Liquid supply systems

A process of supplying to an operation a liquid that is applied at the operation comprising:

• continuously delivering to the operation from a holding vessel a liquid comprising more than one constituent;
• applying the liquid at the operation, whereby a spent liquid is formed;
• continuously returning the spent liquid to the holding vessel;
• analyzing the composition of the liquid at the holding vessel while the liquid at the holding vessel is being delivered and applied at the operation and the spent liquid is being returned to the holding vessel;
• determining the amount of each constituent of the liquid that is required to be added to the liquid at the holding vessel to provide at the holding vessel a liquid of a prescribed composition;
• delivering to a pressure vessel the amount of each constituent that is required to be added to the liquid at the holding vessel, thereby providing a constituent volley at the pressure vessel;
• increasing the pressure in the pressure vessel to a level adequate to deliver the constituent volley to the holding vessel upon the release of the pressure;
• and
• releasing the pressure from the pressure vessel so as to cause the pressure at the pressure vessel to forcibly deliver the constituent volley to the holding vessel, wherein
• the process is applied at a plurality of operations, each operation is associated with a respective holding vessel, a common pressure vessel is operatively associated with all the holding vessels and each constituent volley is delivered to the respective holding vessel for which the constituent volley has been provided at the pressure vessel.

A process of supplying to each of a plurality of operations a respective liquid, the process comprising:

• continuously delivering to each operation from a respective holding vessel a respective liquid comprising more than one constituent;
• continuously applying at each operation the respective liquid delivered to that operation, whereby a respective spent liquid is continuously formed;
• continuously returning the respective spent liquid from each operation to the respective holding vessel from which the respective liquid forming that respective spent liquid was delivered;
• continuously removing from each respective holding vessel a sample of the respective liquid in that holding vessel;
• continuously, selectively and alternately routing each sample of the respective liquid removed from each respective holding vessel to a common analytical device;
• analyzing at the common analytical device each sample of the respective liquid removed from each respective holding vessel as the samples are continuously routed to the analytical device;
• following the analysis of a sample of the respective fluid at the analytical device, returning that sample of the respective fluid from the analytical device to the respective holding vessel from which that sample of the respective fluid was removed;
• continuously returning to a respective holding vessel each sample of a respective liquid removed from that respective holding vessel and not routed to the analytical device;
• determining the amount of each constituent of a respective liquid that is required to be added in order to provide a liquid of a prescribed composition at a respective holding vessel from which a sample analyzed at the analytical device has been removed;
• and
• delivering to that respective holding vessel the amount of each constituent so determined.

A liquid supply system operatively associated with an operation and configured to supply to the operation a liquid of a prescribed composition, comprising a plurality of constituents, the liquid of a prescribed composition following its application at the operation, comprising a spent liquid, the liquid supply system including:

• a holding vessel operatively associated with the operation and from which the liquid of a prescribed composition is delivered to the operation through a supply line and to which the spent liquid from the operation is returned through a spent liquid line;
• an analytical device configured to analyze the composition of the liquid in the holding vessel;
• a sampling arrangement operatively associated with the holding vessel and with the analytical device and configured to obtain from the holding vessel and deliver to the analytical device liquid from the holding vessel, the sampling arrangement being separate from both the supply line and the spent liquid line;
• a pressure vessel operatively associated with the holding vessel;
• a respective constituent supply arrangement operatively associated with a source of each of the plurality of constituents and with the pressure vessel and configured to deliver to the pressure vessel a quantity of constituent required to provide at the holding vessel the liquid of a prescribed composition, whereby a constituent can be delivered to the pressure vessel by each respective constituent supply arrangement to provide a constituent volley at the pressure vessel;
• a pneumatic pressuring source operatively associated with the pressure vessel and configured to increase the pressure in the pressure vessel to a selected value while the constituent volley is maintained in the pressure vessel;
• and
• a constituent volley delivery arrangement operatively associated with the pressure vessel and the holding vessel and configured to maintain the constituent volley in the pressure vessel while the pressure in the pressure vessel is being increased by the pneumatic pressuring source, release the constituent volley from the pressure vessel when the pressure in the pressure vessel reaches the selected value and deliver the constituent volley to the holding vessel pursuant to the impetus of the selected pressure established in the pressure vessel by the pneumatic pressuring device.

