MECHANICAL OIL/WATER EMULSIFIER

Abstract: A mechanical emulsifying apparatus makes oil/water emulsions without chemicals and without moving parts. Oil (1) is pumped into an emulsifying stack (2) of alternately clockwise (25, 25') and counterclockwise (26, 26') helix disks, with integral separators. The stak (2) transfers partially emulsified oil/water mix from one helical disk to the next. Water (3) is introduced at a pressure higher than the oil pressure, to shear into the oil stream. The oil/water stream follows a reciprocating helical flow path through the stack (2). Each disk (25, 25', 26, 26') is cut with a helical pathway, alternately clockwise or counterclockwise, and with a separator, for an abrupt transition. The oil and water streams, partially merged, strike the transition at the separator between helix disks. This reverses the helical flow abruptly. The oil and water increasingly emulsify during the reciprocations through the stack (2).

Description: MECHANICAL OIL/WATER EMULSIFIER CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This is a Continuation in Part o * f previously filed application 5 serial number 07/883,688, filed 05/15/92, claiming priority from four applications originally filed in China, as follows: 91 106703.5 ) 91 1 06704.3 ) Filed May 20, 1991, China (PRC) 91 2 06703.1 ) 91 2 06704X j 10 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention 15 This invention relates to water/oil emulsi yi g for combustion efficiency, and more particularly to mechanical emulsifying apparatus using no chemicals and having no moving parts, operating by spiral-reversing the oil flow after water in j ection to achieve a temporary emulsifica io . ! ΞO 2. Description of Related Ar Water/oil emulsions improve combustion. The oil droplets shatter in microexplosions as heated water expands into steam. The shattered oil droplets have more surface for vaporization required for burning. Water/oil emulsions normally require chemical additives or moving agitators. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention provides a mechanical emulsifying apparatus to make oil/water emulsions without chemicals. Oil is pumped at a nominal pressure axially into an emulsifying stack of of alternately directed reciprocating helix disks with separator disks. Oil and water are introduced into the emulsifying stack of reciprocating helix disk pairs at an input end. For heavy oil, the water enters from the side, at a pressure higher than the oil pressure, to shear into the oil stream. The water stream penetrates the oil stre?am for a mixed stream. The miκed stream follows a reciprocating helical flow path through the emulsifying disk stack. Each disk is cut with a helical pathway, either clockwise or anticlockwise. The reciprocating helix disks alternate, clockwise and anticlockwise, and have integral separators. There is an abrupt right angle reversal transition from disk to disk at the separator. The mixed oil and water stream, only partially emulsified as the water stream shears into the oil stream, strikes the si ightly-greater-than-right angle formed by a first helical disk, then follows the helix until the composite stream hits the transition at the first separator, where the helical paths reverse. This reciprocating helical flow is guided first clockwise, then makes a virtual right angle turn to follow the next helical path, with great turbulence as it makes the transition from clockwise helix to anticlockwise helix. The oil and water mixture becomes more and more emulsified during the multiple reciprocations as the liquid stream passes through the stack. Exiting the stack, the oil/water emulsion is atomized into a combustion chamber very quickly, prior to the eventual strati ication or separation of oil and water. Fuel savings, improved heat tranfer* soot reduction and reduced polluting emissions are experienced. It is the object of the invention to provide an elegant geometric mechanical emulsification of oil/water, without chemical additives and without complicated agitation systems. A feature of the invention is an emulsifying disk stack having linear set of alternating reciprocating helix disks. Each pai forms a reciproca ing helix patlh with a virtual right angle wher the clockwise helix meets the anti-clockwise helix, an conversely. This creates a complex reciprocating helical pat for the oil stream, penetrated by the higher pressure wate stream to form a composite oil /water emulsifying turbulen stream. This turbulent emulsified oil/water stream passe directly to the burner nozzle, where it emerges as a j et o emulsified oil/water to be abomized with high pressure steam o air for burning. Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will b apparent from the following specification and from the annexe drawings and claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is an schematic diagram of a multiple nozzle system o an oil/water emulsion oil burner . Figure 2 is a side elevation cutaway view of the emulsifyin stack of reciprocating helix disk pairs. Figure 3 is a view of a nozzle separator. Figure is a cutaway partial side elevation view of th emulsifying stack. Figure 5 is a side elevation view of a clockwise helix disk wit separator. Figure is a side elevation view of an anti lockwise helix dis with separator. Figure 7 is a diagram of an emulsi fying stack with water meterin for a diesel . DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Figure 1 shows the invention in a multiple nozzle system. Oi inlet piping 1 supplies fuel oil (at a medium pressure) t emulsifying stack 2. Water inlet gate valve 