EP4380711A1

EP4380711A1 - Apparatus and method for separating fluid mixtures

Info

Publication number: EP4380711A1
Application number: EP22747658.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Joachim Rohovec; Josha HERZOG; Thomas Berger
Original assignee: Messer SE and Co KGaA
Current assignee: Messer SE and Co KGaA
Priority date: 2021-08-05
Filing date: 2022-07-07
Publication date: 2024-06-12
Also published as: DE102021004050A1; US20240342631A1; WO2023011843A1; BR112024002193A2; CN117813141A

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus for separating fluid mixtures, being equipped with a nozzle (2, 26, 42) for feeding a fluid mixture composed of a number of components of different density into a volume (10). The nozzle (2, 26, 42) has a conical annular gap (7, 27, 44) located between a conical inner face of a nozzle casing (4) and a guide cone (6, 28, 45) and opening out at its tip at a nozzle opening (9, 31, 46) into the volume (10), and a fluid feed (5, 29, 43) leading tangentially into the conical annular gap (7, 27, 44). Furthermore, the apparatus has a separator (3, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 33, 47), which has a separation portion (18a, 18b, 18c, 18d, 34, 48) located in the volume and fluidically connected to a discharge line (20, 50), and has an inlet opening (19, 19a, 19b, 19c, 19d) arranged concentrically to the nozzle opening (9, 31, 46) and axially spaced therefrom. The apparatus according to the invention enables an efficient and trouble-free separation of fluid mixtures, in particular the separation of dissolved gases from a liquid or suspension.

Description

Device and method for separating fluid mixtures

The invention relates to a device and a method for separating fluid mixtures.

The separation of fluid mixtures plays a major role in many branches of industry. For example, process water has to be degassed in various application areas in order to be less corrosive and less damaging to the system. In order to condition water prior to electrolysis, argon dissolved in the water must be removed. Further applications can be found, for example, in the food industry, in particular in beer and wine production, in medicine, for example in dialysis, in drinking water treatment or in the drainage or degassing of oils or lubricants. Furthermore, there is often the task of separating suspensions, emulsions or azeotropic mixtures from one another.

In the case of the degassing of liquids, various processes are used. For example, vacuum pumps are used to reduce the saturation concentration of a gas dissolved in a liquid by reducing the pressure, as a result of which it can be outgassed from the liquid and removed. However, this method is very complex, at least in continuous operation, since it requires at least one additional pump in addition to the vacuum pump to convey the liquid to be degassed. In addition, the maintenance effort is very high, particularly in the case of vacuum pumps that are used for degassing liquids heavily laden with solids and/or corrosive liquids.

In the food industry in particular, packed columns are used in which the liquid to be degassed is brought into contact with a stripping gas, for example carbon dioxide, which is inert to the liquid to be degassed. Such a method is described, for example, in EP 3 624 914 A1. In addition to using a stripping gas, the temperature can also be increased in order to reduce gas solubility. However, this process is also very complex in terms of system technology, maintenance and energy consumption. In addition, in the form of the stripping gas further substances are provided, the use of which may be associated with negative side effects, for example by having a corrosive effect on components of the apparatus or being toxic to the microorganisms contained in the liquid.

A degassing device for removing gases, such as ambient air, from fluids, such as oil, is known, for example, from WO 2017/080626 A1. The device has a permeable membrane which allows the gas to be removed from the fluid to pass through and retains the liquid portion of the fluid. The disadvantage of such membrane systems, however, is that the pores become dirty over time (“membrane fouling”) and productivity is reduced as a result.

Furthermore, ultrasonic degassers are used, in which the liquid to be degassed is exposed to an ultrasonic field. The fluctuations in density induced by the ultrasound lead to the formation of cavitation bubbles, which coagulate and can be separated from the liquid. Ultrasonic degassers are used in particular to remove micro-bubbles and dissolved gas from oils. An ultrasonic degasser used in the medical field is presented, for example, in EP 2 983 733 A1. However, ultrasonic degassers have high investment and operating costs, and the constant vibration leads to rapid wear of the associated components.

A further possibility for degassing consists in supplying suitable chemicals to the liquid to be degassed in order to bind or convert the gas dissolved in the liquid, e.g. oxygen dissolved in water, as described, for example, in US Pat. No. 4,348,289 A1. However, the chemical substances additionally required in this degassing process may be toxic or environmentally harmful substances, and additional more or less complex process steps are necessary to separate the reaction products from the liquid after the degassing process.

In the case of thermal degassing, as is described, for example, in EP 1 429 858 A1, the liquid to be degassed is heated and that in it containing gas expelled with different methods. However, such methods are not applicable to heat-sensitive fluids, such as some foods. In addition, the heating involves a considerable expenditure of energy.

