Fluid mixing device

Claim 1

A FLUID MIXING DEVICE, WHICH COMPRISES: (A) AN ELONGATED INNER HOUSING, HAVING A FIRST INLET END AND A SECOND OUTLET END; (B) AN ELONGATED OUTER HOUSING ENCLOSING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE INNER HOUSING TO DEFINE AN ANNULAR REGION THEREBETWEEN; (C) A PLURALITY OF ROWS OF TRANSVERSELY ORIENTED HOLLOW CONDUIT ELEMENTS MOUNTED ON AND EXTENDING THROUGH THE WALLS OF THE INNER HOUSING, EACH OF SAID ELEMENTS COMMUNICATING AT ITS INNER END WITH THE INTERIOR OF THE INNER HOUSING AND AT ITS OUTER END WITH SAID ANNULAR REGION, (I) EACH OF SAID ROWS COMPRISING A NUMBER OF SAID ELEMENTS WHOSE AXES ARE SUBSTANTIALLY CO-PLANAR AND WHICH ARE SUCCESSIVELY DISPLACED BY A PREDETERMINED ANGULAR INCREMENT FROM ONE ANOTHER, AND (II) THE CORRESPONSING MEMBERS OF THE ADJACENT ROWS OF SAID ELEMENTS BEING ANGULARLY DISPLACED FROM ONE ANOTHER BY 1/2 OF SAID ANGUALR INCREMENT BETWEEN THE ADJACENT ELEMENTS OF EACH SAID ROW; AND (D) A PARTITION DISPOSED INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS OF THE INNER HOUSING AND SEPARATING A FIRST, INLET SECTION OF SUCH HOUSING ADJACENT THE INLET END THEREOF, FROM A SECOND, OUTLET SECTION ADJACENT THE OUTLET END THEREOF, THE AGGREGATE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA OF THE CONDUIT ELEMENTS EXTENDING THROUGH THE WALLS OF SAID INLET SECTION BEING SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA OF THE INLET END OF SAID INNER HOUSING; SUCH THAT A PLURALITY OF MISCIBLE FLUIDS FED INTO SAID INLET END FLOW THROUGH THE INLET SECTION LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF, THROUGH THE CONDUIT ELEMENTS EXTENDING THROUGH THE WALLS OF THE INLET SECTION AND INTO THE ANNULAR REGION, CREATING A FIRST, SUBSTANTIALLY HOMOGENEOUS HELICAL FLUID FLOW PATTERN THEREIN; THROUGH THE CONDUIT ELEMENTS EXTENDING THROUGH THE WALLS OF THE OUTLET SECTION INTO SUCH SECTION, CREATING A SECOND, SUBSTANTIALLY HOMOGENEOUS HELICAL FLOW PATTERN THEREIN HAVING A REVERSE SENSE FROM THAT PRODUCED IN SAID ANNULAR REGION; AND FLOW THROUGH THE OUTLET SECTION TO THE OUTLET END THEREOF.