HIGH-THROUGHPUT PARTICLE PRODUCTION USING A PLASMA SYSTEM
The present disclosure relates to a nanoparticle production system and methods of using the system. The nanoparticle production system includes a plasma gun including a male electrode, a female electrodes and a working gas supply configured to deliver a working gas in a vortexing helical flow direction across a plasma generation region. The system also includes a continuous feed systems, a quench chamber, a cooling conduit that includes a laminar flow disruptor, a system overpressure module, and a conditioning fluid purification and recirculation system.
1 . A nanoparticle production system comprising:
a plasma gun; and
a continuous feed systems configured to feed material into the plasma gun at a rate of at least 9 grams/minute.
2 . The nanoparticle production system of claim 1 , wherein the continuous feed system is configured to feed material to the plasma gun for at least 336 hours without clogging.
3 . The nanoparticle production system of claim 1 , wherein the continuous feed system comprises multiple material feed supply channels to supply feed material to the plasma gun.
4 . The nanoparticle production system of claim 1 , wherein the continuous feed system comprises a reciprocating member to continually clear out a material feed supply channel during operation of the nanoparticle production system.
5 . The nanoparticle production system of claim 4 , wherein the reciprocating member reciprocates at a rate of at least 2 times per second.
6 . The nanoparticle production system of claim 1 , wherein the continuous feed system comprises a pulsing gas jet to continually clear out a material feed supply channel during operation of the nanoparticle production system.
7 . The nanoparticle production system of claim 1 , wherein the plasma gun comprises a male electrode, a female electrode and a working gas supply configured to deliver a working gas in a vortexing helical flow direction across a plasma generation region formed between the male electrode and the female electrode.
8 . The nanoparticle production system of claim 7 , wherein the working gas supply comprises an injection ring positioned before the plasma generation region to create the vortexing helical flow direction.
9 . The nanoparticle production system of claim 8 , wherein the injection ring comprises a plurality of injection ports.
10 . The nanoparticle production system of claim 9 , wherein the injection ports are disposed in an annular formation around the male electrode.
11 . The nanoparticle production system of claim 10 , wherein the injection ports are angled toward the male electrode.
12 . The nanoparticle production system of claim 10 , wherein the injection ports are angled away from the male electrode.
13 . The nanoparticle production system of claim 7 , wherein the nano-production system is able to operate for at least 336 hrs without replacement of the male electrode or female electrode.
14 . The nanoparticle production system of claim 1 , further comprising a quench chamber positioned after the plasma gun and including at least one reaction mixture input and at least one conditioning fluid input.
15 . The nanoparticle production system of claim 14 , wherein the quench chamber has a frosto-conical shape and is configured to create a turbulence with a Reynolds number of greater than 1000 during operation.
16 . The nanoparticle production system of claim 7 , further comprising a quench chamber positioned after the plasma gun and including at least one reaction mixture input and at least one conditioning fluid input.
17 . The nanoparticle production system of claim 16 , wherein the quench chamber has a frosto-conical shape and is configured to create a turbulence with a Reynolds number of greater than 1000 during operation.
18 . The nanoparticle production system of claim 14 , further comprising a cooling conduit configured to conduct nanoparticles entrained in a conditioning fluid flow from the quench chamber to a collector.
19 . The nanoparticle production system of claim 18 , wherein the cooling conduit comprises a laminar flow disruptor.
20 . The nanoparticle production system of claim 19 , wherein the laminar flow disruptor comprises blades, baffles, a helical screw, ridges, or bumps.
21 . The nanoparticle production system of claim 19 , wherein the particle production system is configured to operate continuously for at least 6 hrs without clogging occurring in the cooling conduit.
22 . The nanoparticle production system of claim 16 , further comprising a cooling conduit configured to conduct nanoparticles entrained in a conditioning fluid flow from the quench chamber to a collector.
23 . The nanoparticle production system of claim 22 , wherein the cooling conduit comprises a laminar flow disruptor.
24 . The nanoparticle production system of claim 23 , wherein the laminar flow disruptor comprises blades, baffles, a helical screw, ridges, or bumps.
25 . The nanoparticle production system of claim 23 , wherein the particle production system is configured to operate continuously for at least 336 hrs without clogging occurring in the cooling conduit.
26 . The nanoparticle production system of claim 1 , further comprising a system overpressure module that maintains a pressure in the system above a measured ambient pressure.
27 . The nanoparticle production system of claim 26 , wherein the pressure in the system is maintained at a pressure of at least 1 inch of water above the measured ambient pressure.
28 . The nanoparticle production system of claim 7 , further comprising a system overpressure module that maintains a pressure in the system above a measured ambient pressure.
29 . The nanoparticle production system of claim 14 , further comprising a system overpressure module that maintains a pressure in the system above a measured ambient pressure.
30 . The nanoparticle production system of claim 19 , further comprising a system overpressure module that maintains a pressure in the system above a measured ambient pressure.
31 . The nanoparticle production system of claim 28 , further comprising a conditioning fluid purification and recirculation system.
32 . The nanoparticle production system of claim 31 , wherein at least 80% of the conditioning fluid introduced into the nanoparticle production system is purified and recirculated.
33 . A nanoparticle production system comprising:
a plasma gun comprising a male electrode, a female electrodes and a working gas supply configured to deliver a working gas in a vortexing helical flow direction across a plasma generation region formed between the male electrode and the female electrode;
a continuous feed systems configured to feed material into the plasma gun at a rate of at least 9 grams/minute;
a quench chamber positioned after the plasma gun and including at least one reaction mixture input and at least one conditioning fluid input;
a cooling conduit configured to conduct nanoparticles entrained in a conditioning fluid flow from the quench chamber to a collector, wherein the cooling conduit comprises a laminar flow disruptor;
a system overpressure module that maintains a pressure in the system above a measured ambient pressure; and
a conditioning fluid purification and recirculation system.
34 . The nanoparticle production system of claim 33 , wherein the continuous feed system comprises a reciprocating member to continually clear out a material feed supply channel during operation of the nanoparticle production system.
35 . The nanoparticle production system of claim 34 , wherein the reciprocating member reciprocates at a rate of at least 2 times per second.
36 . The nanoparticle production system of claim 33 , wherein the continuous feed system comprises a pulsing gas jet to continually clear out a material feed supply channel during operation of the nanoparticle production system.
37 . The nanoparticle production system of claim 33 , wherein the nano-production system is able to operate for at least 336 hrs without replacement of the male electrode or female electrode.
38 . The nanoparticle production system of claim 33 , wherein the quench chamber has a frosto-conical shape and is configured to create a turbulence with a Reynolds number of greater than 1000 during operation.
39 . The nanoparticle production system of claim 33 , wherein the laminar flow disruptor comprises blades, baffles, a helical screw, ridges, or bumps.
40 . The nanoparticle production system of claim 33 , wherein the particle production system is configured to operate continuously for at least 336 hrs without clogging occurring in the cooling conduit.
41 . The nanoparticle production system of claim 33 , wherein the pressure in the system is maintained at a pressure of at least 1 inch of water above the measured ambient pressure.
42 . The nanoparticle production system of claim 33 , wherein at least 80% of the conditioning fluid introduced into the nanoparticle production system is purified and recirculated.