. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  “An assembly drawing of a typical base model modular, continuous, scalable, chemical reactor systems” which uses an auger/feed screw. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  “Introducer module” 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  “Introducer auger/feed Screw” 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  “Reaction/mixing module” 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  “Mixing and conveying auger/feed Screw” 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  “Section view of mixing and conveying auger/feed screw” 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  “Reflux and tee module” 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  “Crystallization module” 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  “Filtration module” 
           [0021]      FIG. 10  “QC module” 
           [0022]      FIG. 11  “Drying module” 
           [0023]      FIG. 12  “Rejection and output module” 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0024]    Shown in  FIG. 1  is a typical complete assembly of a base model, continuous, scalable, chemical reactor system which uses an auger/feed screw  1  and a computer control system with software  2 . As of most industrial control systems a typical array of inputs and outputs (“A”, “B”, “C”, “D”, “E”. . . ) are used to control, monitor, perform quality control and data logging. A reactor system can be produced in different capacity sizes from any materials suitable for the laboratory and industrial environments. Module order can be changed and the assembly shown is only one envisioned order in which the arrangement can be set. Processing starts with the introduction of reactants or materials into the Introducer module  5  via the In-feed port  9  and will end with the output of product from the accepted product output exit  34  or rejected product output exit port  33 . 
         [0025]    As the reactor system  1  comes online, the computer control system  2  turns on the drive motor  3  and engages the clutch  4  to begin rotation of the auger/feed screw  7  inside the introducer module  5 . After the desired rpms are reached the addition of raw materials or reactants are introduced by way of the in-feed port  9  at the desired controlled rate.  FIG. 2  shows a more detailed illustration of the relationship of the component pieces with in the introducer module  5  assembly. Units can have additional in-feed ports for a slight variation; one such style is shown in  FIG. 2  with an in-feed port cap  8  above an in-feed port it to close it off when not in use. If more in-feed ports  9  are needed they can be added as required and may also have different docking requirements. A coupling clamp  6  which is fluid tight and can handle high pressures will join the adjacent modules to each other as shown in  FIG. 1 . System set up is quick and easy as detailed in  FIG. 3 , a simple snap lock pin  36  attaches each of the component auger/feed screws and this system of interlocking auger/feed screw sections are typical throughout the assembly. A drive spine  35  is a metal or polymer solid rod or hollow tube that is mechanical fixed into the auger/feed screw outer body by mechanical fit and physical adhesion. 
         [0026]    Reactant materials begin to be processed by mixing and heating/cooling in the reaction/mixing module  10  as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . Typical to the assembly is; a mixing/conveying auger/feed screw  13 , a heating/cooling jacket  12 , a temperature monitoring port  14 , a ultrasonic/vibration mixer  11 , and typical coupling clamp  6 . A reaction/mixing module  10  can be of any length and internal diameter with multiples placed in series or parallel, also in a horizontal or vertical orientation if needed. A more detailed view is shown in  FIG. 5  of a typical outside profile of the mixing/conveying, auger/feed screw  13 , but the design can be of any varying profile needed to increase mixing, material handling and timing of material conveyance. The section view in  FIG. 6  shows some internal enhancements that can be applied to the mixing/conveying, auger/feed screw  13 , such as an electrical heating cartridge  37  and an embedded thermocouple  38  with the electrical lead wires  39  hooked back to the power and control system. 
         [0027]    During the reaction some generation of heat will cause the evaporation of solvent and to prevent the escape a distillation reflux module  16  is placed inline on top of a tee module  15 . In  FIG. 7  is shown the typical configuration of this use with the auger/feed screw  40 , a temperature monitoring or vacuum port  41 , and a beaded end for coupling  42  to allow the addition of more modules or a cap. A weir flow control module  17  is an option that can be put next in the process order to hold back some of the material at a controlled rate, this is shown in section view and without the drive spine in place for clarity. 
         [0028]    After the reaction is completed in this example, but not in all applications, the material is fed in to a crystallization module  18  where the introduction of a solvent is injection in through the crashing solvent fluid port  19  to promote crystallization. In this module, as shown in  FIG. 8 , a different auger/feed screw is use and it is has a profile that is just a cylinder with no screw flutes and therefore it is just an idler screw  20  only used to transmit power through to the next module. Some variations can be used such as screws with small pin mixers, depending on the needs. Product, a slurry mix, is pushed into the vacuum filter module  23 , which has an alternating sintered filter section  21  and plain solid tube section wrapped by a vacuum jacket  22  (see  FIG. 9 ). With a vacuum source hooked to the liquid exit  24  port the solvent can be pulled out of the product and captured into a waste tank. 
         [0029]    A significant advantage of a continuous, scalable, chemical reactor system which uses an auger/feed screw system is the easy insertion of a QC/QC inspection device in any placement as it is needed.  FIG. 10  is of a typical basic QC/QA sampling tee module with sample port  25 ; the port will let a probe to take internal readings and a generic QC/QA instrument  26  is for measurement of set parameters outside the tube body. Both will send data to the computer via line “B” for control input and data logging. 
         [0030]      FIG. 11  is of a final drying module  27  with an auger/feed screw with ports on both ends. Drying gas in-feed port  43  pushes in clean, warn dry gas to remove moisture and the moist gas is removed out the drying gas vacuum removal port  44  to a condensation tank for safe storage. Heating to accelerate drying is achieved by the use of an electric heating jacket  45  which can be of the specified watts and controlled by a control system or manually set. 
         [0031]    The final step in this example process is performed in the rejection and output module  28  as illustrated in  FIG. 12 . A wiper port  29  is in place to help break up the material and allow separation from the augur/feed screw which is support at its end by an end bearing cap  30 . End product is transferred into the selector gate section  31  and computer signals the selector gate actuator  32  to sift the gate which determines to which port product is sent. “Good” or “bad” products can be selectively in process being sent to the accepted product output exit  34  or to the rejected product output exit  33  for packaging. Thus ends the complete process example using this reactor system.