ONE - STEP RAILCAR UNLOADING PROCESS Chemical process plants need a safe and dust-free method for unloading soluble powders, flakes and granular materials from railcars. Generally, chemical process plants use a complex, multiple-step gravity or pneumatic system to convey dry materials from railcars to storage bins. The dry material products will then require another process to convert the powder or granular material into a usable slurry. Gravity and pneumatic systems are inefficient in energy consumption and are environmentally unsafe because of the inherent possibility of spillage and dust generation. The LOBESTAR® SHEAR/MIXER is an efficient device that will unload, convert and dissolve a powder into a concentrated slurry, and convey the slurry from a railcar to an active process system or storage tank.

DIMENSIONS

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THE LOBESTAR® SHEAR/MIXER

The LOBESTAR® SHEAR/MIXER meets the challenging demands for providing a dust-free efficient mixing, dissolving and conveying system in a one-step process. The LOBESTAR® MIXING EDUCTOR is a Venturi component of the Mixing System. It can be defined as a jet pump that uses the Bernoulli Principle of "When velocity is high, pressure is low" The LOBESTAR® SHEAR/MIXER produces a strong suction that can rapidly and efficiently unload and convey powders long distances from a railcar, convert the powder into a slurry and deliver the slurry to an active system or storage tank. This is accomplished in an environmentally safe and dust-free system. There is no need for filters, since dust is not generated. There is no need for catch pans or emergency cleanup equipment because spillage is eliminated. The LOBESTAR® SHEAR/MIXER will recover 100% of a processed powder.

UNLOADING, PROCESSING AND CONVEYING

A centrifugal pump provides the working liquid pressure/energy to the LOBESTAR® SHEAR/MIXER. The pressurized liquid is converted into a high velocity jet stream as it passes through the patented LOBESTAR® JET NOZZLE. The high velocity jet stream produces a near-perfect vacuum at a relatively low pressure. The powerful vacuum draws the material through a flexible hose connected to a railcar collection pan adapter and the LOBESTAR® SHEAR/MIXER. The powder enters the RADIAL PREMIXER, which is an integral part of the LOBESTAR® SHEAR/MIXER and is subjected to a strong vortex. The individual particles are pre-wetted as they are centrifugally spread, providing large interfacial contact between the liquid and powder. The slurry is then drawn into the mixing chamber of the LOBESTAR® MIXING EDUCTOR where turbulent mixing and product dissolution are completed in the throat of the diffuser section. The pressure/energy recovery in the diffuser will convey the uniformly blended slurry to a storage tank.

U.S. Patents 5,664,733 and 5,775,446

CUSTOM SOLUTIONS TO FIT YOUR NEEDS

ONE - STEP RAILCAR UNLOADING PROCESS - MIXING AND BLENDING EQUIPMENT

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