A system and method for introducing a slurry mixture for making gypsum board is disclosed. The system includes, for example, a mixer, a foam injector, and a canister for mixing and moving a slurry mixture of foam and gypsum slurry. Also included in the system is an apparatus having a funnel body constructed and arranged to further mix the slurry mixture. The funnel body includes a number of baffles projecting from its inner wall towards a center and that are spaced around the inner wall. The baffles induce turbulence into the slurry mixture as the slurry mixture moves towards its outlet, thus further mixing the mixture and reducing the flow rate of the slurry mixture before its exits from the outlet for depositing onto paper to form the gypsum board.

Flow straightener (434; 43B) comprising a cylinder (44) having an inlet mouth (46) and an outlet mouth (47), the cylinder (44) being internally provided with a helical rib (45) running on an inner surface (450) of the cylinder (44), wherein a ridge (456; 460) of the helical rib (45) follows a cylindrical helix with pitch p wrapped around a cylindrical volume having diameter d coaxial with the cylinder (44), whereby the ridge (456; 460) of the helical rib (45) delimits a clear central cylindrical section of the cylinder (44) having diameter d, wherein the helical rib (45) has a front main surface (457), facing the inlet mouth (46), and a rear main surface (458), facing the outlet mouth (47), the front main surface (457) forming with the inner surface (450) of the cylinder (44) a front angle that is obtuse, whereby 90<<180.

The present invention relates to a worm shaft for a mixing and kneading machine in particular for continuous preparation processes, comprising a shaft rod, on the circumferential surface of which blade elements are arranged which are spaced apart from one another and which extend outward from the circumferential surface of the shaft rod, wherein the blade elements are arranged on the shaft rod, at least in one section extending in the axial direction of the worm shaft, in three rows extending in the axial direction of the worm shaft, wherein at least one of the blade elements of one of the rows is different from one of the blade elements of one of the other rows, and/or the rows of blade elements, viewed in cross-section of the shaft rod, are distributed irregularly over the circumference defined by the outer circumferential surface of the shaft rod.

An asphalt processing system is formed from a heating drum and an induction heating system. Flights move asphalt through the heating drum, which concurrently heat the asphalt along with the heating drum wall. A mixing drum can be connected to the heating drum, and include paddles or flights to move the asphalt, while concurrently mixing the material to ensure consistent temperatures through the asphalt cement. The asphalt is heating using one or more induction heating systems to quickly heat the asphalt to between 275 F. and 750 F., followed by moving the asphalt to between 275 F. and 350 F. The system can include a convection system that heats recirculated air through the heating drum. A water condenser can be employed to remove moisture during air recirculation, and reduce asphalt moisture content. The asphalt cement is optionally modified by addition of one or more rejuvenation oils. This system is particularly useful for recycled asphalt pavement, but can be used for all asphalt products.

This invention is directed toward a mixing vessel and mixer where the design of the mixer and mixing vessel allow the mixer to reach all the cracks and crevices of the mixing vessel. The mixer also has two opposing openings with mixing vanes that facilitate turbulence and blending through a strong centrifugal flow. The mixer has unbroken or minimally broken surfaces for grinding/shearing lumps into a smooth, lump-free paste.

With a mixing and kneading machine (100), wherein a worm shaft (12) moves in a housing (10) in a rotating manner and moves back and forth in a translatory movement, receptacles for kneading elements (12) are distributed non-uniformly. It is thereby possible to equip the receptacles with varying numbers of kneading elements. Quick adaptation is also thereby possible. In one embodiment, the number of kneading elements even varies over the extension direction of the mixing and kneading machine (100).

A method of mixing fluid flowing in a raceway channel is provided which includes directing the fluid to flow over a ramp which extends across the raceway channel. The ramp has a leading surface which is inclined at between about 5 and 45 upwardly to a top edge, and a trailing surface which extends vertically downwardly from the top edge. The height of the ramp is selected so that the top edge is lower than the level of the fluid in the raceway channel.

An apparatus (100) for mixing a liquid (160) containing particulates (106, 108) comprising: a vessel (102) for containing the liquid (160) that includes a sidewall (120) and a bottom (124); and an impeller (300) rotating about a substantially vertical axis (X-X), said impeller (104): adapted for submerging below the liquid surface (162) by a distance that is approximately one-tenth to one-half of the height of the liquid (129); and include at least two annually spaced apart blades (310) extending radially outwardly of the vertical axis (X-X), the blades (310) comprising back-swept blades that are pitched substantially parallel to the vertical axis (X-X), at least 50% of the length of each blade (310) comprising an angled section (312) extending through a chord angle of 20 to 60 degrees; to produce (a) an inner, upward flow region (164) located along said vertical axis (X-X), (b) a transition flow region (166) located around the impeller (300) in which liquid moves radially outwardly toward the vessel sidewall (120), and (c) an outer, downward flow region (168) located along the sidewall (120).

The present invention relates to a kneading member (107) for a device for kneading a dough, comprising: a mounting disc (109); a kneading tool (111) for mixing the ingredients which constitute a dough, comprising: an upper portion (121), extending from said mounting disc, a mid-portion (123), in the extension of said upper portion, anda lower portion (125), in the extension of said mid-portion. The kneading member (107) according to the invention is noteworthy in that the kneading tool (111) consists of a circular helix, the angle of winding of which is non-constant between said upper, mid- and lower portions of the tool (111) and in that the angle of winding of the lower portion (125) is less than that of the mid-portion (123). The invention also relates to a kneading device fitted with such a kneading member.

The present invention provides a low cost surge tank design for pressure swing adsorption plants that does not contain internal structures, achieves good mixing and is 15-20% less expensive than the conventional designs. The surge tank is characterized by having a first inlet located in the upper quadrant of said surge tank and a second inlet located in the lower quadrant of said surge tank, wherein said inlets configured to fluidly couple the interior of said surge tank with the exterior of said surge tank; and wherein said first and second inlets are tangentially configured to allow flow to enter said surge tank in diametrically opposite directions.