3 introduces wate at high pressure from water line to each emulsifying stack 2 The water pressure needs to be higher than the oil pressure a the oil stream and the water stream enter the emulsifying stac 2. For light oil such as Number 2 fuel oil (diesel oil) th dif erential pressure of the water may be minimal. Water is supplied to water line • ■ from water pump 5, a constan pressure pump. Water pump 5 feeds water via shutoff valve 6 a check valve 7 and gate valve 3 to each emulsifying chamber 2 Emulsifying chamber 2 feeds an oil/water emulsion stream to j nozzle 8 via flexible outlet piping 9. Pump 5 gets its wate supply via water feed piping 10 from water supply 11. For u with light oil, a relatively s:.mple float-controlled water with constant head may be used instead of a constant pressure pump. Figure 2 shows in cutaway the mechanical emulsifier stack (2 F . 1 ) . Water fed to the emulsifier stack enters via a needl valve assembly 12-1<*+ which permits water flow adjustment in th range of water-to-oil ratio of 0-15'/., manually or by any several well-known automatic techniques. Adjuster h an d le 1 permits adjustment of needle 13 which is sealed against leaki by 0-ring packing 1 . The emulsifier stack comprises cylindrical housing 15. A sε;pat ator 16, in the form of a dis with a cutout, directs the oil/water mix axially throug cylindrical housing 15. Cylinder 17 screws into the aperture o concentric connector/adapter 1El . Adapter 18 seals the opening o the emulsifying stack and acts to hold together the stack o alternating reciprocating helix disks 25-26 and intervenin separators 16. Tubing 19 carries water, at a pressure slightl to greatly higher than the pressure of the oil, depending upo the viscosity of the oil, to the emulsifying stack 2. Water tub connectors 20-23 complete the water supply to the emulsifyin stack. The emulsifying stack includes, in the embodiment shown eight individual reciprocating helix disks 25-26 > alternatel clockwise 26 and anticlockwise 25, with separators 16, within th body of emulsifier stack cylinder 17. There is a 90+ degre turnabout as the oil/water stream passes from each reciprocatin helix disk 25 or 26, via a separator 16, and to the nex reciprocating helix disk. This arrangement ensures optimal turbulent water flow within th emulsifying stack. The oil/water mixture hits each 90+ degre turnabout hard enough to cause emulsification. The turbulen flow creates a shear force due t. the differences between oil an water in viscosities, velocities- densities and surface tensions This causes emu1sificatlon mechani ally, without t h e need fo agitators or chemicals. The oil supply is provided by conventional means with metering wherever required, by conventional piping 24. OPERAT ION Figure 1 shows how the oil/water emulsion is used in a multipl jet system. Each jet 8 is ready to pump oil/water emulsion its jet for burning. Figure 2 selects a stream size for the oil by means not shown The water supply is selected at each burner nozzle by setting th needle valve 13. The water is under constant pressure, and thu the fuel oil supply and water supply are matched to each other dependably supplying oil/water emulsion to the related burne nozzle. Helix disks 25 and 26 are respectively anticlockwise an clockwise, arrayed alternately in the stack with their aperture aligned so as to supply a path with high impact at th appro imately 135 degree turnabout, via the opening about th separator, to the complementary helix. The two segments form compact, complex fluid path in which a reversal occurs at eac helical disk transition. The * ; oil/water mixture hits a virtua flat of the opposite helix at the far end of the helical pat through the first disk, splat ering off that flat into momentar turbulence, then resuming fluid flow further along on the path t emulsi ication. MECHANISM Figure 3 shows the nozzle separator 16 which starts the flow of the mixed (not yet emulsified) oil/water stream through the stack 17. The nozzle holes initiate a turbulent flow of droplets> along the axis of the stack 17. Figure «■+ shows stack 17 with nozzle separator 16, clockwise helix 25 with its integral separator facing the flow, anticlockwise helix 26, second clockwise helix 25, second anticlockwise helix 26...and final c lockwise/antic 1 ockwise pair 25'/26' . Figure 5 shows detail of clockwise helix 25 with its separator facing the flow. Figure 6 shows detail of anticlockwise helix 26 with its separator facing the flow. The helix disks are easily manufactured by automatic screw machines, which can cut the clockwise helix or anti lockwise helix and form the separator \ pior t ion for a cutoff where burrs would not affect assembly into the stack. The helix disks can also be injection-molded from plastic. Where appropriate, the helix disks may be cut or molded in rec iprocat ing-he1 i x disk pairs, or in stacks for easy a sembly and low cost. Manufacture in stacks minimizes or eliminates the requirement to fix the disks against rotation. Where individual disks are used, it may be desirable to broach a rectangular central hole, but generally the disks may be fixed against rotation by a tight fit. Figure 7 shows an embodiment for use with a diesel engine. NOTE: The diesel is very efficient because of its heat cycle and high compress;ion, not because of its efficient burning of fuel. Evidence of this is the black sooty smoke from the; diesel exhaust stack. Water injection is not primarily to advance post-combustion operating efficiency of the engine, although the resulting steam expansion within the cylinder may have salutory effect. The