The applications for which Parr reactors are used vary widely, from catalyst testing and development, to pharmaceutical production, to ore leaching, to biomass digestion. Especially in some of our larger vessels, removing the contents of the vessel following reaction completion may not be trivial. For many years, Parr has offered flush mount bottom drain valves (BDV’s) to facilitate reactor emptying. However, for some processes, using a BDV is undesirable. Recently, we have had several requests for an alternative mechanism to empty a large reactor, and therefore have offered a “tilt-to-empty” mechanism.
Shown on the right, are examples of such mechanisms.
The first three videos show examples of pneumatically operated tilt-to-empty and lift systems. A 5L 4584, an 18.75L 4557 and a 30L 4557 were outfitted with pneumatically actuated rack and pinion dumping mechanisms. Safety stops prevent the operator from unintentionally tilting the cylinder except when it is completely lowered. This feature can be supplied with all our large, fixed head reactors and pressure vessels.
We also offer a manual tilt-to-empty option for smaller vessels or when pneumatics are not necessary. This option is shown in the last video of a 2 gallon (7.5L) 4554 Reactor, customized with a handle connected to a rod supported by two cradles. Manually moving the handle tilts the reactor forward, allowing the contents of the reactor to be collected in a customer supplied container. Locking pins secure the vessel during raising or lowering of the cylinder with the standard pneumatic lift.
Please contact us or fill out the form below to have someone from Parr’s Technical Sales team contact you about how a tilt-to-empty feature might be incorporated into your system.