Wet abrasive blasting system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10076823-B2
Application number	US-201815899737-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 20, 2018
Priority date	Jul 13, 2010
Publication date	Sep 18, 2018
Grant date	Sep 18, 2018

Abstract

Wet abrasive blasting systems are described that have a slurry piping system and a gas piping system that have pipes and other piping components, such as valves and regulators, that have a more consistent internal cross-sectional area than conventional wet abrasive blasting systems. The more consistent flow area provides astonishing improvements in blasting efficiency and consistent and predictable slurry flow rates.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wet abrasive blasting system, comprising:
a mixer combining a slurry stream and a pressurized gas stream to form a three-phase blasting stream;
slurry piping system that connects a source of pressurized slurry to the mixer, wherein the slurry piping system comprises pipes and other components; and
pressurized gas piping system that connects a source of pressurized gas to the mixer, wherein the pressurized gas piping system comprising comprises pipes and an air regulator; wherein a portion of the pipe has an internal cross-sectional flow area and the air regulator has a minimum orifice internal cross-sectional flow area that is greater than 25% less than the internal cross-sectional flow area of the pipe.

2. The wet abrasive blasting system of claim 1 , wherein the air regulator has a minimum orifice internal cross-sectional flow area that is within 15% of the internal cross-sectional flow area of the pipe.

3. The wet abrasive blasting system of claim 1 , wherein the air regulator has a minimum orifice internal cross-sectional flow area that is greater than 10% less than the internal cross-sectional flow area of the pipe.

4. The wet abrasive blasting system of claim 1 , wherein the source of pressurized slurry is a blast pot and the wet abrasive blasting system comprising a water pump in fluid communication with the blast pot such that water pressure forces slurry into the compressed air circuit.

5. The wet abrasive blasting system of claim 4 , wherein the blast pot is substantially full of water during a blasting operation and the water pump is capable of maintaining pressure in the blast pot.

6. The wet abrasive blasting system of claim 5 , wherein the source of pressurized gas is an air compressor.

7. A wet abrasive blasting system, comprising:
a mixer;
a check valve installed in a horizontal position; and
piping system connecting the check valve to the mixer, wherein the check valve has a cracking pressure of greater than 2 psi, a flow area within 25% of the flow area of a pipe in the piping system, and is positioned at the same elevation as the mixer.

8. A wet abrasive blasting system, comprising:
a mixer combining a slurry stream and a pressurized gas stream to form a three-phase blasting stream;
slurry piping system that connects a source of pressurized slurry to the mixer, wherein the slurry piping system comprises pipes and other components; and
pressurized gas piping system that connects a source of pressurized gas to the mixer, wherein the pressurized gas piping system comprising comprises pipes and a check valve; wherein a portion of the pipe has an internal cross-sectional flow area and the check valve have a minimum orifice internal cross-sectional flow area that is greater than 25% less than the internal cross-sectional flow area of the pipe.

9. The wet abrasive blasting system of claim 8 , wherein the check valve has a minimum orifice internal cross-sectional flow area that is within 15% of the internal cross-sectional flow area of the pipe.

10. The wet abrasive blasting system of claim 8 , wherein the check valve has a minimum orifice internal cross-sectional flow area that is greater than 10% less than the internal cross-sectional flow area of the pipe.

11. The wet abrasive blasting system of claim 8 , wherein the check valve is a spring-loaded check valve.

12. The wet abrasive blasting system of claim 11 , wherein the check valve has a cracking force of greater than 2 psi.

13. The wet abrasive blasting system of claim 8 , wherein the check valve is installed in a horizontal position.

14. The wet abrasive blasting system of claim 8 , wherein the check valve is installed at the same height as the mixer.

Assignees

• Graco Minnesota Inc

Inventors

• Eliason Keith
• Studt Nicolas K

Classifications

• B24C5/04

  Nozzles therefor (nozzles in general B05B) · CPC title

• F16K15/026

  the valve member being a movable body around which the medium flows when the valve is open · CPC title

• F16K17/06

  with special arrangements for adjusting the opening pressure · CPC title

• B24C7/0015 Primary

  with control of feed parameters, e.g. feed rate of abrasive material or carrier · CPC title

• B24B57/02

  for feeding of fluid, sprayed, pulverised, or liquefied grinding, polishing or lapping agents · CPC title