Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for effecting prestreaming and deaeration of wood chips, or like comminuted cellulosic fibrous material. Presteaming takes place in a vertical presteaming vessel, utilizing a plurality of uniformly radially spaced nozzles adjacent the bottom of the vessel, a plurality of generally uniformly radially spaced steam introduction pipes in a central portion of the vessel, and a pair of synchronized rotating valves for feeding steam to the introduction nozzles and pipes in a coordinated manner. After presteaming, the chips pass through a chips meter to a vertical chute in which they are entrained in liquid, and then pass to a horizontal deaerating vessel. In the deaerating vessel, deaerated liquid is passed in a path generally perpendicular to the path of the material flowing through the deaeration vessel.

Abstract: Comminuted cellulosic fibrous material, such as wood chips, are treated in a continuous digester to produce paper pulp or the like in a manner providing completely uniform treatment of the chips. The chips are introduced in a feed liquid slurry into the top of the digester having a plurality of annular screen systems each set vertically spaced from the other sets. At each screen set a plurality of nozzles are provided circumferentially spaced around the digester, each nozzle cooperating with only a particular radial segment of the screens. Withdrawal of liquid through the nozzles is practiced so that liquid is being withdrawn substantially through only one nozzle at a time, and it is being withdrawn at the same radial segment of the digester at each screen set at any particular point in time, with progressive switching in a circumferential sequence of the nozzles through which liquor is being withdrawn.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for effecting presteaming and deaeration of wood chips, or like comminuted cellulosic fibrous material. Presteaming takes place in a vertical presteaming vessel, utilizing a plurality of uniformly radially spaced nozzles adjacent the bottom of the vessel, a plurality of generally uniformly radially spaced steam introduction pipes in a central portion of the vessel, and a pair of synchronized rotating valves for feeding steam to the introduction nozzles and pipes in a coordinated manner. After presteaming, the chips pass through a chips meter to a vertical chute in which they are entrained in liquid, and then pass to a horizontal deaerating vessel. In the deaerating vessel, deaerated liquid is passed in a path generally perpendicular to the path of the material flowing through the deaeration vessel.

Abstract: Comminuted cellulosic fibrous material, such as wood chips, are treated in a continuous digester to produce paper pulp or the like in a manner providing completely uniform treatment of the chips. The chips are introduced in a feed liquid slurry into the top of the digester, with a swirling action, and establish a vertical column in the digester having a substantially horizontal top, with some liquid between the top of the digester and the top of the chips. Below the top of the chips the feed liquor is withdrawn through a first set of withdrawal screens, and recirculated to entrain other chips to feed them to the top of the vessel. At other vertically spaced areas of the digester other screens are provided for withdrawing, cooking, quench, washing, and like liquors, and effecting recirculation thereof. At each screen set a plurality of nozzles are provided circumferentially spaced around the digester, each nozzle cooperating with only a particular radial segment of the screens.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for effecting washing, bleaching, or thickening, etcetera of paper pulp or the like utilizes stationary screens, yet provides efficient treatment without significant screen clogging. Pulp introduced into the bottom of a cylindrical upright vessel is caused to flow in particular radial segments and channels. Introduction of pulp into all channels of a particular radial segment, extraction of withdrawn liquid from the radial segments, removal of treated pulp from the top of the vessel, and the introduction of treating liquid between the stationary screens, are coordinated so that uniform treatment of the upwardly flowing pulp results.

Abstract: Thickening of paper pulp, or a like suspension, is effected prior to feeding the pulp to an apparatus utilizing stationary screens for effecting washing, bleaching, or further thickening of the pulp. The stationary screens are mounted in a top portion of a vertical-axis vessel, and a plurality of radially extending rotating hollow arms, with annular screens mounted on them, is provided in the bottom of the vessel to effect thickening of the suspension from, for example, 11/2% consistency to about 9-14% consistency. Extraction from the hollow arms is provided through conduits extending vertically through a hollow shaft for rotating the arms, and a filtrate valve is also mounted within the hollow shaft in operative communication with the filtrate conduits, and includes a valve member which is rotatable in a different direction, and at a different speed, than the hollow shaft.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for effecting washing, bleaching, or thickening, etcetera of paper pulp or the like utilizes stationary screens, yet provides efficient treatment without significant screen clogging. Pulp introduced into the bottom of a cylindrical upright vessel is caused to flow in particular radial segments and channels. Introduction of pulp into all channels of a particular radial segment, extraction of withdrawn liquid from the radial segments, removal of treated pulp from the top of the vessel, and the introduction of treating liquid between the stationary screens, are coordinated so that uniform treatment of the upwardly flowing pulp results.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for effecting washing, bleaching, or thickening, etcetera of paper pulp of the like utilizes stationary screens, yet provides efficient treatment without significant screen clogging. Pulp introduced into the bottom of a cylindrical upright vessel is caused to flow in particular radial segments and channels. Introduction of pulp into all channels of a particular radial segment, extraction of withdrawn liquid from the radial segments, removal of treated pulp from the top of the vessel, and the introduction of treating liquid between the stationary screens, are coordinated so that uniform treatment of the upwardly flowing pulp results.

