Abstract: In order to remove liquid from a slurry of water and powdered material, and particularly from a slurry containing spent powdered ion exchange resins and other media used to decontaminate water in nuclear power plants, a vessel is filled with the slurry. The vessel contains filters, particularly panels which are arrayed in the upper portion of the vessel and through which water is filtered leaving a body ("cake") of the powdered material in the vessel. The filters are surrounded on at least their sides and top by a bag of pliant material. This bag defines a variable volume region and may be evacuated to compress the cake against the filters, prevent breaking suction at the filters and enabling them to continue to remove the water remaining in the cake so that additional water may be removed from the cake and discharged from the vessel, leaving a compact mass which efficiently utilizes the volume of the vessel, thereby preparing the vessel and the dewatered slurry for disposal.

Abstract: A calorimetry systems for the continuous measurement of the heating value of coal, which provides heating value data used to control coal-fired furnaces. The system has apparatus for pulverizing the coal, a gravimetric feeder for providing pulverized coal at a measured mass feed rate, an initiating self-sustained combustion of the coal therein without the need for further supporting fuel gases. Instrumentation measures the flow rates of the cooling air, primary and secondary combustion air as well as the mass flow rates of the coal into the combustor. A computer is provided which is responsive to the measuring instruments (thermocouples and pressure gauges) for controlling the feeding of the coal and fuel gases during initiation of combustion and for computing the heating value of the coal. The computer has a memory with storage for specific heat values of the constituents of the products of combustion of various ranks of coal (bituminous, subbituminous, lignite, etc.

Abstract: Apparatus for mixing or circulating a liquid or a liquid suspension (slurry) to provide efficiently, high head so as to enable slurries which are viscous or contain large or heavy particles or tend to agglomerate to be mixed or circulated, uses an impeller which provides a head coefficient, k.sub.v from about 3 to 10 at high hydraulic efficiency. The impeller has a plurality of blades with a tip configuration which develops the high head where the blades are wider at the tip than at the base and have fins disposed above and below the blades and at the way of a draft tube wherein axial flow is produced.

Abstract: Mixing apparatus having a sealed impeller shaft provided by a seal unit which supports the shaft and to which a motor drive unit may be detachably connected. When the motor drive unit is disconnected, the mixing apparatus may be sterilized, along or together with the vessel containing the material to be mixed and to which the seal unit is attached. The seal unit has a seal assembly with a movable part engageable by a drive shaft in the drive unit when the drive unit is mounted on the seal unit. The movable seal part is biased to move to a position against a mounting plate on which the drive unit is mounted when the drive mounted is removed so as to provide a static seal. When the drive unit is attached to the seal unit, the driven shaft engages the moveable seal unit part and moves it to another position away from the mounting plate, where the seal assembly may freely rotate with the impeller shaft and maintain a dynamic seal.

Abstract: Apparatus for mixing liquid and liquid suspension mediums in vessels with a mixing impeller shaft system of a composite of fibrous and plastic material of a structural configuration to enable the use of such material in commercial and industrial applications where the reaction loads of the medium on the system militate against the use of composite fibrous and plastic material. The system utilizes impellers having blades which distribute the reaction load through a hub on a mounting area of a shaft with keys and keyways in a manner to avoid stress risers unamicable to the composite material and which can cause failure thereof. Separate keys and keyways are provided to oppose the thrust due to the reaction loads and to oppose the torque due to such loads. Plural thrust keyways may be used to enable the impeller to be located at different positions on the shaft and at selected heights above the floor of the mixing vessel.

Abstract: Mixing systems for liquids having fibers suspended therein wherein the fibers tenaciously adhere to and accumulate on the leading edge of the impeller, thereby increasing the drag of the liquid on the impeller as it rotates and the consequent increase in the power required to rotate the impeller. Axial flow of the liquid in a tank is produced by the impeller within a draft tube. The leading edge of the blades of the impeller are inclined with respect to radial lines extending from the axis of rotation of the impeller beyond the angle of repose of the fibers on the leading edge. Also, the coefficient of friction of the portion of the impeller, extending from the leading edge toward the trailing edge thereof, to which the fibers adhere is reduced by providing the surface thereof with a low coefficient of friction material.

Abstract: The mixing of liquid and liquid suspensions in vessels is obtained by a mixing impeller mounted on a shaft and rotated by a drive which delivers selected speed and torque. The torque and power needed to obtain given flow is minimized by a low-cost impeller having a plurality of blades, each formed from a plate of constant thickness except for a leading edge of rounded profile. Each blade has camber which decreases from the tip to the base thereof. The base can be flat to facilitate the attachment of the blades to the shaft. The blades are oriented and twisted to be at the threshold for flow separation along the width of the blades from the leading to the trailing edge thereof, thereby providing maximum flow in the axial direction before the onset of flow separation.

Abstract: Disclosed is a valve in which the valve internals, the valve seat, guides and slide valve are maintained in position solely by a clamping action of a quick make-up cylinder having an inlet flow passage into the valve. The valve is particularly suited for small valves as no screws or other fasteners are used to maintain the valve internals in position. Advantageously, the guides and slides are maintained out of the flow path, and the valve internals, including the cylinder, are readily removable through the bonnet area.