Hydrodynamic sorting apparatus

Claim 2

A condenser system for steam turbines and the like comprising: condenser elements, cooling fluid circulation means extending through said condenser elements, a plurality of cleaning balls positioned in said circulation means and entrainable by cooling fluid passing through said circulation means so as to effect a cleaning action on the condenser elements during circulation of cooling fluid through said circulation means, and hydrodynamic sorting apparatus interposed in the circulation means for separating those of said cleaning balls which have been worn to below a predetermined reduced size from the remainder of said cleaning balls.

Claim 3

A system according to claim 1, wherein said hydrodynamic sorting apparatus includes ball retention means for preventing those balls of reduced size from being circulated through said condenser elements.

Claim 4

A system according to claim 1, wherein said hydrodynamic sorting apparatus includes means for preventing those balls of reduced size from being circulated through said condenser elements while permitting uninterrupted continuous circulation of the remaining balls and the cooling fluid through said circulation means.

Claim 5

A system according to claim 1, wherein said hydrodynamic sorting apparatus includes: a sorting conduit fluidly connecting first and second portions of said circulation means in bypassing relationship to the normal flow of cooling fluid from the first portion to the second point, said sorting conduit being positioned for continuously conducting a portion of the cooling liquid therethrough in a direction from said first portion to said second portion, a sorting basket at the first portion of said circulation means which has passage openings for permitting passage therethrough of cleaning balls of a size smaller than said predetermined reduced size while preventing passage therethrough of cleaning balls of a size greater than said predetermined reduced size, and a sorting gate in said sorting conduit downstream of said sorting basket for retaining balls from said sorting basket while permitting flow of said portion of the cooling fluid to said second portion.

Claim 6

A system according to claim 4, further comprising sorting gate access means for accommodating access to and removal of the balls retained therein.

Claim 7

A system according to claim 5, wherein said sorting gate access means includes stop valves positioned at either side of said sorting gate for stopping the flow of cooling fluid to and from said sorting gage and openable cover means which provide access to said balls in said sorting gate.

Claim 8

A system according to claim 4, wherein said circulation means includes a turbulence chamber with an axially directed cooling fluid outlet and a cooling fluid inlet extending transverse to said cooling fluid outlet, and wherein said sorting conduit extends into said turbulence chamber in a direction transverse to said cooling flUid outlet with said sorting basket disposed in the turbulence chamber.

Claim 9

A system according to claim 7, wherein said cooling fluid inlet extends radially of said turbulence chamber.

Claim 10

A system according to claim 7, wherein said cooling fluid inlet extends tangentially into said turbulence chamber.

Claim 11

A system according to claim 7, wherein said turbulence chamber is constructed as a ball gate in the form of a cylindrical container with a screen basket disposed therein, and wherein valve means are provided for selectively communicating the flow of fluid from said screen basket to downstream portions of said circulation means by one of said cooling fluid outlet and screen mesh portions of said screen basket which bypass said cooling fluid outlet, whereby all of said balls can be retained in said ball gate by moving said valve means so as to communicate said flow of fluid to said downstream portion of said circulation means only by way of said screen mesh portions.

Claim 12

A system according to claim 10, wherein said cooling fluid outlet is dimensioned to accommodate passage of all of said balls therethrough and said screen mesh portions are dimensioned to prevent passage of any of said balls therethrough.

Claim 13

A system according to claim 4, wherein said circulation means includes a straight turbulence section through which all cooling fluid and balls pass, and wherein said sorting conduit extends radially into said straight section with the sorting basket in the turbulence flow path through said straight section.

Claim 14

A system according to claim 1, wherein said balls are elastically deformable substantially spherically shaped balls of rubber, synthetic resin and the like.

Claim 15

A system according to claim 1, wherein said cooling fluid is water.

Claim 16

A hydrodynamic sorting apparatus for automatically separating cleaning balls of a size below a predetermined reduced size from the remainder of the cleaning balls in a condenser system where cleaning balls are circulated with cooling fluid in a cooling fluid circulation means to clean condenser elements, wherein said hydrodynamic sorting apparatus includes: a sorting conduit fluidly connecting first and second portions of said circulation means in bypassing relationship to the normal flow of cooling fluid from the first portion to the second portion, said sorting conduit being positioned for continuously conducting a portion of the cooling liquid therethrough in a direction from said first portion to said second portion, a sorting basket at the first portion of said circulation means which has passage openings for permitting passage therethrough of cleaning balls of a size smaller than said predetermined reduced size while preventing passage therethrough of cleaning balls of a size greater than said predetermined reduced size, and a sorting gate in said sorting conduit downstream of said sorting basket for retaining balls passed through said sorting basket while permitting flow of said portion of the cooling fluid to said second portion.

Claim 17

A hydrodynamic sorting apparatus for automatically separating cleaning balls of a size below a predetermined reduced size from the remainder of the cleaning balls in a condenser system where cleaning balls are circulated with cooling fluid in a cooling fluid circulation means to clean condenser elements, wherein said hydrodynamic sorting apparatus includes: a sorting conduit fluidly connecting first and second portions of said circulation means in bypassing relationship to the normal flow of cooling fluid from the first portion to the second portion, said sorting conduit being positioned for continuously conducting a portion of the cooling liquid therethrough in a direction from said first portion to said second portion, a sorting basket at the first portion of said circulation means which has passage openings for permitting passage therethrough of cleaning balls of a size smaller than said predetermined reduced size while preventing passage therethrough of cleaning balls of a size greater than said predetermined reduced size, and a sorting gate in said sorting conduit downstream of said sorting basket for retaining balls passed through said sorting basket while permitting flow of said portion of the cooling fluid to said second portion.

Claim 18

Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein means are provided for effecting a continuous operation of said separating of said cleaning balls during operation of the condenser system.

Claim 19

Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein means are provided for effecting an intermittent operation of said separating of said cleaning balls during operation of the condenser system.

Claim 20

A system according to claim 1, wherein means are provided for effecting a continuous operation of said separating of said cleaning balls during operation of the condenser system.

Claim 21

A system according to claim 1, wherein means are provided for effecting an intermittent operation of said separating of said cleaning balls during operation of the condenser system.