Fluidic Device and Method for Separation of Neutrally Buoyant Particles

A technique using a curved channel of a spiral device to introduce a centrifugal force upon neutrally buoyant particles flowing in a fluid, e.g. water, to facilitate improved separation of such particles from the fluid is provided. As these neutrally buoyant particles flow through the channel, a tub...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors SEO JEONGGI, LEAN MENG H
Format Patent
LanguageEnglish
Published 07.05.2009
Subjects
APPARATUS USING FREE VORTEX FLOW, e.g. CYCLONES
CENTRIFUGAL APPARATUS OR MACHINES FOR CARRYING-OUT PHYSICAL ORCHEMICAL PROCESSES
PERFORMING OPERATIONS
PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
SEPARATION
TRANSPORTING
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Summary:A technique using a curved channel of a spiral device to introduce a centrifugal force upon neutrally buoyant particles flowing in a fluid, e.g. water, to facilitate improved separation of such particles from the fluid is provided. As these neutrally buoyant particles flow through the channel, a tubular pinch effect causes the particles to flow in a tubular band. The introduced centrifugal force perturbs the tubular band (e.g. forces the tubular band to flow in a manner offset from a center of the channel), resulting in an asymmetric inertial migration of the band toward the inner wall of the channel. This allows for focusing and compaction of suspended particulates into a narrow band for extraction. The separation principle contemplated herein implements a balance of the centrifugal and fluidic forces to achieve asymmetric inertial equilibrium near the inner sidewall.
Bibliography:Application Number: US20070936729