Abstract: A method and apparatus for removing water from a solution of water and glycol solution. The apparatus finds application in recycling of glycol wherein a water and glycol solution having as much as a 95% water content when introduced to the apparatus leaves the apparatus with a water content in the order of 40% to 60%. The glycol concentrator has a packing medium made from glass shards that provide a labyrinth through which air is circulated in one direction and thin streams of glycol are circulated in generally the opposite direction. It is believed that mixing of the thin streams of solution and air flow steams in the labyrinth results in a thin film evaporation process. The glycol concentrator apparatus has reduced energy requirements when compared with a distilling process.

Abstract: A dual clutch for an inching arrangement in a load sharing drive which has two or more driving motors connected to a load through a dual clutch. The clutch has two (or more) clutch units mounted side by side on a driving shaft with an inflatable, flexible tube in each unit for pressing respective friction shoes outwardly, when inflated, against a surrounding cylindrical drum. The drum is mounted to a driven shaft. The driving shaft has a central bore connected through a solenoid operated valve to a supply of pressurized air when the valve is in an operating position and to an exhaust when the valve is in a dump position. Each of the tubes is connected to the central bore through a respective air line. A needle valve in one of the air lines provides a restriction to the flow of air into and out of the respective tube.

Abstract: In a drive system for a grinding mill the load torque plus frictional torque may increase considerably as a loaded mill is inched from its rest position and will suddenly decrease when the load tumbles or cascades. The applied torque or driving torque must increase at a corresponding rate and should also decrease when the load cascades. If the applied torque exceeds by a significant amount the load torque plus frictional torque, a destructive hammering will occur in the gear train and this will be generally proportional to the excess of applied torque for a synchronous motor drive. The drive system has a DC source which is commutated by a commutating device to provide a low frequency stepped alternating voltage to the stator windings of the synchronous motors of the drive system for inching. The output of the DC source has an alternating current component which varies as the difference between the applied torque and the load torque plus frictional torque.

Abstract: There is provided an electrical inching control for inching a drive system comprising a grinding mill driven by one or more three phase synchronous motors. The electric inching control includes an inching power bus and contactors or the solid state equivalent thereof. The inching bus supplies energy for the stator windings of the synchronous motors. The contactors or switches connect the positive and negative sides of a direct current power supply to the different phases of the stator windings in a sequence which provides a stepped rotating magnetic field, and the rotor field windings are excited with direct current. The interacting stator and rotor fields causes a rotation of the rotor a predetermined amount with each step causing the mill also to rotate a respective predetermined amount.

Abstract: In the inching of a grinding mill or similar apparatus which is driven by a pair of synchronous motors through fluid actuated clutches, the motors must be angularly alined one with the other in order that the load be shared equally between the motors. The apparatus of the invention connects the field supply to both motor fields and then it connects a zero frequency supply (i.e. a DC supply) to the stator windings of both motors and ramps up or increases the amplitude of the supply. This brings the rotors into alinement without undue oscillation. When the amplitude of the low frequency supply reaches a predetermined level, the clutches are closed or locked and the motors are connected to the load with the rotors in angular coincidence or alinement.