Granted Patent B2

US 12,544,799 · App. 16/395,097 · Granted Feb 10, 2026

Inventors: Leonard F. Pease (Richland, WA); Xiao-Ying Yu (Richland, WA); Timothy G. Veldman (Kennewick, WA); Matthew S. Fountain (Kennewick, WA); Michael J. Minette (Kennewick, WA); Carolyn A. Burns (Richland, WA); Nathan R. Phillips (Kennewick, WA); Jason E. Serkowski (Richland, WA)

Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute

B07C5/36B07C5/06B65G53/60C02F1/004C02F2103/34C02F2301/022C02F2303/24

Abstract

Claims (16)

1 . A method for separating solid particles of differing sizes, the method comprising:

providing a solution comprising solid particles of differing sizes to a mesofluidic separator assembly at a rate of at least 1 gallon per minute, the mesofluidic separator assembly comprising at least one separator module comprising a conduit defining at least one cross sectional area and configured to facilitate the flow of solution along a horizontally aligned pressure differential axis through the conduit, the separator module defining at least two portions in the at least one cross sectional area, an upper portion of the at least two portions having members extending between sidewalls of the conduit, the members being circular in at least one cross section and arranged in rows and columns to define juxtaposed levels of members in at least one cross section, and a lower portion of the at least two portions being open to provide an expressway, the upper portion being vertically aligned above the lower portion, wherein the lower portion occupies the lowest most portion of the conduit; and

flowing the solution through the separator assembly to transport smaller solid particles within the upper portion and transport larger solid particles in the expressway of the lower portion to separate the smaller solid particles from the larger solid particles.

2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising using the juxtaposed levels of members to direct the larger solid particles to the expressway.

3 . The method of claim 2 wherein the smaller particles are substantially retained within the upper portion.

4 . The method of claim 3 further comprising accumulating the larger solid particles in the lower portion.

5 . The method of claim 4 further comprising providing the separated larger solid particles through the expressway and out of the one separator module to an expressway conduit in fluid communication with the expressway of the separator module.

6 . The method of claim 4 further comprising providing the separated smaller solid particles to a smaller particle conduit in fluid communication with the upper portion of the separator module.

7 . The method of claim 1 wherein the members extend normal to the pressure differential axis in the at least one cross section.

8 . The method of claim 1 wherein the solution is provided to the mesofluidic separator assembly at a rate of from 1-100 gallons per minute.

9 . The method of claim 1 wherein the cross sectional diameter of the conduit is less than 3 inches.

10 . The method of claim 9 wherein the solution is provided to the mesofluidic separator assembly at a rate of 1-100 gallons per minute.

11 . The method of claim 1 wherein at least some of the solid particles are greater than 600 μm.

12 . The method of claim 1 wherein the cross sectional area of the expressway is 1-20% of the entire cross sectional area of the conduit.

13 . The method of claim 1 wherein at least some of the solid particles range from 0.7 μm to 780 μm.

14 . The method of claim 1 wherein at least some of the solid particles are greater than 200 μm.

Assignments (3)

Continuity (3)

References Cited (89)