Fluid bed filter-dryer apparatus

Abstract

A filter-dryer apparatus employing a single container for both filtering and drying operations including a container holding a material to be filtered and dried, adapted to connect to a filter system and to connect to a fluid bed dryer system, and a process for separating particulates from liquids by the operations of filtration and drying, which includes the steps of providing a single container for both filtering and drying operations; introducing a mixture of particles and liquid to said container; connecting the container to a filter system and filtering the particulates from the liquid; detaching the container from the filter system; connecting the container to a fluid bed drying system and removing the liquid from the particulates to result in dry particulates.

what is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A filter-dryer apparatus employing a single container for both filtering and drying operations, comprising: 
 a container holding a material to be filtered and dried, adapted to connect to a filter system and to connect to a fluid bed dryer system.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus accordingly to  claim 1 , wherein the container includes a vessel having means for supporting said filter system.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 2  wherein the vessel is cylindrical in shape.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 2  wherein the support means includes a detachable bottom plate.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 2  wherein the filter system includes a filter sheet and a filter netting bed, both anchored to the support means.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the filter system is a pressurized filter system and the container includes a gas distribution plate and a means for supporting the gas distribution plate.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the gas distribution plate support means includes a detachable upper plate.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the gas distribution plate comprises at least one of a perforated, sintered, or grid plate.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the gas distribution plate includes a retention screen.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein after completion of said filtration operation, a filtrate results and the container upon inversion includes the gas distribution plate supporting the filtrate.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus accordingly to  claim 1 , wherein the container includes a vessel having means for connecting to said fluid bed dryer system.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus accordingly to  claim 11 , wherein the fluid-bed dryer system consists of a lower plenum, an upper plenum, a dust collector, and a gas handling system.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus accordingly to  claim 12 , wherein the gas handling system comprises at least one of a heater, a pressure blower, and a condenser.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus accordingly to  claim 12 , wherein a filtering device in the upper plenum, removes particulates in the gas stream.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus accordingly to  claim 12 , further including means for recycling gas from said gas handling system to said heater for reuse.  
     
     
         16 . A filter-dryer apparatus employing a single container for both filtering and drying operations, comprising: 
 a container holding a material to be filtered and dried, adapted to connect to a pressurized filter system and to connect to a fluid bed dryer system.    
     
     
         17 . A process for separating particulates from liquids by the operations of filtration and drying, which comprises the following steps: 
 providing a single container for both filtering and drying operations;    introducing a mixture of particles and liquid to said container;    connecting the container to a filter system and filtering the particulates from the liquid;    detaching the container from the filter system;    connecting the container to a fluid bed drying system and removing the liquid from the particulates to result in dry particulates.    
     
     
         18 . The process of  claim 17 , wherein the liquid is selected from the group consisting of water, isopropyl alcohol, acetone, methyl alcohol, ethylene dichloride, methyl chloride, toluene, xylene, benzene, methyl ethyl ketone and hexane.  
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 17 , wherein the liquid content of the particulate mixture is 15% -90%.  
     
     
         20 . The process of  claim 17 , wherein the particulates have sphericity shape factors of 0.3 to 1.0.  
     
     
         21 . The process of  claim 17 , wherein the particulate sizes range from 1 μ to 20,000 μm.  
     
     
         22 . The process of  claim 17 , further including the step of inverting the container prior to connecting it to the fluid bed drying system.  
     
     
         23 . The process of  claim 17 , wherein the fluid bed drying system employs a gas stream adjusted so that the fluidized particulates behave in a regime selected from the group consisting of fixed bed, incipient fluidization, smooth fluidization, bubbling fluidization, slugging fluidization.