Parallel sizing, dosing and transfer assembly and method of use
AssigneeUop LLC
InventorsArne Karlsson, Ivar M. Dahl, Freddy Olsen, Ara J. Alexanian
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The method and assembly accommodate parallel processing of a plurality of materials such as catalysts simultaneously through use of interactive modules for sizing of material particles to predetermined substantially identical size, for collecting a substantially identical dose of each material, for feeding the dose of each material into a reactor vessel, and for maintaining integrity of the modules, or units thereof, intact during interaction between structures so no particulate material is lost during necessary processing for ultimate efficacy testing in a least compromised manner.
Claims17
A method for handling a plurality of materials comprising the steps of:
- simultaneously sizing the materials to a predetermined substantially identical size by simultaneously grinding the materials and simultaneously sieving the ground materials to collect only substantially identically sized particles;
- simultaneously collecting substantially identical precision volumes of the substantially identically sized materials;
- and
- simultaneously depositing the precision volumes of the materials into feed conduits and loading into an array of vessels in a manner where the materials are in continuously identifiable spatial orientation throughout the steps of the method.
A method for handling a plurality of materials comprising the steps of:
- simultaneously collecting substantially identical precision volumes of substantially identically sized materials;
- and
- simultaneously depositing the precision volumes of the materials into feed conduits and loading into an array of vessels in a manner where the materials are in continuously identifiable spatial orientation throughout the steps of the method
- wherein the steps of collecting a substantially identical precision volume and simultaneously depositing the precision volume of each material into a respective feed conduit for loading into a respective vessel are accomplished by:
- collecting a precision volume of material in a well plate having a funnel plate movably engaged thereover;
- moving the funnel plate so the funnels are no longer aligned with the wells thereby sealing the wells of the well plate;
- eliminating excess material remaining in the funnel plate;
- inverting the engaged funnel and well plates over the feed conduits;
- and
- sliding the funnels into alignment with both the conduits and the wells so material from each well passes into a corresponding conduit.
A method for handing a plurality of materials, each material previously substantially identically sized, said method comprising the steps of:
- simultaneously collecting a substantially identical precision volume of each material by simultaneously transferring each of the materials to fill a respective well of a well plate wherein all the wells are substantially identical in size, wherein the transferring the materials to the wells involves passing the materials through aligned funnels of a funnel plate which is movably engaged to said well plate, moving the aligned funnels out of alignment with the wells once the wells are filled through tongue-and-groove sliding of the funnels and the wells relative to each other, sealing the wells and ensuring a precision volume in each well;
- and
- simultaneously depositing the collected precision volume of each material into feed conduits and loading into vessels in a manner where the materials are in continuously identifiable spatial orientation throughout the steps of the method.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.