Patent ID: 6394642
Filing Date: 2002-05-28
Classification: B01F

Abstract:
An improved method of analyzing the particle sizes within a slurry containing particles suspended in a liquid, the method comprising:a) containing a slurry within a mixing reservoir coupled within a recirculating system, the mixing reservoir having conical-shaped sides leading to an outlet port; b) pumping the slurry through the recirculating system with a pump coupled to the outlet port, the outlet port positioned proximate a low point of the mixing reservoir and the pump operable to draw said slurry from said mixing reservoir and to maintain a stream of said slurry flowing through said recirculating system; c) in the recirculating system, dividing the stream of slurry to define multiple slurry streams for directing back into the mixing reservoir; d) directing each of the multiple streams of slurry into the mixing reservoir through respective inlet ports located in the conical-shaped sides of the reservoir directly opposite each other and making the incoming slurry streams directly collide with each other in a mixing region between the conical-shaped sides of the reservoir and thereby imparting chaotic motion to the particles in the slurry and keeping the large particles suspended for a period of time within the mixing region before falling to the outlet port; whereby said large particles are retained for a longer period of time in suspension within said mixing reservoir by the resulting chaotic motion of the colliding streams of slurry for a more accurate particle size analysis of the slurry.