Rotating Element for a Screening Apparatus With a Contour Surface

The present invention will be illustrated in more detail by reference to the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional pressure screen using hydrofoils for producing pulses;

FIG. 2 illustrates the pulses which are produced by the rotating hydrofoil screens of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 and 3a illustrate the contour surface of one embodiment of the rotor in accordance with the present invention;

FIGS. 4 and 4a illustrate the nature of the pulses which are produced from a rotor or from the blade type segments with a contour surface according to the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5.

FIG. 5 illustrates the embodiment of the blade type segments instead of a rotor, with a contour surface according to the present invention;

FIG. 6 shows the contour profile of the screen plate according to U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,520.

FIG. 7 illustrates the intensity factor which is the ratio of the change of amplitude over a unit of time with a conventional rotating element.

FIG. 7a illustrates the intensity factor for a rotating element according to the present invention for both negative and positive pulses produced.

FIG. 8 is a comparison of the pulse profile of conventional rotors and the rotor according to the present invention.

FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate other screens having a contour surface which may be used in conjunction with the rotor of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, the rotating hydrofoils produce both negative and positive pulses. The symbol 0 pressure designates the value of the pressure near the screen surface of the screening zone between the rotating foil and the screen cylinder. When the pulp pressure is greater than the reference 0 point, the pressure has a positive value, which is at maximum at the point A and when it is less than the reference point, the pressure has a negative value, the latter being at a maximum at the point B.

The rotating hydrofoils of FIG. 1 known in the art produce pulses illustrated in FIG. 2. As shown in the figure, the leading surface or nose on the hydrofoil develops a positive pulse with the maximum value or amplitude just about at the minimum clearance point between the foil and the screen. The positive pulse contributes to induce the flow in the screening zone through the apertures within the screen because the flow will always be from a higher pressure zone to a lower pressure zone. However, after the minumum foil clearance point a maximum negative pulse is developed due to the change in slope of the foil blade from its minimum clearance position. As shown in FIG. 1, the angle of this slope for most foil blades would be a maximum of approximately 30 degrees or even less. After the maximum negative pulse point the pressure increases again up to the reference 0 point. The negative pulses induced by the rotating hydrofoil cause a momentary reverse or back-flow through the apertures within the screen thus dislodging any build-up of fibers at the apertures. This self-induced backwashing is greater, the greater is the negative pulse.

The foils or lobe-shaped surfaces or protrusions of rotors and blade type segments known in the art have leading surfaces curved towards the screen cylinder until the minimum rotor clearance point is reached, followed by a trailing surface curving away from the screen. At the minimum rotor clearance point, the change in slope of the curved surface is 0. Shortly after this point, the magnitude of the negative pulses starts to increase to a maximum negative value after which the pulses start decreasing again, thus repeating the cycle, as shown in FIG. 2.

The crux of the present invention resides in providing a rotor and blade type segments with grooves, the grooves having a contour surface being formed of a first bottom plane parallel to the envelope surface, an inclined plane which is the upstream side plane, an upper plane and a side plane, which is the downstream side plane, the side plane being substantially perpendicular to the first plane and the inclined plane of the grooves forming a 5 degree-60 degree angle against the first plane, the upper plane being parallel to the first plane. According to a preferred embodiment this angle is about 15 degrees.

According to one embodiment, the direction of the grooves may be different from the axial direction.

By reference to FIGS. 3 and 3a, numeral 10 designates the first bottom plane and numeral 20 designates the inclined plane. Numeral 30 designates the upper plane and numeral 40 designates the side plane perpendicular to the first plane.

By reference to FIG. 5, the same numerals 10, 20, 30, 40 are used to designate the first bottom plane, the inclined plane, the upper plane and the side plane which is perpendicular to the first plane.

As shown in FIG. 3a, starting from reference point A, the leading contoured surface has a first plane 10 parallel to the envelope surface. It then intersects side plane 40 forming essentially a right angle which produces the high intensity positive pulses which help force the long type fibers and liquid through the screen. The side plane continues until it intersects the upper plane 30 again forming essentially another right angle. Upper plane 30 continues parallel to the envelope surface, then slopes forming an inclined plane 20 until it reaches bottom plane 10 at the starting point A. The first bottom plane 10 may vary from a length of 1/4" to 3". After the bottom first the groove comprises a side plane 40 perpendicular to the first plane 10. The length of the upper plane 30 should be between 1/4" and 3". After the upper plane, the groove comprises an inclined plane 20 which is sloped approximately 5 degrees-60 degrees from the upper plane.

