WO-2026093590-A1 - A SONOREACTOR

Abstract

A sonoreactor for the treatment of pollutants within a fluid is provided. The sonoreactor comprises a reaction chamber for treating pollutants within a fluid; an ultrasound generator configured to provide the reaction chamber with ultrasound waves; a radial fluid inlet fluidly coupled to the reaction chamber; a non-radial fluid inlet fluidly coupled to the reaction chamber; and a fluid outlet fluidly coupled to the reaction chamber. The fluid outlet is spaced apart from the radial fluid inlet and/or the non-radial fluid inlet along a longitudinal axis of the reaction chamber.

Inventors

• ZARE, Mehrdad
• BUSSEMAKER, Madeleine Jean

Assignees

• UNIVERSITY OF SURREY

Dates

Publication Date

20260507

Application Date

20251103

Priority Date

20241101

Claims (20)

1. 1. A sonoreactor for the treatment of pollutants within a fluid, the sonoreactor comprising: a reaction chamber for treating pollutants within a fluid; an ultrasound generator configured to provide the reaction chamber with ultrasound waves; a radial fluid inlet fluidly coupled to the reaction chamber; a non-radial fluid inlet fluidly coupled to the reaction chamber; and a fluid outlet fluidly coupled to the reaction chamber; wherein the fluid outlet is spaced apart from the radial fluid inlet and/or the non- radial fluid inlet along a longitudinal axis of the reaction chamber.
2. 2. The sonoreactor or Claim 1, wherein the reaction chamber is substantially cylindrical.
3. 3. The sonoreactor of Claim 1 or 2, wherein the radial fluid inlet, the non-radial fluid inlet, and/or the fluid outlet are configured to extend through an internal (e.g. circumferential) surface of the reaction chamber.
4. 4. The sonoreactor of any preceding claim, wherein the radial fluid inlet comprises a radial-fluid-inlet entrance configured to extend through an internal (e.g. circumferential) surface of the reaction chamber and wherein the non-radial fluid inlet comprises a non-radial-fluid-inlet entrance configured to extend through the internal (e.g. circumferential) surface of the reaction chamber.
5. 5. The sonoreactor of Claim 4, wherein the non-radial-fluid-inlet entrance is spaced apart from the radial-fluid-inlet entrance along a circumference of the reaction chamber.
6. 6. The sonoreactor of any preceding claim, wherein the non-radial-fluid-inlet entrance is angularly spaced apart from the radial-fluid-inlet entrance.
7. 7. The sonoreactor of Claim 6, wherein the non-radial-fluid-inlet entrance is spaced apart from the radial-fluid-inlet entrance by an angle from about 0 to about 180 degrees, optionally from about 10 degrees to about 170 degrees, optionally from about 20 degrees to about 160 degrees, optionally from about 30 degrees to about 150 degrees, for example from about 40 degrees to about 140 degrees, optionally - 47 - from about 50 degrees to about 130 degrees, optionally from about 60 degrees to about 120 degrees, optionally from about 70 degrees to about 110 degrees, optionally from about 80 degrees to about 100 degrees, optionally by an angle of about 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, or 120 degrees.
8. 8. The sonoreactor of any preceding claim, wherein the fluid outlet is substantially diametrically opposed to the radial fluid inlet.
9. 9. The sonoreactor of any preceding claim, wherein the radial fluid inlet and/or the non-radial fluid inlet are arranged at or towards a proximal end or a distal end of the reaction chamber.
10. 10. The sonoreactor of any preceding claim, wherein the radial fluid inlet is spaced from a proximal end or a distal end of the sonoreactor by a distance from about 3% to about 40% of a longitudinal length of the reaction chamber, optionally by a distance from about 10% to about 35%, optionally by about 15% to 27%, optionally by about 20% to 27%, or optionally by a distance of about 3%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, or 40% of a longitudinal length of the reaction chamber.
11. 11. The sonoreactor of any preceding claim, wherein the non-radial fluid inlet is spaced from a proximal end or a distal end of the sonoreactor by a distance from about 3% to about 40% of a longitudinal length of the reaction chamber, optionally by a distance from about 10% to about 35%, optionally by about 15% to 27%, optionally by about 20% to 27%, or optionally by a distance of about 3%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40% of a longitudinal length of the reaction chamber.
12. 12. The sonoreactor of any preceding claim, wherein the fluid outlet is arranged towards or at a distal end of the reaction chamber, wherein the distal end of the reaction chamber is spaced apart from a proximal end of the reaction chamber along a longitudinal axis of the reaction chamber.
13. 13. The sonoreactor of any preceding claim, wherein the fluid outlet is a first fluid outlet and wherein the sonoreactor comprises a second fluid outlet fluidly coupled to the reaction chamber.
14. 14. The sonoreactor of any preceding claim, wherein the ultrasound generator is configured to generate ultrasound waves having a frequency of 20kHz or greater. - 48 -
15. 15. The sonoreactor of any preceding claim, wherein the ultrasound generator is configured to be affixed to a proximal or distal end of the sonoreactor.
16. 16. The sonoreactor of Claim 15, wherein the ultrasound generator is configured to be affixed to the proximal or distal end of the sonoreactor so as to be substantially concentric with a longitudinal axis of the reaction chamber.
17. 17. The sonoreactor of Claim 15, wherein the ultrasound generator is configured to be affixed to the proximal or distal end of the sonoreactor so as to be substantially radially offset from a longitudinal axis of the reaction chamber.
18. 18. The sonoreactor of any one of Claims 15 to 17, wherein the ultrasound generator is affixed to the proximal or distal end of the sonoreactor by an end-cap configured to fluidly seal an end of the reaction chamber.
19. 19. The sonoreactor of any preceding claim, wherein the sonoreactor comprises a further end-cap affixed to an opposed end of the sonoreactor so as to fluidly seal the opposed end of the reaction chamber.
20. 20. The sonoreactor of any preceding claim, wherein the sonoreactor comprises a heat transfer system configured to transfer heat to and/or from fluid in the reaction chamber.

