Apparatus and method for dispersing solid particles in a liquid

Claim 2

A solids-liquid mixing apparatus for dispersing a particulate solid material in a liquid, which comprises: a wetted wall funnel having a throat of reduced cross-section; a solids container; frame means for supporting said wetted wall funnel in a substantially vertical position with said throat at the bottom; solids conduit means communicating said solids container and said wetted wall funnel for conducting particulate solid material from said solids container to said wetted wall funnel; liquid distributor means for flowing liquid substantially uniformly over the interior surface of said wetted wall funnel; liquid conduit means attached to and communicating with the throat of said wetted wall funnel for flowing liquid past the throat of said funnel; and a pump installed in said liquid conduit means downstream of said wetted wall funnel, said pump having a volumetric capacity exceeding the combined volumetric liquid supply rate to said apparatus whereby a vacuum is induced in said liquid conduit means adjacent to the throat of said wetted wall funnel.

Claim 3

The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said liquid distributor means comprises an annular chamber at the large end of said wetted wall funnel, a liquid inlet conduit to introduce liquid into said chamber, and a plurality of discharge apertures located substantially uniformly about the periphery of said annular chamber.

Claim 4

The apparatus defineD in claim 1 wherein said solids container is a closed vessel and including means to maintain a blanket of gas in said container at substantially atmospheric pressure.

Claim 5

The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said solids container has an open top and wherein said solids conduit means is a flexible conduit that is insertable into said solids container.

Claim 6

A solids-liquid mixing apparatus for dispersing a particulate solid in a liquid, which comprises: a wetted wall funnel having a throat of reduced cross-section and an annular chamber at its large end, said chamber having a plurality of discharge apertures to distribute liquid within said annular chamber substantially uniformly over the interior surface of said wetted wall funnel; frame means for supporting said wetted wall funnel in a substantially vertical position with said throat at the bottom; a solids container; solids conduit means communicating said solids container and said wetted wall funnel for conducting particulate solid material from said solids container to said wetted wall funnel; liquid inlet means to introduce liquid into said annular chamber; liquid conduit means attached to and communicating with the throat of said wetted wall funnel for flowing liquid past the throat of said funnel; and a pump installed in said liquid conduit means downstream of said wetted wall funnel, said pump having a volumetric capacity exceeding the combined volumetric liquid supply rate to said apparatus whereby a vacuum is induced in liquid conduit means adjacent to the throat of said wetted wall funnel.

Claim 7

A solids-liquid mixing apparatus for dispersing a particulate solid in a liquid, which comprises: a wetted wall funnel having a throat of reduced cross-section and an annular chamber at its large end, said chamber having a plurality of discharge apertures to distribute liquid within said annular chamber substantially uniformly over the interior surface of said wetted wall funnel; frame means for supporting said wetted wall funnel in a substantially vertical position with said throat at the bottom; a solids container; solids conduit means communicating said solids container and said wetted wall funnel for conducting particulate solid material from said solids container to said wetted wall funnel; liquid inlet means to introduce liquid into said annular chamber; liquid conduit means attached to and communicating with the throat of said wetted wall funnel for flowing liquid past the throat of said funnel; and a pump installed in said liquid conduit means downstream of said wetted wall funnel, said pump having a volumetric capacity exceeding the combined volumetric liquid supply rate to said apparatus whereby a vacuum is induced in liquid conduit means adjacent to the throat of said wetted wall funnel.

Claim 8

The apparatus defined in claim 5 wherein said solids container is closed vessel and including means to maintain a blanket of gas in said vessel at substantially atmospheric pressure.

Claim 9

The apparatus defined in claim 5 wherein said solids container has an open top and wherein said solids conduit means is a flexible conduit that is insertable into said solids container.

Claim 10

A solids-liquid mixing apparatus for dispersing a particulate solid in a liquid, which comprises: a wetted wall funnel comprised of (1) a truncated conical member having a throat of reduced cross-section, (2) a flat annular ring having a relatively large central opening and plurality of small apertures substantially uniformly disposed about its periphery, said ring being radially mounted at an intermediate location within said conical member adjacent to the large diameter end of said conical member, (3) a cover plate removably secured to the large diameter end of said conical member, said cover plate having an axially aligned cylindrical baffle projecting downwardly from the bottom of said coverplate and through the central opening in said flat ring, whereby an annular chamber is formed at the large end of said conical member; frame means for supporting said wetted wall funnel in a substantially vertical position with said throat at the bottom; a solids container; liquid inlet means for introducing liquid into said annular chamber; a solids conduit communicating said solids container and said wetted wall funnel; a Tee-shaped liquid conduit section removably attached to the throat of said conical member; liquid conduit means attached to and communicating with said Tee-shaped liquid conduit section for flowing liquid through said Tee-shaped conduit section past the throat of said conical member; and a pump installed in said liquid conduit means downstream of said wetted wall funnel, said pump having a volumetric capacity exceeding the combined volumetric liquid supply rate to said apparatus whereby a vacuum is induced in said liquid conduit means adjacent to the throat of said wetted wall funnel.

Claim 11

A solids-liquid mixing apparatus for dispersing a particulate solid in a liquid, which comprises: a wetted wall funnel comprised of (1) a truncated conical member having a throat of reduced cross-section, (2) a flat annular ring having a relatively large central opening and plurality of small apertures substantially uniformly disposed about its periphery, said ring being radially mounted at an intermediate location within said conical member adjacent to the large diameter end of said conical member, (3) a cover plate removably secured to the large diameter end of said conical member, said cover plate having an axially aligned cylindrical baffle projecting downwardly from the bottom of said coverplate and through the central opening in said flat ring, whereby an annular chamber is formed at the large end of said conical member; frame means for supporting said wetted wall funnel in a substantially vertical position with said throat at the bottom; a solids container; liquid inlet means for introducing liquid into said annular chamber; a solids conduit communicating said solids container and said wetted wall funnel; a Tee-shaped liquid conduit section removably attached to the throat of said conical member; liquid conduit means attached to and communicating with said Tee-shaped liquid conduit section for flowing liquid through said Tee-shaped conduit section past the throat of said conical member; and a pump installed in said liquid conduit means downstream of said wetted wall funnel, said pump having a volumetric capacity exceeding the combined volumetric liquid supply rate to said apparatus whereby a vacuum is induced in said liquid conduit means adjacent to the throat of said wetted wall funnel.

Claim 12

The apparatus defined in claim 8 wherein said solids container is a closed vessel and including means to maintain a blanket of gas in said vessel at substantially atmospheric pressure.

Claim 13

The apparatus defined in claim 8 wherein said soliDs container has an open top and wherein said solids conduit means is a flexible conduit that is insertable into said solids container.

Claim 16

The method defined in claim 11 wherein said first portion of said liquid is introduced into said wetted wall funnel in the amount of about 0.05 to 0.4 gallons per square foot of wetted surface of said funnel.

Claim 17

The method defined in claim 11 wherein said particulate solid material is introduced into said wetted wall funnel in an amount equivalent to about 0.03 to 0.6 pounds per gallon of said first portion of liquid.

Claim 18

The method defined in claim 11 wherein a vacuum of at least about 15 inches of mercury is maintained at the throat of said funnel.

Claim 19

The method defined in claim 11 wherein a blanket of gas at substantially atmospheric pressure is maintained over said reservoir of particulate solid material.