Vibratory Apparatus for Separating Liquid from Liquid-Laden Solid Material

Abstract

A vibratory apparatus for separating a liquid from a liquid-laden solid material includes a trough having a base, a deck attached to the trough, and a vibratory drive attached to the trough. The deck includes a plurality of support members extending longitudinally along the trough, each support member having a solid wall surface with an upwardly oriented apex defining a support point and two edges disposed on opposite sides of the upwardly oriented apex, the apexes being spaced from one another by a distance sufficient to support the solid material above the base, the edges of adjacent support members being spaced to define a passage therebetween, and the apexes being located at an elevation sufficiently above the base to allow liquid to drain from the solid material and flow through the passage to the base.

1 . A vibratory apparatus for separating a liquid from a liquid-laden solid material, the apparatus comprising: 
 a trough having a base, the trough defining a solids discharge point and a liquid drainage point;    a deck attached to the trough; and    a vibratory drive attached to the trough to impart a conveying motion, the liquid-laden solid material deposited on the deck being advanced toward the solids discharge point by the conveying motion while the liquid flows along the base toward the liquid drainage point,    the deck including a plurality of support members extending longitudinally along the trough, each support member having a solid wall surface with an upwardly oriented apex defining a support point and two edges disposed on opposite sides of the upwardly oriented apex, the apexes being spaced from one another by a distance sufficient to support the solid material above the base, the edges of adjacent support members being spaced to define a passage therebetween, and the apexes being located at an elevation sufficiently above the base to allow liquid to drain from the solid material and flow through the passage to the base.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , in which the deck includes a plurality of grouser bars.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , in which the deck includes a plurality of round rods.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , in which the deck includes a plurality of half rounds.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , in which in which the deck includes a plurality of half ovals.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising spacers positioned between the deck and the base.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , in which the liquid-laden solid material comprises petroleum coke.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a hopper located above the trough for directing the liquid-laden solid material toward a central portion of the trough.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , in which the trough is mounted on a mobile frame.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , in which the frame comprises wheels adapted to travel along tracks.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , in which the vibratory drive comprises a rotating eccentric drive.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , in which the vibratory drive comprises a rotating unbalance drive.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , in which the trough has a first end and a second end wherein the trough second end is elevated with respect to the trough first end.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , in which the trough second end comprises the solids discharge point and the trough first end comprises the liquid drainage point.  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , in which the liquid is transferred along the base surface in a first direction and the solid material is conveyed along the deck in a second direction, the first direction opposite to the second direction.  
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , in which the deck is oriented at an incline so that the solid material is conveyed vertically upward along the deck.  
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , in which the base is oriented at a decline so that the liquid is transferred vertically downward along the base.