METHOD AND DEVICE FOR TREATING PULP

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of treating a fibre suspension to alter its liquid content, wherein the suspension is fed into a rotationally symmetrical displacement space (12) whose outer limiting surface (4A) rotates around the axis of symmetry, which surface (4A) is permeable to fluid and is affected by a fluid under pressure acting from the outside.

Description: Method and device for treating pulp The following invention relates to a method and a device for treating fibre suspensions, in particular for washing a fibre suspension in the form of cellulose pulp. It is well known that fibre suspensions exhibit very special properties which demand special measures in connection with treating such suspensions. Washing a fibre suspension is an example of a treatment of this nature which requires special measures because of the special behaviour of a fibre suspension. More or less complicated apparatus for this purpose is already known. A feature possessed in common by these known processes and devices is, however, that, in connection with the actual liquid penetration phase, there is physical con¬ tact between a significant part of the fibre suspension and some form of sieving device. In connection with pulp production, in particular, such physical contact is undesirable since it gives rise to friction between the pulp bed and the sieving device, which in turn can cause disturbances in the feed-through of the pulp bed. An object of the present invention is to present a method and a device which make it possible to change the liquid content of a fibre suspension in an effective manner without exposing the pulp bed to undesirable physical stresses. The abovementioned object is achieved with the aid of a method according to the invention which is described in Patent Claim 1 and with the aid of a device as described in Patent Claim 5. The invention will be explained in more detail below with the aid of the attached drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a preferred embodiment of a device according to the invention, and Figure 2 shows an alternative embodiment of a device according to the invention. The device consists of an axle 1 which extends along a line of symmetry C. The axle 1 is arranged to be rotatable in a support 10 with the aid of bearing 7 and to be driven with the aid of a drive 8 in the form of a V-belt system. An arrangement 2, which is Y-shaped in longitudinal section, is connected to the axle 1 so that it turns with it. This Y-shaped arrangement 2 consists of a circular part 2A, 2B, which is liquid-permeable and which extends in an axial direction, a connecting part 2C, which extends essentially radially, and an inner base part 2D which at its inner periphery is connected to the said axle 1, in the preferred case by means of splines. The liquid-permeable part 2A, 2B possesses suitable perforations, for example in the form of circular holes or slits. A space 3 encloses the circular part 2A, 2B, which space will hereinafter be termed the fluid space 3. The " fluid space 3 is delimited outwards by a housing wall 4 which is essentially Y-shaped and which is suspended in bearing 7 by means of its base part 4B. A conical housing part 4C extends between the outermost cylindrical part 4A of the latter housing 4 and the base part 4B. The fluid space 3 communicates via a channel 5 with an inlet arrangement 6 for supplying a fluid, for example washing liquid. The channel 5 is delimited in its essential parts by a cover 17 which is firmly connected to the latter housing 4 by means of a flange 18. Suitable sealing elements 19 are arranged at those places where a rotating part meets a fixed part, such as, for example, at the connecting point between the said cover 17 and inlet arrangement 6. The inlet arrangement 9 for the pulp suspension is, in this preferred case, a cavity inside the axle 1 which opens out into a channel system 11 which extends essentially radially and which leads to the space 12 in which the change in the liquid content of the pulp suspension is to take place, which space will hereinafter be termed the displacement space 12. An outlet arrangement 14 for the fibre suspension, arranged centrally inside the axle like the inlet 9, is present at the opposite end of the axle (with respect to inlet arrangement 9) . For removing washing liquid etc., a channel system 15 is arranged centrally inside the device with an opening 15A, which is located relatively near to the narrowest part of the cone 4C. The opening 15A is arranged in a long pipe 15B which is fixed in a plate-like arrangement 20. The plate-like arrangement 20 also functions as a cover for the inlet arrangement 9 for the suspension and additionally constitutes one of the limiting surfaces for the channel 11 which leads to the displacement space 12. According to the preferred form, the plate 20 possesses a ring-shaped element 20A at its periphery, which element extends in an axial direction. A smaller pipe 15C leads from the larger pipe 15 to an outlet element 16 for fluid washing liquid or the like. The device functions in the following manner. Fibre suspension, for example a pulp suspension which has passed through a bleaching step, is fed into the inlet arrangement 9, i.e. into the cavity in axle 1 of the device. The axle, and the parts 2, 4, 15 and 20 connected to the axle, are rotated at a relatively high rotation speed by means of the drive 8. The reason for the high rotation speed is the desire to establish relatively rapid layering between the fibre and liquid in the suspension as a result of the centrifugal force evoked by the rotation. The suspension will flow out of the open¬ ings in the axle and enter the channel 11 which leads to the displacement space 12. In this channel the suspension is subjected to a very rapid increase in speed, as a result of the rotation, and at the end of the channel swings in an axial direction and subsequently follows along the inner surface 2B of the liquid-permeable cylindrical part of the Y-shaped device 2, which is rotating in unison. The suspension will thereby be layered so that the heavier fibres come to lie in an outer layer and the lighter liquid in an inner layer. To avoid physical contact at this juncture between the fibre layer and the housing wall 2B, a liquid is supplied to the fluid space 3 at a static pressure which balances the pressure with which the fibre layer is acting in the direction of the inner wall 2B as a result of the centri¬ fugal force. In this way, by supplying liquid via the liquid inlet 6 and forcing in a liquid layer, out from the outer surface 2B and inwards through the cylindrical wall part 2, the ring-shaped suspension cake which has been formed can be lifted up and direct physical contact between the housing and the fibres can be prevented. During this process, liquid will also be forced/ constricted through the fibre bed and washing of the fibre bed will thereby be achieved. Because continuous replenishment of the fibre suspension is taking place, the layer will gradually move to the right in the diagram. Finally, the layer will have moved the whole length of the cylindrical part 2A, 2B and reached the conical part 4C of the device. Just as in a cyclone, both the layers will, due to the rotation and the conicity, move to the right in the diagram down to the narrowest part of the cone. In this region, a separation occurs in that a majority of the liquid is drawn off by turning away into pipe 15, while the fibre suspension will flow out through the centrally arranged outlet arrangement 14 to the right of the diagram. By regulating the negative pressure inside the liquid outlet channel 15, the liquid content of the outflowing fibre suspension can be regulated to a certain extent, i.e. with a large degree of negative pressure the percentage removal from the suspension is greater than with a low degree of negative pressure. It will be evident to the person skilled in the art that there are also many other factors which can be varied, thereby influencing the result. For example, increased rotational velocity requires increased counterpressure and also provides the possibility of higher through-flow since more rapid layering is achieved at higher rotational velocity etc. Figure 2 shows an alternative embodiment of a device according to the invention, in which corresponding arrangements have been given the same reference numbers. The pulp and the washing liquid flow in in the same manner in this device as in that described above. By contrast, in the latter alternative, the washing water (the constricted liquid) flows out centrally through its outlet arrangement 16 and the pulp suspension through an outlet arrangement 14 which is not centrally located. Additionally, a long cylindrical part 21 has been built onto the plate arrangement 20 at the inlet channel 11, which cylindrical part, like the enclosing housing part 2A, 2B, is liquid-permeable. Through this cylindrical housing part 21, excess washing liquid is allowed to penetrate in towards the centre of the device. The housing wall is suspended at its other end on a further plate arrangement 22 which also forms a delimiting surface for the channel 13 which conducts the suspension out towards the outlet arrangement 14. The basic principle by which the two embodiments function is essentially the same. It will be evident to the person skilled in the art that the invention is not limited by that which has been demonstrated above but can be varied within the scope of the subsequent patent claims. Thus, it is, for example, also possible in an embodiment according to the second alternative to allow at least some of the liquid- permeable housing parts 2 and 21 to be conical to some degree. Other changes are to allow only certain parts of, for example, the outer liquid-permeable housing 2A, 2B to be liquid-permeable, for example to guarantee a definite layering before the pulp bed is subjected to counterpressure. Additionally it is possible to alter the fluid space in different ways so that different zones can thereby be obtained, which zones can be operated at different pressures. Beyond this, it is evident that the invention is not limited to applications using water, but that other fluids can be used, i.e. preferably also other types of liquid, but including gases as well. Furthermore, it is conceivable that these fluids can be used for a multiplicity of possible treatment purposes, such as bleaching etc.

