Patent ID: 6872301
Filing Date: 2005-03-29
Classification: B01D

Abstract:
1. A high shear rotating disc filter assembly in a filtering system for filtering a slurry comprised of liquid and very small particles, said filtering system having at least a feed tank with a slurry input means, a slurry output means, and a slurry recycle input means, a receiver tank, and a vacuum pump, comprising: plurality of rotating discs constructed of a porous material, each said disc having a hollow interior, each said disk being mounted on an elongated cylindrical shaft, wherein each disc has a round outer perimeter, a central radial opening, a first surface and an opposite second surface, said outer perimeter defining a disc radial plane, said surfaces, perimeter and central opening defining a disc interior, each said disc having a radial plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the shaft, each said disc interior opening onto the central opening, wherein each said disc has a hollow, disc-shaped hub insert with an outer perimeter fitted to and within each disc central radial opening, said hub perimeter having apertures formed therein establishing an opening between the disc interior and a hub interior, each hub having a central radial opening adapted to be fitted onto and about a shaft cylindrical wall, wherein each said hub insert has central neck formed on each surface about the central opening, said necks adapted to abut and fit against an adjacent hub neck; a liquid-tight vessel enclosing said discs, said vessel being connected to said feed tank slurry output means for receiving said slurry, said feed tank having an output means connected to said feed tank slurry recycle input means, wherein said vessel has a top, a bottom, and a side wall extending vertically upward from the bottom to the top, said bottom, top and interconnecting side wall defining a vessel interior, a vessel vertical axis extending through a center of said vessel interior, wherein said slurry is pumped from the feed tank to a vessel inlet located at the vessel bottom, said slurry being fed continuously so as to affect an overflow at the top of the vessel, said vessel top having a recycle outlet which is piped back to the feed tank top slurry recycle input means, and wherein said vessel inlet and said recycle outlet are coaxially aligned with said vessel vertical axis; said shaft having a hollow interior, said shaft having a first end and a second end, said ends defining an elongated, longitudinal shaft axis, said second end being connected to said vacuum pump and said receiver tank, said first end being connected to a rotational drive means, said shaft having a plurality of elongated slots opening into said shaft hollow interior and into said disc interiors, wherein the shaft first and second ends protrude through a shaft side wall, wherein said portion of said shaft holding said discs is positioned within the vessel so that the shaft longitudinal axis is perpendicular to the vessel vertical axis, wherein said shaft is further defined by a generally cylindrical wall with a plurality of elongated slots formed therein, each said slot opening into said shaft hollow interior, each said elongated slot having a longitudinal axis parallel with the longitudinal axis of the shaft; wherein, said plurality of discs with hub inserts are stacked against each other onto said shaft, each hub neck abutting and fitting against an adjacent hub neck; wherein, said vacuum pump is adapted to draw the slurry from the vessel bottom through said plurality of discs and through said shaft.