Furthermore, hydrocyclones are used to separate a fluid mixture, in which the fluid mixture is set in a rapid circulating motion in a swirl chamber, which leads to a separation of the components: The fluid with the lowest density rotates in the center along the axis and is separated by a vertical in the inside of the swirl chamber protruding dip tube withdrawn upwards, while denser components, such as solids contained in a liquid, concentrate on the outside of the swirl chamber and exit through an outlet opening at the bottom. However, when operating with fluids that are heavily laden with solids, the swirl chamber can become overloaded and the outlet opening can ultimately become blocked. This applies all the more if additional static devices for generating swirl are provided inside the swirl chamber, as is the case, for example, with the subject matter of WO 2014 192 896 A1. In any case, these systems are not, or not without further ado, suitable for use with suspensions, i.e. liquids with solid impurities. Hydrocyclones are just as unsuitable for separating homogeneous multi-component fluids, for example solutions.

The invention is based on the object of creating a device and a method for separating fluid mixtures, in particular for degassing liquids, which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art.

The object is achieved by a device having the features of patent claim 1 and by a method having the features of patent claim 12. Advantageous refinements of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

A device according to the invention comprises a nozzle for supplying a fluid mixture composed of several components into a volume and a separator located in the volume downstream of a nozzle orifice of the nozzle.

The nozzle has a conical annular gap, which is arranged between a conical inner surface of a nozzle jacket and a guide cone and opens at its tip with a nozzle opening into the volume, and a tangential, but axially spaced from the nozzle opening, into the conical annular gap opening fluid supply. The tangential entry into the annular gap forces the fluid mixture to rotate, the angular velocity of which increases drastically up to the nozzle opening. Due to the high rotation speed, the liquid at the nozzle opening is ejected into the volume as a strongly twisted fluid jet. The volume itself can be filled with the same fluid mixture or with another tolerable fluid, in particular an inert gas. The pressure in the volume must be lower than the pressure of the supplied fluid mixture, but it can also be far lower, for example between 0.01 bar and 1 bar, with a pressure in the fluid supply of for example between 2 bar and 20 bar.

The width of the conical annular gap, ie the distance between the inner wall of the nozzle shell and the outer wall of the guide cone, should not be greater at any point than the inner diameter of the fluid supply at its junction with the annular gap. The annular gap can have an acute or an obtuse opening angle. For example, the opening angle is between 30° and 180°, preferably between 45° and 170°, particularly preferably between 60° and 135°; however, the conical boundary surfaces of the annular gap do not necessarily have to have straight surface lines. The radial distance between the conical inner surface of the nozzle shell and the outer surface of the guide cone is constant between the opening of the fluid supply and the tip of the guide cone or decreases steadily in the direction of the nozzle opening; according to the invention, there is no provision for the distance between the boundary surfaces of the annular gap between the opening of the fluid supply and the nozzle opening to be widened, for example with the formation of a mixing chamber. Therefore, the volume available to the liquid in the annular gap decreases steadily up to the nozzle opening, which means that the axial speed, as well as the rotational speed, increases continuously. In particular, the Rotational speed due to the guidance of the liquid through a

Annular gap higher than with an otherwise equally large hollow cone nozzle body.

In the heavily wired fluid jet that forms in the volume downstream of the nozzle opening, there is a strong pressure gradient in the radial direction, with the pressure in an area close to the axis being very much lower than at the edge of the fluid jet. As a result, components of the fluid mixture with low density concentrate in the center of the fluid jet, while components with higher density accumulate in the outer area. If, in particular, the fluid mixture is a liquid with gases dissolved therein, the pressure inside the fluid jet can become so low that at least one gas is outgassed. Depending on the initial concentration and the generated absolute and partial pressures, all of the gases dissolved in the liquid can also outgas. The radial pressure gradient, and thus the negative pressure in the center of the fluid jet, is determined by the rotational speed of the fluid jet, which in turn is determined in particular by the pressure of the fluid present at the fluid inlet of the nozzle, the viscosity of the fluid mixture and the nozzle geometry, in particular the width and the Opening angle of the conical annular gap and the width of the nozzle opening is determined.