Abstract: In an apparatus for treating cellulose pulp with oxygen gas by passing the pulp and oxygen gas through a reaction vessel at elevated temperature and pressure, the improvement whereby the exothermic heat of reaction is controlled and the temperature of the pulp being treated is maintained below the point where the pulp would be degraded, the improvement comprising means for withdrawing oxygen gas from the vessel after the gas has been in contact with the pulp, dividing the withdrawn gas into two portions, cooling one of the portions to remove water vapor therefrom, recombining the gas portions whereby the resulting gas has a lower temperature than the gas withdrawn from the vessel and returning the resulting gas to the vessel for further contact with pulp therein, the amount of gas withdrawn from the vessel and the degree of cooling of the cooled portion of withdrawn gas being regulated to maintain the temperature within the vessel below the point where the pulp is degraded.

Abstract: A method is provided for recovery of white liquor and sodium hydroxide following the oxygen bleaching of pulp. A green liquor recovery system concentrates the spent black liquor, including spent liquor from the oxygen bleaching and spent black liquor, and then burns the spent liquor to form a smelt. This smelt is then dissolved in water to form the green liquor. The green liquor is divided into a first portion which is fed to a sodium hydroxide recovery system for recycling to the oxygen bleaching reactor and a second portion which is fed to a white liquor recovery system for recycling to the digester. A lime cycle is also provided to convert the resulting calcium carbonate (lime mud) to calcium oxide for recycling into the sodium hydroxide and white liquor recovery systems.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for digestion of cellulose material in a continuous digestion process, that do not require screens in the outlet of the digesting zone. Cellulose chips and digesting liquid at relatively low temperature are introduced into a relatively long and thin cylindrical impregnation vessel, having a first diameter. The chips from the impregnation vessel pass into a digestion vessel having a second diameter substantially greater than the first diameter, the outlet for the impregnation zone into the digestion vessel being disposed well into the digestion vessel and below an outlet(s) disposed in the top of the digestion vessel, and form a chips column in the digestion vessel.

Abstract: Apparatus for refining digested pulp involving the use of a refiner, preferably two or more refiners in series positioned in the digester blow line to receive washed, digested pulp discharged from a continuous digester.

Abstract: An improved system for the production of digested pulp from wood chips and knots which includes a separating apparatus, connected to the digester output, capable of separating knots from partially cooked wood chips and fibers at the digester pressure and consistency. The separated fibers and fiber bundles pass to a refiner where the fiber bundles are mechanically reduced to fibers in a liquid environment at a high consistency and at the digester pressure. The knots are then re-cycled to the digester or other processes.The separating apparatus above uses a plurality of rotating members such as intermeshing screws or grooved rolls, arranged in a vertical screen to separate an inlet chamber from an outlet chamber. Knots cannot pass through the rotating members and thus are driven out of an outlet which communicates with the inlet chamber. The fibers, however, do pass through the rotating members to the outlet chamber and exit therefrom by a second outlet.

Abstract: A process for providing pressurized, pulverized coal for use in combustion or gasifying of coal by the fluidized bed or suspended particle combustion principles which comprises the steps of introducing lump coal, of stoker size to run of mine size, into a low energy liquid circulation stream; transferring the lump coal to a high energy, high pressure, liquid circulation stream; separating the lump coal from the high energy liquid circulation stream by lifting the coal through a free liquid surface, said high energy liquid draining from the coal by gravity; directing the coal by gravity transfer to a continuous mechanical dryer for removal of surface liquid; gravity transfer to a coal crusher for major size reduction; gravity transfer to a coal pulverizer for size reduction necessary for the gasification processes; transfer of pulverized coal by gas circulation from the pulverizer to a cyclone separator, said circulating gas used in the pulverizer for coal particle classifying; and final injection of the pulve