Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
  • B01F35/00—Accessories for mixers; Auxiliary operations or auxiliary devices; Parts or details of general application
  • B01F35/80—Forming a predetermined ratio of the substances to be mixed
  • B01F35/83—Forming a predetermined ratio of the substances to be mixed by controlling the ratio of two or more flows, e.g. using flow sensing or flow controlling devices
  • B01F35/833—Flow control by valves, e.g. opening intermittently
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
  • B01F35/00—Accessories for mixers; Auxiliary operations or auxiliary devices; Parts or details of general application
  • B01F35/71—Feed mechanisms
  • B01F35/717—Feed mechanisms characterised by the means for feeding the components to the mixer
  • B01F35/71805—Feed mechanisms characterised by the means for feeding the components to the mixer using valves, gates, orifices or openings
  • B01F35/718051—Feed mechanisms characterised by the means for feeding the components to the mixer using valves, gates, orifices or openings being adjustable
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T137/00—Fluid handling
  • Y10T137/8593—Systems
  • Y10T137/86493—Multi-way valve unit
  • Y10T137/86718—Dividing into parallel flow paths with recombining
  • Y10T137/86734—With metering feature

Definitions

• This invention relates to a mixer for mixing the com- ponents of a fluid flow in a pipe connection, in particular a multi-phase flow as e.g. fluids produced from an oil or gas well, comprising a housing adapted to be inserted in the pipe connection and to have the fluid flow running therethrough, whereby the housing comprises an inlet and and an outlet opening respectively.
• the invention has primarily been developed in connection with measurement of multi-phase mass flow, whereby the com ⁇ ponents can be e.g. oil, water and gas.
• multi-phase flow there is here also ment cases in which only two phases are concerned, e.g. a liquid and a gas, or even when there is question of two liquids in one phase being conducted through the same pipe or the like.
• the mixer to be described in the following description may also have other practical uses than in connection with mass flow measurement.
• pipe connections are referred to here, this comprises both quite regular pipes connected to the input and output sides respectively of the mixer, and pipes or connections that can be more or less integrated into other equipment or devices, e.g. valves, pumps and so forth.
• a mixer as stated in the introductory paragraph above, according to this invention has novel a specific features consisting in the first place therein that in the housing there is provided at least one moveable regulating element with wall portions associated with at least a downstream side of the housing and provided with a number of through-going flow channels, each of which has a substantially smaller cross-sectional area than the flow cross-sectional area at the inlet and outlet opening respectively, and that the regu ⁇ lating element is adapted to be moved in relation to the housing.
• the invention makes possible two main aspects, of which one aspect in the principle is bases on a rotational symmetry and mutual displacement of the regulating elements primarily by a rotary movement thereof. Another main aspect is directed to a basic planar arrangement of one or more regulating elements, whereby said movement thereof takes place by translational movement.
• the invention also comprises a measurement appa- ratus for mass flow as mentioned above, and the apparatus is based on a combination with the mixer described.
• a particular embodiment of the mixer according to the invention is in ⁇ tended for use in a freezing plant, heat pump system or the like as a gas-liquid distributor in association with an evaporator.
• the mixer according to the invention involves advantages inter alia by making possible control, either discretely by using only one or possibly several regulating elements, or continuously so that at any time it can be adjusted to the most favourable regulating positon, with a resulting favou ⁇ rable degree of opening.
• the mixer can be set in a particular position (pigging position) that makes it possible to run a pipe pig therethrough. More ⁇ over the mixer can be so designed that it is possible to mount it at any orientation being convenient in practice.
• Fig. l shows an example of a first embodiment of the mixer according to the invention, as seen in axial longi ⁇ tudinal section normally to a common axis of rota ⁇ tion in the mixer
• fig. 2 shows the exemplary embodiment in fig. 1, here also in axial longitudinal section, but coincident with said common axis of rotation
• fig. 3 shows a cross section of the mixer in fig. 1 through the common axis of rotation
• fig. 4 somewhat simplified shows a second embodiment of the mixer according to the invention in longi- tudinal section through a portion of a housing with two regulating elements therein
• fig. 5 shows a longitudinal section as in fig. 3, but normally to the plane of section in fig. 4, fig.
