Method and apparatus for extracting liquid from a liquid-containing slurry

A method for extracting liquid from a liquid containing slurry comprising the following steps:

• providing a first foraminous container (14) having an inlet (26) and an outlet (28) and mixing and pressing means (16) mounted within the container (14) for movement between the inlet (26) and the outlet (28);
• feeding liquid containing slurry under pressure through the inlet (26) into the first foraminous container (14) upstream of the mixing and pressing means (16) to cause an initial volume of liquid within the slurry upstream of the mixing and pressing means (16) to be extracted;
• mixing the slurry in the first foraminous container (14) by moving it through the mixing and pressing means (16) after the initial volume of liquid has been extracted;
• and
• subsequently pressing the mixed slurry in the first foraminous container (14) downstream of the mixing and pressing means (16) to cause a further volume of the liquid from within the slurry to be extracted.

A method for extracting liquid from a liquid containing slurry comprising the following steps:

• a) providing a plurality of sequentially arranged foraminous containers (14) including first and last containers (14), each container (14) having an inlet (26) and an outlet (28), and mixing and pressing means (16) mounted for movement between the inlet (26) and the outlet (28) of the container (14), the outlet (28) and inlet (26) of successive containers (14) being connected together so that slurry will flow through the first to the last container (14);
• b) initially feeding liquid containing slurry under pressure through the inlet (26) into the first foraminous container (14) upstream of the mixing and pressing means (16) to cause an initial volume of the liquid within the slurry upstream of the mixing and pressing means (16) to be extracted;
• c) mixing the slurry in the first foraminous container (14) after the initial volume of liquid has been extracted by moving it through the mixing and pressing means (16);
• d) subsequently feeding additional liquid containing slurry under pressure into the first foraminous container (14) to cause additional volumes of liquid within the slurry to be extracted upstream of the mixing and pressing means (16);
• e) pressing simultaneously with step d) the preceding mixed slurry in the foraminous containers (14) to cause additional liquid from within the mixed slurry to be extracted and to also cause at least a portion of the mixed slurry to be forced through the sequentially arranged foraminous containers (14);
• f) after steps d) and e) are completed, mixing the slurry in the foraminous containers (14);
• and
• g) subsequently repeating steps d), e) and f), the mixing and pressing means (16) in the last foraminous container (14) acting as a discharge valve for the first foraminous container (14).

Apparatus for extracting liquid from a liquid containing slurry;

• the apparatus comprising:
• a press assembly (12) having
• a foraminous container (14) having an inlet (26) and an outlets (28), and
• mixing and pressing means (16) movable in a first direction towards the inlet (26) to cause slurry between the mixing and pressing means (16) and the inlet (26) to pass through the mixing and pressing means (16) and become mixed, and movable in a second direction to cause slurry between the mixing and pressing means (16) and the outlets (28) to be compressed causing liquid within the slurry to pass through the foraminous container (14);
• and
• feed means (90) for introducing slurry through the inlet (26).

An apparatus for extracting liquid from a liquid containing slurry, the apparatus comprising:

• a press assembly (12) having
• a first foraminous container (14) having an inlet (26) and an outlet (28), and
• mixing and pressing means (16) mounted for movement within the first foraminous container (14) for batch processing slurry within the first foraminous container (14) by sequentially mixing and pressing slurry within the container (14);
• feed means (90) for continuously feeding slurry under pressure through the inlet (26) of the first foraminous container (14) to cause liquid within the slurry to be radially expressed through the first foraminous container (14);
• and
• flow regulating means (16) downstream of the outlets (28) of the first foraminous container (14) for regulating the flow of slurry through the apparatus.

Apparatus for extracting liquid from a liquid containing slurry comprising:

• a plurality of sequentially interconnected press assemblies (12) including a first press assembly (12) and a last press assembly (12), each press assembly (12) having
• a foraminous container (14) having an inlet (26) and an outlets (28), and
• mixing and pressing means (16) mounted for movement within the foraminous container (14) for batch processing of slurry within the container (14) by sequentially mixing and pressing slurry within the foraminous container (14);
• conduit means interconnecting the outlets (28) and inlet (26) of successive containers (14) so that slurry will flow from the first to the last container (14);
• and
• feed means (90) for continuously introducing slurry under pressure through the inlet (26) of the foraminous container (14) of the first press assembly (12) to cause liquid within the slurry to be expressed through the foraminous container (14) of the first press,
• wherein the mixing and pressing means (16) in the last press assembly (12) regulates the flow of slurry through the apparatus.

Apparatus for extracting liquid from a liquid containing slurry comprising:

• a plurality of columns of sequentially interconnected press assemblies (12), each column including a first press assembly (12) and a last press assembly (12), each press assembly (12) having
• a foraminous container (14) having an inlet (26) and an outlet (28), and
• mixing and pressing means (16) mounted for movement within the foraminous container (14) for batch processing of slurry within the container (14) by sequentially mixing and pressing slurry within the foraminous container (14);
• feed means (90) for continuously introducing slurry under pressure through the inlet (26) of the foraminous container (14) of each first press assembly (12) of each column to cause liquid within the slurry to be expressed through the foraminous container (14) of the first press assembly (12) of each column;
• and
• common manifold means (106) extending across the plurality of columns between the outlets (28) of the first foraminous cylinders and the inlets (26) of the subsequent foraminous cylinders, slurry from the first foraminous cylinders being discharged into the common manifold, and being subsequently delivered from the common manifold to subsequently positioned foraminous cylinders.