| Overview |
Low energy ultrasonic separation is being developed at LANL for broad industrial application. Its fundamental construct is the removal of particles in liquid media. It cuts energy by moving particles a short distance where they meet up with other particles to form large aggregates that settle quickly to effect separation. This construct can be applied to a broad range of industrial applications such as concentrating and dewatering microalgae in seawater, removing fines from bioprocess and mineral streams, and for coalescing emulsion droplets. Emerging particle and membrane technologies can transform this construct for molecular separations as well. Molecules too small to concentrate in an ultrasonic standing wave can be adsorbed onto particles called Solid Mass Separating Agents (SMSAs). SMSAs can be tailored with high affinity for specific molecules and high responsivity to ultrasonic fields. Energetically wasteful separations cost industries billions of dollars every year, and developing energy efficient technologies is essential for US industries to remain viable in globally competitive markets. Ultrasonic separation is a low-energy technology that will serve many roles in an energy efficient future.LANL’s ultrasonic capabilities are available to test a wide range of industrial separation challenges. Our devices are designed to address scale optimization and system performance for energy efficient removal of particulates. These ultrasonic vessels are designed for batch and continuous operation over a range of scale, to identify optimum vessel design considerations for specific particle-liquid applications. This unique set of scaling vessels is driven by a range of control and RF power options, which are also being developed for energy efficient power delivery. With these unique capabilities, LANL stands ready to address industry separation needs. |
| National Laboratory |
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) |
| Additional Information |
- 2 patents pending
- J. E. Coons, D. M. Kalb, T. Dale, and B. L. Marrone, “Getting to Low-Cost Algal Biofuels: A Monograph on Conventional and Cutting-Edge Harvesting and Extraction Technologies,” Algal Research 6 (2014) 250-270, DOI: 10.1016/j.algal.2014.08.005.
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