• FIG. 6 shows an enlarged detail of the longitudinal sec ⁇ tion in fig. 4, with the two regulating elements in a mutual position giving a maximum opening of the flow channels
• fig. 7 in a sectional view as in fig. 3 shows a particular embodiment for employment in freezing plants, heat pump systems or the like
• fig. 8 shows a modification of the embodiment of fig. 1 and 2
• fig. 9 shows another modification of the embodiment of fig. 1 and 2
• fig. 10 shows a third modification of the embodiment of fig. 1 and 2.
• the pipe connection or main pipe concerned is represented by two pipe pieces 1A and IB, which by means of flange connections 3A and 3B respec ⁇ tively, are connected to a housing 2 for the mixer, whereby the direction of fluid flow through the mixer is indicated with arrows Fl and F2 in fig. 1.
• the housing 2 has an inte ⁇ rior wall 21 that is substantially sylindrical and is broken by an inlet opening 22 and an outlet opening 23 respectively, which in turn are leading directly to the respective flange connections 3A and 3B.
• regulating ele ⁇ ments 4 and 5 which are co-axial and both have a sylindrical shape as the housing 2.
• These regulating elements 4 and 5 are individually rotatable in housing 2 and at the sylindrical casing or wall portions have perforations in the form of through-going flow channels upstream as shown at 6A and 6B, and downstream as shown at 7A and 7B.
• seals for the re ⁇ quired fluid sealing Between the inner wall 21 in housing 2 and the outside of one regulating element 5, and moreover between the inside of element 5 and the second regulating element 4, there are provided seals for the re ⁇ quired fluid sealing.
• the common axis AX of housing 2 and the pair of regulating elements 4 and 5, in this example is oriented at a right angle to the general through-flow direc ⁇ tion of the multi-phase flow, i.e. the longitudinal axis in fig. 1 and 2.
• Embodiments may be contemplated however, wherein the common rotational AX and the longitudinal axis F1-F2 are not exactly normal to each other, but in all cases the common axis will lie broadly transversally to the longi ⁇ tudinal axis.
• the regulating elements need not be fully circular sylindrical as illustrated in the drawings, but can e.g. also be spherical, i.e. in principle the elements are in the form of rotational bodies.
• the casing or wall portions being provided with the flow channels 6A,B, 7A,B as referred to, are shown with a comparatively large wall thickness, which can be considered in relation to the flow channels, which preferably should have a substantially larger length than lateral dimensions.
• the input flow channels 6A and 6B at the wall portions facing each other on the regulating elements 5 and 4, respectively, have a convergent orien- tation, so that they have a direction generally towards a central region within housing 2, a concentrated converging point being indicated exactly at the intersection between the common axis AX and the longitudinal axis F1-F2. This is to be considered as a more or less idealized case.
• the outgoing flow channels 7A and 7B are shown with a parallel orientation corresponding to the through-flow direction or longitudinal axis F1-F2.
• the flow channels in this example are designed with a circular cross section.
• the cross section is the same throughout the whole length of each channel.
• the channels can be designed with a certain conicity in the longitudinal direction (see fig. 10) , perhaps in particular with a certain nozzle effect at the outlet ends towards the central space in housing 2, and towards the outlet opening 23 respectively from the housing.
• the flow channels 6A, 6B, 7A and 7B shown have an ap ⁇ proximate regular distribution over the total flow cross section of openings 22 and 23 as well as the adjoining pipe pieces or connections 1A and IB, and such a regular distri- bution is considered to be the most favourable arrangement.
• each of the flow channels described has a cross- sectional area being substantially smaller than the total cross-sectional area referred to with respect to openings 22 and 23.
• housing 2 can be designed with an expanded flow cross section towards one or both openings 22 and 23, so that the respective wall portions perforated with channels in each of the two regulating ele ⁇ ments 4 and 5, could be enlarged correspondingly in area.
• FIG. 9 shows this modified embodiment, which cor- responds to fig. 1 except for the outer regulating element 5C having flow channels 6C and 7C with expanded cross sections, . which means that they have larger cross sections than coope ⁇ rating channels in the inner, adjacent regulating element 4.
• the regulation can be the opposite, i.e. with the narrower flow channels in mixing position and the larger flow channels rotated into an inoperative position.
• the mixer can be designed with only one regulating element, e.g. provided thereby that the regulating elements 4 and 5 in fig. 1-3 are integrated into one single element.
• the regulating element 4 has a spindle 14 and the regulating element 5 has a tubular spindle 15 being co-axial to spindle 14, so that rotation of the regulating elements mutually and with respect to housing 2 can be effected.
