The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 30, 1979
Filed:
Jun. 06, 1977
Frederick A Zenz, Garrison, NY (US);
Benjamin F Etheredge, Wilmington, NC (US);
General Electric Company, San Jose, CA (US);
Abstract
A mixture of powders, preferably UO.sub.2 powders, is blended to complete homogeneity in a nuclear-safe, bubbling-bed fluidized bed blender. The blender includes a generally vertically-oriented, slab-shaped, nuclear-safe mixing vessel having a fluidizing grid disposed on the bottom of the vessel. The fluidizing grid comprises a linear array of generally downwardly-directed pyramidal-shaped hoppers each having walls converging into a conically-shaped closable opening. A plurality of gas orifices is provided for directing a flow of fluidizing gas downwardly into the bottom of each of the hoppers and fluidizing gas is supplied to the orifices at a velocity sufficient to cause bubbles of fluidizing gas to rise through and emerge from the mixture of UO.sub.2 powders until a homogeneous blend of solid UO.sub.2 powders is achieved. The apparatus eliminates dead-zones normally present near the bottom of prior art fluidized bed blenders. A method is also disclosed of blending a mixture of powders which in a preferred application is a mixture of UO.sub.2 powders.