US 2015/0092511 A1 · SHEAR-THINNING OF SLURRIES

Abstract

A method of shear-thinning a slurry includes transferring slurry to be shear-thinned from a primary vessel or reservoir to a secondary vessel or reservoir, withdrawing at least a portion of the slurry in the secondary vessel or reservoir by means of a pump or motive device as a shear device thereby shear-thinning the withdrawn slurry, and returning or recycling at least a portion of the shear-thinned slurry back to the secondary vessel or reservoir. The slurry is withdrawn through an outlet from the secondary vessel or reservoir and is returned to the secondary vessel or reservoir through an inlet into the secondary vessel or reservoir with the inlet being spaced from the outlet. The returned shear-thinned slurry has a reduced yield stress compared to slurry in the primary vessel or reservoir and the returned shear-thinned slurry is allowed to mix in the secondary vessel or reservoir with slurry transferred from the primary vessel or reservoir thereby to lower the overall yield stress of slurry in the secondary vessel or reservoir. Some of the slurry in the secondary vessel or reservoir with the lower overall yield stress is transferred away.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A method of shear-thinning a slurry, the method including

transferring slurry to be shear-thinned from a primary vessel or reservoir to a secondary vessel or reservoir;
withdrawing at least a portion of the slurry in the secondary vessel or reservoir by means of a pump or motive device acting as a shear device thereby shear-thinning the withdrawn slurry in the pump or motive device;
returning or recycling at least a portion of said shear-thinned slurry back to the secondary vessel or reservoir, the slurry to be shear-thinned being withdrawn through an outlet from the secondary vessel or reservoir and the shear-thinned slurry being returned to the secondary vessel or reservoir by discharging said shear-thinned slurry in tangential fashion into an interior of the secondary vessel or reservoir through an inlet into the secondary vessel or reservoir, the inlet being spaced from the outlet and the returned shear-thinned slurry thus having a reduced yield stress compared to slurry in the primary vessel or reservoir;
allowing the returned shear-thinned slurry to mix in the secondary vessel or reservoir with slurry transferred from the primary vessel or reservoir thereby to lower the overall yield stress of slurry in the secondary vessel or reservoir;
and
transferring away from the secondary vessel or reservoir some of said slurry in the secondary vessel or reservoir with the lower overall yield stress.

3 more elements

A shear-thinning apparatus or facility for lowering the yield stress of a slurry, the apparatus or facility including

a primary vessel or reservoir for holding a slurry to be shear thinned;
a secondary vessel or reservoir in flow communication with the primary vessel or reservoir, the secondary vessel or reservoir having an outlet;
and
at least one pump or motive device to act as a shear device in flow communication with said outlet to receive slurry from the secondary vessel or reservoir and also in flow communication with an inlet discharging into the secondary vessel or reservoir to return shear-thinned slurry to the secondary vessel or reservoir, the inlet discharging into the secondary vessel or reservoir being arranged to discharge shear-thinned slurry tangentially against an interior surface of the secondary vessel or reservoir;
and
transfer means in flow communication with the secondary vessel or reservoir to transfer shear-thinned slurry away from the secondary vessel or reservoir.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Shear-thinning of slurries

Life of this patent

Shear-thinning of slurries

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22