Patent ID: 7309445
Filing Date: 2007-12-18
Classification: B01D,E21B

Abstract:
1. Apparatus for transferring slurry from a vessel having a plurality of slurry collection points, the apparatus including: a manifold having a plurality of inlets in flow communication with one or more outlets; a plurality of pressure-reducing cyclones, each said cyclone being associated with a respective one of the collection points and a respective one of the manifold inlets and each said cyclone having an inlet port and at least one outlet port, and a plurality of ducts, each of the ducts being associated with a respective one of the cyclones, in use, each said duct bringing a respective one of the slurry collection points of the vessel into flow communication with an inlet port of a respective one of the cyclones, and/or each said duct bringing an outlet port of a respective one of the cyclones into flow communication with a respective one of the inlets of the manifold, wherein the cyclones are selected so that as concentration of slurry increases in use, a corresponding decrease in pressure drop through each of the cyclones is equal to or greater than an increase in pressure drop in its associated duct.