Agglomerate removal and dewatering apparatus

Apparatus for removing agglomerates from a slurry comprising a transport fluid, a desired particulate matter, and undesirable agglomerates of the particulate material and for providing control of the flow rate of the slurry through said apparatus, said apparatus comprising:

• a flow control unit including a slurry inlet and a slurry outlet, said flow control unit providing a flow passage for the flow of the slurry from said slurry inlet to said slurry outlet;
• an agglomerate removal unit, said agglomerate removal unit receiving the slurry from said slurry outlet and including an agglomerate removal screen unit through which the slurry is directed for separation of the agglomerates from the slurry;
• and
• at least one vertically oriented wall disposed between said flow control unit and said agglomerate removal unit, said wall including an opening and a transport fluid bypass unit, said bypass unit including a bypass unit door hingeably attached to said wall and movable between open and closed positions to open and close said wall opening, said bypass door unit further including a bypass unit screen having a plurality of apertures selected to be smaller than the size of the particles in the slurry;
• wherein opening of said bypass unit door allows transport fluid to flow therethrough to reduce the volume of transport fluid passing through said slurry outlet and therefore enabling the operator to control the flow rate of the slurry through said slurry outlet;
• wherein the slurry enters said flow control unit through said slurry inlet having a first velocity and exits said flow control unit through said slurry outlet having a second velocity, wherein said first velocity is less than said second velocity.

A method for removing agglomerates from a slurry comprising a transport fluid, particulates, and agglomerates formed from the particulates, wherein the slurry has a first velocity, said method comprising:

• passing the slurry through a flow control unit having a cross section and having a slurry inlet and a slurry outlet, wherein the slurry inlet has an inlet cross section and the slurry outlet has an outlet cross section with the outlet cross section being larger than the inlet cross section, wherein:
• the flow control unit cross section increases in size from the slurry inlet to the slurry outlet and said increasing flow control unit cross section reduces the flow velocity of the transport fluid;
• and
• the rate of increase of cross section from the slurry inlet to the slurry outlet being substantially uniform for reducing turbulence due to the change in the cross section from the slurry inlet to the slurry outlet and wherein the velocity of the slurry in a horizontal cross section through the flow passage is substantially uniform across the cross section;
• providing an agglomerate removal screen, said screen including a plurality of screening apertures, said screen apertures being sized to allow the passage of transport fluid and particulates but not agglomerates;
• and
• passing the slurry over the agglomerate removal screen to separate the agglomerates from the transport fluid and particulates.

Apparatus for removing agglomerates from a slurry comprising a transport fluid, a desired particulate matter, and undesirable agglomerates of the particulate material and for providing control of the flow rate of the slurry through said apparatus, said apparatus comprising:

• a flow control unit including a slurry inlet and a slurry outlet, said flow control unit providing a flow passage for the flow of the slurry from said slurry inlet to said slurry outlet;
• an agglomerate removal unit, said agglomerate removal unit receiving the slurry from said slurry outlet and including an agglomerate removal screen unit through which the slurry is directed for separation of the agglomerates from the slurry;
• and
• at least one vertically oriented wall disposed between said flow control unit and said agglomerate removal unit, said wall including an opening and a transport fluid bypass unit, said bypass unit including a bypass unit door hingeably attached to said wall and movable between open and closed positions to open and close said wall opening, said bypass door unit further including a bypass unit screen having a plurality of apertures selected to be smaller than the size of the particles in the slurry;
• wherein opening of said bypass unit door allows transport fluid to flow therethrough to reduce the volume of transport fluid passing through said slurry outlet and therefore enabling the operator to control the flow rate of the slurry through said slurry outlet.

A method for removing agglomerates from a slurry comprising a transport fluid, particulates, and agglomerates formed from the particulates, wherein the slurry has a first velocity, said method comprising:

• removing a predetermined amount of transport fluid from the slurry while the slurry is flowing through the flow control unit by providing a transport fluid bypass unit in said flow control inlet unit disposed downstream of said slurry inlet and upstream of said slurry outlet, said unit including a bypass outlet from said flow control unit, a screen having a plurality of apertures sized to allow transport fluid to pass through but not particulates, and a door selectively movable between open and closed positions to allow the operator to selectively control the flow rate and the volume of transport fluid released from said flow control unit through said bypass outlet;
• providing an agglomerate removal screen, said screen including a plurality of screening apertures, said screen apertures being sized to allow the passage of transport fluid and particulates but not agglomerates;
• and
• passing the slurry over the agglomerate removal screen to separate the agglomerates from the transport fluid and particulates.

Apparatus for removing agglomerates from a slurry comprising a transport fluid, a desired particulate matter, and undesirable agglomerates of the particulate material, said apparatus comprising:

• a flow control unit including a slurry inlet and a slurry outlet disposed substantially vertically above said slurry inlet, said flow control unit having an increasing cross sectional area in the vertical direction and providing a flow passage for the flow of the slurry from said slurry inlet to said slurry outlet, wherein said flow control unit includes a transport fluid bypass unit, said bypass unit including a bypass unit door movable between open and closed positions, said bypass door unit further including a bypass unit screen having a plurality of apertures selected to be smaller than the size of the particles in the slurry and wherein opening said bypass unit door allows transport fluid to flow therethrough to reduce the volume of transport fluid passing through said slurry outlet and therefore enabling the operator to control the flow rate of the slurry through said slurry outlet;
• an agglomerate removal unit, said agglomerate removal unit receiving the slurry from said slurry outlet and including an agglomerate removal screen unit through which the slurry is directed for separation of the agglomerates from the slurry;
• wherein the slurry enters said flow control unit through said slurry inlet having a first velocity and exits said flow control unit through said slurry outlet having a second velocity, wherein said first velocity is more than said second velocity.