Irradiation plant for flowable material

Claim 2

An irradiation plant for the batch treatment of flowable material comprising a vessel having a wall defining a surface of revolution about a vertical axis and enclosing an irradiation chamber; a partition within said chamber defining a coaxial surface of revolution with said wall and dividing said irradiation chamber into two coaxial zones; and a circulating means in said irradiation chamber for circulating the flowable material successively through said two coaxial zones and in a sequence of opposite flow directions.

Claim 3

An irradiation plant as set forth in claim 1 wherein said circulating means includes an impeller mounted within said partition for reversible rotation.

Claim 4

An irradiation plant as set forth in claim 1 wherein said surface of revolution of said wall is circular-cylindrical over the height of said partition.

Claim 5

An irradiation plant as set forth in claim 2 wherein said wall narrows continuously above said partition in a direction away from said partition.

Claim 6

An irradiation plant as set forth in claim 4 wherein said wall forms a part-toroidal surface above said partition.

Claim 7

An irradiation plant as set forth in claim 1 wherein said partition defines a circular-cylindrical surface of revolution.

Claim 8

An irradiation plant as set forth in claim 1 wherein said circulating means is disposed within said partition.

Claim 9

An irradiation plant as set forth in claim 7 wherein said partition forms a constriction about said circulating means.

Claim 10

An irradiation plant as set forth in claim 7 wherein said circulating means includes at least two impeller blades within said chamber for inducing a flow of the flowable material.

Claim 11

An irradiation plant as set forth in claim 1 wherein said circulating means includes a reversible drive.

Claim 12

An irradiation plant as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a bodY of revolution having an upwardly flaring trumpet-shaped disposed above and in coaxial relation to said partition in the vicinity of the normal surface level of the material flowing through said chamber.

Claim 13

An irradiation plant as set forth in claim 11 wherein said wall forms a part-toroidal surface above said partition and in coaxial coplanar relation with said body of revolution.

Claim 14

An irradiation plant as set forth in claim 1 wherein said partition includes a plurality of elongated radiation source receiving cavities extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of said partition.

Claim 15

An irradiation plant as set forth in claim 13 wherein said cavities are interconnected to each other for passage of a flow of coolant therethrough and which further includes means for connecting said cavities to a coolant source.

Claim 16

An irradiation plant as set forth in claim 14 wherein said cavities are arranged in at least one group, with the cavities in each group being connected in series.

Claim 17

An irradiation plant as set forth in claim 1 further comprising an annular radiation source magazine removably mounted between said wall and said partition.

Claim 18

An irradiation plant as set forth in claim 1 wherein said partition is of shorter length than said vessel wall and is disposed intermediately of the length of said wall to define flow passages interconnecting said two coaxial zones for recirculation of the flowable material through said zones.

Claim 19

An irradiation plant for the batch treatment of sewage sludge comprising a concrete vessel having an irradiation chamber with a circular-cylindrical cross-section about a vertical axis and a cover closing said chamber; a coaxial partition within said chamber dividing said chamber into two coaxial radiation zones, said partition including two coaxial tubes and a plurality of radial webs interconnecting said tubes and defining cavities therebetween; plugs at the top of each of said cavities for closing said cavities; an impeller mounted on an upper part of one of said radiation zones inside said partition for recirculating the sludge to be irradiated through said zones; a constriction within said one zone in the vicinity of said impeller; a supply pipe for supplying sludge to be irradiated in a side of said vessel; a valve in said supply pipe having a closure member to close said pipe; and a discharge valve in the bottom of said vessel for discharging sludge after irradiation, said discharge valve having a closure member for closing said discharge valve.

Claim 20

An irradiation plant for the batch treatment of sewage sludge comprising a concrete vessel having an irradiation chamber with a circular-cylindrical cross-section about a vertical axis and a cover closing said chamber; a coaxial partition within said chamber dividing said chamber into two coaxial radiation zones, said partition including two coaxial tubes and a plurality of radial webs interconnecting said tubes and defining cavities therebetween; plugs at the top of each of said cavities for closing said cavities; an impeller mounted on an upper part of one of said radiation zones inside said partition for recirculating the sludge to be irradiated through said zones; a constriction within said one zone in the vicinity of said impeller; a supply pipe for supplying sludge to be irradiated in a side of said vessel; a valve in said supply pipe having a closure member to close said pipe; and a discharge valve in the bottom of said vessel for discharging sludge after irradiation, said discharge valve having a closure member for closing said discharge valve.