Patents by Inventor Olavi Pikka

Olavi Pikka has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20020088567
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of treating chemical pulp in order to optimize the consumption of bleaching chemicals and to improve the quality of the pulp. Especially the invention relates to a method according to which filtrate obtained from a suitable stage of the washing of brown stock preferably cooked by an alkaline cooking method is treated with an oxidizing chemical prior to the oxygen stage following the brown stock washing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2001
    Publication date: July 11, 2002
    Inventors: Kaj Henricson, Eero Kontturi, Olavi Pikka, Janne Vehmaa
  • Patent number: 6375797
    Abstract: In a method and apparatus for treating pulp, a peroxide treatment of chemical pulp, i.e., both sulphite pulp and kraft pulp, is used to quickly reduce the Kappa number of the pulp. The method involves treating a chemical pulp with at least hydrogen peroxide or its equivalent, the kappa number of which chemical pulp has been brought to a level below 20 by either at least cooking or cooking and delignifying. The pulp is treated in a fast alkaline or neutral peroxide stage (Pk) (e.g. a small reactor having a volume of, or proportional to, less than about 90 cubic meters for 1500 tons per day pulp treatment) to reduce the kappa number by 1-10 units, and preferably by 3-7 kappa units, in which treatment the reaction time is less than 10 minutes, and is preferably less than 5 minutes. The pulp is then transferred substantially without intermediate washing of any type to a bleaching tower, and then bleached further in an acidic bleaching step (e.g. a D or Z step) in the bleaching tower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2002
    Assignee: Andritz-Ahlstrom Oy
    Inventors: Kaj Henricson, Olavi Pikka
  • Patent number: 5800674
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for improving a batch cooking process, e.g. providing about 7% increase in discharge time, are provided. The invention is especially suitable for improving modern displacement batch cooking processes. A dedicated pump is mounted directly to each digester and discharges to a common superatmospheric pressure discharge tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1998
    Assignees: Ahlstrom Machinery Oy, Metsa-Botnia Ab Joutseno Pulp
    Inventors: Mauno Iivonen, Arto Koso, Olavi Pikka, Seppo Pursiainen, Esko Turunen
  • Patent number: 5575395
    Abstract: A fiber suspension, such as an in a pulp mill, is treated in an manner which minimizes both the investment and the operating costs associated with a screening plant. A single pump has an outlet connected to a knotter and primary and secondary screening states so that the pump provides substantially the sole motive force to the pulp moving it through the knotter and screening stages. The knotter and screening stages are provided in a common housing with the knotter vertically above the screening stages, and the screening stages one above the other. A single motor may be provided to rotate rotatable elements associated with the knotter and screening stages. The knotter may be connected to a knot washer external of the housing by a valved conduit less than two meters in length, and the secondary screening stage can be connected to a tertiary screening stage exterior of the housing by a valved conduit less than two meters long.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 19, 1996
    Assignee: A. Ahlstrom Corporation
    Inventors: Timo Alajaaski, Kaj Henricson, Kalevi Laakso, Antero Laine, Risto Ljokkoi, Olavi Pikka, Markku Simola, Pertti Wathen
  • Patent number: 5571384
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for screening pulp after bleaching. The apparatus includes a first bleaching tower for bleaching pulp, a screener for screening and separating the bleached pulp into a first accept fraction and a first reject fraction such that the first accept fraction is supplied to a post-screening treatment device without further treatment by a separate thickener. The apparatus further includes a vortex cleaner for separating the first reject fraction into a second accept fraction and a second reject fraction such that the second accept fraction is supplied to the screener or the post-screening treatment device without a separate thickener.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 5, 1996
    Assignee: A. Ahlstrom Corporation
    Inventors: Olavi Pikka, Hannu Ronkonharju
  • Patent number: 5470432
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for the treatment of fiber suspensions of the pulp and paper industry, in particular, the so-called postscreening of pulp in the bleaching stage. The method includes that the pulp discharged from a bleaching stage is diluted to the screening consistency, that the pulp is screened in a pressure screen and that the accept fraction is supplied to the subsequent treatment stage at the supply consistency of the stage without a separate thickening stage. The screening is preferably carried out in a narrow-slot screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 28, 1995
