Retort fluid suction system
AssigneeJohn Bean Technologies Corporation
InventorEduard Hendrikus Johannes Damhuis
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Abstract
A fluid suction system for a retort having a vessel with a vessel length, pooled fluid at a bottom of the vessel defining a fluid surface level, and an outlet placing the vessel in fluid communication with a pump includes an elongated manifold for placement along the bottom of the vessel in fluid communication with the outlet. The pooled fluid flows into and through the manifold when the pooled fluid is suctioned by the pump, and the fluid surface level of the pooled fluid remains substantially even along at least a portion of the vessel length as the pooled fluid is suctioned by the pump.
Claims14
A fluid suction system for a first retort having a vessel with a vessel length, pooled fluid at a bottom of the vessel defining a fluid surface level, and a retort vessel outlet placing the vessel in fluid communication with a pump, the fluid suction system comprising an elongated manifold having a length for placement along the bottom of the vessel in fluid communication with the retort vessel outlet, wherein the pooled fluid flows into and through the elongated manifold when the pooled fluid is suctioned by the pump, and wherein the fluid surface level of the pooled fluid inside the vessel remains substantially even along the length of the elongated manifold as the pooled fluid is suctioned by the pump at a selected flow rate that is substantially higher than what gravity would otherwise provide to remove the pooled fluid from the bottom of the vessel, wherein the elongated manifold has a hollow body with a length, wherein the body includes an intermediate section and first and second end sections, a body outlet opening in fluid communication with the retort vessel outlet, and a plurality of suction openings defined along at least a portion of the length of the body that are in fluid communication with the pooled fluid at the bottom of the vessel, and wherein at least one of a cross-sectional size of the elongated body decreases as it extends from the intermediate section toward both the first and second ends sections and the suction openings in the body are smaller in size near the body outlet opening in comparison to the suction openings near the first and second end sections such that substantially even suction flow into the body results along the length of the elongated manifold as the pooled fluid is suctioned by the pump.
A fluid retort system, comprising:
- a vessel with a vessel length;
- pooled fluid at a bottom of the vessel defining a fluid surface level;
- a retort vessel outlet placing the vessel in fluid communication with a pump;
- and
- a fluid suction system comprising an elongated manifold having a length and configured for placement along the bottom of the vessel in fluid communication with the retort vessel outlet, wherein the pooled fluid flows into and through the manifold when the pooled fluid is suctioned by the pump, and wherein the fluid surface level of the pooled fluid remains substantially even along the length of the elongated manifold as the pooled fluid inside the vessel is suctioned by the pump at a selected flow rate that is substantially higher than what gravity would otherwise provide to remove the pooled fluid from the bottom of the vessel, wherein the elongated manifold has a hollow body with a length, wherein the body includes an intermediate section and first and second end sections, a body outlet opening in fluid communication with the retort vessel outlet, and a plurality of suction openings defined along at least a portion of the length of the body that are in fluid communication with the pooled fluid at the bottom of the vessel, and wherein at least one of a cross-sectional size of the elongated body decreases as it extends from the intermediate section toward both the first and second ends sections and the suction openings in the body are smaller in size near the body outlet opening in comparison to the suction openings near the first and second end sections such that substantially even suction flow into the body results along the length of the elongated manifold as the pooled fluid is suctioned by the pump.
A fluid suction system for a first retort having a vessel with a vessel length, pooled fluid at a bottom of the vessel defining a fluid surface level, the fluid suction system comprising an elongated manifold having a length for placement along a bottom of the vessel, wherein the pooled fluid flows into and through the elongated manifold when the pooled fluid is suctioned by a pump, and wherein the fluid surface level of the pooled fluid inside the vessel remains substantially even along the length of the elongated manifold as the pooled fluid is suctioned by the pump at a selected flow rate that is substantially higher than what gravity would otherwise provide to remove the pooled fluid from the bottom of the vessel, wherein the elongated manifold has a hollow body with a length, wherein the body includes an intermediate section and at least one end section and a plurality of suction openings defined along at least a portion of the length of the body that are in fluid communication with the pooled fluid at the bottom of the vessel, and wherein at least one of a cross-sectional size of the elongated body decreases as it extends from the intermediate section toward the at least one end section and the suction openings in the body are smaller in size near the intermediate section in comparison to the suction openings near the at least one end section such that substantially even suction flow into the body results along the length of the elongated manifold as the pooled fluid is suctioned by the pump.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.