Rotating Mixing Chamber Patents (Class 366/175.1)
  • Patent number: 7713730
    Abstract: A pneumatic bioreactor having a containment vessel which includes a semi-cylindrical concavity defined by the vessel bottom. A mixing apparatus includes a rotational mixer rotatably mounted within the containment vessel about a horizontal axis. The rotational mixer has buoyancy-driven mixing cavities which are fed by a gas supply beneath the rotational mixer. The mixing apparatus extends into the semi-cylindrical concavity to substantially fill that concavity. The rotational mixer is divided into two wheels with outer paddles extending axially outwardly and inner paddles extending axially inwardly on either side of each wheel. Blades between the outer and inner paddles form impellers in the wheels to induce axial flow through the wheels in opposite directions. Stationary baffles fixed relative to the containment vessel are inclined toward the rotational mixer in the direction of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: PBS Biotech, Inc.
    Inventors: J. Gregory Zeikus, Kyungnam Kim, Thomas A. Post, Keith E. Johnson
  • Patent number: 7690833
    Abstract: A heat exchanger is disclosed which includes an elongate fluid duct having a series of openings and an outer sleeve disposed outside and extending along the duct to cover the openings. A drive motor is provided for imparting relative motion between the duct and the sleeve so that the sleeve moves across the openings in the peripheral wall of the duct. A temperature control device which may include an outer jacket arranged about the sleeve to define a chamber for receiving a heat exchange fluid, an electric heating element for supplying current to the outer sleeve or duct to heat the outer sleeve or duct, a series of burners for heating the outer surface of the sleeve, or a heating element incorporated in one of the duct and sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
    Inventors: Guy Parker Metcalfe, III, Murray Rudman
  • Patent number: 7166260
    Abstract: A reactor containing a plurality of porous rotors is disclosed. A liquid sprayed in a direction from a rotating axis to the rotors is hit by the porous rotors, creating fine liquid particles, so that a mass transfer takes place between the surfaces of the liquid particles and a gas injected into the reactor, and thus a crystallization reaction is initiated. The crystallization reaction is confined by the amounts of the reactants contained in the liquid particles, and will stop as soon as one of the reactants is consumed, so that the resulting crystals can be controlled in nanometer level. The reactor of the present invention is also suitable for use in a liquid-liquid reaction, wherein two different liquids are separately sprayed in a direction from the rotating axis and hit by the porous rotors, and the resulting fine liquid particles of the two different liquids contact and react with each other, so that ultra fine particles are formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Ruey-Fwu Shih, Sheng Yang, Mu-Jen Young, Meng-Zhi Ye
  • Patent number: 7121714
    Abstract: A fluid mixer including an inner fluid flow (11) duct having a cylindrical wall (14) provided with the window openings (13) and an outer tubular sleeve (12) disposed outside and extending along the duct (11) to cover the openings (13). Fluids to be mixed are admitted to one end of duct (11) through an inlet (25) and the mixture flows out through outlet (32). Duct (11) is statically mounted in pedestals (15) fixed to a base platform (17). Sleeve (12) is mounted for rotation in further pedestals (16) and driven by motor (23) and drive belt (22) to rotate concentrically about duct (11) such that parts of the sleeve move across the window openings (13) to create viscous drag on fluid flowing through the duct and transverse flows of fluid in the regions of the openings to promote mixing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
    Inventors: Guy Parker Metcalfe, III, Murray Rudman
  • Patent number: 6837399
    Abstract: The invention relates to a dynamic mixer, comprising a housing (10) and an inner body (11) which can be rotated about a common axis in relation to each other and which form a mixing chamber (12); a back shut-off element (20) which delimits the mixing chamber (12) and which has inlet openings (21) for guiding in the components to be mixed, a front outlet (24) for delivering the mixture and a drive element (17) which is located on the rotatable part of the mixer. The inner body (11) is connected to the shut-off element (20) and forms the stator of the mixer, while the housing (10) is provided with the drive (17) and forms the rotor of the mixer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Assignee: 3M ESPE AG
    Inventors: Ingo Wagner, Hermann Nirschl