Process for making slush

Claim 1

A process for making slush comprising the following steps: (a) delivering liquid cryogen in mid-air at a flow rate in the range of about 15 gpm to about 250 gpm and at a pressure in the range of about 2 psig to about 50 psig, the delivery being effected by a right circular cone-shaped spray wherein the hypothetical axis of the cone is horizontal or at a downward angle of about 1 to about 90 degrees from the horizontal; (b) delivering a liquid to be slushed also in mid-air in a direction co-current with the liquid cryogen at a flow rate in the range of about 0.5 to about 5 times the flow rate of the liquid cryogen and at a pressure in the range of about 0.5 to about 2 times the pressure of the liquid cryogen, the delivery being effected by 1 to 5 sets of 2 to 8 right circular cone-shaped sprays per set wherein (i) the apex of each cone in a set is equidistant from the apex of each other cone in the set and from the axis referred to in step (a); (ii) the radial distance A measured from the axis referred to in step (a) to the apex of a cone in any set is in the range of about 0.5 to about 8 inches; (iii) the distance B measured along the axis referred to in step (a) from the apex of the cone referred to in step (a) to the point of intersection of a hypothetical radial line drawn from said axis to the apex of a cone in any set is in the range of about 0.5 to about 12 inches; and (iv) the value of A or B is selected for each set and the unselected value of A or B for said set is determined in accordance with step (c); and (c) determining the value of the unselected A or B for the set referred to in step (b) (iv) in accordance with the following equation: ##EQU4## wherein: A and B are defined as in step (b), above C=one half of the spray angle of the spray referred to in step (a) D=the acute angle formed by the axis referred to in step (a) and the hypothetical axis of any cone in the set E=the number of sprays selected for the set F=one half of the spray angle of any spray in the set provided, however, in the event that the value of A or B as determined by the equation is outside of the ranges therefor set forth in step (b), then, the value of A or B shall be the value set forth in step (b), which is closest to the value determined therefor by the equation.