A liquid supply system operatively associated with an operation and configured to supply to the operation a liquid of a prescribed composition, comprising a plurality of constituents, the liquid of a prescribed composition following its application at the operation, comprising a spent liquid, the liquid supply system including:

• a holding vessel operatively associated with the operation and from which the liquid of a prescribed composition is delivered to the operation and to which the spent liquid from the operation is returned;
• an analytical device configured to analyze the composition of the liquid in the holding vessel:
• a sampling arrangement operatively associated with the holding vessel and with the analytical device and configured to obtain from the holding vessel and deliver to the analytical device liquid from the holding vessel;
• a pressure vessel operatively associated with the holding vessel;
• a respective constituent supply arrangement operatively associated with a source of each of the plurality of constituents and with the pressure vessel and configured to deliver to the pressure vessel a quantity of constituent required to provide at the holding vessel the liquid of a prescribed composition, whereby a constituent can be delivered to the pressure vessel by each respective constituent supply arrangement to provide a constituent volley at the pressure vessel;
• a pneumatic pressuring source operatively associated with the pressure vessel and configured to increase the pressure in the pressure vessel to a selected value while the constituent volley is maintained in the pressure vessel;
• and
• a constituent volley delivery arrangement operatively associated with the pressure vessel and the holding vessel and configured to maintain the constituent volley in the pressure vessel while the pressure in the pressure vessel is being increased by the pneumatic pressuring source, release the constituent volley from the pressure vessel when the pressure in the pressure vessel reaches the selected value and deliver the constituent volley to the holding vessel pursuant to the impetus of the selected pressure established in the pressure vessel by the pneumatic pressuring device, wherein the liquid supply system is operatively associated with a plurality of operations and the liquid supply system includes:
• a respective holding vessel operatively associated with each operation;
• and
• a respective sampling arrangement operatively associated with each respective holding vessel and including a respective sample delivery arrangement and a respective sample routing unit, each respective sample delivery arrangement configured to continuously obtain from the respective holding vessel and deliver to the respective sample routing unit the liquid from the respective holding vessel, and each respective sample routing unit being operatively associated with a respective sample return arrangement and with the analytical device and configured to selectively route to either the respective sample return arrangement or the analytical device liquid delivered to the respective sample routing unit by the respective sample delivery arrangement, wherein
• the constituent volley delivery arrangement is operatively associated with each respective holding vessel and includes a distribution arrangement from which the constituent volley from the pressure vessel is delivered to the respective holding vessel for which the constituent volley is intended.

A liquid supply system operatively associated with a plurality of operations and configured to supply to each operation a respective liquid of a prescribed composition comprising a plurality of constituents, the respective liquid of a prescribed composition, following its application at a respective operation, comprising a respective spent liquid, the liquid supply system including:

• a respective holding vessel operatively associated with each respective operation and from which a respective liquid of a prescribed composition is delivered to the respective operation and to which a respective spent liquid from the respective operation is returned;
• an analytical device configured to analyze the composition of the liquid in each respective holding vessel;
• a respective sampling arrangement operatively associated with each respective holding vessel and with a respective sample return arrangement, both the respective sampling arrangement and the respective sample return arrangement operatively associated with the analytical device, each respective sampling arrangement configured to continuously obtain from a respective holding vessel and selectively route to either a respective sample return arrangement or the analytical device the liquid obtained from a respective holding vessel, and the analytical device configured to deliver to the sample return arrangement liquid routed to the analytical device from the respective sampling arrangement;
• a constituent supply arrangement operatively associated with a source of each of the plurality of constituents and configured to provide a selection of one or more constituents comprising the quantity of each constituent required to provide at each respective holding vessel the respective liquid of a prescribed composition;
• a constituent delivery arrangement operatively associated with the constituent supply arrangement and with each respective holding vessel and including a distribution arrangement from which a respective selection of one or more constituents is delivered to a respective holding vessel for which the respective selection of one or more constituents is intended.