The separator dips with its separating section into the fluid jet forming in the volume downstream of the nozzle opening. The separating section is constructed in such a way that it separates a part of the fluid mixture lying radially on the inside in the fluid jet from the rest of the fluid mixture and discharges it via an outlet line leading off from the separating section. Since, as mentioned, fluid components with a low density are concentrated in the region of the fluid jet close to the axis, the discharged part of the fluid mixture also consists more of fluid components with a low density. By varying the distance between the nozzle opening and the inlet opening of the separator, as well as by varying the cross-sectional area of the inlet opening, the selectivity and separating performance of the separator can be adjusted. A pump can be provided in the discharge line downstream of the separation section for removing the low-density components from the separation section. The device according to the invention has no dead spaces, movable installations or other separating elements that can be clogged, such as membranes or filters, in or on the nozzle and is therefore particularly suitable for the treatment of liquids containing solids. The device is therefore particularly robust and low-maintenance. The high radial pressure difference in the generated fluid jet makes it possible in particular to remove dissolved gases or gases present in the form of microbubbles from a liquid.

The separating section, which is preferably arranged radially symmetrically to the axis of the conical annular gap, preferably has the shape of a tubular cylinder, a perforated disk (orifice) or a funnel, i.e. a tube or conical front section with an internal cross section that widens in the direction of the nozzle opening. If the separating section is in the form of a tubular cylinder, the jacket tube can be equipped radially on the outside with additional elements that promote separation, such as an outer jacket that widens conically in the direction away from the nozzle opening.

A pump for conveying the fluid mixture to the nozzle is preferably provided in the fluid supply. The pump leads to a defined pressure at the entrance to the annular gap. The pump can also be designed to be variable in its performance and adjustable as a function of measured parameters, for which purpose the device according to the invention can be equipped with a corresponding electronic control unit, for example, which can also take on other control tasks within the scope of the invention.

A preferably closed container filled with the same fluid mixture or with another fluid or a liquid-carrying line is preferably provided as the volume; however, it may be an open container, a basin, or a body of water. In the case of a liquid-carrying line, for example a pipeline through which the liquid flows, the nozzle and separating section are preferably arranged concentrically to the pipe axis. In particular, the device according to the invention can easily be installed in an existing pipeline and enables continuous treatment of the medium conducted through the pipeline. A particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that a phase separator, for example a gas phase separator, is integrated in the outlet line and is flow-connected to the fluid supply via a return line. In the phase separator, the fluid mixture of low-density components received at the separating device is further broken down into components of different phases, with a denser phase being returned via the return line to the fluid supply of the nozzle; for example, a gas phase is separated from a gas-rich liquid phase in the phase separator and the gas-rich liquid phase is then fed back to the device according to the invention for the purpose of separation. A particularly efficient degassing of a liquid can be carried out by the repeated treatment.

In a further development of the device according to the invention, various setting options are provided in order to be able to adapt the selectivity of the separator to the respective requirements. These include, in particular, means for being able to vary the axial distance between the nozzle opening and the inlet opening of the separator and/or the axial position of the guide cone of the nozzle relative to the conical inner surface of the nozzle casing.

A heating device is expediently provided in the fluid supply and/or in the nozzle jacket and/or in the guide cone. The viscosity of the fluid mixture is reduced by heating the fluid mixture before and/or during its passage through the nozzle, as a result of which the rotational speed of the fluid jet in particular can be increased and the pressure in the center of the fluid jet can thus be further reduced. The reduction in viscosity is advantageous, for example, when treating oils laden with undesirable substances. Substances with a comparatively high melting point, such as fats, can also be freed from dissolved gases in this way. In general, the higher temperature reduces the solubility of gases dissolved in the fluid and thus promotes outgassing.

A likewise advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that a feed line, through which an inert gas is introduced into the fluid mixture, opens into the fluid feed. As used herein, "inert gas" means a gas that is compatible with the components of the Fluid mixture does not react chemically and in particular contains no or only a small amount of components of a gas to be removed from the fluid mixture. Due to the reduced partial pressure of this component, the inert gas can be used as a “sparging gas” in order to support the degassing of a gas contained in the fluid mixture, in particular a dissolved gas. In addition, the additionally introduced inert gas reduces the viscosity of the fluid mixture and thus the rotational speed of the fluid mixture at the nozzle opening.

The separator is preferably equipped with means to actively support the separation of the components of the fluid mixture. “Active” means should be understood here to mean those that are moved with an additional external drive, such as a motor. Such a means is, for example, a perforated disc arranged at the inlet opening of the separating section or inside the separating section, equipped with blades or similar means, which is either rotatably mounted or can be moved with the separating section, which is rotatably mounted as a whole, and which is rotated rapidly by means of a motor can be brought, the speed of which exceeds the speed in the fluid jet. The fluid mixture located outside a narrow area around the axis of the fluid jet is thrown outwards by the disc, as a result of which the negative pressure in the center of the fluid jet is further increased.

