Abstract High speed, very uniform mixing of two fluids is achieved by a mixing device formed from a pair of tubular members. The inner tube, which may be formed of sintered stainless steel powder, is porous along its entire length, but plugged at one end so that a first fluid under pressure within it will be forced radially outwardly through the pores. The outer tube is spirally corrugated and positioned in concentric relation with the porous tube. The inner surfaces of the corrugations contact the porous tube and cause a second fluid flowing from one end to the other of the corrugated tube to flow along the spiral path of the corrugations. Since the spiral corrugations cause the second fluid to flow very rapidly over the outer surface of the porous tube, the second fluid will continually strip or shear away the fluid exiting through the pores and thus promote extremely rapid and thorough mixing of the first fluid into the second fluid to form a mixed fluid or a reaction product, depending on the nature of the fluids in the two tubes. The tubes are placed in intimate contact with each other by an improved forming method wherein the outer tube is corrugated in two steps while in contact with the inner tube.
A method of forming a mixing device comprinsing the steps of: positioning a cylindrical porous tube inside a cylindrical, nonporous outer tube, said outer tube having an inner diameter which is larger than the outer diameter of the inner tube; corrugating the outer tube to form a spiral groove by means of a pair of dies engaged with opposite outer side portions of the tube, said dies being axially spaced from each other; and additionally corrugating said tube by contacting said groove with at least one die to deepen said groove and force the ridges which define it into intimate contact with said porous inner tube.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
106 words
A method of forming a mixing device comprinsing the steps of: positioning a cylindrical porous tube inside a cylindrical, nonporous outer tube, said outer tube having an inner diameter which is larger than the outer diameter of the inner tube; corrugating the outer tube to form a spiral groove by means of a pair of dies engaged with opposite outer side portions of the tube, said dies being axially spaced from each other; and additionally corrugating said tube by contacting said groove with at least one die to deepen said groove and force the ridges which define it into intimate contact with said porous inner tube.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
53 words
A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said step of additionally corrugating said tube forces said ridges into said porous tube so that the inner diameter of the corrugations is less than the outer diameter of the porous tube immediately adjacent the spiral line of contact between said inner and outer tubes.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said additional corrugating step is performed by a third die member positioned downstream of said pair of dies.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said additional corrugating step is performed by a second pass of the tubes between said pair of dies.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method in accordance with claim 4 wherein the radial distance between each of said pair of dies and the axis of the tubes is not altered before making said second pass.