US 11,857,933 B2
Systems, apparatuses, and methods for mixing fluids using a conical flow member
William Jagers, Houston, TX (US); Terry Lou, Houston, TX (US); Eilidh Keachie, Houston, TX (US); John Sabey, Houston, TX (US); and Greg Hallahan, Houston, TX (US)
Assigned to PRODUCED WATER ABSORBENTS INC., Houston, TX (US)
Filed by Produced Water Absorbents Inc., Houston, TX (US)
Filed on Mar. 8, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/296,990.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/640,977, filed on Mar. 9, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/698,428, filed on Jul. 16, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2019/0275479 A1, Sep. 12, 2019
Int. Cl. B01F 25/313 (2022.01); B01F 25/433 (2022.01); B01F 101/00 (2022.01)
CPC B01F 25/3133 (2022.01) [B01F 25/3131 (2022.01); B01F 25/31322 (2022.01); B01F 25/4335 (2022.01); B01F 2101/2204 (2022.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A mixing apparatus comprising:
a mixer body having an exterior surface and an interior surface, the mixer body defining an inlet and an outlet, the interior surface defining a passage extending between the inlet and the outlet to permit a first fluid to flow sequentially through the inlet, the passage, and the outlet, where:
a first portion of the passage narrows in a direction of flow from the inlet to a point of constriction;
a second portion of the passage expands in the direction of flow from the point of constriction to the outlet;
a channel axis extends longitudinally through a center of the first and second portions of the passage;
the mixer body defines a plurality of support arms that are unitary with the mixer body and that extend radially inward from the interior surface in the first portion of the passage; and
a substantially conical flow member having a leading end, a base opposite the leading end, a peripheral surface extending between the leading end and the base, and a flow axis extending through respective centers of the leading end and the base, where a trailing end surface of the base is flat and positioned substantially perpendicular to the flow axis, and where the peripheral surface is solid and an entirety of the base is flat; and
where the substantially conical flow member is coupled to the support arms such that the leading end faces the inlet of the mixer body, the base faces the outlet of the mixer body, and the flow axis is substantially parallel to the channel axis,
where the substantially conical flow member defines a flow member injection passage extending through at least a portion of the substantially conical flow member to an injection outlet defined at the leading end of the substantially conical flow member,
the mixer body defines at least one body injection passage extending from an injection inlet on the exterior surface of the mixer body through one of the support arms, and
where the substantially conical flow member is positioned in the center of the passage and sized to enable fluid to flow around an outside of the substantially conical flow member in the passage.