This feature of the side plane 40 being substantially perpendicular to the bottom plane is essential in order to produce higher intensity positive pulses which are more effective in forcing the longer type fibers through the screen as compared with rotors which have a curved surface.

FIG. 4a illustrates the pulses from a rotating element having the contour profile according to the present invention. As shown a large positive pulse is produced by the 90 degree angle in the rotor surface or in the blade type segment. This is due to the rapid displacement of the fluid as the surface moves through the liquid acting like a pumping member. These positive pulses not only force more of the longer type fibers through the screen, but also reduce the effective pressure drop across the screen, thus increasing its overall capacity.

After the positive pulse, a high intensity negative pulse, as shown in FIG. 4a, is produced by the diverging slope of the inclined contour surface away from the top plane surface. The reason a negative pulse is generated at this point is the fact that the velocity of the fluid within the screening zone is first increased to a maximum at the minimum rotor or blade type segment clearance point and then the fluid tries to expand due to the increasing clearance of the rotor surface at the inclined slope of the rotor. Large negative pulses are necessary to backwash the screen, and to prevent plugging, thus increasing the flow of the fiber suspension through the openings of the screen.

The term "intensity of the pulses" within the scope of the present invention is intended to mean the change of amplitude of the pulses per unit time. To state the matter in different words, the intensity is not merely the result of the amplitude but also depends on the fast and sharp change. The intensity factor, IF, is the ratio of the change of amplitude over the unit of time: amplitude/time (FIGS. 7 and 7a).

FIG. 4a when compared with FIG. 2 shows the superiority of the rotating element of the present invention with the contour surface with respect to conventional rotors or conventional blade type elements. Further, the sharp right angle formed by the side plane leading surfaces of the contour rotating elements produce large high intensity positive pulses which help force more of the fibrous suspension through the apertures within the screen.

FIG. 5 illustrates the embodiment in which a large screening zone with a substantial open area is desirable to allow inlet stock to enter the full screening zone, thus minimizing the concentration of the long fibers in the reject and minimizng the consistency of the reject, so that more long fibers are in the accept. In this embodiment, instead of a rotor, blade type segments are used with a contour surface.

The contour surface of the rotating element, a rotor or blade type segments according to the present invention, provides high frequency pulsations. For instance, with a rotating speed of 600 RPM, it is possible to achieve a pulsation frequency of 200 Hz and even higher. The high frequency is advantageous because there is less tendency for the fibers to plug the openings and due to the fact that the pulses also exhibit sufficient amplitude, back-flushing occurs. The higher frequency permits the screen to handle stock of higher concentration.

Comparison of FIGS. 7 and 7a shows the superiority in intensity factor achieved by the rotating element according to the present invention as compared with a conventional rotating element. In FIG. 8 the pulse profile of a conventional hydrofoil is shown in broken line and the pulse profile of a rotor with a contour surface according to the present invention is shown in solid line.

Other advantages of the rotor and blade type segments according to the present invention are that it is possible to reduce substantially the size of the apertures of the screen without any appreciable increase in power consumption, nor with any substantial loss in long fibers and with good yield of the accept portion. The consistency of the accept may be kept essentially the same as the consistency of the stock at the inlet.

The rotor as shown in FIG. 3 and the blade type segment shown in FIG. 5 may be used with conventional screen plates and also in conjunction with the screen plate having a contour profile according to U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,520 as shown in FIG. 6. However, it may also advantageously be used in conjunction with other screens as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10.

In the embodiments of FIG. 6 the groove is formed of a bottom plane 3 which is substantially parallel with the envelope surface 9 of the screen surface, an upstream side plane 4 and a downstream side plane 5. The angle between the envelope surface of the screen surface and the upstream side plane 4, or in other words between the plane tangenting the envelope surface of the screen surface close to this side plane and this side plane is approximately 90 degrees and the angle between the envelope surface of the screen surface and the downstream side plane 5 is 5 degrees-60 degrees. The perforations of the screen plate are disposed on the bottom planes 3 of the grooves.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 9, the grooves are U-shaped, and both side planes 4 and 5 are substantially perpendicular to the envelope surface 9 of the screen surface.

In the embodiment of FIG. 10, the screen surface is undulant and both sides 4 and 5 of the grooves are inclined with regard to the envelope surface 9 of the screen surface.