Patent ID: 9738460
Date: 2017-08-22
CPC Classifications: B01J,B65G

Claim:
1. A method for transferring material from a low pressure zone to a high pressure zone comprising: (a) providing feed material to a first lock hopper, (b) closing a valve coupled to an inlet of said first lock hopper; (c) after step (b), providing fluid to said first lock hopper to pressurize the first lock hopper; (d) after the first lock hopper is pressurized, opening a valve coupled to an outlet of said first lock hopper; (e) releasing pressurized content comprising fluid and feed material from the first lock hopper to a circulation loop via said outlet, which is in fluid communication with said circulation loop; (f) providing feed material to a second lock hopper, (g) closing a valve coupled to an inlet of said second lock hopper; (h) after step (g), providing fluid to said second lock hopper to pressurize the second lock hopper, (i) opening a valve coupled to an outlet of said second lock hopper, (j) releasing pressurized content comprising fluid and feed material from the second lock hopper to the circulation loop via said outlet, which is in fluid communication with said circulation loop; (k) providing at least a portion of pressurized content in the circulation loop to a first receiving unit via an inlet of the first receiving unit, said inlet is in fluid communication with the circulation loop; (l) providing at least a portion of fluid from the first receiving unit to the circulation loop via an outlet of the first receiving unit, said outlet is in fluid communication with the circulation loop; wherein the circulation loop comprises a direction of flow of material from the outlet of the first lock hopper and the outlet of the second lock hopper to the inlet of the first receiving unit and from the outlet of the first receiving unit to the outlet of the first lock hopper and the outlet of the second lock hopper; (m) closing the valve coupled to the outlet of the first lock hopper; (n) releasing fluid from the first lock hopper to a containment unit to depressurize the first lock hopper; (o) closing the valve coupled to the outlet of the second lock hopper, and (p) releasing fluid from the second lock hopper to a containment unit to depressurize the second lock hopper.