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US 11,731,142 B2Granted
Methods of jet milling and systems
AssigneeQwave Solutions, Inc.
InventorsRichard Troiano, Cliff Raleigh, Jeffrey Badac
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods of grinding materials. The methods may include introducing a material and a circulating fluid to a jet mill and recycling the circulating fluid. The material may include coal. Systems of grinding materials also are provided.
Claims18
A method of grinding one or more substances, the method comprising:
- disposing in a grinding chamber of a jet mill a first stream comprising (i) a circulating fluid and (ii) particles of a material to produce a second stream comprising (a) the circulating fluid and (b) a ground material, wherein the jet mill is pressurized by the circulating fluid;
- forwarding the second stream to a cyclone separator, wherein the cyclone separator is configured to separate a first portion of the ground material from a second portion of the ground material, wherein the first portion of the ground material includes particles having a particle size equal to or greater than a threshold particle size, and the second portion of the material includes particles having a particle size less than the threshold particle size;
- collecting the first portion of the ground material in a first collector;
- forwarding to a second collector a third stream comprising (1) the circulating fluid and (2) the second portion of the ground material, wherein the second collector is configured to separate the second portion of the ground material from the third stream to produce a fourth stream comprising the circulating fluid;
- and
- contacting the fourth stream with additional particles of the material to produce a fifth stream;
- wherein the jet mill comprises the grinding chamber;
- a manifold comprising at least one first fluid inlet, wherein the manifold encircles the grinding chamber;
- and a feed tube assembly comprising a hollow body having (A) a second fluid inlet and (B) a material inlet;
- wherein the grinding chamber is in fluid communication with the manifold and the hollow body of the feed tube assembly;
- wherein the disposing of the first stream in the grinding chamber of the jet mill comprises—
- disposing the particles of the material in the material inlet of the feed tube assembly, and
- disposing the circulating fluid in the grinding chamber and the feed tube assembly via the at least one first fluid inlet and the second fluid inlet, respectively.
10 more elements
A system for grinding materials, the system comprising:
- a jet mill configured to reduce an average particle size of a material to produce a ground material,
- a cyclone separator configured to separate a first portion of the ground material and a second portion of the ground material, wherein the first portion of the ground material includes particles having a size equal to or greater than a threshold particle size, and the second portion of the ground material includes particles having a size less than the threshold particle size;
- a first collector configured to collect the first portion of the ground material, and
- a second collector configured to collect the second portion of the ground material, and
- a compressor;
- wherein the jet mill is in fluid communication with the cyclone separator, the cyclone separator is in fluid communication with the first collector and the second collector, the second collector is in fluid communication with the compressor, and the compressor is in fluid communication with the jet mill;
- and
- wherein the compressor is configured to continuously provide a circulating fluid to the jet mill, the cyclone separator, and the second collector;
- wherein the jet mill comprises a grinding chamber;
- a manifold comprising at least one first fluid inlet, wherein the manifold encircles the grinding chamber;
- and
- a feed tube assembly comprising a hollow body having (A) a second fluid inlet and (B) a material inlet;
- and
- wherein the grinding chamber is in fluid communication with the manifold and the hollow body of the feed tube assembly, and the at least one first fluid inlet and the second fluid inlet are configured to provide the circulating fluid to the grinding chamber and the feeder, respectively.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.