emulsified oil/water fuel enhances combustion efficiency. The microdroplets of water scattered throughout the droplets of fuel oil provide a great number of microexplosions of steam as the fuel/water emulsion is heated by compression during the final portion of the compression stroke and is heated by combustion and the resulting additional compression during the early portion of the power stroke, as neighboring oil/water emulsified fuel is fired. These steam microexplosions within the emulsified fuel/water droplets shatter the droplets and provide vastly enlarged surface area for oxidation during combustion. This increased oxidizable surface .. area increases the completeness of combustion, greatly 4/09892 12 decreasing unburned oil emission, soot, and the expense of wasted unburned fuel . Fuel oil enters the active arena at oil pipe 2 , which is locat between the fuel injection selection mechanism and the cylind feed!8. Emulsifier stack 17 holds the complementary-pair hel disks 25/26. Emulsion water is fed by low-demand mechanism 3 which meters water into the fuel oil stream with a roughly line rise as oil flow increases in response to demand for power speed. Low-demand mechanism 30 effectively stops water flow wh demand falls below the threshold of demand corresponding "idle" for the diesel engin —or, more specifically, to t threshold ύf low demand at which the diesel engine requir unwatered fuel oil to continue running. While the theory is n certain, it is believed that the heat absorbed in converting t water icrodroplets to steam adversely affects the ignitio making water injection counterproductive at idle speed. F example, a typical diesel engine may run very well on oil/wat emulsion at speeds above BOO rpm, achieving economies of pow and increases in combustion completeness—but stall out below B rpm. LOW-DEMAND WATER INJECTION MECHANISM The low-demand water injection mechanism 30 includes th following elements shown semi-schematical ly in Figure 7. 31 water reservoir 32 fuel line fitting 33 emulsified fuel/water line fitting 34 float valve mechanism 35 nominal water level mark 36 needle valve 37 -needle valve spring 38 needle valve seat 39 needle valve fuel flow responsive diaphragm 40 fuel venturi jet As the fuel flow from fuel venturi jet 40 varies above the deman threshold, water injection varies in a ratio which approximates linear increase to retain a standard water/fuel oil ratio whic is emulsified temporarily in stack 17 just before being fed t cyliner inlet jet 18. Needle valve 36 alters the water feed as i is moved by needle valve fuel flow responsive diaphragm 3 against the pressure of needle valve spring 37. As fuel deman falls below threshold, needle valve 36 closes against needl valve seat 3B, shutting off the water injection as require during the undei—threshold rpm (for example, 800 rpm) slightl above the base idle speed for the engine. While the invention has been shown preferably in the form o fuel emulsifier, it will be clear to those skilled in the that the modifications described, plus other alternatives, may pursued without departing from the spirit and scope of invention, as defined in the following claims. What is claimed is:

Claims: 1. A mechanical emulsifier for water-injected fuel oil, havin controllable main input as for fuel oil and treatment input a for water and an output characterized by an emulsifying stack of alternately clockwise and anticlockwis reciprocating-pair helix disks, each having an entry side and a exit side, with a separator portion and a helix cut from sai entry side to said exit side; said reciprocating-pair helix disks being arranged axially i line so that the exit side of the helix cut in each dis coincides, via a separator portion, with the entry side of th helix cut in the subsequent disk, with an abrupt transition; whereupon said reciprocating-pair helix disks provide a turbulen emulsifying pathway which is helical within each of said heli disks and which reverses at each such transition. 2. An emulsifier according to Claim 1, in which said abrup transition is at a nominal 135 degrees. 3. An emulsifier according to Claim 1, for heavy oil, in whic said connection enters said stack axially and the wate connection enters said stack at 90 d egrees. 4. An emulsifier according to Claim 1, for light oil, in which said oil connection and said water connection are merged prior to entry into said stack. 5. An emulsifier according to Claim 1, further comprising low-demand water injection metering means (30) for providing water to the fuel in amounts related to fuel demand above a nominal rpm and for providing no water to the fuel below a nominal rpm. 94/09892 17 6. A solid-state mechanical emulsifier for water—injected fuel oil, having controllable main input as for fuel oil and treatmen input as for water and an output characterized by an emulsifying stack of alternately directed reciprocating-pai elements, each having an entry side and an exit side, with separator portion and a cut from said entry side to said exi side; said reciprocating-pair elements being arranged axially in lin so that the exit side cut in each element coincides, via separator portion, with the entry side of the element cut in th subsequent element, with an abrupt transition greater than 9 degrees; whereupon said reciprocating-pair elements provide a turbulen emulsifying pathway which changes direction abruptly at each suc transition.

Inventors: ERH LIU, ZHI-QIANG XIE, ERH, LIU, ZHI-QIANG, XIE
Applicants: ERH LIU, ERH, LIU
Application year: 1993
Main classification: B01F5
IPC codes: B01F3, B01F5, B01F7, F02B3