• the rotation can take place by means of manually operated controls, or possibly by means of drive devices such as actuators or the like, as being known e.g. in connection with valve operations.
• Spind- les 14 and 15 are taken out through a top cover 2A on housing 2.
• the degree of opening of the mixer can be controlled by rotating the inner regulating element 4 in relation to the outer regulating element 5, so that the flow channels through the wall portions of the elements are displaced with respect to each other.
• the flow cross-sectional area at the wall portions facing each other i.e. at the interface between the two regulating elements, depending on the relative rotational position established.
• the passage through the flow channels will be completely closed.
• the two regulating elements 4 and 5 have bores 4A, 4B and 5A, 5B respectively, of diameter corre ⁇ sponding to the pipe diameter and the openings 22 and 23.
• both regulating elements 4 and 5 in common can be rotated to a position in which the bores 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B coincide with openings 22 and 23.
• the housing 2 is provided with a plug-like core member 12, which can be adapted to sealingly cooperate with the internal side of regulating element 4 i.e. at the sylindrical outer wall 12A of the core member.
• a bore 12B lying preferably aligned with and provided with the same flow cross section as the inlet opening 22 and the outlet opening 23.
• the function of the mixer as described thus far, has to a large extent appeared from the preceding description, but at this point the following is additionally remarked:
• the forms of flow to be handled by the mixer can be rather ar- bitrary and varying, since there may be the question of laminar flow, plug flow, annular flow or dispersed flow, bubble flow or so-called churn flow.
• churn flow With some types of multi-phase flow a liquid component in particular will be located at the bottom of the input pipe 1A, whereas other components fill the remaining part of the flow cross section.
• the liquid-gas mixture is further pressed out through the parallel outgoing flow channels 7A-7B at the downstream side of the mixer, which leads to a further ho o- genizing of the fluid components over the full flow cross section.
• the outgoing flow channels in this exam ⁇ ple there will be discharged a mixture in which the liquid phase or phases are finely distributed in the gas, or depen ⁇ ding on the proportion of gas fraction, the gas is finely distributed in the liquid or liquid mixture.
• a fraction gauge can be adapted to sense the magnitude or parameter of inte ⁇ rest.
• the phase fractions may also be determined by measure- ment locally within the flow channels in the outer regulating element 5.
• the fraction gauge can be a multi-energy gamma densitometer that measures the fractions of each indivudual fluid phase being present in the outgoing multi-phase flow.
• a differential pres ⁇ sure sensor 9 being adapted to measure the pressure drop ⁇ P m across the mixer, i.e. with a connection 9A to the inlet at flanges 3A or opening 22 and a connection 9B to the outlet at flanges 3B or opening 23.
• a more preferred upstream connec ⁇ tion 9C instead of 9A is shown however, centrally within housing 2. Accordingly pressure sensor 9 will perform a differential pressure measurement over the outlet of the mixer and not over this as a whole. In this section or part of the mixer the fluids are well mixed and the no-slip con ⁇ dition is substantially fulfilled.
• the average density is given by the densities and area fractions of the fluids. This together with the pressure drop measurement in unit 9 gives the velocity of the mixture.
• the mass flow of each indivual fluid component then is found as the product of the fluid density, area fraction, pipe cross section and common velocity. This determination and cal- culation of mass flow is based upon principles being known per se, but anyhow shall be explained somewhat more in detail below.
• a i cross-sectional area of fluid no. i
• U m the average velocity (m/s) of the mixture.
• the mixer In order to be able to employ the mixer described above, for measuring mass flow in multi-phase flow, the mixer must be used in combination with a fraction gauge. By means of a fraction gauge it is possible to determine the fractions of each individual fluid, i.e.
• a ⁇ _ is the area being covered by fluid no. i.
• the fraction gauge is to be positioned where the fluids are well mixed. This can be at the downstream transition between regulating elements 4 and 5, within one of elements 4 and 5, or immediately downstream of the outlet opening, e.g. at 30 in fig. 2 as mentioned above.
• Such a fraction gauge for oil and water can e.g. be a multi energy gamma-densitometer (having two energy levels, where the decay coefficient of the gamma rays is different for oil and water with respect to at least one energy level) or a single energy gamma-densitometer in combination with an impedance gauge.
• the choice of measuring device for the fraction measurements and the actual arrangement of such a gauge in association with the outlet from hosing 2, can be varied in many ways in relation to what is described and illustrated here.
• the fraction gauge can be an electrical capacitance element instead of being a gamma-densitometer.