In a likewise advantageous variant of the invention, the nozzle is equipped with a segregation chamber between the tip of the guide cone and the nozzle opening. The segregation chamber is a cylindrical chamber arranged axially symmetrically to the conical annular gap in front of the nozzle tip of the guide cone exit opening is. In this case, the separator is arranged downstream and at a distance from the exit opening of the separation chamber.

In order to support a separation of different phases in the fluid mixture, for example a gas phase from a liquid phase, the device is advantageously equipped with an ultrasonic device. The Ultrasonic device can be constructed in such a way that the guide cone and/or the nozzle as a whole and/or the separator and/or a line and or a container in which the device is arranged is/are set into rapid, ultrasound-generating vibrations . During the vibration, zones with different pressures form in the fluid mixture, which promote cavitation. For example, gas bubbles of a gas dissolved in the fluid mixture form in the cavitations. The gas bubbles coagulate with one another and can then be removed from the fluid mixture by means of the separator.

In order to achieve a desired separation effect, for example the removal of a dissolved gas from a liquid, the user of the device according to the invention has a large number of parameters at his disposal, which he can set according to the task at hand. These include, in particular, the cross-sectional area of the nozzle opening, the position of the guide cone in the nozzle, the pressure in the fluid line, the distance between the nozzle opening and the separator in volume, the cross-sectional area of an inlet opening on the separator, the shape of the separator, the cross-sectional area of the nozzle opening, the position of the guide cone in the nozzle or the pressure in the fluid line.

The object of the invention is also achieved by a method having the features of claim 12.

In the method according to the invention, the fluid mixture is separated as follows: First, a fluid mixture composed of several components is fed, for example using a pump, to a nozzle which has a conical annular gap, i.e. a volume delimited by two conical surfaces, with the fluid mixture passing through a tangential fluid supply which opens into the annular gap is fed into the conical annular gap. The fluid mixture is forced into a spirally narrowing path in the conical annular gap and is ejected at a nozzle opening arranged at the tip of the conical annular gap in the form of a wired (fluid) jet into a fluid-filled volume. This creates a zone of reduced pressure in the wired jet, which ensures that components of different densities are in the Fluid mixture in the radial direction at least partially segregated, with components of lower density in the center and components of higher density enriching at the edge of the wired jet. Finally, with the aid of a separator, fluid mixture is drawn off from the zone of reduced pressure in the wired jet and separated from the rest of the fluid mixture. As a rule, the dynamic pressure of the fluid mixture in the wired jet is sufficient to bring about a separation of the lower-density components in the separator; Optionally, however, the separator can also be equipped with means for applying a negative pressure, such as a pump or a line system in which the weight of the fluid drawn off is used to generate a negative pressure in order to draw off the components of the fluid mixture located in the center of the wired jet even better to be able to

In this way, the method according to the invention enables a continuous separation of components of different densities from the fluid mixture. In particular, the method according to the invention enables continuous degassing of a liquid flow or a suspension.

The volume can be filled with the same fluid mixture—or with components thereof—as the fluid mixture to be treated according to the method. In an advantageous variant of the method, the volume is filled with an inert gas. The inert gas is a gas that does not react or reacts only slightly with the components of the fluid mixture to be treated and does not dissolve in the fluid mixture or a component of the fluid mixture, or such a solution has no negative effects on the success of the process. The inert gas can be, for example, carbon dioxide, nitrogen or an inert gas. Since the frictional resistance of the fluid mixture exiting the nozzle opening is lower in a gas atmosphere than in a liquid, the acting centrifugal forces are higher and the zone of reduced pressure that forms in the exiting wired fluid jet has an even lower pressure value, which results in increased separation performance

A preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the nozzle and the separator are integrated in a partial circuit for the fluid mixture. After Passing through the separator, the separated fluid mixture is again subjected to a separation and the resulting relatively denser medium of the fluid supply is fed back to the nozzle. For example, a gas-rich liquid phase is separated from the fluid mixture in the separator. The gas-rich liquid phase is fed to a phase separator, in which a gas phase that has formed is separated. The remaining gas-rich liquid phase is fed back into the flow of the nozzle via a return line. A delivery device, for example an electric pump, is preferably arranged in the return line, by means of which liquid is continuously removed from the liquid volume and fed into the fluid supply line upstream of the nozzle.

