US6958107B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Cyclonic evaporator
Assignee: Alcos Technologies Pty Ltd
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Filing: 1999-09-30
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Granted: 2005-10-25
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Expires: 2019-09-30
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus for separating the components of a feed material prior to or simultaneously with at least partially vaporizing one of the components is described. The apparatus comprises at least one inlet ( 8 ) for admitting the feed material ( 10 ) containing the two components to the apparatus ( 2 ) wherein a device for introducing a first movement to the feed material is located, such as, for example, an in-line swirl generator ( 14 ), which imparts a swirling movement to the feed material to partially separate the components into two swirling flows. The partially separated material on emerging from the in-line swirl generator ( 14 ) is in an evaporation tube ( 20 ) in which the more volatile component is vaporized to further assist in separating the two components into a liquid component and a gaseous or vapor component. The liquid component and the vapor phase are discharged from the apparatus in two streams through the same outlet ( 36 ). Modifications of the method and apparatus include (i) having multiple evaporation tubes ( 20 ), each optionally provided with its own in-line swirl generator to facilitate better distribution and separation of the feed material, and (ii) having a reject nozzle ( 40 ) and reject conduit ( 42 ) located within the generator for allowing passage of vapor or gas through the in-line swirl generator ( 14 ) when there is an intermediate flow formed in the generator ( 14 ) and conveyed to the evaporation tube ( 20 ). The method and apparatus of this application are used as a pre-treatment in an overall separation plant.
Inventors
- 👤 Neville Clarke
- 👤 Paul Woodley
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 18:00
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01D; B01D3/00; B01D3/08; B01D19/00; B01D19/0042; B01D19/0052; B01D19/0057; B04; B04C; B04C3/00; B04C3/02; B04C3/04; B04C3/06; B04C5/00; B04C5/02; B04C5/06; B04C5/20; B04C5/24; B04C5/28; B04C9/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
261 words
A cyclonic evaporator apparatus for separating two or more components of a feed material prior to or simultaneously with at least partially vaporizing one of the components, said cyclonic evaporator including a swirl generator portion for imparting a swirling motion to the feed material, and said cyclonic evaporator also an evaporator portion having one or more evaporator tubes for heat exchange, said swirl generator portion having at least one inlet located at or towards one side of the swirl generator for admitting feed material containing the at least two components to the swirl generator in a direction substantially tangentially to the center line of the cyclonic evaporator, an arrangement located within the generator for imparting a swirling motion to the feed material about the center line of the cyclonic evaporator, and an outlet located at or towards one end of the swirl generator for discharging the at least two components of the feed material from the swirl generator in a swirling motion generally axially in a direction substantially parallel to the center line of the evaporator wherein at least one of the components of the feed material is subjected to at least partial flash vaporization on being discharged from the outlet of the swirl generator into the evaporator to further assist in separating the two components from each other so that the components are discharged from the swirl generator into the evaporator at least partially separated into at least two streams in which one stream forms a central core flow path and the other stream is an outer radial flow path.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
261 words
A cyclonic evaporator apparatus for separating two or more components of a feed material prior to or simultaneously with at least partially vaporizing one of the components, said cyclonic evaporator including a swirl generator portion for imparting a swirling motion to the feed material, and said cyclonic evaporator also an evaporator portion having one or more evaporator tubes for heat exchange, said swirl generator portion having at least one inlet located at or towards one side of the swirl generator for admitting feed material containing the at least two components to the swirl generator in a direction substantially tangentially to the center line of the cyclonic evaporator, an arrangement located within the generator for imparting a swirling motion to the feed material about the center line of the cyclonic evaporator, and an outlet located at or towards one end of the swirl generator for discharging the at least two components of the feed material from the swirl generator in a swirling motion generally axially in a direction substantially parallel to the center line of the evaporator wherein at least one of the components of the feed material is subjected to at least partial flash vaporization on being discharged from the outlet of the swirl generator into the evaporator to further assist in separating the two components from each other so that the components are discharged from the swirl generator into the evaporator at least partially separated into at least two streams in which one stream forms a central core flow path and the other stream is an outer radial flow path.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
An apparatus according to claim 1 in which movement of the feed material through the arrangement for imparting a swirling motion to the feed material imparts a spiralling motion to the feed material passing through the swirl generator.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
An apparatus according to claim 2 in which the arrangement for imparting a swirling motion is a single conduit or two or more conduits or passageways located within the swirl generator.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
59 words
An apparatus according to claim 1 in which the swirl generator is a tangential flow swirl generator in that the inlet of the swirl generator is substantially arranged in an axial direction of the apparatus for receiving tangential flow from the inlet of the apparatus and the outlet is arranged to discharge the components in a axially swirling motion.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
An apparatus according to claim 1 in which the evaporator is formed from a single evaporation tube.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
59 words
An apparatus according to claim 1 in which the evaporator is formed from a plurality of evaporation tubes wherein each evaporation tube is provided with a swirl generator such that the components of the feed material are introduced into each evaporation tube in a swirling motion produced as a result of passing the feed material through the swirl generator.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
