Dispensing – Agitator followed by discharge assistant and/or... – All rotary
Patent
1995-05-03
1997-04-29
Vrablik, John J.
Dispensing
Agitator followed by discharge assistant and/or...
All rotary
417900, 222318, F04B 1502
Patent
active
056240589
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Systems for the transport and slurrying of cuttings on an oil well or drilling rig normally comprise: discharge of the cuttings from the liquid/solids separation equipment (2) to a slurrying tank. Conveyors are normally of a screw of drag chain type, or conveying can be in a fluid stream. are discharged and mixed with the slurrying fluid. (7) to the processing equipment or for transfer to storage.
The above prior art system is generally represented in FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings.
Disadvantages of the above system include its space, weight, and relative complexity, the control required, the cost of manufacturing, the tendency for solids to settle and/or block the pump suction pipework (8), and the buildup in areas of lower agitation.
In the invention described hereinafter the disadvantages listed above are removed or at least reduced, giving advantages in size, weight, complexity, operability and/or efficiency of operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention there is provided apparatus for pumping a slurry comprising a vessel serving as a reservoir for slurry and having an upper inlet and a lower outlet, and a pump having a rotatable pumping element situated in the outlet with the axis of rotation of the element substantially vertical.
Preferably the rotatable element is an impeller secured to a shaft and the pump is a centrifugal pump.
Preferably the pump shaft extends upwardly into the vessel and a paddle or like blade is secured thereto for agitating the slurry in the vessel as the pump impeller is rotated.
Thus the present apparatus comprises a combined agitated vessel and pumping assembly.
A vertical drive shaft supported by bearings, and driven by a suitable prime mover (e.g. an electric motor), may be arranged within a tank assembly. The prime mover may be variable or fixed speed.
The lower end of the tank may be coupled to a centrifugal pump casing. The impeller of the centrifugal pump is preferably fitted to the lower end of the vertical drive shaft. The vertical drive shaft is fitted with blades positioned such that the blades will agitate fluid resident in the tank assembly through which it runs.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a side view of an apparatus according to the invention for preparing a slurry;
FIG. 2 is a side view in section of the first embodiment of the invention; and
FIG. 3 is a side view in section of a second embodiment.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
Referring first to FIG. 2 there is shown a generally a cylindrical vessel 10 in which is rotatably mounted a vertical drive shaft 12. The shaft 12 is supported in bearings 14 and driven by a drive motor 16 via a belt and pulley arrangement 18.
The shaft carries upper and lower agitator blades 20, and at its lowermost end is fitted with a centrifugal impellor 22 operable in a casing 24 of a pump assembly, whose bottom inlet 26 is blanked off.
The outlet of the casing 24 is connected to a pipe 27 which leads to a T-piece 28. One side of the T-piece is connected by a recirculating control valve 30 to the upper part of the vessel 10, while the other side leads to an outlet 32 via an outlet control valve 34.
An inclined inlet 36 for fluid/solids is disposed at the upper end of the vessel opposite the valve 3C. The vessel is also provided with a hatch 38 to permit access thereto when the vessel is empty,
The apparatus shown operates as follows:
Fluid is introduced into the vessel 10 and agitated by the blades 20 affixed to the vertical drive shaft 12. Solids are introduced through the inlet 36 into the vessel either separately or together with fluid. On entering the vessel the solids are mixed with the fluid to form a slurry 40. The solids and fluid slurry pass down through suitable flow ports from the vessel 70 into the pump casing 24. The slurry is then pumped forward either with the total flow passing through the outlet 32 to a downstream proce
REFERENCES:
patent: 2933045 (1960-04-01), Isserlis
patent: 3171658 (1965-03-01), Clark
patent: 4167248 (1979-09-01), Akazawa et al.
patent: 4531892 (1985-07-01), Nasman et al.
patent: 4842479 (1989-06-01), Dorsch
patent: 5122038 (1992-06-01), Malkoski
Rig Technology Limited
Vrablik John J.
Wicker William
LandOfFree
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