Description

A Sonoreactor The present invention relates to a sonoreactor for the treatment of pollutants within a fluid, for example groundwater or landfill leachate, and methods of designing or manufacturing a sonoreactor for the treatment of pollutants within a fluid. Sonoreactors are used to treat pollutants within a fluid, such as groundwater or landfill leachate or other fluids contaminated with pollutants. Sonoreactors employ a process known as sonolysis which involves applying ultrasound waves to the fluid, typically within a reaction chamber, to cause cavitation within the fluid and thereby chemically degrade the pollutants within the fluid. Typically, sonoreactors are used to degrade PFAS (per-and poly fluoroalkyl substances) within a fluid. Incineration, photolysis, plasma and electrolysis may also be used to degrade PFAS however these are either less effective at degrading PFAS in presence of co-contaminants and high salinity as compared to sonolysis or incineration can lead to the release of toxic gases. Existing sonoreactors are difficult to manufacture at a size sufficient for industrial applications where large volumes of fluid are required to be treated. The present invention aims to alleviate, at least to a certain extent, the problems and/or address at least to a certain extend the difficulties associated with the prior art. According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sonoreactor for the treatment (e.g. degradation) of pollutants within a fluid, the sonoreactor comprising: a reaction chamber for treating (e.g. degrading) pollutants within a fluid; an ultrasound generator configured to provide the reaction chamber with ultrasound waves; a radial fluid inlet fluidly coupled to the reaction chamber; a non-radial fluid inlet fluidly coupled to the reaction chamber; and a fluid outlet fluidly coupled to the reaction chamber; wherein the fluid outlet is spaced apart from the radial fluid inlet and/or the non- radial fluid inlet along a longitudinal axis of the reaction chamber. The ultrasound generator may also be referred to as an ultrasound emitter or ultrasound transducer. The ultrasound generator may be configured to provide the reaction chamber with ultrasound waves so as to cause the degradation of pollutants within the fluid. The radial fluid inlet is so-called as it extends (or has a longitudinal axis which extends) in a direction which intersects or substantially intersects the longitudinal axis of the reaction chamber. Thus, the radial fluid inlet extends in a direction which is radial, or substantially radial, to the longitudinal axis of the reaction chamber when viewed from an end (i.e. a proximal or distal end) of the sonoreactor. The non-radial fluid inlet is so-called as it extends (or has a longitudinal axis which extends) in a direction which does not intersect the longitudinal axis of the reaction chamber. Thus, the non-radial fluid inlet extends in a direction which is non-radial to the longitudinal axis of the reaction when viewed from an end (i.e. a proximal or distal end) of the sonoreactor. Optionally, the reaction chamber may be cylindrical or substantially cylindrical. Optionally, the reaction chamber may be cuboid or substantially cuboid. Optionally, the non-radial fluid inlet may be a tangential fluid inlet. A tangential fluid inlet is one which is (i.e. has a longitudinal axis which is) tangential to the reaction chamber, for example to a circumferential internal surface thereof. Optionally, the radial fluid inlet is angularly spaced apart from the fluid outlet about the longitudinal axis of the reaction chamber by an angle when viewed in a side planar view from either a distal end or a proximal end of the reaction chamber, the proximal end and the distal end being spaced apart from each other along a longitudinal axis of the reaction chamber. Optionally, the angle between the radial fluid inlet and the fluid outlet is from 0 to 180 degrees, for example from 10 to 170 degrees, for example from 20 to 160 degrees, for example from 30 to 150 degrees, for example from 40 to 140 degrees, for example from 45 to 135 degrees, for example from 50 to 140 degrees, for example from 60 to 120 degrees, for example from 80 to 100 degrees, for example about 90 degrees, or wherein the angle between the radial fluid inlet and the fluid outlet is 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170 or 180 degrees, or a range defined by any two of these values, for example when viewed in a side planar view from either a distal end or a proximal end of the reaction chamber, the proximal end and the distal end being spaced apart from each other along a longitudinal axis of the reaction chamber. Optionally, the non-radial fluid inlet is angularly spaced apart from the fluid outlet about the longitudinal axis of the reaction chamber by an angle when viewed in a side planar view from either a distal end or a proximal end of the reaction chamber,