US 4,905,585 A · System for cleaning sugarbeet pulp

Abstract

A system and corresponding process for cleaning sugarbeet pulp comprising: (a) a tank wherein a sufficient amount of water is added to the pulp to form a first slurry containing about 0.1 to 4 wt-% pulp; (b) a screening apparatus for separating the first slurry into a top portion containing substantially all of the pulp and a bottom portion containing a major proportion of the free foreign material; (c) a mill for reducing the particle size and loosening of adherent foreign material from the pulp; (d) a tank for adding a sufficient amount of water to the top portion to form a second slurry containing about 0.1 to 4 wt-% pulp; (e) a screening apparatus for separating the second slurry into a upper portion containing substantially all of the pulp and a minor proportion of the loosened foreign material and a lower portion containing a major proportion of the loosened foreign material; (f) a tank for adding a sufficient amount of water to the upper portion to form a third slurry containing about 0.1 to 4 wt-% pulp; (g) a screening apparatus for separating the third slurry into a overflow portion containing substantially all of the pulp and an underflow portion containing a major proportion of the minor proportion of loosened foreign material; and (h) a pulp press and thermal dryer for removing water from the sugarbeet pulp to form a dried product having less than about 11 wt-% water. This system may optionally include a hydrocyclone for removing foreign material from the bottom and lower portions so as to form recyclable water.

Claims36

Dependent claims

A system for separating free and adherent foreign material from vegetable pulp comprising:

(a) a means for adding an amount of water to the pulp sufficient to form a first slurry containing about 0.1 to 4 wt-% pulp;
(b) a means for separating the first slurry into a top portion containing substantially all of the pulp and a bottom portion containing a major proportion of the free foreign material;
(c) a means for reducing the particle size of and loosening adherent foreign material from the pulp in the top portion;
(d) a means for adding an amount of water to the top portion sufficient to form a second slurry containing about 0.1 to 4 wt-% pulp;
(e) a means for separating the second slurry into an upper portion containing substantially all of the pulp and a minor proportion of the loosened foreign material and a lower portion containing a major proportion of the loosened foreign material;
(f) a means for adding an amount of water to the upper portion sufficient to form a third slurry containing about 0.1 to 4 wt-% pulp;
(g) a means for separating the third slurry into an overflow portion containing substantially all of the pulp and a minor proportion of the loosened foreign material and an underflow portion containing a major proportion of the loosened foreign material;
and
(h) a means for removing water from the overflow portion to form pulp containing less than about 11 wt-% water.

6 more elements

A system for separating free and adherent foreign material from sugarbeet pulp, comprising:

(a) a first container in fluid communication with a source of pressurized water for supplying water to the first container and a diffuser sugarbeet pulp discharge port for supplying sugarbeet pulp to the first container;
the first container having a means for slurrying the water and sugarbeet pulp supplied thereto so as to form a first slurry containing about 0.1 to 4 wt-% sugarbeet pulp and a first slurry outlet orifice;
(b) a first screening apparatus having about 0.06 to 0.13 inch screen-size openings for separating the first slurry into a top portion containing substantially all of the sugarbeet pulp and a bottom portion containing a major proportion of the free foreign material;
(c) a mill for reducing the particle size of the sugarbeet pulp in the top portion and loosening adherent foreign material from the sugarbeet pulp;
(d) a second container in fluid communication with a source of pressurized water for supplying water to the second container and with the mill for supplying the top portion to the second container;
the second container having a means for slurrying the water and top portion supplied thereto so as to form a second slurry containing about 0.1 to 4 wt-% sugarbeet pulp and a second slurry outlet orifice;
(e) a second screening apparatus having about 0.006 to 0.02 inch screen-size openings for separating the second slurry into an upper portion containing substantially all of the sugarbeet pulp and a minor proportion of loosened foreign material and a lower portion containing a major proportion of the loosened foreign material;
(f) a third container in fluid communication with a source of pressurized water for supplying water to the third container, and the second screening apparatus for supplying the upper portion to the third container;
the third container having a means for slurrying the water and upper portion supplied thereto so as to form a third slurry containing about 0.1 to 4 wt-% sugarbeet pulp and a third slurry outlet orifice;
(g) a third screening apparatus having about 0.006 to 0.02 inch screen-size openings for separating the third slurry into an overflow portion containing substantially all of the sugarbeet pulp and an overflow portion containing a major proportion of the minor proportion of the loosened foreign material;
(h) a screw press for removing water from the overflow portion;
(i) a tank for collecting the bottom and lower portions so as to form a single source of water;
laden with foreign material;
(j) a hydrocyclone to separate the water laden with foreign material into a substantially free, recycle portion and a waste portion containing substantially all foreign material in the water;
and
(k) a vessel for retaining the recycle portion.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System for cleaning sugarbeet pulp

Life of this patent

System for cleaning sugarbeet pulp

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims36