Improved Fluidized Bed Precipitator
Reference Number: K 07-15
Inventors: Becker, Gina; Diaz, Sigifredo; Hanson, Michael
Owner: Kansas State University Research Foundation
USPTO Link:
Invention Summary
Though liquid-solid, gas-solid, or gas-liquid-solid fluidized bed technologies are
not new, traditional systems have a drawback that limits economy: above critical
flow rates, solid particles will be carried out of the system with the fluid and be
lost. The critical flow rate, therefore, limits the amount of material that can be
processed in a given size system. Secondary recovery systems can be used to collect
and return the lost solids, but these are expensive in terms of both capital and operational
expenses.
The current technology includes sloped settling surfaces at the exit of the system,
which reduce the vertical velocity of the exiting fluid. This allows particles to
be retained in the system at higher flow rates, providing the benefit of smaller equipment
to process any given flow rate of material.
One configuration of the technology provides particular benefits in applications
that require a gaseous injection into a liquid-solid bed, which can cause turbulence
that causes particles to be lost. By configuring the settling surfaces so that gas
can escape via a different path than the liquid, gases can be used to provide additives
and/or mixing without disturbing the solids-settling capabilities.
This technology was developed to precipitate soluble phosphorous as struvite (magnesium
ammonium phosphate) for wastewater treatment applications. However, the inventors
see opportunities for this technology in any application that currently employs solid-liquid,
liquid-solid, gas-solid, or gas-liquid-solid fluidized beds.
Advantages
- Breaks typical tradeoff limit between high flow rates and good solid retainment
- Allows for faster flow rates in a given size of equipment
- Allows for smaller equipment for a given flow rate
- Allows for turbulence in the bed (for good mixing) without sacrificing solid retainment
- Allows for injection of gaseous additives without sacrificing solid retainment
- Allows for use of gas bubbles for mixing without sacrificing solid retainment
Applications
- Recovering phosphorous from waste streams of ethanol plants, food industries, and any other industry waste streams
- Zeolyte production
- Catalyst production
- Precipitation technologies
- Any crystal-growth or particle-growth fluidized bed