Patent attributes
A method for impregnating chips in a continuous digestion system with an impregnation vessel and a digester. The digestion system has a heat exchanger arranged between a first return line and a black liquor line. The heat exchanger allows a transfer of heat between the two lines. A principal part of the fluid contents of the impregnation vessel is constituted by chips moisture, steam condensate, added white liquor, and the fluid withdrawn from the top separator at the first return line, whereby the impregnation fluid in the impregnation vessel does not contain any substantial amount of black liquor from the digester. An impregnation vessel is established that is hydraulically isolated, in which the flow of fluid and the establishment of its alkali content take place without any influence from the fluid flow in the digester process.