SLURRY CONCENTRATOR AND METHOD OF USE

A slurry concentrator is described which is particularly useful in concentrating slurries for use in foam fracturing of subterranean earth formations. This slurry concentrator comprises: a housing having a first end and a second end, the housing defining a bore of generally circular cross section and having an axis of generation extending from the first end to the second end, the housing adjacent the first end defining an entrance passage which is generally tangentically disposed relative to said bore, a hollow cylindrical conduit having a diameter approximating the diameter of the bore which is positioned in a nonrotatable manner within the bore and adjacent the first end of the housing, the conduit having an entrance opening in alignment with said entrance passage, a hollow frustoconical member having a lesser end and a greater end disposed within the bore, the greater end being disposed generally adjacent the first end of the housing and having a diameter approximating the diameter of the bore, the lesser end being disposed generally remote to the first end of the housing, a first end closure affixed to the housing, supporting therein a first discharge conduit which is generally coaxial to the bore and which extends into the bore and into the conduit beyond the entrance passage, but does not extend into the frustoconical member, a second end closure affixed to the housing, supporting therein a second discharge conduit which is generally coaxial to the bore and which is in fluid communication with the lesser end of the frustoconical member, the external surface of the frustoconical member and the adjacent surface of the housing defining a generally annular space, and fluid communication means between the annular space and the space internal to the frustoconical member.