Process and apparatus for producing cooled aqueous ammonium phosphate fertilizer

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING A COOLED AQUEOUS AMMONIUM PHOSPHATE FERTILIZER COMPRISING SEPARATELY INTRODUCING LIQUID AMMONIA, WATER AND PHOSPHORIC ACID IN A FIRST ZONE AND THEREIN MIXING THESE MATERIALS WHEREBY THE PRODUCED AQUEOUS AMMONIUM PHOSPHATE BECOMES HEATED TO A HIGHER TEMPERATURE THAN THE TEMPERATURE OF THE AMMONIA, WATER AND PHOSPHORIC ACID PRIOR TO MIXING DIVIDING THIS HEATED AQUEOUS AMMONIUM PHOSPHATE INTO TWO PORTIONS, FLOWING ONE PORTION DOWN THE INNER WALL OF A SECOND ZONE, FLOWING COOLING WATER DOWN THE OUTER WALL OF SAID SECOND ZONE IN INDIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE WITH THE DOWNFLOWING AQUEOUS AMMONIUM PHOSPHATE WHEREBY THE DOWNFLOWING AQUEOUS AMMONIUM PHOSPHATE BECOME COOLED TO A TEMPETURE INTERMEDIATE THE TEMPERATURE OF THE ORGINAL AMMONIA, WATER AND PHOSPHORIC ACID AND SAID HIGHER TEMPERATURE, INJECTING THE OTHER PORTION OF SAID HEATED AQUEOUS AMMONIUM PHOSPHATE INTO THE COOLED AQUEOUS AMMONIUM PHOSPHATE IN SAID SECOND ZONE THEREBY AGITATING SAME, FUTHER COOLING THE AGITATED CONTENTS OF SAID SECOND ZONE BY INDIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE WITH A BODY OF COOLING WATER THROUGH THE BOTTOM OF SAID SECOND ZONE, PASSING A PORTION OF THE FURTHER COOLED, AGITATED LIQUID CONTENTS OF SAID SECOND ZONE INTO SAID FIRST ZONE TO MINIMIZE SAID HIGHER TEMPERATURE, REGULATING THE RATE OF INTRODUCTION OF LIQUID AMMONIA INTO SAID FIRST ZONE IN RESPONSE TO TEMPERATURE OF THE LIQUID CONTENTS OF SAID SECOND ZONE, REGULATING THE RATES OF INTRODUCTION OF WATER AND OF PHOSPHORIC ACID INTO SAID FIRST ZONE IN PREDETERMINED RATIOS WITH RESPECT TO THE INTRODUCTION OF SAID AMMONIA INTO SAID FIRST ZONE, AND WITHDRAWING THE REMAINDER OF THE FUTHER COOLED, AGITATED LIQUID CONTENTS OF SAID SECOND ZONE AS PRODUCT.