Gas Separator for Pulp Gas Removal and Flow Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

In the pulp and paper industry, existing methods face challenges in minimizing gas content in fiber suspensions, ensuring uniform feed to washing or filtering apparatuses, and maintaining optimal inlet pressure, which can lead to foaming and inefficiencies, especially as consistency increases.

Innovation Solution

A method and arrangement that involves discharging pulp to a gas separator to remove gas, controlling feed pressure, and using a gas separator integrated with or separate from the washing or filtering apparatus to ensure efficient gas separation and uniform pulp distribution, minimizing equipment and energy consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of substance

If the consistency of fiber suspension is increased to reduce water consumption, then water consumption is reduced, but gas content in the pulp increases leading to more foam and pumping problems

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewater consumptionVSAvoidgas content and foam
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of substanceVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The gas separator is positioned to perform gas separation before the fiber suspension enters the washing or filtering apparatus. This preliminary action removes gas from the pulp at an earlier stage, preventing the gas-related problems (foaming, pumping issues) that would otherwise occur when high consistency pulp is processed, while still allowing the benefits of reduced water consumption to be realized

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of operation

If a static flow divider is used to distribute fiber suspension to multiple inlets, then flow distribution is achieved, but reliability decreases when consistency is high

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveflow distributionVSAvoidflow division reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention replaces static flow dividers with a dynamic gas separator system that actively adapts to varying pulp consistency. The gas separator uses moving components (such as a rotor or rotating elements) that can adjust their operation based on the consistency of the fiber suspension, maintaining reliable flow distribution even at high consistencies where static devices fail

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Object-generated harmful factors

If multiple equipment are installed in the blow line to separate gas and control pressure, then gas separation and pressure control are achieved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegas contentVSAvoidnumber of equipment
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention combines gas separation, flow division, and pressure control functions into a single integrated gas separator unit. This merging of multiple functions that would traditionally require separate equipment reduces device complexity and minimizes the number of components in the blow line, while still achieving effective gas separation and pressure control

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach reduces gas content in pulp, ensures steady and reliable flow to the apparatus, and optimizes inlet pressure, enhancing the efficiency and capacity of washing or filtering processes while minimizing equipment and energy use.

Implementation Method 1

separating gas from the pulp

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectBuoyancy: Archimedes' Principle (Buoyancy)

Data Source

PatentEP3030711B1A method of and an arrangement for introducing process liquid from a treatment step to a washing and/or filtering apparatus
Publication Date: 2017.08.09 SULZER MANAGEMENT AG
  • EP3030711B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3030711B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3030711B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The present invention relates to a method of and an arrangement for introducing fiber suspension or pulp from a pulp vessel (10) to a washing and/or filtering apparatus (20). In accordance with an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the method and the arrangement are based on simultaneous division and degassing of pulp at (18) immediately upstream of the washing and/or filtering apparatus (20).