The device according to the invention and the method according to the invention are particularly suitable for degassing homogeneous or inhomogeneous multi-component fluids, such as solutions, liquids or suspensions. The liquid is, for example, water, in particular process water, waste water or cooling water, or a solution or suspension. The gas to be separated is, for example, air, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide or another gas or a plurality of gases which is/are at least partially present in dissolved form in the liquid. In particular, the invention is suitable for separating dissolved argon from water in the course of processing the water for electrolysis. The device according to the invention and the method according to the invention are also suitable for treating oils, in particular native oils or hydraulic oils. After pressing, native oils are heavily exposed to moisture and/or atmospheric oxygen, which contributes significantly to their aging. With the invention, such undesired components can be removed in a simple and gentle manner. Hydraulic oils must be degassed so that the systems do not fail due to cavitation. An application of the invention in the separation of heavy and light fractions in petrochemistry also comes into consideration. The invention is of course not limited to the examples given here, but can be used in a large number of other applications.

Compared to the methods known in the prior art, it manages with a comparatively small amount of energy, does not require any additional substances to carry out the separation and is gentle on the to liquid to be treated and the material used. However, they are also suitable for separating other fluid mixtures, such as solutions, suspensions, emulsions or azeotropic mixtures; all that is required is the existence of two components with different densities in the fluid mixture.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are to be explained in more detail with reference to the drawings. Show in schematic views:

Fig. 1a: A device according to the invention in a first embodiment

longitudinal section,

Fig. 1b: The device from Fig. 1a in cross section along the section line B-B in

1a,

2a-2d: Different configurations of a separator of a device according to the invention,

3a: A device according to the invention in another embodiment in longitudinal section,

Fig. 3b: The device from Fig. 3a in cross-section along the section line B-B in

Figure 3a

4 A device according to the invention in a further embodiment.

The device 1 shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b comprises a nozzle 2 and a separator 3 arranged at a distance in front of it

Fluid supply 5 opens. A guide cone 6, which is also conically shaped, is arranged inside the nozzle jacket 4 in such a way that a conical annular gap 7 is open between the inner wall of the nozzle jacket 4 and the outer wall of the guide cone 6, and preferably in such a way that the cone tip 8 of the guide cone 6 is essentially in contact with a nozzle opening 9 of the Nozzle 2 is aligned. The flow cross sections of nozzle opening 9, annular gap 7 and fluid supply 5 are preferably chosen to be essentially the same size. The inner surface of the conical nozzle jacket 4 and the outer surface of the guide cone 6 can have the same opening angle, but it is also conceivable that the opening angle of the outer surface of the guide cone 6 is more acute than the opening angle of the inner surface of the nozzle jacket 4, the distance from the nozzle jacket 4 and guide cone 6 reduced towards the nozzle opening 9, as shown in Fig. 1a.

The nozzle 2 and separator 3 are housed within a volume 10, which may be a container or a duct, for example. In the exemplary embodiment shown here, the volume 10 is filled with the same medium as that introduced via the nozzle 3 . The medium is a fluid mixture made up of several components, such as a suspension, a mixture of two liquids or a solution. For example, it is a liquid, such as water, in which a gas, such as oxygen, is dissolved, which is to be at least partially separated from the liquid with the aid of the device according to the invention.

In order to ensure the most efficient possible rotational acceleration of the medium fed into the nozzle 3, a ramp - not shown here - can also be provided in the annular gap 7, through which the base of the annular gap 7 does not form a flat circular ring, but rather a winding in the direction of the Nozzle opening 9 describes ascending helical surface, which ends at its ramp end by a height corresponding to the diameter of the fluid supply 5 in the direction of the nozzle opening 9 . In this way, after passing through the ramp, the medium does not hit the side of the flow of the medium introduced simultaneously via the fluid supply 5, but is offset in the direction of the nozzle opening 9 and guided past it, whereby turbulence counteracting the acceleration of the medium is avoided.

The guide cone 6 can be fixedly mounted within the nozzle jacket 4 or—as shown here—be axially movable by means of a manual or motor-driven displacement device 11 in order to adapt the device 1 to the properties of the medium being treated and/or the respective work task. When the nozzle 2 is in operation, a fluid mixture to be treated, for example a liquid to be degassed, is introduced at a pressure of, for example, 2-5 bar via the fluid supply 5 in the direction of the arrow 12 into the annular gap 7 . In the annular gap 7 , the fluid mixture is set into a rapid rotational movement, the angular velocity of which increases as the radius of the annular gap 7 decreases in the direction of flow up to the nozzle opening 9 . For the same reason, the linear velocity component directed towards the nozzle opening 9 also increases. The fluid mixture leaves the nozzle 2 at the nozzle opening 9 and is introduced into the volume 10 in the direction of the arrow 14 as a highly twisted jet 13 with a high torque and high axial speed. Due to the high rotational speed, a zone 16 of greatly reduced pressure is created along a central axis 15 of the jet 13, which is also the axis of symmetry of the annular gap 7. Components of lower density from the fluid mixture collect in the zone 16. For example, gas dissolved in the liquid outgasses and collects in zone 16 in the form of a multitude of small gas bubbles or a single gas bubble.

