Systems and apparatus for use of wet recycled abrasive and methods of operation of said systems and apparatus

Abstract

Disclosed herein are components, systems, and methods of operating an abrasive fluid jet system that recycles and reuses abrasive particles. The systems and methods described enable accurate metering and consistent feeding of wet abrasive particles thereby reducing the time and cost of operations associated with drying the recycled abrasive particles prior to reuse. The system may adjust a ratio of wet abrasive to dry abrasive being provided to a cutting head to form an abrasive fluid jet. Components of the system may overcome challenges associated with clumping and other issues that result in difficulty metering wet abrasive.

1 . A wet abrasive feed hopper comprising:
 a vessel that at least partially encloses an interior volume, the interior volume having a length that extends from a top of the interior volume to a bottom of the interior volume;   an abrasive inlet that provides passage through the vessel into the interior volume, the abrasive inlet positioned closer to the top of the interior volume than the abrasive inlet is from the bottom of the interior volume;   an abrasive outlet that provides passage through the vessel out of the interior volume, the abrasive outlet positioned closer to the bottom of the interior volume than the abrasive inlet is from the top of the interior volume;   an air inlet that provides passage through the vessel into the interior volume, the air inlet positioned closer to the top of the interior volume than the air inlet is from the bottom of the interior volume; and   a meter positioned within the abrasive outlet that measures a flow rate of wet abrasive through the abrasive outlet.   
     
     
         2 . The wet abrasive feed hopper of  claim 1  wherein:
 a first portion of the interior volume is occupied by a first layer consisting of abrasive particles and a fluid; 
 the interstitial spaces between the abrasive particles in the first layer are filled with the fluid; 
 a second portion of the interior volume is occupied by a second layer, and a majority of the second layer is the fluid; and 
 the first layer is positioned closer to the bottom than the second layer is from the bottom. 
 
     
     
         3 . The wet abrasive feed hopper of  claim 2  wherein a third portion of the interior volume is occupied by a third layer consisting of air, and the third layer is closer to the top of the of the interior volume than the second layer is from the top of the interior volume. 
     
     
         4 . The wet abrasive feed hopper of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a vibrator positioned so as to apply vibration to the vessel.   
     
     
         5 . The wet abrasive feed hopper of  claim 1  wherein the wet abrasive being measured by the meter has a moisture content of between 10% and 90%. 
     
     
         6 . A wet abrasive feed hopper comprising:
 a vessel that at least partially encloses an interior volume, the interior volume having a length that extends from a first end of the interior volume to a second end of the interior volume, wherein a first portion of the interior volume is occupied by a first layer consisting of abrasive particles and a fluid, interstitial spaces between the abrasive particles in the first layer are filled with the fluid, a second portion of the interior volume is occupied by a second layer, a majority of the second layer is the fluid, and the first layer is positioned closer to the bottom than the second layer is from the bottom;   an abrasive inlet that provides passage through the vessel into the interior volume;   an abrasive outlet that provides passage through the vessel out of the interior volume, the abrasive outlet positioned downstream of the abrasive inlet; and   a meter positioned within the abrasive outlet that measures a flow rate of wet abrasive through the abrasive outlet.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the flow rate of abrasive particles and the fluid that exits the interior volume via the abrasive outlet occurs solely due to gravity. 
     
     
         8 . The wet abrasive feed hopper of  claim 6 , further comprising an air inlet that provides passage through the vessel into the interior volume, the air inlet positioned closer to the first end of the interior volume, which is upstream from the second end of the interior volume. 
     
     
         9 . The wet abrasive feed hopper of  claim 8  wherein a third portion of the interior volume is occupied by a third layer consisting of air, and the third layer is upstream of the second layer. 
     
     
         10 . The wet abrasive feed hopper of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a vibrator positioned so as to apply vibration to the vessel.   
     
     
         11 . The wet abrasive feed hopper of  claim 6  wherein the wet abrasive being measured by the meter has a moisture content of between 25% and 90%. 
     
     
         12 - 56 . (canceled)