Claims: PATENT CLAIMS 1. Method of treating a fibre suspension to alter its liquid content, characterised in that the suspension is fed into a rotationally symmetrical displacement space (12) whose outer limiting surface (2B) rotates around the axis of symmetry, which surface (2B) is permeable to fluid and is affected by a fluid under pressure acting from the outside. 2. Method according to Patent Claim 1, characterised in that the pressure (pv) from the fluid acting from the outside is equal to or exceeds the pressure (ps) with which the suspension acts against the said outer limiting surface (2B) , which latter pressure (ps) is dependent on the centripetal acceleration. 3. Method according to Patent Claim 1, characterised in that the said space (12) is at least partially delimited by an inner limiting surface (20A, 21) , which surface is preferably also permeable to fluid. 4. Method according to any one of Patent Claims 1 - 3, characterised in that the fibre suspension is fed into the said space (12) via a channel (9) or several channels (11) which at least in part are located at a shorter radial distance from the said line of symmetry than the said space. 5. Device for carrying out the method according to Patent Claim 1, characterised by an axle (l) , which is arranged to be rotatable by means of a bearing element (7) and which possesses a suitable element (8) for driving, a rotationally symmetrical housing (2) which is connected to the axle (1) so that it rotates with it and which is at least partially liquid-permeable, an inlet element (9) for fibre suspension and a first channel system (11) communicating with it, which system opens into a displacement space (12) inside the said housing (2) , a second channel system (13) which leads from the said displacement space (12) to an outlet element (14) for fibre suspension, a fluid space (3) which encloses the outer periphery (2A) of the said housing (2), a third channel system (5) which is connected to an inlet (6) for a fluid and which leads to the said fluid space (3) , and a fourth channel system (15) which connects at least one opening (15A) , which has been arranged in a radial direction at a shorter distance from the said axis of symmetry than the said displacement space (3) , with an outlet element (16) for withdrawal of fluid and of substance possibly separated from the suspension. 6. Device according to Patent ' Claim 5, characterised in that the said second channel system (13) is limited outwards by an element (4C) , which is at least partially rotationally symmetrical and which converges in the direction towards the outlet element (14) .

Inventors: EKHOLM ROLF, JANSSON ULF, EKHOLM, ROLF, JANSSON, ULF
Applicants: EKHOLM ROLF, JANSSON ULF, KAMYR AB
Application year: 1993
Main classification: D21C9
IPC codes: D21C9