Centrifuge type separator

Claim 2

Apparatus for separating a fluid mixture into a substantially liquid-free gaseous phase and a substantially gas-free liquid phase comprising a drive shaft, a wheel mounted on said shaft and having a plurality of generally radial vanes said vanes having an axial dimension, a housing enclosing said wheel, an internal space defined by axially spaced, opposed housing walls, the axial spacing between the walls being only slightly greater than said axial dimension of said vanes, said vanes being rotatable within said space, each axial edge of at least the radially outer portion of said vanes defining between them and an adjacent part of the housing walls a running clearance only, there being between each two adjacent vanes and said walls a separating chamber which is effectively sealed from an adjacent similar chamber by the close relationship of said vanes and walls and said running clearance, said housing internal space extending radially outwardly of the envelope defined by rotation of said vanes and comprising means for defining a liquid receiving chamber disposed radially outwardly of said wheel, a fluid mixture inlet to said space in one of said walls, an innermost edge of said inlet being spaced radially from the shaft, a liquid outlet port in said liquid receiving chamber, pressure responsive valve means associated with said liquid outlet, a gas outlet disposed in the other of said walls and having an outermost edge located radially inwardly of the radially innermost edge of said fluid mixture inlet whereby upon the admission of a fluid mixture to the internal space substantially all liquid is centrifuged to said liquid receiving chamber by rotation of said wheel and said gas outlet and said liquid receiving chamber are isolated from one another.

Claim 3

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein a portion of said one wall is constituted by a disks secured to said shaft and rotatable with said wheel and said fluid mixture inlet is defined between the periphery of said disk and a remaining stationary annular portion of said one wall, said disk being of lesser diameter than said wheel.

Claim 4

Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein a portion of said other wall is constituted by a disk secured to said shaft and rotatable with said wheel and said gas outlet is formed in said disk, said disk being of lesser diameter than said wheel.

Claim 5

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a compressor mounted on said shaft upstream from said separator, the outlet of said compressor being in communication with said fluid inlet chamber for said separator.

Claim 6

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein each vane edge is free at said outer portion of chordial connection to an adjacent vane.

Claim 7

Apparatus for separating a fluid mixture into a substantially liquid-free gaseous phase and a substantially gas-free liquid phase; comprising a housing, a fluid inlet in said housing, a rotatable drive shaft, a liquid handling centrifugal pump being mounted on said drive shaft and having a plurality of blades, an annular chamber surrounding said blades, a liquid outlet for the liquid centrifuged from said mixture by said centrifugal pump, a compressor having an inlet for gaseous components and an outlet therefor and a plurality of blades also mounted on said drive shaft and positioned downstream of said pump, a first passageway connecting said annular chamber with said compressor inlet for entry of the gas components of said mixture with a minor amount of said liquid componeNt into said compressor, a rotatable separator means having a fluid mixture inlet, a gas outlet, and a liquid outlet separate from the gas outlet, said separator being mounted on said drive shaft and located downstream of both said centrifugal pump and said compressor and being in communication therewith and handling the mixture therefrom, a second passageway for the gas component of said fluid mixture communicating at one end with said compressor outlet and at the other end with said separator inlet, a gas outlet in said housing for said gas component of said fluid mixture substantially aligned with said gas outlet of said separator, a third passageway communicating at one end with said liquid outlet of said separator and at the other end with said liquid outlet in said housing for removing said minor liquid component of the fluid mixture out of the housing substantially free of said gas component said separator comprising a pair of spaced superimposed disks having a plurality of radially extending blades therebetween, said radially extending blades extending substantially beyond the outer diameters of said disks, one of said disks being a solid wall the other of said disks being provided with a plurality of ports located relatively close to the axis of rotation of said separator, said ports being in communication with both the spaces between said radially extending blades and said gas outlet, said one solid wall disk extending radially beyond said ports and the space extending radially beyond said one solid wall disk forming a passage in communication with said fluid inlet chamber, said housing defining close clearance relationship to the sides of said radially extending blades with said liquid component for preventing back-flow thereof, and a collecting chamber for the liquid component of said mixture located on the periphery of said radially extending blades said collecting chamber being in communication with said liquid outlet, said collecting chamber being a common collecting chamber the outer ends of the passage walls, a pressure relief valve in said collecting chamber, said valve releasing said liquid component of the fluid mixture therethrough when the pressure of said separator is raised above a predetermined level by the rotation of said radially extending blades.

Claim 8

Apparatus for separating a fluid mixture into a substantially liquid-free gaseous phase and a substantially gas-free liquid phase; comprising a housing, a fluid inlet in said housing, a rotatable drive shaft, a liquid handling centrifugal pump being mounted on said drive shaft and having a plurality of blades, an annular chamber surrounding said blades, a liquid outlet for the liquid centrifuged from said mixture by said centrifugal pump, a compressor having an inlet for gaseous components and an outlet therefor and a plurality of blades also mounted on said drive shaft and positioned downstream of said pump, a first passageway connecting said annular chamber with said compressor inlet for entry of the gas components of said mixture with a minor amount of said liquid componeNt into said compressor, a rotatable separator means having a fluid mixture inlet, a gas outlet, and a liquid outlet separate from the gas outlet, said separator being mounted on said drive shaft and located downstream of both said centrifugal pump and said compressor and being in communication therewith and handling the mixture therefrom, a second passageway for the gas component of said fluid mixture communicating at one end with said compressor outlet and at the other end with said separator inlet, a gas outlet in said housing for said gas component of said fluid mixture substantially aligned with said gas outlet of said separator, a third passageway communicating at one end with said liquid outlet of said separator and at the other end with said liquid outlet in said housing for removing said minor liquid component of the fluid mixture out of the housing substantially free of said gas component said separator comprising a pair of spaced superimposed disks having a plurality of radially extending blades therebetween, said radially extending blades extending substantially beyond the outer diameters of said disks, one of said disks being a solid wall the other of said disks being provided with a plurality of ports located relatively close to the axis of rotation of said separator, said ports being in communication with both the spaces between said radially extending blades and said gas outlet, said one solid wall disk extending radially beyond said ports and the space extending radially beyond said one solid wall disk forming a passage in communication with said fluid inlet chamber, said housing defining close clearance relationship to the sides of said radially extending blades with said liquid component for preventing back-flow thereof, and a collecting chamber for the liquid component of said mixture located on the periphery of said radially extending blades said collecting chamber being in communication with said liquid outlet, said collecting chamber being a common collecting chamber the outer ends of the passage walls, a pressure relief valve in said collecting chamber, said valve releasing said liquid component of the fluid mixture therethrough when the pressure of said separator is raised above a predetermined level by the rotation of said radially extending blades.