For example, in a test apparatus corresponding to device 1, with a pressure in the fluid supply of 5 bar, a volume flow of 1.2 l/h of an aqueous solution and an opening cross section of nozzle opening 9 of 7 mm in front of nozzle opening 9 in volume 10, a pressure of 350 mbar and below measured. The negative pressure generated can be varied over a wide range by means of different delivery pressures, volume flows and nozzle dimensions.

The separator 3 with a separating section 18 dips into the zone 16 . In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1 a , the separating section 18 is a tubular cylinder which is arranged radially symmetrically to the axis 15 in the volume 10 and whose front inlet opening 19 is spaced axially from the nozzle opening 8 . In the exemplary embodiment, the cross-sectional area of the inlet opening 19 is approximately the same as that of the nozzle opening 9, but it can also be selected to be larger or smaller. The separating section 18 is flow-connected to a discharge line 20 via which the fluid mixture penetrating into the separating section 18 is drawn off from the volume 10 . In the example of a liquid charged with dissolved gas as a fluid mixture, which has already been mentioned several times, gas or a gas-rich fraction collects in zone 16 , which gas was previously dissolved in the liquid introduced via nozzle 2 . At a greater radial distance from the axis 15 there are fluid components of higher density, for example a liquid phase or a phase with a lower proportion of gas. All fluid components move at high speed in the axial direction and have a correspondingly high kinetic energy. Since the zone 16 is under a significant negative pressure, the removal of the fluid components from this region usually requires an even greater negative pressure downstream of the separation section 18, which is generated, for example, by a vacuum pump which is arranged in the outlet line 20 (not shown here). Such a vacuum pump is usually required if one wishes to withdraw gas from the center of the wired jet 13 essentially exclusively.

However, under certain circumstances, a vacuum pump can be dispensed with. If the diameter of the separating section 18 is increased, fluid components of higher density increasingly enter the separating section 18, as a result of which the kinetic energy density of the fluid components introduced overall into the separating section 18, and thus the dynamic pressure, increases. If the dynamic pressure exceeds the negative pressure in the separating section 18, no additional means are required for removing the fluid components located in the separating section.

The fluid components present in the separating section 18 are drawn off via the outlet line 20, while the other fluid components remain in the volume 10 and are used for other purposes.

If the arrangement from FIGS. 1a, 1b is used for degassing liquids or suspensions, it is preferably arranged vertically, ie with a nozzle 2 pointing upwards with its tip and a separator 3 arranged above it. By a vertical arrangement the separated gas can escape upwards in a gas phase separator (not shown in FIG. 1a) downstream of the outlet 20, while the gas phase separator in the gas phase separator remaining liquid or the remaining suspension can be returned to the fluid supply 5.

Various embodiments of a separator which can be used in the invention are shown in FIGS. 2a to 2d.

FIG. 2a again shows a separator 3a of the type of separator 3 shown in FIG. 1a. The separator 3a has a tubular separating section 18a, which is rotationally symmetrical about an axis 15 common to the nozzle 2 (which is only indicated in FIGS. 2a to 2d) and is arranged at a distance from the nozzle opening 9 with an inlet opening 19a.

The separator 3b shown in FIG. 2b has a separating section 18b which, in the region of its inlet opening 19b, has an outer casing 21 which widens conically in the direction of the nozzle opening 9 . The flow emerging from the nozzle opening 9 is deflected radially outwards by the conical outer shell 21, as a result of which the pressure in an area close to the axis 15 at the inlet opening 19b is further reduced.

In FIG. 2c, the separating section 18c of a separator 3c has a diaphragm arranged perpendicular to the axis 15 in the form of a perforated disk 22 arranged in a circle around the inlet opening 19c. The medium emerging from the nozzle opening 9 is deflected radially by the perforated disk 22, while only a comparatively small proportion of the medium passes through the inlet opening 19c into the interior of the separating section 18c. This variant also contributes to an increase in the pressure difference between an area near the axis 15 and the areas lying radially on the outside of it.

2d shows a separator 3d which has a funnel 23 at the inlet opening 19d of its separating section 18d. Compared to the embodiment shown in Fig. 2a, the funnel 23 increases the proportion of the medium emerging from the nozzle opening 9, which is introduced into the interior of the separating section 18d, compared to the proportion that is guided past the separating section 19d on the outside. However, this is at the expense of the negative pressure present in the area of the axis 15 compared to the other areas in the volume 10 .

