# US 2019/0170154 A1 · Assembly for reducing size of suspended solids

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- Number: US 2019/0170154 A1
- Document ID: US20190170154A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/322,904
- Filed: 2017-08-01
- Published: 2019-06-06
- Earliest claimed: 2016-08-01
- Assignees: Weir Minerals Australia Ltd.
- Applicants: Weir Minerals Australia Ltd
- Inventors: Gareth Munro; Cesar Calma; Hugh Duong; Nestor Cinotti; Alvin Alurkumar
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190170154A1

## CPC

- F04D 29/2288: {for comminuting, mixing or separating}
- B01D 39/00: Filtering material for liquid or gaseous fluids
- B02C 13/00: Disintegrating by mills having rotary beater elements {; Hammer mills}
- F04D 7/045: {with means for comminuting, mixing stirring or otherwise treating}
- F04D 29/708: {specially for liquid pumps}
- B01F 27/27: Mixers with stator-rotor systems, e.g. with intermeshing teeth or cylinders or having orifices (the stirrers having a central axial inflow and a substantially radial outflow B01F27/81)
- B02C 13/02: with horizontal rotor shaft (with axial flow B02C13/10)
- B02C 13/28: Shape or construction of beater elements
- F04D 29/2222: {Construction and assembly (F04D29/2211 takes precedence)}
- F04D: NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS (engine fuel-injection pumps F02M; ion pumps H01J41/12; electrodynamic pumps H02K44/02)
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)
- B02C: CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING IN GENERAL; MILLING GRAIN ({household tools and machines for pulverising foodstuffs, e.g. coffee and spice mills A47J42/00; pharmaceutical mortars A61J3/02; mechanical processing of refuse and garbage B03B9/06; dressing mould materials by grinding B22C5/04}; obtaining metallic powder by crushing, grinding or milling B22F9/04; {recovery of plastics by disintegrating B29B17/00; crushing raw materials in starch making C08B30/02; beaters for papermaking D21D1/02; crushing devices specially for transport in mines E21F13/002; slag crushing devices F23J1/00; fuel milling devices in combustion apparatus F23K1/00; household devices for crushing coal F24B15/02; ice disintegrating devices F25C5/02})
- B01F: MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING (mixing paints B44D3/06)

## Abstract

An assembly for reducing the size of suspended solids in a pump intake including a rotatable element and a screen configured to locate in a position between a pump and the rotatable element.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-50. (canceled)

### Claim 51

An assembly to receive an incoming fluid, to reduce the size of suspended solids in the incoming fluid to generate an output fluid, and to provide the output fluid to a pump, the assembly comprising:
a rotatable element having at least two arm members extending generally radially from a central hub; and
a screen positioned between the pump and the rotatable element, wherein the pump drives fluids having the suspended solids through the screen, and wherein the rotatable element is operable to shear at least a portion of the suspended solids going through the screen and reduce their sizes when one of the at least two arm members moves adjacent the screen.

### Claim 52 (depends on 51)

The assembly according to claim 51, wherein each of the at least two arm members include opposed upstream and downstream sides, a leading side facing a first direction, and an opposed trailing side facing away from the first direction, wherein the leading side follows a curvature along a radial direction of the leading side such that the leading side curves inwardly towards the trailing side.

### Claim 53 (depends on 51)

The assembly according to claim 51, wherein the trailing side includes a curvature along a radial direction of the trailing side such that the trailing side curves outwardly from the leading side.

### Claim 54 (depends on 51)

The assembly according to claim 51, wherein the rotatable element is rotatable in a first direction about a rotation axis, wherein the at least two arm members include a leading side facing in the first direction, the leading side having a peripheral edge distal from the rotation axis; and a trailing side facing away from the first direction, the trailing side having a peripheral edge distal from the rotation axis, wherein the leading side includes a curvature relative to the radial extension of the arm member such that the leading side is generally concave relative to a radial line Y-Y extending from the rotation axis through the peripheral edge of the trailing side.

### Claim 55 (depends on 54)

The assembly according to claim 54, wherein the trailing side includes a curvature relative to the radial extension of the arm member such that the trailing side is generally convex relative to a radial line extending from the rotation axis through the peripheral edge of the leading side.

### Claim 56 (depends on 52)

The assembly according to claim 52, wherein the curvature of the leading side is continuous from a region proximal to the central hub to a region distal from the central hub.

