Pyrometallurgical system for solid-liquid contacting
AssigneeKennecott Copper Corporation
InventorPeter B. Crimes
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed is a pyrometallurgical reactor for entraining a low density particulate solid (e.g., coal) in a high density liquid (e.g., slag) in order to promote and accelerate reactions dependent upon contact between the solid and the liquid. The present disclosure develops interrelationship between the dimensions and rotation rate of a mechanical stirrer and the dimensions of the reactor vessel in order to achieve, simultaneously, good entrainment of the particulate solid which is delivered to the surface of the liquid, minimal entrainment of gasses along with the particulate solid, and minimal erosion of the vessel walls.
Claims14
A process for entraining particulate matter in a high density liquid maintained in a vessel having a volume defined by a square of side W or a circle of diameter 1.13W and by a liquid depth H, comprising the steps of:
- providing a rotatable stirrer in said liquid having a fully submerged blade assembly with a diameter, D, which is about 0.1W to 0.4W and with a breadth, B, which is about 0.1H to 0.7H,
- supplying particulate matter to the surface of said liquid, and
- rotating said stirrer at a rate of N RPM such that the particulate matter is drawn down through the vortex produced by said rotating stirrer to said rotating submerged blade assembly, is pumped radially outward therefrom by said submerged rotating blade assembly such that the particulate matter is circulated through said liquid whereby a large area of contact between said liquid and particulate matter is produced.
In a pyrometallurgical system, a stirrer for stirring liquid in vessel defined by side W or a circle of diameter 1.13W, depth of liquid H, and volume V = HW.sup.2, said stirrer comprising a shaft projecting downwardly into said liquid, means for rotating said shaft at N RPM, and a blade assembly secured to said shaft for rotation therewith and being immersed in said liquid, said blade assembly having a diameter D and a breadth B, the improvement wherein ##EQU6## where d = W/D, c = H/W, f is a parameter specifying the desired vortex strength and is approximately 200,000 when all dimensions are in inches, p is a parameter specifying the pumping rate and is approximately 4 when all dimensions are in inches and m as the efficiency coefficient and is 1.0 for a two bladed stirrer, approximately 1.3 for a three bladed stirrer and approximately 1.5 for a four bladed stirrer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.