3a shows a device 25 according to the invention in another embodiment. In a similar way to the device 1, the device 25 shown in FIG. In the fluid feed 29 in the device 25 there is also a heating element 30, for example an electric heating device, by means of which the fluid mixture can be heated and its viscosity reduced. Furthermore, downstream of the nozzle opening 31 of the nozzle 26 there is a tubular separation chamber 32 which promotes the separation of the fluid mixture emerging from the nozzle 26 . The length and cross section of the segregation chamber 32 can vary in order to achieve a good separation effect for the respective fluid mixture.

The device 25 also has a separator 33 with a tubular-cylindrical separating section 34 whose end face opposite the nozzle 27 has an inlet opening 35 . A perforated disk 36 is mounted on this end face so as to be rotatable about a longitudinal axis 37, which can be set in rapid rotation by means of a drive device, not shown here. Blades 38 are arranged on the perforated disk 36 on its side facing the nozzle 26 .

During operation of the device 25 , the perforated disk 36 is brought into a rotating motion about the longitudinal axis 37 , the rotational speed of which still exceeds the rotational speed of the fluid jet forming in front of the separation chamber 32 . This brings about an additional separation of components of different densities in the treated fluid mixture.

Furthermore, the device 25 is equipped with an ultrasonic generator 39, by means of which, for example, the guide cone 28 can be made to vibrate at a very high frequency (ultrasonic vibrations). As a result, cavitations are generated in the fluid mixture to be treated downstream of the nozzle opening 31, into which dissolved gas can outgas from the fluid mixture. Through this the efficiency of the device 25 is further increased. Incidentally, instead of the guide cone 28, the entire nozzle 25 or the nozzle jacket surrounding the guide cone 28 can also be set in ultrasonic vibrations, for example.

The device 40 according to the invention shown in FIG. 4 is integrated in a pipeline 41 and is intended, for example, to continuously degas a liquid conveyed through the pipeline 41 . The device 40 comprises a nozzle 42 with fluid supply 43, annular gap 44, guide cone 45 and nozzle opening 46 as well as a separator 47, which is arranged with a separating section 48 within the pipeline 41 downstream of the nozzle opening 46 and has an inlet opening 49 spaced axially from the nozzle opening 46 . The separating section 48 is connected to a gas phase separator 51 via an outlet line 50 .

During operation of the device 40, a gas-laden liquid, for example process water in which oxygen is dissolved, is guided by a pump 52 through an upstream section 53 of the pipeline 41 to the nozzle 42. In the nozzle 42, the liquid is made to rotate vigorously and flows out of the nozzle opening 46 into a downstream section 54 of the pipeline 41 at high axial speed, forming a strongly wired jet of liquid. Due to the strong rotational movement, a negative pressure is generated in the center of the wired liquid jet, which is sufficient to allow the gas dissolved in the liquid to outgas with the formation of gas bubbles 55 . The separating section 48 of the separator 47 arranged centrally in the section 54 of the pipeline 41 dips at its inlet opening 49 into the center of the heavily wired jet of liquid and thereby separates a gas-rich phase from the liquid. Due to the high dynamic pressure in the separating section 48 , the gas-rich phase of the liquid is fed via the outlet line 50 to the gas-phase separator 51 , in which the already degassed phase is separated from the remaining gas-rich liquid and discharged via a gas outlet line 56 . The remaining gas-rich liquid is discharged via a liquid discharge line 57 and can optionally be returned to the pipe section 53 upstream of the pump 52 or fed to another use. The liquid flow remaining in the pipeline section 54 has a greatly reduced proportion of gas. The invention is otherwise not limited to the exemplary embodiments shown here. Rather, various features of the devices 1, 25, 40 can be combined with one another as desired, or the devices 1, 25, 40 can be supplemented with further features. For example, a heating device or an ultrasonic generator can also be provided in the devices 1, 40, or a gas supply line, not shown here, opens into the fluid supply 5, 29, 43 in order to reduce the viscosity of the fluid mixture to be treated with a supplied sparging gas. Likewise, various operating parameters of a device according to the invention, such as the heating power of the heating element 30, the width of the annular gap 7, 27, 44, the distance of the separator 3, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 33, 47 from the nozzle 2, 26, 42 or the pressure of a pump conveying the fluid mixture to be treated to the nozzle 2, 26, 42 can be regulated by means of an electronic controller, not shown here, depending on continuously measured parameters, such as the temperature or the viscosity of the fluid mixture.