• the postion of the measuring device can be relatively close to the outlet ope ⁇ ning 23, as indicated as 30, or the distance from the opening can be larger than illustrated in fig. 2, e.g. with a dis ⁇ tance corresponding to several interior diameters of the following pipe IB.
• cases may also be con- templated where a favourable position of the measuring device is at a radial section or plane through the outgoing flow channels 7B.
• measu ⁇ ring devices located at two or more positions within the range of distances mentioned here, so that a measuring device for the measurement or the measuring situation, can be selec ⁇ ted by the operator.
• velocity measurement can be performed directly according to equation (5) above, without the fraction measurement described.
• Another possible modification is to provide more than two co-axial regulating elements, such as a third and perhaps quite thin walled regulating element between the two elements being described and shown in the first embodiment of fig. 1-3 of the drawings.
• the embodiment of fig. 4-6 in principle is a planar arrangement of the regulating elements.
• fig. 4 only the downstream portion is shown of a housing 12 with two cooperating regulating elements 14 and 15, and a following outlet opening 33 that can e.g. be coupled to a pipe connec ⁇ tion in a similar manner as outlet opening 23 in fig. 1.
• Arrow F4 in fig. 4 shows the direction of through flow.
• regulating elements 14 and 15 At the top of the two (cut off) regulating elements 14 and 15 there are arrows showing the possibilities of despla- cing these elements. Thus elements 14 and 15 are arranged to be moveable in slits 13 in housing 12. See also fig. 5. Through regulating elements 14 and 15 there are provided a number of flow channels, of which one such channel 17 is indicated in fig. 4, 5 and 6.
• each flow channel 17 is adapted to be controlled simultaneously along the whole length of the channel. This is obtained by means of a tongue-like plate piece 14B which protrudes from the regulating element 14 into each channel 17 and forms one of the boundary surfaces thereof.
• each flow channel 17 most conveniently has a rectangular cross-sectional shape, so that a sufficiently good seal between the side edges of tongue piece 14B and the adjoining channel walls is obtained.
• a mixing chamber in housing 12 (at the right hand side of elements 14 and 15 in fig. 4) normally will also have a further, corres ⁇ ponding set of regulating elements at the upstream or inlet side (not shown) in full analogy to the first and circular embodiment of figs. 1-3. As the first embodiment also the one in fig.
• the plate- or slide-like regulating elements 14 and 15 have been referred to as planar, the fundamental manner of function will still be the same if they were designed with a certain curvature, i.e. preferably with a curvature in the plane corresponding to the section of fig. 5.
• the mutual displacement of elements 14 and 15 by trans- lational movement will be possible also in the latter case.
• a rotary movement must be effected as explained previously. This modification can be seen from fig. 8, where the whole design corresponds to fig. 1 except for the inner regulating element 4X.
• This element is designed so as to make possible a certain axial translational movement, as illustrated with arrow BX.
• the flow channels both in the first embodiment in figs. 1-3 and in the second embodiment of figs. 4-6 can be designed with a varying cross-sectional area, possibly cross-sectional shape, along its whole length or parts thereof.
• fig. 10 there is shown a modified outer regulating element 5D having conically narrowing channels 6D upstream and conically expanding channels 7D downstream.
• this embodiments correspond to the one in figs. 1 and 2.
• the down- stream portion of such flow channels can be provided with nozzle-like restrictions.
• the outlet comprises a number of outlet channels 34A, 34B, 34C to be lead to an evaporator with several inlets. These inlets correspond to the number of separate outlet channels 34A-C.
• a specific channel or pipe branching for the purpose of connection to respective evaporator inlets.

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• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Accessories For Mixers (AREA)
• Nozzles (AREA)

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• 1993
  • 1993-07-14 NO NO932564A patent/NO177874C/no not_active IP Right Cessation
• 1994
  • 1994-07-13 WO PCT/NO1994/000125 patent/WO1995002448A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1994-07-13 DE DE1994620732 patent/DE69420732T2/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1994-07-13 AU AU72768/94A patent/AU7276894A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1994-07-13 CN CN94192786A patent/CN1047740C/zh not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1994-07-13 AT AT94923099T patent/ATE184505T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1994-07-13 DK DK94923099T patent/DK0708681T3/da active
  • 1994-07-13 EP EP19940923099 patent/EP0708681B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
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  • 1994-07-13 US US08/581,556 patent/US5971604A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
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