Radial counterflow reactor with applied radiant energy

Abstract

An improvement is described for the processing of biological material in a continuous stream by the application of radiant energy taken from the wavelengths from infrared to ultraviolet, and its absorption by a feedstock in a workspace of featuring controlled turbulence created by one or more counter-rotating disk impellers. The absorbed energy and the controlled turbulence patterns create a continuous process of productive change in a feed into the reactor, with separated light and heavy product output streams flowing both inward and outward from the axis in radial counterflow. The basic mechanism of processing can be applied to a wide range of feedstocks, from the promotion of the growth of algae to make biofuel or other forms of aquaculture, to a use in the controlled combustion of organic material to make biochar.

1 . A radial counterflow apparatus with radiant energy applied to the transformation of a feed, comprising:
 a source of radiant energy in a wavelength from infrared to ultraviolet;   two counter-rotatable disk impellers with a common axis of rotation, defining a workspace between them, the disk impellers being conductive to the radiant energy;   a baffle disposed between said two coaxial counter-rotatable disk impellers;   an axial feed port approximately centered on said axis of rotation, disposed underneath the baffle, and communicating with the workspace;   a feed transport communicating with the axial feed port;   a heavy products exhaust port located on the periphery of the workspace;   an axial exhaust port approximately centered on said axis of rotation, disposed above the baffle, and communicating with the workspace;   an axial suction pump communicating with the axial exhaust port;   means for causing counter-rotation connected to the disk impellers, and   a feed.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the radiant energy comprises visible light, and at least one of said disk impellers comprise a transparent portion adjacent the workspace. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the source of radiant energy comprises an infrared source embedded in at least one of said disk impellers being conductive to the radiant energy. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said disk impellers narrow in separation toward the periphery of the workspace. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the disk impellers each comprise a liquid layer and said means for causing counter-rotation comprise liquid jets. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said disk impellers comprise vanes extending into the workspace, the vanes of the disk impellers being disposed in opposition across the workspace. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said disk impellers comprise rugose ridges, the rugose ridges of the disk impellers being disposed in opposition across the workspace. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said disk impellers comprises an annular crossflow filter. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said baffle comprises vanes extending into the workspace. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said means for causing counter-rotation connected to the disk impellers comprise peripheral drive wheels. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein an output deflector wall is attached to at least one of the disk impellers for directing the flow of heavy products downward from the periphery of the workspace into the heavy products exhaust port. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the feed comprises algae, water, carbon dioxide and nutrients. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein lipids are extracted through the axial exhaust port by the axial suction pump. 
     
     
         14 . A method for aquaculture, comprising the steps of:
 Introducing a feed comprising living organisms and water into a workspace,   Illuminating the workspace with visible light, while simultaneously
 Shearing the workspace with two counter-rotating coaxial disk impellers, creating centrifugal separation of a flow of heavy products outward from the axis of rotation, 
 Drawing out the light products inward with suction, creating a sink flow toward the axis of rotation, 
 Separately collecting the light products and the heavy products from the algae in the workspace. 
   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the feed comprises algae, and the light products include lipids. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the heavy products include excess algae. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the heavy products include mature organisms. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said shearing the workspace is done by jets moving liquid to produce said two counter-rotating coaxial disk impellers.