Hopper comprising cooling elements
AssigneeYara International Asa
InventorsPieter VIDTS, Pascal SMIT
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hopper including a buffer compartment defined by side walls, a top end including an opening for receiving solid particles, and a bottom end including an opening for dispensing the solid particles from the buffer compartment. The buffer compartment includes a plurality of essentially vertically positioned cooling plate-like elements for cooling the solid particles in the buffer compartment. A system including hopper, methods of operating the hopper or system, and production of solid particles.
Claims15
A hopper comprising a buffer compartment defined by side walls, a top end comprising an opening adapted for receiving solid particles, and a bottom end comprising an opening adapted for dispensing the solid particles from the buffer compartment, wherein:
- the buffer compartment comprises a plurality of essentially vertically positioned cooling plate-like elements for cooling the solid particles in the buffer compartment;
- the hopper comprises an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe for a cooling liquid and the plurality of cooling plate-like elements are fluidly connected to the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe;
- and
- the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe are located in the buffer compartment above the plurality of cooling plate-like elements.
A method for revamping a hopper comprising a buffer compartment defined by side walls, a top end comprising an opening adapted for receiving solid particles, and a bottom end comprising an opening adapted for dispensing the solid particles from the buffer compartment, the method comprising steps of:
- a) providing an assembly comprising a plurality of cooling plate-like elements fluidly connected to an inlet pipe for a cooling liquid and an outlet pipe for a cooling liquid, wherein the plurality of cooling plate-like elements are parallel with each other and the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe are located on a same side of the cooling plate-like elements;
- b) placing the assembly provided in step a) in the buffer compartment of the hopper, such that the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe are above the cooling plate-like elements;
- and
- c) connecting the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe of the assembly to a cooling liquid circuit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.