### Claim 57 (depends on 52)

The assembly according to claim 52, wherein the leading side includes a chamfered surface proximal to the downstream side and a forward surface proximal to the upstream side, wherein the chamfered surface is configured to incline towards the trailing side.

### Claim 58 (depends on 57)

The assembly according to claim 57, wherein the chamfered surface is configured to incline towards the trailing side at an angle of between about 40° and about 60°.

### Claim 59 (depends on 57)

The assembly according to claim 57, wherein the forward surface is substantially normal to the first direction.

### Claim 60 (depends on 52)

The assembly according to claim 52, wherein the trailing side includes a rounded surface proximal to the upstream side and a rearward surface proximal to the downstream side.

### Claim 61 (depends on 60)

The assembly according to claim 60, wherein the rounded surface includes a curvature smoothly transitioning between the rearward surface and the upstream surface such that the rounded surface encompasses an edge of the trailing side proximal to the upstream side.

### Claim 62 (depends on 51)

The assembly according to claim 51, wherein the screen includes apertures sized to resist the passage therethrough of suspended solids above a maximum size.

### Claim 63 (depends on 62)

The assembly according to claim 62, wherein the screen includes a shroud attached to a perimeter of the screen, the shroud adapted to seat within an inner diameter of an intake of the pump.

### Claim 64 (depends on 51)

The assembly according to claim 51, wherein the screen comprises a plurality of ribs interconnected to form a network thereby defining a plurality of apertures, wherein the network includes a plurality of junctions formed by at least two ribs meeting at an obtuse angle.

### Claim 65 (depends on 64)

The assembly according to claim 64, wherein the network comprises interconnected axial arrays of ribs, the network extending between an internal support and an external support, wherein the plurality of ribs are arranged into:
a first axial array of ribs connected to and arranged around an external perimeter of the internal support; and,
a final axial array of ribs connected to and arranged around an internal perimeter of the external support.

### Claim 66 (depends on 64)

The assembly according to claim 64, wherein the arrangement of the plurality of ribs further includes one or more further axial arrays or ribs arranged successively at an increasing radial distance from the first axial array,

### Claim 67 (depends on 65)

The assembly according to claim 65, wherein the internal support is configured in the shape of a ring defining a central aperture therethrough, wherein the central aperture is configured to receive a rotating shaft.

### Claim 68 (depends on 65)

The assembly according to claim 65, wherein the internal support is configured in the shape of a star defining a central aperture therethrough, wherein the central aperture is configured to receive a rotating shaft.

### Claim 69

An apparatus in fluid communication with a pump, the apparatus comprising:
a shroud adapted to fit coaxially with an inner diameter of an inlet of the pump to receive fluid flows having solids suspended therein;
a rotating member rotatable in the shroud and having a hub and an arm, the arm having a downstream side, a forward surface, and a chamfer surface connecting the downstream side to the forward side; and
a screen having a plurality of apertures and a plurality of internal supports, the screen having an upstream periphery facing toward the downstream side of the rotating member, wherein the plurality of apertures are sized to permit solids in the fluid flows within a size limit to pass the screen and wherein the forward surface of the rotating member and the upstream periphery are distanced to allow the rotating member to break apart solids greater than the size limit, the chamfer surface of the rotating member aiding the forward surface of the rotating member to break apart the solids.

### Claim 70

A pump assembly comprising:
an impeller rotatable about a main shaft, the impeller extending a rotatable shaft coaxial with the main shaft;
an inlet to receive fluids having solids suspended therein, the inlet providing the fluids to the impeller;
a shroud adapted to fit coaxially with an inner diameter of the inlet to receive the fluids;
a rotating member connected to the rotatable shaft and rotatable in the shroud, the rotating member having an arm member having a downstream side, a forward surface, and a chamfer surface connecting the downstream side to the forward side; and
a screen having a plurality of apertures and a plurality of internal supports, the screen having an upstream periphery facing toward the downstream side of the rotating member, wherein the plurality of apertures are sized to permit solids in the fluids within a size limit to pass the screen and wherein the forward surface of the rotating member and the upstream periphery are distanced to allow the rotating member to break apart solids greater than the size limit, the chamfer surface of the rotating member aiding the forward surface of the rotating member to break apart the solids.