Slurry distributor, system, and method for using same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10052793-B2
Application number	US-201213659516-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 24, 2012
Priority date	Oct 24, 2011
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

A slurry distributor can include a feed conduit and a distribution conduit in fluid communication therewith. The feed conduit can include a first and second feed inlets disposed in spaced relationship to each other. The distribution conduit can extend generally along a longitudinal axis and include an entry portion and a distribution outlet in fluid communication therewith. The entry portion is in fluid communication with the first and second feed inlets of the feed conduit. The distribution outlet extends a predetermined distance along a transverse axis. The first and second feed inlets each has an opening with a cross-sectional area. The entry portion of the distribution conduit has an opening with a cross-sectional area which is greater than the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the openings of the first and second feed inlets. The slurry distributor can be placed in fluid communication with a gypsum slurry mixer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A slurry distributor comprising:
a feed conduit including a first entry segment with a first feed inlet and a second entry segment with a second feed inlet disposed in spaced relationship to the first feed inlet; and
a distribution conduit extending generally along a longitudinal axis and including an entry portion and a distribution outlet in fluid communication with the entry portion, the entry portion in fluid communication with the first and second feed inlets of the feed conduit, the distribution outlet extending a predetermined distance along a transverse axis, the transverse axis being substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;
wherein the first and second feed inlets each has an opening with a cross-sectional area, and the entry portion of the distribution conduit has an opening with a cross-sectional area which is greater than the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the openings of the first and second feed inlets the distribution outlet of the distribution conduit has an opening with a cross-sectional area which is greater than the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the openings of the first and second feed inlets, and the cross-sectional area of the openings of the entry portion of the distribution conduit is greater than the cross-sectional area of the opening of the distribution outlet
wherein the feed conduit includes first and second feed outlets, the first and second feed outlets in fluid communication with the first and second feed inlets, respectively, the first and second feed outlets in fluid communication with the entry portion of the distribution conduit, the first and second feed outlets each having an opening with a cross-sectional area that is larger than the cross-sectional area of the opening of the first feed inlet and the second feed inlet, respectively, and the opening of each of the first and second feed outlets having a hydraulic diameter that is smaller than the hydraulic diameter of the opening of the first feed inlet and the second feed inlet, respectively.

2. The slurry distributor of claim 1 , wherein the first and second feed inlets and the first and second entry segments are disposed at a respective feed angle in a range up to about 135° with respect to the longitudinal axis.

3. The slurry distributor of claim 1 , wherein the feed conduit includes a bifurcated connector segment including first and second guide surfaces, the first and second guide surfaces respectively adapted to redirect a first flow of slurry moving in a first feed flow direction through the first inlet and the first entry segment by a change in direction angle in a range up to about 135° to an outlet flow direction and adapted to redirect a second flow of slurry moving in a second feed flow direction through the second inlet and the second entry segment by a change in direction angle in a range up to about 135° to the outlet flow direction.

4. The slurry distributor of claim 1 , wherein the feed conduit includes a guide channel configured to have a larger cross-sectional area than an adjacent portion of the feed conduit to promote flow of slurry through the guide channel, the guide channel disposed adjacent a wall surface.

5. The slurry distributor of claim 1 , wherein the opening of the distribution outlet has a width, along the transverse axis, and a height, along a vertical axis mutually perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and the transverse axis, wherein the width-to-height ratio of the opening of the distribution outlet is about 4 or more.

6. The slurry distributor of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the feed conduit and the distribution conduit includes an area of expansion having a cross-sectional flow area that is greater than a cross-sectional flow area of an adjacent area upstream from the area of expansion in a direction from the feed conduit toward the distribution conduit.

7. The slurry distributor of claim 1 , further comprising:
a profiling system adapted to vary the shape and/or size of the distribution outlet along the transverse axis.

8. A cementitious slurry distributor comprising: a feed conduit including a first entry segment with a first feed inlet and a second entry segment with a second feed inlet disposed in spaced relationship to the first feed inlet;
a distribution conduit extending generally along a longitudinal axis and including an entry portion and a distribution outlet in fluid communication with the entry portion, the entry portion in fluid communication with the first and second feed inlets of the feed conduit; and
at least one support segment, each support segment being movable over a range of travel such that the support segment is in a range of positions over which the support segment is in increasing compressive engagement with a portion of an exterior surface of at least one of the feed conduit and the distribution conduit.

9. The slurry distributor of claim 8 , further comprising:
a support system including a support member and a movable support assembly, the support member defining a supporting surface configured to substantially conform to at least a portion of the exterior surface of at least one of the feed conduit and the distribution conduit, and the movable support assembly including a plurality of support segments, each support segment being movable over a range of travel such that the support segment is in a range of positions over which the support segment is in increasing compressive engagement with a portion of the exterior surface of at least one of the feed conduit and the distribution conduit.

10. The slurry distributor of claim 9 , wherein said at least one support segment comprises at least two support segments, and at least one support segment is independently movable relative to another support segment.

11. The slurry distributor of claim 9 , the movable support assembly includes a support frame movably supporting the support segments.

12. The slurry distributor of claim 11 , wherein the movable support assembly includes a clamping mechanism associated with each support segment, each clamping mechanism adapted to selectively retain the associated support segment in a selected position relative to the support frame.

13. The slurry distributor of claim 8 , wherein each support segment includes a contacting surface configured to substantially conform to a surface portion of at least one of the feed conduit and the distribution conduit.

14. A gypsum slurry mixing and dispensing assembly comprising:
a gypsum slurry mixer adapted to agitate water and calcined gypsum to form an aqueous calcined gypsum slurry, the gypsum slurry mixer including a housing and an agitator, the housing defining a mixing chamber, a water inlet, and a calcined gypsum inlet, the water inlet and the calcined gypsum inlet in communication with the mixing chamber, and the agitator rotatably mounted within the mixing chamber;
a slurry distributor in fluid communication with the gypsum slurry mixer, the slurry distributor including:
a feed conduit including a first entry segment with a first feed inlet and a second entry segment with a second feed inlet disposed in spaced relationship to the first feed inlet, the first feed inlet adapted to receive a first flow of aqueous calcined gypsum slurry from the gypsum slurry mixer, the second feed inlet adapted to receive a second flow of aqueous calcined gypsum slurry from the gypsum slurry mixer, and
a distribution conduit extending generally along a longitudinal axis and including an entry portion and a distribution outlet in fluid communication with the entry portion, the entry portion in fluid communication with the first and sec

Assignees

• United States Gypsum Co

Inventors

• Li Alfred
• Lee Chris C
• Chan Cesar
• Schenck Ronald E
• Song Weixin D
• Loring Curt
• Wittbold James
• Rago William

Classifications

• B28B19/0092 Primary

  to webs, sheets or the like, e.g. of paper, cardboard · CPC title

• F16L41/023

  Y- pieces (F16L41/025, F16L41/026, F16L41/028 take precedence) · CPC title

• Y10T137/85938

  Non-valved flow dividers · CPC title

• B29B7/76

  {Mixers} with stream-impingement mixing head · CPC title

• B05C5/02

  {the liquid or other fluent material being discharged through an outlet orifice by pressure, e.g.} from an outlet device in contact or almost in contact, with the work · CPC title