US 10,987,616 B2 · Tumbler systems and methods

Abstract

A tumbler may be used as defluidizer, dryer, coater, classifier, or dynamic filter. The tumbler includes a rotatable drum that receives a solid/fluid slurry through an inlet chute. As the slurry travels through the drum, fluid exits the drum through a plurality of apertures in screens attached to the sides of the drum, while the solids continue along the drum's length until they reach one or more openings and exit the drum into an outlet chute. The outlet chute includes ridges that wrap around rings extending from the openings of the drum to prevent solids from escaping the outlet chute. To further dry the solids before they exit the drum, an air tube at least partially disposed within the drum is configured to introduce a flow of air into the drum.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A conditioning unit for conditioning materials, the conditioning unit comprising:

a drum comprising:
an inlet end;
an outlet end opposite the inlet end;
a plurality of frame members extending from the inlet end to the outlet end and defining a plurality of sides, each of the sides housing one or more screens, and one or more of the sides having an opening proximate the outlet end of the drum;
and
one or more annular rings each bordering a side of the opening of the one or more sides proximate the outlet end of the drum;
an inlet chute in fluid communication with the inlet end of the drum, the inlet chute being configured to direct a flow of materials into the drum;
and
an outlet chute in fluid communication with the opening of the one or more sides proximate the outlet end of the drum, the outlet chute having one or more ridges configured to at least partially overlap with the one or more annular rings of the drum to contain a flow of conditioned materials exiting the drum within the outlet chute.

6 more elements

A method for conditioning materials in a tumbler, the method comprising:

feeding a flow of materials into an inlet end of a drum of the tumbler, the drum having a plurality of sides extending from the inlet end to an outlet end of the drum, each of the sides housing one or more screens, one or more of the sides having an opening;
rotating the drum containing the flow of materials;
and
conditioning the flow of materials within the rotating drum, wherein conditioning the flow of materials comprises introducing one or more coating materials into the rotating drum to coat the flow of materials within the drum;
and
directing the flow of conditioned materials from the drum through the opening of the one or more sides to exit the tumbler.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Tumbler systems and methods

Life of this patent

Tumbler systems and methods

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims24