Method and apparatus for anaerobic sludge digestion mixing and heat exchange
AssigneeChicago Bridge & Iron Company
InventorsDavid Thomas Creech, Koray Kuscu, Chelsea Erin LaHaye, Stephen Hsu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The embodiments herein disclose a method and apparatus for mixing sludge retained in a digester. A jet nozzle assembly for mixing contents of a vessel is used. The jet nozzle assembly having a central outlet pipe terminating at a jet nozzle, a low pressure nozzle assembly disposed concentrically about the central outlet pipe, the low pressure low pressure nozzle having a plurality of openings disposed circumferentially about the low pressure nozzle assembly. The plurality of openings are an axial distance from the outlet jet nozzle.
Claims25
A jet nozzle assembly for mixing contents of a vessel, the jet nozzle assembly comprising:
- a central pipe terminating at a jet nozzle;
- a low pressure nozzle assembly disposed concentrically about the central pipe, the low pressure nozzle comprising a plurality of openings disposed circumferentially about the low pressure nozzle assembly, a cylindrical wall, and a conical wall section connecting a top of the cylindrical wall to the central pipe, and wherein the plurality of openings comprise circular openings in the conical wall;
- wherein the plurality of openings are an axial distance from the outlet jet nozzle.
A digester system comprising;
- a vessel;
- a jet nozzle assembly disposed proximate to a top of the vessel, a bottom of the vessel, or both, the jet nozzle assembly comprising:
- a central pipe terminating at a jet nozzle;
- a low pressure nozzle assembly disposed concentrically about the central pipe, the low pressure nozzle comprising a plurality of openings disposed circumferentially about the low pressure nozzle assembly and a conical wall connecting the top of the cylindrical wall to the central pipe below the jet nozzle;
- wherein the plurality of openings are an axial distance from the outlet jet nozzle;
- a pump associated with the jet nozzle assembly for circulating fluid from the low pressure nozzles to the jet nozzle and mix contents within the vessel.
A process for operating a digester system comprising;
- feeding sludge into a vessel via a sludge inlet;
- drawing sludge into a recirculation system through one or more openings in a low pressure nozzle assembly;
- pressurizing the drawn sludge via a recirculation pump;
- ejecting the pressurized sludge through a jet nozzle into the digester system;
- forming a free jet within the digester system;
- mixing the sludge in the digester system via the free jet;
- monitoring a level of sediment in the digester system using a sediment level sensor;
- and
- removing sediment from a bottom of the digester system through a sediment removal assembly;
- wherein the low pressure nozzle assembly is disposed circumferentially around the jet nozzle, forming a jet nozzle assembly.
A jet nozzle assembly for mixing contents of a vessel, the jet nozzle assembly comprising:
- a central pipe terminating at a jet nozzle;
- a low pressure nozzle assembly having one or more openings disposed on the low pressure nozzle assembly;
- the low pressure nozzle assembly comprises a cylindrical wall and a conical wall section connecting a top of the cylindrical wall to the central pipe, wherein the one or more openings comprise circular openings in the conical wall.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.