Heating, mixing and hydrating apparatus and process
AssigneeHydramach Limited
InventorsRichard Hefford HOBBS, Martin PRESCOTT
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Abstract
The invention relates to apparatus and a process for mixing a gas/vapour with a process liquid comprising a material and a carrier liquid. The apparatus comprises a passage (10) of polygonal cross section having an inlet (14), an outlet (16) for a process liquid comprising the material, and a nozzle (24) for introducing supersonic gas/vapour at a mixing zone (42) in a single plane.
Claims35
Apparatus for mixing a material with a gas/vapour, the apparatus comprising:
- i. a passage defined by a wall and having an inlet for a process liquid comprising the material and a carrier liquid and an outlet such that the process liquid flows from the inlet towards the outlet;
- and
- ii. a nozzle for introducing a gas/vapour at supersonic velocity into the passage at a mixing zone, wherein the cross sectional area of the passage at the mixing zone is smaller than the cross sectional area of the passage at the inlet;
- characterised in that the cross sectional profile of the passage at the mixing zone is polygonal and the nozzle is configured as a slit, wherein the slit runs in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of flow of the process liquid at the inlet such that the gas/vapour enters the passage in a single plane.
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A system for mixing a material with a gas/vapour, the system comprising:
- a reservoir for a process liquid comprising the material and a carrier liquid;
- apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention in fluid connection with the reservoir;
- a collection vessel for at least one of mixed and hydrated material in fluid connection with the apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention;
- a pump for pumping the process liquid from the reservoir, through the apparatus and into the collection vessel;
- a source of gas/vapour in fluid connection with a nozzle of the apparatus of the first aspect of the invention;
- a control system for controlling:
- i. at least one of a pressure and temperature of the gas/vapour;
- and optionally at least one of:
- ii. a heating element for raising the temperature of the process liquid upstream of the mixing zone;
- iii. a pump for pumping the process liquid through the apparatus;
- iv. a rotatable member in order to vary an angle between the direction of the flow of gas/vapour and the direction of flow of the process liquid;
- and
- v. the positions of at least one movable flap.
A process for mixing a material with a gas/vapour, the process comprising:
- i. providing a process liquid comprising the material and a carrier liquid, wherein the process liquid is in the form of at least one of an aqueous suspension, a colloidal solution, a colloidal suspension and an emulsion;
- ii. causing the process liquid to flow through a passage;
- iii. contacting the process liquid with a gas/vapour, wherein the gas/vapour flows from a nozzle at supersonic velocity, such that the gas/vapour atomises the process liquid and/mixes with the material;
- characterised that the passage is of polygonal cross section and the nozzle is configured as a slit running substantially perpendicular to the flow of the process liquid such that the gas/vapour flows from the nozzle in a single plane.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.