Chemical handling and mixing system

• US 5,332,312 A
• Filed: 10/13/1992
• Issued: 07/26/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Environmental Considerations, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Environmental Considerations, Ltd.
• Inventors: Evanson, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coe, Philip R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chin, Randall E.
• Application Number:
  US07/959,673
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• Field of Search: 366/336, 366/337, 366/341, 366/174, 366/179, 366/181, 366/167, 366/173, 366/14, 366/91, 366/290, 366/291
• US Class Current: 366/136
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/40 Mixing liquids with liquids; Emulsifying
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/49 Mixing systems, i.e. flow charts or diagrams
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/20 Jet mixers, i.e. mixers using high-speed fluid streams using jets to create vortex flow B01F25/10

Abstract

A chemical handling and mixing apparatus is disclosed, consisting of a chemical loading apparatus in which bulk chemical is mixed with water into an aqueous solution or slurry and an agitation apparatus which receives the aqueous solution or slurry from the chemical loading apparatus and further mixes the solution or slurry to ensure even mixing and delivers the mixed chemical to a pump for storage or use.

Claims

1. A chemical mixing system, comprising:

a first tank having an inner wall and an outer wall defining an inter-wall space therebetween and a central interior opening, said interior opening further having an upper and lower chamber defined therein, wherein said upper chamber defines a large open area for direct loading of bulk chemicals and said lower chamber terminates in a fluid outlet;

fluid introduction means for introducing a fluid flow into and through said inter-wall space of said first tank and into said upper chamber of said first tank;

a perforate member substantially subtending and dividing said interior opening into said upper and said lower chambers; and

a second tank having means for agitating fluids and dispensing an agitated fluid from said second tank, said second tank being in fluid flow communication with said fluid outlet of said first tank.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said second tank further comprises a tank enclosure defining an interior chamber, said interior chamber having an upwardly sloping V-shaped floor and an angled baffle projecting vertically from said V-shaped sloped floor and dividing said interior chamber into a fluid inlet side and a fluid outlet side of said interior chamber.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said second tank further comprises a fluid inlet in communication with said fluid inlet side of said agitation tank and a fluid outlet in communication with said fluid outlet side of said second tank.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said fluid inlet is in communication with an inlet port associated with an upwardly sloped portion of said V-shaped floor on said inlet side of said second tank.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said fluid outlet is in fluid flow communication with an outlet port disposed at a nadir of said upwardly sloping V-shaped floor on said outlet side of said second tank.

6. An apparatus for mixing bulk material with a fluid, comprising:

a material induction tank having an inner and an outer wall defining an inter-wall fluid conduit therebetween, a central mixing chamber, said mixing chamber being further separated into an upper and a lower chamber, said upper chamber defining a large open area for direct loading of bulk chemicals an said lower chamber terminating in an outlet, and flow restriction means for receiving a fluid flow from said inter-wall fluid conduit, converting said fluid flow to a laminar fluid flow and directing said laminar fluid flow into said upper chamber of said tank;

a service member operably coupled to said material induction tank, said service member further comprising a fluid inlet, an annular fluid channel and at least one fluid inlet tap in fluid flow communication with said inter-wall space of said tank, whereby a mixing fluid is introduced into said fluid inlet, flows into and through said annular fluid channel and into and through said at least one fluid inlet tap, into said inter-wall space of said tank, through an opening between said mixing chamber and said inter-wall space and into said mixing chamber of tank;

a perforate member substantially subtending and dividing said mixing chamber into said upper and said lower chambers; and

an agitation tank in fluid flow communication with said outlet of said mixing chamber.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said agitation tank further comprises a tank enclosure defining an interior chamber, said interior chamber having an upwardly sloping V-shaped floor and an angled baffle projecting vertically from said V-shaped sloped floor and dividing said interior chamber into a fluid inlet side and a fluid outlet side of said interior chamber.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said agitation tank further comprises a fluid inlet in communication with said fluid inlet side of said agitation tank and a fluid outlet in communication with said fluid outlet side of said agitation tank.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said fluid inlet is in communication with an inlet port associated with an upwardly sloped portion of said V-shaped floor on said inlet side of said agitation tank.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said fluid outlet is in fluid flow communication with an outlet port disposed at a nadir of said upwardly sloping V-shaped floor on said outlet side of said agitation tank.