Liquid and sludge mixers

Description

/ 5 “LIQUID AND SLUDGE MIXERS” (DIVIDED FROM BR 11 2022 017774 7, FILED ON 05 / 03 / 2021)

[001] This invention relates to liquid and slurry mixers.

[002] According to the invention, a mixer is provided comprising a container having a base plate and a scrubber at its upper end, a frame mounted on the side and top end of the container, a motor, preferably a variable speed motor, supported by the frame, a vertical tube under the scrubber and extending to the lower end of the container, a pump inside the vertical tube and connected to the motor to be driven by it, and two feed tubes entering tangentially into the lower portion of the container and extending from the lower end of the tube.

[003] The upper end of the vertical tube is located, in use, slightly below the level of the liquid and sludge in the container.The liquid enters the upper end of the vertical tube and is conveyed downwards by the pump to the two feed tubes in the lower chamber of the container, which directs the flow tangentially in opposite directions, causing very good mixing. Means are provided that project into the lower portion of the container and inhibit the upward movement of the liquid / slurry before it moves inwards beyond said means, after which the liquid / slurry is allowed to pass upwards, above said means, so that the liquid / slurry that has passed through the vertical tube mixes well with the liquid / slurry material in the container below and above said means. Thus, the liquid that has passed through the vertical tube will mix well with the liquid / slurry in the container below and above said means. Petition 870260079651, dated 07 / 08 / 2026, page 7 / 30 / 5 frequently called “rim rings”. The pump and motor housing are preferably connected in a removable manner to the container, so that they can be easily removed for repair or replacement.

[004] Each “rim ring” preferably comprises an outer ring mounted on the wall which may be divided into several segments with slots or holes. Rim rings improve turbulence in the lower mixing chamber, as well as ensuring a uniform distribution of upward flow in the upper part of the vessel.

[005] The pump preferably comprises a helical impeller mounted on the motor drive shaft. A stator surrounds the shaft, preferably below the helical impeller, to provide support to the shaft and to prevent swirling. A second stator may be added above the impeller to minimize air ingress into the liquid / slurry.

[006] The mixer can be used as a single unit or as part of a group of mixers.

[007] One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[008] In the drawings: - Figure 1 is a side view of a conical mixing tank in which a mixer of the invention is contained; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the conical mixing tank; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the mixing chamber; Figure 4 is a partially cross-sectional perspective view of the mixing chamber; Figure 5 is a schematic view showing the liquid / slurry flow; and Figure 6 is a view of a carousel of six mixing tanks of the invention. Petition 870260079651, dated 07 / 08 / 2026, page 8 / 30 / 5

[009] With reference now to the drawings, a mixer is shown. 10. The mixer 10 comprises an upper cylindrical container tank section 12 within a conical tank section 14 resting on a lower mixing chamber 16. The lower mixing chamber 16 is divided by a “lower rim ring” or shelf 18 into upper and lower parts 20 and 22. There is an upper “rim ring” 24 at the top of the mixing chamber 16 and this has an inclined ring 26 that runs from the inner edge of the upper rim ring 24 (see figure 4) to the upper edge of the mixing chamber 16. The upper edge of the upper cylindrical tank section 12 has an overflow washer 28.

[0010] Mounted on top of tank 12, the washer 28 carries a removable frame 30. The frame 30 carries in its center a platform 44 on which a variable speed drive motor 34 is vertically mounted. The motor 34 has a vertical drive shaft 36 rotatably mounted on bearings 38 and 40 carried on the upper and lower platforms 42 and 44 on the frame 30. Below the platform 44 is a vertical tube 46. The drive shaft 36 is contained within the vertical tube 46 and extends to the bottom of the mixer 12. The tube 46 and the mixer 10 are mounted on ground-mounted conveyors 50.

[0011] Inside the lower part of the vertical tube 46 and inside the tube is a pump in the form of a helical impeller 52. Below the impeller 52 is a stator 54 to remove or minimize the vortex in the solution being driven by the impeller 52.

[0012] At the lower end of tube 46 are two distribution tubes 47 and 48 that enter respectively into the upper and lower parts of the mixing chamber 16 in a tangential direction so that the water from the upper distribution tube 48 enters the mixing chamber 16 in a clockwise direction and the lower distribution tube 47 conducts the solution to the lower part of the mixing chamber 16 in a counter-clockwise direction. The upper edge of the Petition 870260079651, dated 07 / 08 / 2026, p. 9 / 30 / 5 vertical tube 46 is slightly below the bottom of the washer 28 and, in use, the liquid / slurry enters the tube and is then forced down the tube by the impeller 52 to the mixing chamber 16. The solution mixes tangentially and countercurrently and passes through the rim rings 18 and 24 so that the liquid / slurry moves upwards in the container and causes the solution / slurry to mix with the material and maintain the suspension.

[0013] Reference is made to Figure 5, where the direction of movement of the solution is given by arrows, as can be seen where the liquid / slurry moves over the upper edge of the upper section of tank 12 and descends to scrubber 28. Then, the liquid / slurry descends through the base of scrubber 28 and enters the vertical tube 46.

[0014] In a typical use of container 10, it serves to mix solution and particles (solids for the leaching process or for an absorption process). The mixer can be used to mix any solution, reagent or slurry as an example. The container can also be used for flotation and as a jig (particle separation).

