Method and apparatus for blending process materials

摘要

An improved method and apparatus for blending process materials. Preferred embodiments of the present invention are directed to a process material contacting system to increase wetted surface area for liquid contact as well as increase forced convective mixing efficiency of the liquid mixture. Use of a novel process material contacting apparatus allows one solid feeding element to serve multiple process material tanks, thus reducing overall system costs and decreasing set-up time/process variability while increasing operational efficiency. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, rather than adding a process material to a volume of liquid held in a blending tank, the added process material is remotely blended with the liquid outside the process material tank.

主权项

1. A blending system, comprising:
a blending apparatus for mixing a first material with a second material to provide a predetermined composition, wherein the first material is a liquid material and second material is a solid material, the blending apparatus comprising:
an outer shell;an inner shell defining an inner volume, and the space between the outer shell and the inner shell defining an outer fluid volume;an inlet port through which the liquid material can be introduced into the outer fluid volume between the inner shell and the outer shell; anda discharge port at a bottom of the inner volume, a top of the inner shell being lower than a top of the outer shell and having an upper lip so that the liquid material introduced into the outer fluid volume between the outer shell and inner shell will fill the outer fluid volume and flow over the upper lip of the inner shell, forming a column of liquid flowing down an inner wall of the inner shell into the inner volume and then a blended material flowing out of the blending apparatus through the discharge port; at least one process material tank for storing the blended material, the blended material comprising a mix of the first material and the second material; a supply line connected to the blending apparatus from the at least one process material tank; a return line connected from the blending apparatus to the at least one process material tank; and a process control system comprising:
a first flow control device positioned on the supply line;at least one sensor to provide a signal indicative of a level of the liquid material in the inner volume of the blending apparatus; anda controller responsive to the signal to provide a control signal to the first flow control device to adjust a rate of flow of the liquid material to adjust a blending rate for the first material and the second material.