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US 8,579,103 B2Granted
System and method for transporting solid feed in a solid feed pump
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsJohn Saunders Stevenson, Derek Leslie Aldred, Jeffrey Allen Rader
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system includes a solid feed pump configured to transport a solid feedstock. The solid feed pump includes at least one passage for the transport of the solid feedstock. The solid feed pump also includes at least one movable wall configured to move along the passage. The solid feed pump further includes a retractable gripping element configured to extend from the at least one movable wall into the at least one passage to grip a portion of the solid feedstock. In addition, the retractable gripping element is configured to retract away from the at least one passage.
Claims22
A system, comprising:
- a solid feed pump configured to transport a solid feedstock, comprising:
- at least one passage for the transport of the solid feedstock;
- at least one movable wall configured to move along the passage;
- and
- at least one retractable gripping element configured to extend from the at least one movable wall into the at least one passage to grip a portion of the solid feedstock, and the at least one retractable gripping element is configured to retract away from the at least one passage, wherein the at least one movable wall comprises first, second, and third wall portions surrounding the at least one passage, the first and second wall portions are disposed opposite from one another, the third wall portion is disposed crosswise to the first and second wall portions, and the at least one retractable gripping element is configured to extend from the first wall portion, to extend from the second wall portion, or to extend from the third wall portion.
2 more elements
A system, comprising:
- a solid feed pump configured to transport a solid feedstock, comprising:
- a housing;
- a rotor disposed in the housing, wherein the rotor comprises a first disc and a second disc coupled to a hub;
- a passage disposed between the housing and the hub, the first disc, and the second disc of the rotor;
- and
- a plurality of gripping elements configured to move between retracted positions and extended positions relative to a wall of at least one of the first disc, the second disc, or the hub, wherein the plurality of gripping elements extend into the passage in the extended positions to grip a portion of the solid feedstock, and the plurality of gripping elements retract away from the passage in the retracted positions to release the portion of the solid feedstock.
3 more elements
A method, comprising:
- controlling a solid feed pump to transport a solid feedstock through at least one passage of the solid feed pump, wherein at least one movable wall is configured to move along the passage, a retractable gripping element is configured to extend from the at least one movable wall into the at least one passage to grip a portion of the solid feedstock, and the retractable gripping element is configured to retract away from the at least one passage, and wherein the at least one movable wall comprises first, second, and third wall portions surrounding the at least one passage, the first and second wall portions are disposed opposite from one another, the third wall portion is disposed crosswise to the first and second wall portions, and the retractable gripping element is configured to extend from the first wall portion, to extend from the second wall portion, or to extend the third wall portion.
A system, comprising:
- a solid feed pump configured to transport a solid feedstock, comprising:
- at least one passage for the transport of the solid feedstock;
- at least one movable wall configured to move along the passage;
- and
- at least one retractable gripping element configured to extend from the at least one movable wall into the at least one passage to grip a portion of the solid feedstock, and the at least one retractable gripping element is configured to retract away from the at least one passage, wherein the at least one retractable gripping element is configured to move crosswise to a flow direction of the solid feedstock between an extended position and a retracted position relative to the at least one passage, and the at least one retractable gripping element is configured to move between the extended and retracted positions in a direction substantially parallel with respect to a rotational axis of the at least one movable wall.
2 more elements
A system, comprising:
- a segmented solid feed pump configured to transport a solid feedstock, comprising:
- at least one passage for the transport of the solid feedstock;
- at least one movable wall configured to move along the passage;
- and
- at least one retractable gripping element configured to extend from the at least one movable wall into the at least one passage to grip a portion of the solid feedstock, and the at least one retractable gripping element is configured to retract away from the at least one passage, wherein the solid feed pump comprises a segmented solid feed pump comprising a plurality of carriages coupled together sequentially about a closed-loop path, wherein each carriage of the plurality of carriages comprises at least one retractable gripping element.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.