[0015] It will be seen that the container 10 with the pump as described above is more efficient than the agitator / mixer units currently used. Because it has a variable speed drive motor 34, it is possible to avoid the need to use gearboxes as required in devices used until now. Variable speed drives provide total flow control for mixing and suspending materials. The modalities described above provide extremely good mixing of, for example, any solution and solids. It will also be seen that the pump / mixer unit is easy to maintain, as it can be removed from the tank even when there is solution and / or solids in the tank and then repaired or replaced with a new pump / mixer unit.

[0016] It can also be seen that the pump / mixer unit 10 draws solution from the top of the tank or container 12 and transfers it through the tube. Petition 870260079651, dated 07 / 08 / 2026, page 10 / 30 / 5 vertical 46 through impeller 52 to the bottom of the container and after that the solution flow is upward in the direction where particle suspension is required, which provides a more efficient mixture compared to conventional mixers / agitators. We also verified that this arrangement allows for a much better absorption apparatus than the one currently in use that we are aware of.

[0017] The mixing vessel can be used as a single unit. It can also be used with others to form a carousel, as shown in Figure 6. The mixers are placed in rows of three and the mixers are in pairs. Running between the two rows of mixers is a tail slurry collector 55 that terminates in a drop pipe 56 leading to the tail slurry (not shown). Two parallel tank drain pipes join near one end connected to the six mixers, then there is a feed slurry collector 58 leading to the six mixers and then leading to a bypass for the tail slurry collector 56 near the end of the same.

[0018] Valves are provided so that the connections to and from the six mixers for sludge feed; connections from the mixers to the tailpipe 56; and from the other six mixers to the tank drain can be varied so that the order in which the mixers are connected to the manifolds can be changed as desired.

[0019] The invention is not limited to the precise construction details described herein and illustrated in the drawings. For example, there may be two pumps, each connected to a drop tube, forcing the solution downwards and respectively into the two distribution tubes. The number of mixers can be increased or decreased in the carousel. Petition 870260079651, dated 07 / 08 / 2026, page 11 / 30

Claims

1 / 3 CLAIMS 1. Mixer, comprising: a container (12) having a mixing chamber (16) at a lower end thereof and a washer (18) around an upper edge of the container (12) at an upper end thereof; and a pump and a pipe arrangement (46, 47, 48) for carrying liquid or slurry from the washer (18) to the mixing chamber (16), characterized in that: the pipe arrangement (46, 47, 48) includes two distribution pipes (47, 48) that enter the mixing chamber (16) to mix the liquid or slurry and keep suspended particles within it as the liquid or slurry moves upwards towards the upper edge of the container (12); and the two distribution pipes (47, 48) enter the mixing chamber (16) in opposite tangential directions to mix the liquid or slurry in countercurrent.

2. Mixer, according to claim 1, characterized in that the two distribution tubes (47, 48) include an upper distribution tube (48) that enters an upper part of the mixing chamber (16) and a lower distribution tube (47) that enters a lower part of the mixing chamber (16).

3. Mixer, according to claim 2, characterized in that a lower rim ring (18) projects into the mixing chamber (16) and divides the mixing chamber (16) into an upper and a lower part.

4. Mixer, according to claim 3, characterized in that an upper rim ring (24) projects into the mixing chamber (16) at the top of the upper part of the mixing chamber (16), wherein the lower rim ring (18) and the upper rim ring (24) increase the turbulence in the mixing chamber (16) to ensure a uniform upward flow in the upper parts of the container (12).

5. Mixer, according to claim 4, characterized in that the lower rim ring (18) and the upper rim ring (24) constitute a pair of vertically spaced horizontal rings or collars, fixed inside the mixing chamber (16) and projecting slightly into the mixing chamber (16) of the container (12), being positioned so that the lower rim ring (18) is above the lower distribution tube (47) and the upper rim ring (24) is above the upper distribution tube (48).

6. Mixer, according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the container (12) includes a conical tank section (14) above the mixing chamber (16).

7. Mixer, according to claim 6, characterized in that the container (12) includes an upper cylindrical tank section above the conical tank section (14).

8. Mixer, according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the scrubber is an overflow scrubber (28) into which liquid or slurry enters when it overflows the upper edge of the container (12).

9. Mixer, according to claim 8, characterized in that the pipe arrangement includes a vertical pipe (46) that carries the liquid or slurry from the overflow scrubber (28) towards the mixing chamber (16).

10. Mixer, according to claim 9, characterized in that the pump includes an impeller (52) inside the vertical tube (46) and a motor (34) connected to the impeller (52), and wherein a drive shaft (36) is connected to the impeller (52) and a stator (54) surrounds the drive shaft (36) to provide support to the drive shaft (36) and to break up a swirling effect. Petition 870260079651, dated 07 / 08 / 2026, p. 13 / 30 3 / 3 11. Mixer carousel, comprising a number of mixers as defined in any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the carousel includes a tail slurry collector (55), a tank collector and a feed slurry collector (58) with valves connecting the collectors and mixers to allow the order of connection of the mixers to be varied. Petition 870260079651, dated 07 / 08 / 2026, p. 14 / 30

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