High throughput brine generating system

A brine generation system comprising:

• a tank having an upper opening for receiving salt crystals to fill the tank;
• a divider separating the tank into an upper salt crystal holding portion and a lower brine holding portion, the divider providing an intermediate channel positioned above the lower brine holding portion, the intermediate channel adapted for accumulating nonsoluble particles that may be mixed with the salt crystals by sedimentation;
• a set of water jets disposed within the upper salt crystal holding portion of the tank, the set of water jets adapted to discharge fresh water or a brine solution into the upper salt crystal holding portion to dissolve salt crystals;
• a mechanical sweeper associated with the intermediate channel, the mechanical sweeper adapted to collect and discharge non-soluble particles from the intermediate channel out of the tank through an opening extending through a wall of the tank;
• a lower channel formed below the intermediate channel at a lower position in the lower brine holding portion, the lower channel adapted for accumulating non-soluble particles found in a brine solution that percolates from the upper salt crystal holding portion when the set of water jets is active;
• and
• a brine outlet extending through the wall of the tank at an outlet height, the outlet height being above the lower channel and below the intermediate channel;
• wherein the brine outlet is adapted to withdraw brine solution from the lower portion of the tank.

A method for generating a brine solution useful for treating roadways against ice accumulation thereon, the method comprising:

• providing a tank that is segmented into upper and lower portions, the upper portion adapted for containing salt crystals, and the lower portion adapted for containing the brine solution;
• operating one or more water jets within the upper portion when salt crystals are present in the upper portion, the water jets providing water streams aimed towards the salt crystals such that the water jets dissolve salt crystals to form the brine solution in the upper portion;
• allowing the brine solution from the upper portion to percolate through a permeable divider that has a non-permeable section and that separates the upper and lower portions such that the brine solution is collected in the lower portion;
• operating the water jets such that at least a portion of the water streams impinges the nonpermeable portion of the divider to create a turbulent region adapted to promote salt crystal dissolution;
• providing one or more screens in the divider through which the brine solution passes such that any non-soluble particles present within the salt crystals can collect on at least one screen;
• and
• operating a sweeper device adapted to collect non-soluble particles from the at least one screen and eject the collected non-soluble particles through an openable port extending through a wall of the tank.