Fluid mixer reactor

Claim 2

A fluid mixing device comprising: a plurality of relatively tHin plates arranged in a stack to form a platelet assembly, one of the plates being at the end of the stack and provided with an outlet opening, the plate next adjacent to said end plate having an elongated channel for receiving a first fluid and for placing the latter in heat exchange relationship to the end plate, said assembly having first passage means coupled with the channel for directing the first fluid from the latter to said opening, a second passage means for directing a second fluid into mixing relationship to the first fluid, and means defined by said passage means and employing the kinetic energy of the flowing fluid for atomizing at least one of the fluids as it flows through said assembly and prior to its being mixed with the other fluid.

Claim 3

A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said end plate has a second opening adjacent to said first opening, the second passage means communicating with the second opening, said first passage means and said second passage means defining respective first and second passages oriented to cause the first and second fluids leaving the assembly through the openings to traverse inclined paths converging toward each other as the fluids flow away from said end plate, whereby the fluids are mixed together exteriorly of said assembly.

Claim 4

A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said atomizing means comprises a lip extending partially across the path of said one fluid for engaging the same and for reducing the particle size thereof as the fluid flows past the lip.

Claim 5

A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the end plate has a plurality of pairs of shaped outlet slots, there being a first passage means and a second passage means for each pair of slots, respectively, one of the slots of each pair communicating with the corresponding first passage means and the other slot of each pair communicating with the corresponding second passage means, the slots of each pair being arranged to present a fluid spray therefrom with the sprays being directed toward each other for mixture at a zone exteriorly of the stack and between said pair of slots.

Claim 6

A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein a first of said plates of said assembly has a pair of opposed fluid passage therein communicating with said outlet opening, and wherein the atomizing means comprises means for directing one of the fluids through said opposed fluid passages and toward and into impinging relationship to each other to cause atomization of said one fluid prior to flow thereof out of said assembly through said outlet opening.

Claim 7

A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of a pair of said plates has a pair of opposed fluid passages therein communicating with said outlet opening, and wherein the atomizing means comprises means coupled with each pair of fluid passages, respectively, for directing a respective fluid thereto whereby the fluid will pass therethrough in a pair of streams and the streams will impinge upon each other and atomize the fluid before the fluid passes out of the assembly through said outlet opening.

Claim 8

A device as set forth in claim 6, wherein the zone of impingement of the first fluid is disposed between the outlet opening and the zone of impingement of the second fluid.

Claim 9

A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said atomizing means is defined by a swirl chamber.

Claim 10

A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein one of the plates has means defining a swirl chamber, the latter forming a part of said second passage means, whereby the second fluid entering the swirl chamber will be caused to form a vortex which advances toward, through and out of said outlet opening, said first passage means including an outlet slot adjacent to said outlet opening and disposed to permit said first fluid to leave said assembly and to travel toward and into intersecting relationship to the vortex at a location exteriorly of said assembly.

Claim 11

A device as set forth in claim 9, wherein said atomizing means includes Means defined by said plate adjacent to said end plate for dividing the first fluid into two streams and for directing the two streams into impingement with each other upstream of said outlet slot to effect atomization of the first fluid, said dividing and directing means being disposed to permit the first fluid to leave the assembly through said outlet port along a path substantially perpendicular to said end plate.

Claim 12

A device as set forth in claim 9, wherin said plate adjacent to said end plate includes a fluid passage defining said first passage means, said fluid passage being oriented in partial underlying relationship to said end plate and in partial fluid communication with said outlet slot to cause the first fluid to pass out of the assembly through said outlet slot along an inclined path extending toward the path of the vortex.

Claim 13

A device as set forth in claim 11, wherein said atomizing means presents a projection defined by said end plate at one side of said outlet slot in the inclined path of said first fluid to cause atomization hereof.

Claim 14

A fluid mixing and atomizing device for forming an atomized mixture of at least two fluids and for directing the fluids into a surrounding atmosphere comprising a plurality of relatively thin plates arranged in a stack to form a platelet assembly, a front of the assembly being defined by an end plate having at least one outlet opening, first fluid passage means for flowing a first fluid through the stack and to the outlet opening, second fluid passage means for flowing a second fluid through the stack into mixing relationship with the first fluid, and means for atomizing at least one of the fluids before its discharge from the stack and before being mixed with the other fluid, the atomizing means comprising means defined by at least one of the passage means for guiding the fluid flow through such passage means so that such fluid is atomized by virtue of its flow through the passage means.

Claim 15

A fluid mixing and atomizing device for forming an atomized mixture of at least two fluids and for directing the fluids into a surrounding atmosphere comprising a plurality of relatively thin plates arranged in a stack to form a platelet assembly, a front of the assembly being defined by an end plate having at least one outlet opening, first fluid passage means for flowing a first fluid through the stack and to the outlet opening, second fluid passage means for flowing a second fluid through the stack into mixing relationship with the first fluid, and means for atomizing at least one of the fluids before its discharge from the stack and before being mixed with the other fluid, the atomizing means comprising means defined by at least one of the passage means for guiding the fluid flow through such passage means so that such fluid is atomized by virtue of its flow through the passage means.

Claim 16

A device according to claim 14 wherein the atomizing means includes means for impinging two fluid streams flowing in the stack.

Claim 17

A device according to claim 14 wherein the atomizing includes means for causing at least one fluid stream in the stack to abruptly change its flow direction to thereby atomize the fluid such streams.