    Assignee: A. Ahlstrom Corporation
    Inventors: Olavi Pikka, Hannu Ronkonharju
  • Patent number: 5219472
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for improving the treatment of a gas containing fiber suspension in the pulp and paper industry, especially for increasing the capacity of a screening department, a washing department, a thickening department, a press, a curved screen, or the like, includes the simultaneous separation and removal of the gases prior to the respective treatment stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 15, 1993
    Assignee: A. Ahlstrom Corporation
    Inventors: Jorma Elonen, Kaj Henricson, Olavi Pikka, Raimo Pitkanen
  • Patent number: 5156750
    Abstract: In the inventive method and apparatus for the continuous discharge of water and fine particles from a suspension, particularly fibrous pulp, the pulp or suspension is thickened without forcing the removal of water through a relatively thick, uncontrollably gathered fiber mat. In the method, the suspension to be thickened is fed into a filtering chamber, the suspension is continuously mixed for equalizing consistency differences, the liquid is continuously removed from the suspension through a filter and the thickness of a fiber mat which forms on the filter surface is controlled by subjecting the mat to shear stresses. In a thickening apparatus for practicing this method, at least one of co-operating surfaces--i.e. the filtering surface (8) and its counter-surface (10)--is provided with loosening members (12) for non-mechanically limiting the thickness of a fiber mat forming on the filtering surface and thereby preventing the uncontrolled formation of such a mat on the filtering surface (8).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1992
    Assignee: A. Ahlstrom Corporation
    Inventors: Kaj Henricson, Mika Makela, Toivo Niskanen, Olavi Pikka, Vesa Vikman
  • Patent number: 5147504
    Abstract: An apparatus for treating a pulp suspension in a screening plant of a pulp mill wherein impurities are separated from defibered pulp by screening and/or cleaning, the cleaned pulp is thickened, the impurities are further treated in the screening plant by screening and defibering the accept fiber material for further screening and thickening and further impurities are removed from the screening plant after various screening stages, the apparatus including means for effecting one or both of the pulp screening and cleaning stages in a closed, pressurized space in the screening plant and preventing the access of air to the pulp treated by effecting the thickening stages in a pressurized state and at the initial pressure of one or both of the preceding screening and cleaning stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1992
    Assignee: A. Ahlstrom Corporation
    Inventors: Kaj Henricson, Olavi Pikka
  • Patent number: 5112444
    Abstract: A method of treating a pulp suspension in a screening plant of a pulp mill wherein reject impurities are separated from defibered pulp by screening and/or cleaning, the cleaned pulp is thickened to a consistency of from about 10 to about 20%, the impurities are further treated in the screening plant by screening and defibering the accept fiber material for further screening and thickening and further reject impurities are removed from the screening plant after various screening stages, the method including effecting one or both of the pulp screening and cleaning stages in a closed, pressurized space in the screening plant and preventing the access of air to the pulp treated by effecting the thickening stages in a pressurized state and at the initial pressure of one or both of the preceding screening and cleaning stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1992
    Assignee: A. Ahlstrom Corporation
    Inventors: Kaj Henricson, Olavi Pikka
  • Patent number: 4971658
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of intensifying the washing of a fiber suspension. In particular, the present invention relates to decreasing the lignin content of a fiber suspension by extracting. Lignin removal is usually carried out at a consistency of less than 3% whereby heating consumes much energy. The method of the invention allows a considerable increase in the consistency of the suspension which results in that the energy consumption is decreased to a fraction of the one required by prior art methods. A characteristic feature of the method of the invention is that dry substance and chemicals contained in the fibers are extracted at a raised pressure and temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 20, 1990
    Assignee: A. Ahlstrom Corporation
    Inventors: Kaj Henricson, Olavi Pikka, Aki Vilpponen, Nils-Erik Virkola