Deaeration vessel

Abstract

A deaeration vessel has a partition wall dividing the hollow vessel body into first and second portions, and defining a weir with a top surface establishing the level of pulp suspension in the vessel body. Turbulence in the deaerated pulp is minimized by providing the outlet for deaerated pulp immediately adjacent the partition wall, in the bottom of the vessel body first portion (on the same side of the weir as the inlet conduits for the suspension being deaerated). The weir is preferably configured so that the top surface, defining the liquid level within the vessel, overlies the outlet. A partition wall may extend substantially linearly at an angle of about 60.degree. to the bottom of the vessel, or it may have a vertical bottom with a top extending at an angle to the bottom, or it may be continuously curved from the vessel bottom to the top surface, about a horizontal and/or vertical axis. The outlet may have an enlarged, non-circular configuration at the bottom, which then tapers to a circular outlet conduit.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.