Key Features
The patented Vac-U-Mac turbine is the heart of the Bard and Bard blending system. The turbine design incorporates a “liquid shearing liquid” concept, creating a super-high gel strength in attapulgite clay, ensuring a high-analysis end product.
The turbine consists of three parts: A) top casting, B) bottom casting, and C) dividing dispersion plate (Shown in figure 1). Depending on the size and model of the machine, the turbine is powered by a motor ranging from 40 to 75HP. In most applications, a 1:1 ratio drives the turbine at 1750rpm or a tip speed of nearly a mile a minute! This results in any material within 30 inches of the turbine being drawn into the specially designed fluid paths. The turbine has eight fluid paths on the top casting and eight fluid paths on the bottom casting. Each casting has four intake ports that take in two-thirds of the material being mixed and four intake ports that take in one-third of the material being mixed.
E/E: Material from above the turbine and below the turbine is drawn in and expelled out equally against the dispersion plate.
V: Indicates two-thirds of the solution in the vat to be mixed and its passage through the turbine to point M. At point M it is a large volume, high velocity, low pressure stream. Volume is due to the size of the intake port. Velocity is due to the centrifugal force created by the high speed of the turbine. Low pressure is gained by the venturi shape of the interior passageway of the turbine.
P: Indicates one-third of the solution in the vat to be mixed and its passage through the turbine at point M. At point M, this one-third of the solution is a low volume, high velocity, high-pressure jet stream. The desired high pressure is obtained by the higher speed of the outside area of the (wheel) turbine, ram loading of the outboard venturi-shaped intake ports, and the proper size of the 44 exit orifices in the top and bottom castings.
M: Indicates the Pressure-Volume Varied Mixing Point. A violent collision occurs here when the materials from both chambers meet resulting in an instant wetting or “liquid shearing liquid”. This is a continuous mixing point and will exist as long as the turbine turns and liquid is present.
D: Dispersion pattern of liquid discharging horizontally into the vat. The discharge is violent and goes outward to the vat wall.