Continuous countercurrent liquid-solids contactor
AssigneeExxon Nuclear Company, Inc.
InventorAllyn L. Boldt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for continuously providing countercurrent liquid-solid contact. The preferred embodiment of the apparatus includes an Archimedes' screw in the form of a spiral and a distribution system which includes a central tube disposed along the axis of the spiral. The central tube includes a plurality of weirs and is in open communication with the spiral through a plurality of hollow spokes fixed at one end to the spiral and at the other end to the central tube. Dissolving solution is distributed by the distribution system to the spiral where it encounters nuclear material moving upward due to the pumping action of the spiral. The dissolved material moves counter current to the nuclear material and removed near the bottom of the apparatus.
Claims64
An apparatus for providing countercurrent liquid-solid contact comprising:
- (a) an Archimedes' screw having a bottom end and a top end for conveying solids uphill from said bottom end to said top end;
- (b) a distribution system including a first housing containing a plurality of first weirs and a plurality of first means for maintaining open communications between said housing and said Archimedes' screw so that liquid may pass between said screw and said housing;
- (c) means for injecting solid material into said bottom end of said Archimedes' screw;
- (d) means for injecting liquid into said distribution system;
- (e) means for rotatably supporting said Archimedes' screw with its longitudinal axis at an acute angle with respect to the horizontal;
- (f) means for rotating said Archimedes' screw about said longitudinal axis to convey said solids uphill;
- (g) means for withdrawing liquid and dissolved solids after contact with said solids from said apparatus;
- and
- (h) means for withdrawing undissolved solid material after contact with said liquid from said Archimedes' screw.
An apparatus for continuously providing countercurrent liquid-solid contact comprising:
- (a) a means for separating solids into compartments and conveying the compartments uphill one after another;
- (b) a distribution system including a housing containing a plurality of weirs;
- (c) means for injecting solids into said separating and conveying means;
- (d) means for injecting solution into said distribution system for distribution to said compartments;
- (e) means for maintaining open communications between said distribution system and said compartments so that solution may be diverted by said distribution system containing said weirs back and forth between said distribution system and said separating and conveying means;
- (f) means for withdrawing solution after contact with said solids from said separating and conveying means, and
- (g) means for withdrawing solids after contact with said solution from said separating and conveying means.
An apparatus for continuously providing countercurrent liquid-solid contact comprising;
- (a) a means for separating solids into groups, each group separated from each other by intervening fluid and conveying the groups uphill one after another so that said groups are in ascending order from a bottom group to a top group;
- (b) a distribution system including a housing containing a plurality of weirs;
- (c) means for injecting solids into said separating and conveying means;
- (d) means for injecting dissolving solution into said distribution system for distribution to said groups;
- (e) means for maintaining open communication between said distribution system and said groups so that solution may be diverted by said distribution system containing said weirs back and forth between said distribution system and said groups;
- (f) means for injecting solids into said bottom group to be conveyed uphill;
- (g) means for withdrawing spent solution from said bottom group;
- and
- (h) means for withdrawing solids after contact with said solution from said top group.
An apparatus for processing nuclear fuel comprising:
- (a) an Archimedes' screw in the form of a spiral having a longitudinal axis of rotation;
- (b) a distribution system including a central tube disposed along said axis of said spiral containing a plurality of weirs and plurality of hollow spokes fixed at one end to said spiral and fixed at its other end to said central tube;
- (c) means for injecting nuclear material into said bottom end of said spiral;
- (d) means for injecting dissolving solution into said distribution system;
- (e) means for rotatably supporting said spiral with its longitudinal axis at an acute angle with respect to the horizontal;
- (f) means for rotating said spiral about said longitudinal axis to convey said nuclear material uphill;
- (g) means for withdrawing solution from said apparatus;
- and
- (h) means for withdrawing nuclear material from said apparatus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.