Means and method for mixing a particulate material and a liquid
A means for securing a proper mixing of a particle shaped material, such as powder, into a liquid by supplying shear forces in a mixing zone, the shear forces being produced by pumping liquid through a restriction ( 22 ), such as a nozzle ( 27,29 ) in a pipe at a high pressure. A plurality of nozzles ( 22 ) is used, placed in such position with respect to each other that a jet from at least one of the nozzles ( 22 ) hits the jet from at least a second nozzle ( 22 ) in one single theoretical point downstream of the nozzles ( 22 ).
1. An apparatus for securing a proper mixing of a particulate material into a liquid, comprising:
a storage tank containing mixture of liquid and a particulate material;
a pump for circulating the mixture of liquid and particulate material;
a plurality of nozzles each having a smaller cross sectional area at its outlet than at its inlet, the mixture of liquid being pumped through the plurality of nozzles and producing liquid jets meeting each other;
pipelines associated with the pump and transporting said mixture of liquid from the storage tank through the plurality of nozzles and back to the storage tank; and
a further pipe arranged downstream of the plurality of nozzles and extending down into the storage tank such that a lower end of the further pipe is completely submerged into said mixture of liquid;
wherein the plurality of nozzles are arranged in a pipe of the associated pipelines downstream of an outlet from the storage tank, each nozzle of the plurality of nozzles having a center axis which converges towards another center axis of another nozzle of the plurality of nozzles, so that the liquid jets of the mixture of liquid meet in one single theoretical point downstream of the plurality of nozzles.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein one nozzle of the plurality of nozzles is inclined with respect to a general direction of flow through the pipes associated with the pump, while a center line of another nozzle of the plurality of nozzles is parallel with a center axis of the pipes associated with the pump.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each nozzle of the plurality of nozzles are arranged in the same cross sectional plane in the pipe.
4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein an angle between the center axis of the plurality of nozzles is in a region of 10-45 degrees.
5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of nozzles is configured to create strong turbulences downstream of the plurality of nozzles.
6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of nozzles is a replaceable unit oriented such that the liquid jets meet in the one single theoretical point downstream of the plurality of nozzles to impose increased shear forces into the liquid mixture.
7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nozzles are contained in a nozzle unit.
8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a pressure increase in the liquid mixture when flowing through is created by each of the plurality of nozzles having the larger cross sectional area at its inlet than the area at its outlet.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nozzles are symmetrically arranged with respect to a centerline of the pipe.