Agitating – By injecting gas into mixing chamber – With stirrer
Patent
1982-02-23
1983-11-22
Jenkins, Robert W.
Agitating
By injecting gas into mixing chamber
With stirrer
366276, B01F 1302
Patent
active
044165463
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a buoyancy-operated device, the purpose of which is to create repeated disturbances in a fluid in which the device is immersed.
In, for example, digesters in which a slurry of waste products is treated, it is necessary to break up and disperse any crust of solids tending to form on the slurry surface, to stir the slurry to prevent settlement of solids and to effect release of generated gases enabling them to be recovered in usable form.
One use of the device of the invention is in such digesters to create automatically repeated massive disturbances for effecting the described necessary operations.
Another use is to improve aeration of natural waters, e.g. lakes, and yet another use is in ice-breaking in natural waters.
According to the invention, there is provided a device for immersion in a first fluid to produce in it repeated disturbances, which device is hollow, open-mouthed and pivoted to swing between first and second positions, the arrangement in use being that in the first position, the mouth faces downwards and a second and lighter fluid can be collected in the device thereby to displace from it the first fluid whereby the effect of buoyant upthrust on the device is varied until the device becomes unstable and moves from the first position to the second position in which the second fluid is rapidly discharged from the device so that it returns to the first position.
In use of such device for example in a digester as above referred to, the device will be immersed in the slurry, constituting the first fluid, and the gases generated or injected gas or both will constitute the lighter fluid. The gases will be collected in the device, instead of rising to the surface as small bubbles or being absorbed, and, when the device becomes unstable and moves rapidly to the second position, the collected gases will be released as a massive bubble so creating a disturbance in the slurry sufficient to effect to a substantial extent the desired crust break up and "stirring" of the slurry and ensuring that at least a large proportion of the generated gases can be collected for use. The disturbance caused by each discharge of the lighter fluid will depend on the capacity of the device, its depth below the surface of the heavier fluid and the relative densities of the fluids. Injected gas may be gas collected from above the slurry and pumped back to beneath the device. When used for aeration of natural waters or for ice-breaking, the device will be located well below the surface of the water and the lighter fluid will conveniently be air pumped into the device. A small pump would be able to supply a number of the self-unstabilising devices.
Clearly the frequency of operation of the device will be determined by the rate of gas collection and the shape, weight and other characteristics of the device.
The principles of the device of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic cross-section of one form of the device,
FIG. 2 is a side elevation of a second form of the device, and
FIG. 3 is a front elevation, partly broken away, of the device of FIG. 2.
The device shown in FIG. 1 has an open-mouthed, dome-shaped body C with a lateral beak B extending the downwardly facing mouth. The device is pivotally mounted about a horizontal axis p for limited swinging from a first position as shown against a stop S and a second position in which the mouth is substantially vertical as indicated by chain line A. The device is formed so that its centre of gravity is always between vertical planes through the pivotal axis P and the stop S. The upper portion of the collecting space above the beak B is substantially symmetrical about a vertical plane through axis P, but the beak B makes the lower portion asymmetrical about that plane.
Assume that the chamber within the body C is filled with the first fluid, e.g. slurry in a digester, and the lighter fluid, e.g. generated gas or gas supplied from pipe G, gradually fills the chamber.
The chamber is
REFERENCES:
patent: 3788616 (1974-01-01), Clough
patent: 3806098 (1974-04-01), Clough
Dahlberg Arthur D.
Hinds William R.
Jenkins Robert W.
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