An apparatus according to claim 6 in which the plurality of evaporation tubes have a variety of different diameters.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
40 words
An apparatus according to claim 1 in which the swirl generator is provided with a reject nozzle for allowing vapour to pass through the swirl generator when introducing a swirling movement to the feed material for discharge from the apparatus.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
An apparatus according to claim 8 in which the reject nozzle is located in the lower surface of the swirl generator.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
42 words
An apparatus according to claim 8 in which the reject nozzle is in fluid communication with a reject conduit extending internally through the body of the swirl generator to allow vapor to pass through the swirl generator for discharge from the apparatus.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
36 words
An apparatus according to claim 1 in which there is a further flow path intermediate the central core flow path and the outer radial flow path formed in the evaporation tube or tubes of the evaporator.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
An apparatus according to claim 1 in which the evaporator tube or tubes forming the evaporator are provided with parallel sides, stepped sides or tapering sides.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
23 words
An apparatus according to claim 1 in which the evaporation tube or tubes are arranged to extend substantially vertical within the evaporator portion.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
214 words
A method of separating one component from another component of a feed material using a cyclone evaporation apparatus having a swirl generator portion and an evaporator portion, including admitting the feed material containing the two components to be separated from one another to the swirl generator portion forming one part of the evaporation apparatus to impart a swirling motion to the feed material for at least partially separating the components from each other and to enhance the vaporisation of at least one of the components, passing the feed material through the swirl generator, vaporizing at least part of the one component in the evaporator portion, separating the one component from the other component by the one component having a tendency to remain as a vapour in the apparatus whereas the other component has a tendency or propensity to be condensable to a liquid in the apparatus, and discharging the one and the other components from the apparatus in at least partially separated streams whereby separation of the two components is substantially maintained, wherein one of the components of the feed material undergoes at least partial flash vaporisation on emerging from an outlet of the swirl generator and there is a central core flow path and an outer radial flow path within the evaporator portion.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
214 words
A method of separating one component from another component of a feed material using a cyclone evaporation apparatus having a swirl generator portion and an evaporator portion, including admitting the feed material containing the two components to be separated from one another to the swirl generator portion forming one part of the evaporation apparatus to impart a swirling motion to the feed material for at least partially separating the components from each other and to enhance the vaporisation of at least one of the components, passing the feed material through the swirl generator, vaporizing at least part of the one component in the evaporator portion, separating the one component from the other component by the one component having a tendency to remain as a vapour in the apparatus whereas the other component has a tendency or propensity to be condensable to a liquid in the apparatus, and discharging the one and the other components from the apparatus in at least partially separated streams whereby separation of the two components is substantially maintained, wherein one of the components of the feed material undergoes at least partial flash vaporisation on emerging from an outlet of the swirl generator and there is a central core flow path and an outer radial flow path within the evaporator portion.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method according to claim 14 in which the feed material introduced through the inlet of the swirl generator is an aqueous waste material or an organic solvent based waste material.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method according to claim 15 in which the feed material introduced into the inlet of the swirl generator is an aqueous waste material having alcohol.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method according to claim 16 in which the alcohol is methanol, ethanol, propanol or the like.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method according to claim 14 in which the waste material is a fruit juice syrup containing water residues in which separation of the water from the fruit juice concentrate is required.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method according to claim 14 in which one of the components of the waste material undergoes flash vaporisation on emerging from the swirl generator portion to the evaporator portion.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method according to claim 19 in which the more volatile of the two components of the waste material undergoes flash vaporisation.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method according to claim 19 in which evaporation of the first component is continued in the body of the evaporator.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method according to claim 19 in which at least one of the components being separated from the feed stream is subjected to the Ranque-Hilsch vortex tube effect thus causing rapid transfer of heat from one component to another component within the evaporator tube.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 14 in which the velocity of the components of the feed stream is increased by passage through the swirl generator.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method according to claim 14 in which the swirl generator is operated under pressure.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
64 words
A method according to claim 24 in which the evaporation apparatus is provided with an evaporation chamber and the evaporation chamber is operated under partial vacuum at least, so that when one or more components emerge from the high pressure zone of the swirl generator to the evaporator chamber, the component undergoes flash vaporisation which further increases the velocity of the component or components.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2008-10-24 | 2009-04-25 | 2009-10-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2012-10-24 | 2013-04-25 | 2013-10-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2016-10-24 | 2017-04-25 | 2017-10-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |