Slurry distributor, system, and method for using same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10076853-B2
Application number	US-201313844133-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2013
Priority date	Dec 30, 2010
Publication date	Sep 18, 2018
Grant date	Sep 18, 2018

Abstract

A slurry distributor includes a feed conduit and a distribution conduit in fluid communication therewith. The feed conduit includes an entry segment with a feed inlet and a feed entry outlet in fluid communication therewith and extending along a first feed flow axis. The feed conduit includes a shaped duct having a bulb portion in fluid communication with the feed entry outlet. The feed conduit includes a transition segment in fluid communication with the bulb portion and extending along a second feed flow axis in non-parallel relationship with the first feed flow axis. The bulb portion has an area of expansion with a cross-sectional flow area that is greater than a cross-sectional flow area of an adjacent area upstream from the area of expansion. The shaped duct has a convex interior surface in confronting relationship with the feed entry outlet of the entry segment.

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 first feed entry outlet in fluid communication with the first feed inlet, the first entry segment extending along a first feed flow axis, the feed conduit including a first shaped duct having a first bulb portion in fluid communication with the first feed entry outlet of the first entry segment, the feed conduit including a first transition segment in fluid communication with the first bulb portion, the first transition segment extending along a second feed flow axis, the second feed flow axis being in non-parallel relationship with the first feed flow axis, the feed conduit including a second entry segment with a second feed inlet and a second feed entry outlet, the second entry segment disposed in spaced relationship to the first feed inlet, the feed conduit including a second shaped duct having a second blub portion in fluid communication with the second feed entry outlet of the second entry segment, and the feed conduit including a second transition segment in fluid communication with the second bulb portion of the second shaped duct; 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 both the first feed inlet and the second feed inlet 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 bulb portion has an area of expansion with a cross-sectional flow area that is greater than a cross-sectional flow area of an adjacent area upstream from the area of expansion relative to a flow direction from the first feed inlet toward the distribution outlet of the distribution conduit, and wherein the first shaped duct has a convex interior surface in confronting relationship with the first feed entry outlet of the first entry segment.

2. The slurry distributor of claim 1 , wherein the first feed flow axis is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

3. The slurry distributor of claim 1 , wherein the first feed flow axis is substantially parallel to a vertical axis which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and the transverse axis.

4. The slurry distributor of claim 3 , wherein the second feed flow axis is disposed at a respective feed angle in a range up to about 135° with respect to the longitudinal axis.

5. 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 entering the feed conduit through the first feed inlet 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 entering the feed conduit through the second feed inlet by a change in direction angle in a range up to about 135° to the outlet flow direction.

6. The slurry distributor of claim 1 , wherein the first bulb portion has a region with a cross-sectional area in a plane perpendicular to the first feed flow axis that is larger than the cross-sectional area of the feed entry outlet.

7. The slurry distributor of claim 1 , wherein the first bulb portion has a generally radial guide channel disposed adjacent the convex interior surface, the guide channel configured to promote radial flow in a plane substantially perpendicular to the first feed flow axis.

8. The slurry distributor of claim 1 , wherein the first bulb portion is configured to reduce the average velocity of a flow of slurry moving from the entry segment through the first bulb portion to the first transition segment.

9. The slurry distributor of claim 1 , wherein the first bulb portion is configured to reduce the average velocity of a flow of slurry moving from the first entry segment through the first bulb portion to the first transition segment by at least twenty percent.

10. The slurry distributor of claim 1 , further comprising:
a rigid support insert having a support surface substantially conforming to the shape of the convex interior surface of the first shaped duct, the support insert disposed in underlying relationship to the convex interior surface.

11. The slurry distributor of claim 10 , wherein the first shaped duct has a concave exterior surface substantially complementary to the shape of the convex interior surface thereof and in underlying relationship therewith, the concave exterior surface defining a recess, the support insert disposed within the recess.

12. The slurry distributor of claim 10 , wherein the support insert includes a feed end and a distribution end, the support insert extending along a central support axis, the support insert being substantially symmetrical about the central support axis.

13. The slurry distributor of claim 12 , wherein the support insert is asymmetrical about a central axis perpendicular to the central support axis.

14. The slurry distributor of claim 1 , wherein the first shaped duct includes a pair of lateral sidewalls, the first shaped duct configured such that a flow of slurry moving through a region adjacent the convex interior surface and adjacent at least one of the lateral sidewalls toward the distribution outlet has a swirl motion (S m ) from about zero to about 10.

15. The slurry distributor of claim 14 , wherein the flow of slurry moving through the region adjacent the convex interior surface and adjacent at least one of the lateral sidewalls toward the distribution outlet has a swirl motion (S m ) from about 0.5 to about 5.

16. The slurry distributor of claim 14 , wherein the flow of slurry moving through the region adjacent the convex interior surface and adjacent at least one of the lateral sidewalls toward the distribution outlet has a swirl angle (S m ) from about 0° to about 84°.

17. The slurry distributor of claim 1 , wherein the distribution outlet includes an outlet opening having an outlet width, along the transverse axis, and a distribution outlet height, along a vertical axis mutually perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and the transverse axis, and wherein the entry portion includes an entry opening having a distribution entry width, along the transverse axis, and an entry height, along the vertical axis, wherein the distribution entry width is less than the distribution outlet width.

18. The slurry distributor of claim 12 , wherein the width-to-height ratio of the outlet opening of the distribution outlet is about 4 or more.

19. The slurry distributor of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the feed conduit and the distribution conduit includes a flow stabilization region adapted to reduce an average feed velocity of a flow of slurry entering the feed conduit and moving to the distribution outlet such that the flow of slurry discharges from the distribution outlet at an average discharge velocity that is at least twenty percent less than the average feed velocity.

20. A slurry distributor comprising:
a bifurcated feed conduit including a first and a second feed portion each having an entry segment with a feed inlet and a feed entry outlet in fluid communication with the feed inlet, the entry segment extending generally along a vertical axis, a shaped duct having a bulb portion in fluid communication with the feed entry outlet of t

Assignees

• United States Gypsum Co

Inventors

• Wittbold James
• Lee Chris C
• Li Alfred C
• Punati Naveen
• Rago William J
• Carrazco Luis

Classifications

• B28B19/0092

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

• B28C5/003 Primary

  Methods for mixing (B28C5/386, B28C5/402 take precedence) · CPC title

• B29C33/30

  Mounting, exchanging or centering {(moulds, mould parts or cores; B29C33/485 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B05C5/0254 Primary

  Coating heads with slot-shaped outlet (B05C5/0283 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y10T137/85938

  Non-valved flow dividers · CPC title