Patent ID: 8197697

Claim:
A method for thickening a liquid carrying suspended particles utilizing a thickening apparatus that comprises a tank having a bottom and a top, a feedwell defining a chamber for receiving feed material and having at least one outlet in fluid communication with the tank, and at least one feedpipe for feeding the feed material into the feedwell, whereby the feed material passes from the feedwell into the tank and pulp of higher relative density tends to settle towards the bottom of the tank, forming a bed of thickened pulp, and dilute liquid of lower relative density is thereby displaced towards the top of the tank, the method comprising: feeding feed material into the feedwell through the feedpipe, and adjusting a cross-sectional area of the feedpipe in response to change in volumetric flow rate of feed material in the feedpipe, so as to maintain the velocity of feed material exiting the feedpipe when there is a reduction in volumetric flow rate.