Andritz Inc.

Andritz-ahlstrom Inc.

Jay K Sheerer

Joseph R Phillips

Jerry R Johanson

Keith Vogel

Richard M Grogan

John Pietrangelo

Carl Luhrmann

Grant Bechard

Edward James Cummings

Jeffrey Lawrence Gazdik

Jeffrey L Gadzik

An in-line drainer or liquid separator for draining liquid from a moving black liquor slurry stream having a screen basket mounted in the internal chamber of the in-line drainer. The screen basket includes slots to retain solid particles of the moving black liquor slurry stream within the black liquor slurry stream flow chamber and block the solid particles from entering the liquid collection chamber. The slots each have a curved corner edge adjacent a surface screen basket facing the black liquor slurry stream flow chamber.

In-line drainer with shaped screen slots

A pressure diffuser washer comprising: an outer wall, an inner wall adjacent to the outer wall, the inner wall defining annular baffle chambers between the outer wall and the inner wall, wherein each of the annular baffle chambers is configured to connect to a source of a wash liquid, a reciprocating screen assembly adjacent to the inner wall, the reciprocating screen assembly defining a first annular chamber between the inner wall and the reciprocating screen assembly, an area in the inner wall defining a gap associated with each of the annular baffle chambers, wherein the wash liquid from an annular baffle chamber flows through the gap into the first annular chamber, and an annular baffle screen plate covering the gap, wherein the annular baffle screen plate defines openings sized to prevent rocks and other large particulate debris from entering the annular baffle chambers.

Pressure diffuser with an annular baffle screen plate over water inlet

A screen plate for a cellulosic material puling vessel, the screen plate including: slots having curved inlet corner edges adjacent an inside surface of the screen plate and facing a pulp flow.

Screen plates having diagonal slots with curved inlets for a digester

A comminuted cellulosic fibrous material treatment vessel assembly includes a substantially vertical vessel having a top, bottom, and outlet, and through which the material flows in a flow direction. The vessel preferably has a substantially cylindrical wall with at least one diameter-changing transition between the inlet and the outlet. A screen assembly is preferably provided at or just past the transition. The screen assembly comprises one or more annular screen surfaces diverging in the flow direction of the material, the angle of divergence being between about 0.5-10&#xb0; to the vertical, and preferably substantially continuous. Providing such a screen assembly reduces the radial compression of material thereon, and increases the volume and rate of liquid that can flow through the material and be removed through the screen surface compared to a non-diverging screen surface (that is a right-cylindrical surface). The screen surface has openings of substantially uniform size, and preferably with a substantially uniform percentage of open area, in the flow path.

Method of treating material in a continuous digester

A comminuted cellulosic fibrous material treatment vessel assembly includes a substantially vertical vessel having a top, bottom, and outlet, and through which the material flows in a flow direction. The vessel preferably has a substantially cylindrical wall with at least one diameter-changing transition between the inlet and the outlet. A screen assembly is preferably provided at or just past the transition. The screen assembly comprises one or more annular screen surfaces diverging in the flow direction of the material, the angle of divergence being between about 0.5-10&deg; to the vertical, and preferably substantially continuous. Providing such a screen assembly reduces the radial compression of material thereon, and increases the volume and rate of liquid that can flow through the material and be removed through the screen surface compared to a non-diverging screen surface (that is a right-cylindrical surface). The screen surface has openings of substantially uniform size, and preferably with a substantially uniform percentage of open area, in the flow path.

The flow of a liquid slurry of comminuted cellulosic fibrous material (e.g. wood chips) in a vertical vessel is made more uniform by providing a plurality of vertically spaced sets of either substantially continuous or discontinuous protrusions which extend inwardly from the internal surface of the vessel a maximum distance of between about 2-12 inches. A preferred vessel is a continuous or batch digester. The protrusions may have an arcuate, rectangular, isosceles or scalene triangular, right triangular, or trapezoidal cross-section, and may be spaced from each other vertically between about 1-12 feet, and have a height of between about 1-3 feet. Discontinuous protrusions have a preferred arcuate spacing of between 1-10 feet.

Compression rings for column relief in continuous cooking vessels

A comminuted cellulosic fibrous material treatment vessel assembly includes a substantially vertical vessel having a top, bottom, and outlet, and through which the material flows in a flow direction. The vessel preferably has a substantially cylindrical wall with at least one diameter-changing transition between the inlet and the outlet. A screen assembly is preferably provided at or just past the transition. The screen assembly comprises one or more annular screen surfaces diverging in the flow direction of the material, the angle of divergence being between about 0.5-10.degree. to the vertical, and preferably substantially continuous. Providing such a screen assembly reduces the radial compression of material thereon, and increases the volume and rate of liquid that can flow through the material and be removed through the screen surface compared to a non-diverging screen surface (that is a right-cylindrical surface). The screen surface has openings of substantially uniform size, and preferably with a substantially uniform percentage of open area, in the flow path.

Growing community of inventors

Hudson Falls, NY, United States of America

Jay K Sheerer