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:
Sep. 21, 1999
Filed:
May. 29, 1997
Bandaru V Ramarao, Dewitt, NY (US);
The Research Foundation of State University of New York, Albany, NY (US);
Abstract
Method and apparatus are presented for use in a papermaking process for determining permeability and/or compressibility characteristics of a pulp suspension within the process. The method/apparatus includes monitoring height of pulp suspension within one or more test columns as a function of time while allowing pulp suspension drainage from each test column. At least one parameter representative of permeability or compressibility of the pulp suspension is determined, via computer processing, using the monitored height as a function of time of the pulp suspension within the test column. The at least one parameter representative of permeability or compressibility can comprise specific surface area (S.sub.w), specific volume (v.sub.f) compressibility constant m or compressibility constant n for the pulp suspension. Further, a measure of the permeability and/or compressibility characteristic(s) of the pulp suspension attributable to fines in the pulp suspension is obtained using two test columns, each having a different size screen disposed therein to allow different size fibers of the pulp suspension to pass therethrough. The determined parameters are employed as control feedback to the papermaking process for maintaining one or more pulp suspension characteristics near a predefined set point.