# US 11,439,962 B2 · System for continuous make-down of powder material > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,439,962 B2 - Document ID: US11439962B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/811,689 - Filed: 2020-03-06 - Published: 2020-09-10 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2019-03-07 - Assignees: Ecolab USA Inc. - Applicants: Ecolab USA Inc. - Inventors: Cheng-Sung Huang; Shahin Zarghamin; Larry G. Triplett; Heqing Huang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11439962B2 ## CPC - B01F 27/091: with elements co-operating with receptacle wall or bottom, e.g. for scraping the receptacle wall - B01F 21/02: {Methods} - B01F 21/10: using driven stirrers - B01F 21/15: {comprising constructions for blocking or redispersing undissolved solids, e.g. sieves, separators or guiding constructions (B01F21/221 takes precedence)} - B01F 23/53: using driven stirrers - B01F 23/56: {by introducing solids in liquids, e.g. dispersing or dissolving} - B01F 27/1125: with vanes or blades extending parallel or oblique to the stirrer axis - B01F 27/191: with similar elements - B01F 27/192: with dissimilar elements - B01F 35/123: {using scrapers for cleaning mixers} - B01F 35/2113: {Pressure} - B01F 35/2132: {Concentration, pH, pOH, p(ION) or oxygen-demand (B01F35/2133 takes precedence)} - B01F 35/22141: {Speed of feeding of at least one component to be mixed} - B01F 21/503: {Filters} - B01F 2101/2805: {Mixing plastics, polymer material ingredients, monomers or oligomers} - B01F: MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING (mixing paints B44D3/06) ## Abstract A system for continuously making-down a dry powder material is provided. The system may include a liquid supply system, a material feed system, a vessel, a filter, and an agitator. The vessel may receive a continuous supply of liquid from the liquid supply system and a continuous supply of dry powder from the material feed system. The liquid and material may be discharged continuously from the vessel. A filter may sealingly extend across the outlet to filter the solution exiting the vessel. The filter may include an upstream surface in contact with the inner volume of the vessel. The agitator may be disposed within the vessel and may be configured to agitate the contents of the vessel. The agitator may include a wiping member configured to contact the upstream surface of the filter while agitating the contents. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for continuous make-down of a material, the apparatus comprising: a liquid supply system including a pump operative to provide a continuous supply of liquid; a material feed system operative to provide a continuous supply of dry powder of the material; a vessel defining an inner volume configured to contain a volume of liquid, the vessel including an inlet and an outlet, the inlet being in fluid communication with the liquid supply system and the inner volume, the inlet being configured to receive liquid from the liquid supply system and the dry powder from the material feed system, the outlet being in fluid communication with the inner volume; a filter sealingly extending across the outlet whereby liquid exiting the vessel through the outlet passes through the filter, the filter having an upstream surface in contact with the inner volume; and an agitator disposed within the vessel and configured to agitate the inner volume, the agitator including a wiping member configured to contact the upstream surface of the filter while agitating the inner volume. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wiping member comprises at least one strip of flexible material. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the agitator includes a motor operatively connected to a drive shaft and a plurality of blades mounted on the drive shaft. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the agitator includes an upper impeller and a lower impeller, the lower impeller including the wiping member. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the upper impeller includes a first plurality of spaced apart blades and the lower impeller includes a second plurality of spaced apart blades. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the wiping member is mounted to a lower portion of at least one of the second blades. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further including a first pressure sensor disposed within the vessel and a second pressure sensor disposed on a discharge member adjacent and in fluid communication with a downstream surface of the filter. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the discharge member has an inverted frusto-conical shape. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inlet is positioned at a top end of the vessel such that the substances delivered to the inner volume are gravity-fed. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the outlet is positioned at a bottom end of the vessel. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wiping member is constructed of a friction-tempering substance. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the friction-tempering substance comprises a fluoropolymer. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a wetting unit for continuously wetting the dry powder with liquid from the liquid supply system. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the wetting unit comprises an eductor, the eductor being configured to receive the continuous supply of dry powder from the material feed system and receive the continuous supply of liquid from the liquid supply system, the eductor having an outlet in fluid communication with the inlet of the vessel. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a concentration-measuring detector configured to detect a concentration of the material present in the liquid exiting the inner volume through the outlet. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the concentration measuring detector is a reflectometer. ### Claim 17 An apparatus for continuous make-down of a material, the apparatus comprising: a liquid supply system including a pump operative to provide a continuous supply of liquid; a material feed system operative to provide a continuous supply of dry powder of the material; a wetting unit for continuously wetting the dry powder with liquid from the liquid supply system to form a mixture, the wetting unit comprising an outlet; a vessel defining an inner volume for containing a volume of liquid, the vessel including an inlet and an outlet, the inlet being in fluid communication with the liquid supply system and the inner volume, the inlet being configured to receive the mixture from the wetting unit, the outlet being in fluid communication with the inner volume and configured to continuously deliver a dilute aqueous solution of the polymer formed in the inner volume; a filter sealingly extending across the outlet whereby the dilute aqueous solution exiting the vessel through the outlet passes through the filter, the filter having an upstream surface within the inner volume; and an agitator disposed within the vessel and configured to agitate the inner volume, the agitator including a wiping member configured to contact the upstream surface of the filter while agitating the inner volume. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the wetting unit comprises an eductor, the eductor being configured to receive the continuous supply of dry powder from the material feed system and receive the continuous supply of liquid from the liquid supply system, the eductor having an outlet in fluid communication with the inlet of the vessel. ### Claim 19 A method of continuous make-down of material, the method comprising: continuously delivering a liquid to a wetting unit; continuously delivering a dry powder of the material to the wetting unit; wetting the dry powder with the liquid to form a mixture of liquid and the material; delivering the mixture to an inner volume of a vessel; continuously agitating the mixture contained in the inner volume of the vessel to form a solution; continuously removing a discharge volume of the solution contained in the inner volume of the vessel while passing the discharge volume through a filter and through an outlet of the vessel, the filter having an upstream surface in contact the inner volume of the vessel; and wiping the upstream surface of the filter while agitating the mixture. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising determining a pressure differential between the upstream surface of the filter and a downstream surface of the filter. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, further comprising determining an upstream pressure adjacent the upstream surface of the filter with a first pressure sensor disposed within the vessel and determining a downstream pressure adjacent the downstream surface of the filter with a second pressure sensor disposed on a discharge member adjacent and in fluid communication with the downstream surface of the filter. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, further comprising controlling an amount of mixture entering or discharge volume of the solution exiting the vessel based upon the pressure differential. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the wiping step includes rotating at least one impeller blade having a wiping member thereon, and the wiping member contacting the upstream surface of the filter. ### Claim 24 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising detecting a concentration of the material present in the discharge volume of the solution exiting the inner volume through the outlet. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, wherein the detecting step is performed with a reflectometer.