Reference List

1 device 30 heating element

2 nozzle 31 nozzle opening

3, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d separator 32 separation chamber

4 nozzle jacket 33 separator

5 fluid supply 34 separation section

6 guide cone 35 inlet port

7 annular gap 36 perforated disc

8 cone apex 37 longitudinal axis

9 nozzle orifice 38 blades

10 volume 39 ultrasonic generator

11 displacement device 40 device

12 arrow 41 pipeline

13 jet 42 nozzle

14 arrow 43 fluid supply

15 axis 44 annular gap

16 zone 45 guide cone

17 46 Nozzle Orifice

18, 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d separation section 47 separator

19, 19a, 19b, 19c, 19d inlet port 48 partition section

20 exit 49 inlet port

21 outer jacket 50 outlet

22 perforated disc 51 gas phase separator

23 hopper 52 pump

24 53 section (of pipeline)

25 device 54 section (of the pipeline)

26 nozzle 55 gas bubble

27 annular gap 56 gas discharge

28 guide cone 57 liquid drainage

29 fluid supply

Claims

patent claims

1. Device for separating fluid mixtures, with a nozzle (2, 26, 42) for feeding a fluid mixture composed of several components into a volume (10), which has a nozzle between a conical inner surface of a nozzle jacket (4) and a guide cone (6, 28, 45) arranged at its tip at a nozzle opening (9, 31, 46) opening into the volume (10) conical annular gap (7, 27, 44) and a tangentially opening into the conical annular gap (7, 27, 44). Fluid supply (5, 29, 43) and a separator (3, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 33, 47) which has a separating section ( 18, 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d, 34, 48) with an inlet opening (19, 19a, 19b, 19c, 19d) arranged concentrically to the nozzle opening (9, 31, 46) and at an axial distance from it.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the separating section (18, 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d, 34, 48) has an end section which faces the nozzle (2, 26, 42) and is in the form of a tubular cylinder, a perforated disk or having a funnel.

3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a pump (52) for conveying the fluid mixture to the nozzle (2, 26, 42) is integrated in the fluid supply (5, 29, 43).

4. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a container filled with a fluid or a fluid-carrying line is provided as the volume (10).

5. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the exit line (20, 50) of the separator (3, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 33, 47) a phase separator (51) is integrated, which has a return line is flow-connected to the fluid supply (5, 29, 43). Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the axial distance between the nozzle opening (9, 31, 46) and the inlet opening (19, 19a, 19b, 19c, 19d) of the separator (3, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 33 , 47) and/or the axial position of the guide cone (6, 28, 45) of the nozzle (2, 26, 42) relative to the conical inner surface of the nozzle casing (4) can be adjusted. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a heating device (30) is provided in the fluid supply (5, 29, 43), in the nozzle jacket (4) and/or in the guide cone (6, 28, 45). Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a supply line for a sparging gas opens into the fluid supply (5, 29, 43) and/or into the annular gap (7, 27, 44). Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the separator (3, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 33, 47) is equipped with means for actively enhancing a radial separation of components of different densities in the fluid mixture. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the nozzle (2, 26, 42) is equipped with a separation chamber (32) between the tip of the guide cone (6, 28, 45) and the nozzle opening (9, 31, 46). . Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by an ultrasonic device (39) for generating short-term, local pressure differences in the fluid mixture. A method for separating fluid mixtures, in which a. a fluid mixture made up of several components is fed to a nozzle (2, 26, 42) which has a conical annular gap (7, 27, 44), the fluid mixture being fed tangentially into the annular gap (7, 27, 44) fluid supply (5, 29, 43) opening into the conical annular gap (7, 27, 44), b. the fluid mixture in the conical annular gap (7, 27, 44) is forced into a spirally narrowing path and at a nozzle opening (9, 31, 46) arranged at the tip of the conical annular gap (7, 27, 44) in the form of a wired jet ( 13) is ejected into a volume (10), a zone (16) of reduced pressure forming in the wired jet and components of different densities in the fluid mixture at least partially segregating in the radial direction, c. with the aid of a separator (3, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 33, 47) arranged in the volume in front of the nozzle opening (9, 31, 46), the fluid mixture is drawn off from the zone (16) under reduced pressure and separated from the remaining fluid mixture . Method according to Claim 12, characterized in that the volume (10) is filled with the same fluid mixture or with an inert gas before or during the introduction of the fluid mixture. Method according to Claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the fluid mixture drawn off from the zone (16) is subjected to a phase separation and a denser phase separated off in the process is fed back to the nozzle (2, 26, 42). Use of a method according to any of claims 12 to 14 or of a device according to any of claims 1 to 11 for degassing liquids or suspensions.