Controlling transfer through one or more transferring elements

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of controlling the transferral of heat, substance, radiation or the like to or from at least a first fluid in a device. The device comprises a stage with a transferring element ( 2 ) and a rotatable impeller ( 3 ), the impeller being arranged so that the first fluid flowing out of the impeller flows along a surface of the transferring element ( 2 ). The flow of the first fluid along the surface of the transferring element comprises a spiralling flow pattern having a radial velocity component (Vr) and a tangential velocity component (Vt), the device further comprises one or more throttling means for throttling the flow of the first fluid through the device. The rotational speed of the impeller and the throttling is mutually controlled so that: 1) the amount of transferral is a function of the radial velocity component (Vr) and a function of the tangential velocity component (Vt), and 2) the radial velocity component (Vr) and the tangential velocity component (Vt) are substantially independent.

1 . A method of controlling the transferral of heat, substance, or radiation to or from at least a first fluid in a device, wherein the device comprises at least one stage comprising one transferring element and a rotatable impeller, the impeller being arranged so that the first fluid flowing out of the impeller flows along a surface of the transferring element, wherein the flow of the first fluid along the surface of the transferring element comprises a spiralling flow pattern having a radial velocity component (Vr) and a tangential velocity component (Vt), the device further comprising one or more throttling means for throttling the flow of the first fluid through the device, wherein the rotational speed of the impeller and the throttling is mutually controlled so that:
 i) the amount of transferral is a function of the radial velocity component (Vr) and a function of the tangential velocity component (Vt), and   ii) the radial velocity component (Vr) and the tangential velocity component (Vt) are substantially independent.   
   
   
       2 - 26 . (canceled) 
   
   
       27 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein amount of transferral (AT) can be expressed as
     AT=f   1 ( Vr )+ f   2 ( Vt )   wherein f 1  and f 2  are functions used to indicate the correlations between the tangential, Vt, and radial, Vr, velocities, respectively, and the amount transferred, AT.   
   
   
       28 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the amount of transferral is changeable by changing the rotational speed of the impeller without substantially influencing the flow rate through the device for the first fluid to be treated. 
   
   
       29 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the flow rate is changeable by changing the rotational speed of the impeller without substantially influencing the amount of transferral for the first fluid in the device. 
   
   
       30 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the throttling means comprises a throttling valve, one or more dedicated cavities for throttling, a diaphragm, a narrowing of a pipe with the first fluid, a counter flow, or a viscosity controlling means. 
   
   
       31 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the rotational speed of the impeller is increased in response to an increased demand for transferral and is decreased in response to a decreased demand for transferral. 
   
   
       32 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the rotational speed of the impeller is decreased in response to an increased demand for transferral and is decreased in response to an increased demand for transferral. 
   
   
       33 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the device comprises one or more channels through which a second fluid flows, said channels being arranged so that transferral occurs between the first and the second fluids through the transferring element(s). 
   
   
       34 . The method according to  claim 33 , wherein the one or more channels through which the second fluid flows are provided in the transferring element(s). 
   
   
       35 . The method according to  claim 33 , wherein the device comprises impellers for the first fluid and impellers for the second fluid, and wherein the method comprises controlling the rotational speed of the impellers for the first and the second fluid in response to a given demand for transferral. 
   
   
       36 . The method according to  claim 35 , wherein the rotational speed of the impellers for the first and the second fluid are independently controllable. 
   
   
       37 . The method according to  claim 35 , wherein the rotational speed of the impellers for the first and the second fluid are rotated commonly, such as being arranged on a common drive shaft. 
   
   
       38 . The method according to  claim 33 , wherein the device comprises one or more channels through which a third fluid flows, said channels being arranged so that transferral between the fluids occurs through the transferring element(s). 
   
   
       39 . A method according to  claim 33 , wherein the device comprises impellers for each fluid, and wherein the method comprises controlling the rotational speed of the impellers for each fluid in response to a given demand for transferral. 
   
   
       40 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the device further comprises one or more throttling valves for throttling the flow of a fluid through the device, and wherein the method further comprises increasing or decreasing the throttling of the flow, thereby respectively increasing or decreasing the pressure drop over the throttling means, by the throttling means in response to an increased or decreased demand for transferral. 
   
   
       41 . The method according to  claim 40 , wherein the throttling is increased in response to an increase in rotational speed of the impeller. 
   
   
       42 . The method according to  claim 41 , wherein the increase in throttling is controlled so that the flow rate of one or more of the fluids through the device is substantially unchanged, as a result of the increase in rotational speed of the impeller. 
   
   
       43 . The method according to  claim 40 , wherein the throttling is decreased in response to a decrease in rotational speed of the impeller. 
   
   
       44 . The method according to  claim 43 , wherein the decrease in throttling is selected so that the flow rate of one or more of the fluids through the device is substantially unchanged, as a result of the decrease in rotational speed of the impeller. 
   
   
       45 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the transferring element(s) comprise(s) a filter element having a porosity allowing only particles smaller than a certain size to pass into the filter element. 
   
   
       46 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the transferring element(s) comprise(s) a heat transferring element. 
   
   
       47 . The method according to  claim 46 , wherein the heat transferring element comprises internal channels through which a cooling or heating fluid may flow. 
   
   
       48 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the transferring element(s) comprise(s) a radiation source or comprise(s) radiation guides so that radiation is emitted from the surface of the transferring elements to one or more fluids. 
   
   
       49 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a plurality of stages. 
   
   
       50 . The method according to  claim 49 , wherein the transferring elements of the stages are identical to each other. 
   
   
       51 . The method according to  claim 49 , wherein the transferring elements of the stages are adapted to different transferrals.