초록 ▼

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 pane

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.

대표청구항 ▼

The method of removing liquid from and compacting a slurry of liquid/particulate material in a vessel which comprises the steps of forming a body of said particulate material upon a filter through which said liquid is withdrawn by applying suction to extract said liquid through said filter, compress

The method of removing liquid from and compacting a slurry of liquid/particulate material in a vessel which comprises the steps of forming a body of said particulate material upon a filter through which said liquid is withdrawn by applying suction to extract said liquid through said filter, compressing said body in a direction towards said filter while continuing to withdraw liquid through said filter in response to the suction, said compressing step comprising defining a chamber of variable volume in said vessel around said filter and said body, and reducing the volume of said chamber in response to the suction to compress said body.