Apparatus and process for spraying liquids and producing very fine mist
An apparatus and process for spraying liquids and producing very fine mist with the apparatus, the apparatus including: a needle injector that includes a capillary line ( 1 ) and an outer tube ( 8 ); a liquid supply ( 5 ); and a gas supply ( 4 ), where: the capillary line ( 1 ) is arranged in the interior space of the outer tube ( 2 ); the internal diameter of the capillary line in the needle injector is in the range of 2-1000 μm; the capillary line is in active communication with a gas supply ( 4 ); and the outer tube ( 2 ) is in active communication with a liquid supply ( 5 ).
1. An apparatus for spraying liquids, comprising:
a needle injector;
a liquid supply; and
a gas supply,
wherein:
the needle injector comprises a capillary line and an outer tube;
the internal diameter of the capillary line of the needle injector is in the range of 2-400 μm;
the capillary line is coaxially arranged in the interior space of the respective outer tube;
the capillary line is in active communication with the gas supply;
the outer tube is in active communication with the liquid supply; and
a tip of the needle injector is configured such the capillary line is longer than the outer tube.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is joined to a housing.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the tip of the needle injector is configured such that a length difference between the capillary line and the outer tube is in the range of 1 to 10 mm.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured for operation in conjunction with a catalyst testing setup for examining FCC catalysts and/or an aging or impregnation unit for FCC catalysts.
5. A process for spraying liquids with the apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the process comprises:
(i) controlled introduction of a gas via the gas supply into the capillary line;
(ii) controlled introduction of a liquid via the liquid supply into the interior space of the outer tube; and
(iii) contacting of the liquid conveyed through the outer tube with the gas conveyed through the capillary line at a tip of the apparatus.
6. The process of claim 5 , wherein the liquid which is conveyed through the outer tube has a volume flow in the range of 0.1-10 ml/min, and/or the gas which is conveyed through the capillary line has a volume flow in the range of 10-300 ml/min.
7. The process of claim 5 , wherein the apparatus is joined to a housing, and
wherein the housing, the gas supply and/or the liquid supply are heated, with the temperature of the gas supply being in the range of 50-300° C.; the temperature of the liquid supply being in the range from 50-300° C.; and the temperature of the housing being in the range of 80-700° C.
8. The process of claim 5 , comprising spraying a heavy oil.
9. The process of claim 5 , comprising spraying an oil, wherein the oil is introduced in pulses or continuously and the pulses have a duration in the range of 1-400 seconds.
10. The process of claim 5 , wherein the needle injector comprising the capillary line and the outer tube is arranged vertically.
11. The process of claim 5 , wherein a very fine mist is produced by the process, having a mass flow ratio of gas to liquid of <0.1.
12. The process for of claim 5 , wherein the process is controlled by a PC.
13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the tip of the needle injector does not comprise an internal mixing chamber.