Apparatus for centrifugal separation of fluidized solids

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR THE CONTACTING TO FLUIDS AND PARTICULATE SOLIDS COMPRISING, AN OUTER CASING OF CIRCULAR CROSS-SECTION, AN INNER CASING OF CIRCULAR CROSS-SECTION SUPPORTED WITHIN THE OUTER CASING, SAID INNER AND OUTER CASING BEING SUBSTANTIALLY CONCENTRIC WITH RESPECT TO A COMMON VERTICAL AXIS AND HAVING SPACED PERIPHERAL WALLS DEFINING THEREBETWEEN A FLUIDISATION CHAMBER WHICH EXTENDS BOTH ANNULARLY ABOUT SAID AXIS AND UPWARDLY SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL THERETO, THERE BEING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID FLUIDISATION CHAMBER AND THE INTERIOR OF SAID INNER CASING AT THE TOPS THEREOF FOR THE PASSAGE OF MATERIAL INWARD FROM THE FLUIDISATION CHAMBER TO THE INNER CASING INTERIOR, SAID OUTER CASING EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY SOMEWHAT BELOW THE BOTTOM END OF SAID INNER CASING, AN IMPELLER PLATE MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT SAID AXIS AND DISPOSED DIRECTLY UNDER SAID INNER CASING WITH ITS UPPER PLATE SURFACE IN POSITION TO RECEIVE THEREON MATERIAL DESENDING THROUGH SAID INNER CASING, DRIVE MEANS TO ROTATE SAID IMPELLER PLATE RAPIDLY, SAID IMPELLER PLATE HAVING A DIAMETER SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE DIAMETER OF THE BOTTOM END OF SAID INNER CASING AND DEFINING THEREWITH AT LEAST ONE APERTURE THROUGH WHICH METERIAL ON THE UPPER SUFRACE OF SAID PLATE IS DISCHARGED BY CENTRIFUGAL ACTION INTO THE LOWER END OF THE FLUIDISATION CHAMBER, FEED MEANS FOR INTRODUCING FRESH MATERIAL MOUNTED WITHIN SAID INNER CASING AND EXTENDING DOWN THERETHROUGH TO DISCHARGE MATERIAL ONTO THE CENTER AREA OF THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID IMPELLER PLATE, ENTRY MEANS AT THE BOTTOM OF SAID OUTER CASING TO DISCHARGE FLUID AGAINST THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID IMPELLER PLATE WHEREBY MATERIAL DISCHARGE BY SAID IMPELLER PLATE INTO THE LOWER END OF THE FLUIDISTATION CHAMBER IS CARRIED UP INTO A STATE OF FLUIDISATION BY FLUID FLOWING ACROSS THE UNDERSIDE OF THE SAID PLATE AND UP PAST THE PLATE PERIPHERY, COLLECTOR MEANS ON SAID OUTER CASING FOR COLLECTING MATERIAL FROM THE FLUIDISATION CHAMBER, AND AN OUTLET TRUNK FOR FLUID EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM WITHIN SAID INNER CASING.