초록 ▼

A method for treating a continuous flow of fluent materials employs an apparatus (20, 200) comprising a generally cylindrical housing (23, 202) having an inlet (22, 204), an outlet (24, 206) and a plurality of treatment stages for successively imparting pulses of energy to the fluent materials in or

A method for treating a continuous flow of fluent materials employs an apparatus (20, 200) comprising a generally cylindrical housing (23, 202) having an inlet (22, 204), an outlet (24, 206) and a plurality of treatment stages for successively imparting pulses of energy to the fluent materials in order to disassociate the materials at the molecular level and achieve a homogeneous, highly dispersed mixture. Each of the treatment stages includes a pair of baffle plates (50, 52, 248, 250) which are relatively rotatable and oppose the flow of fluent materials through the housing, to define alternating zones of high pressure and cavitation. Each pair of the baffle plates include matched sets of openings (54, 56, 252, 254) therein which are periodically brought into alignment with each other as one plate rotates relative to the other, thereby allowing bursts of the fluent material to flow therethrough, from an upstream area (32, 212) of relatively high pressure into a cavitation area (84, 258). One of the baffle plates (52, 60, 248, 264) in each pair thereof is mounted on a shaft (77, 224) rotated by a motor (76) located external of the housing. Slidably adjustable ring gates (236, 288) respectively control the flow rate and direction of fluent material entering and exiting the treatment stages. An optional fluid pump (280) within the housing compensates for fluid pressure drops across the treatment stages.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A method for processing fluent materials, comprising the steps of:(A) introducing a flow of said fluent materials by differential pressure through a housing;(B) imparting pulses of energy to said fluent materials by successively passing incremental quantities of said flue

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A method for processing fluent materials, comprising the steps of:(A) introducing a flow of said fluent materials by differential pressure through a housing;(B) imparting pulses of energy to said fluent materials by successively passing incremental quantities of said fluent materials in bursts from a relatively high pressure zone to a cavitation area within said housing; andvarying the pressure of said fluent materials within said housing to achieve a desired pressure by adjusting a first restriction in said housing downstream from said cavitation area and by adjusting a second restriction in said housing upstream of said high pressure zone.