US4182480A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Centrifuge for separating helium from natural gas
Assignee: Ultra Centrifuge Nederland NV
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Filing: 1977-06-02
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Granted: 1980-01-08
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Expires: 1997-06-02
Abstract
Abstract Centrifuge for the separation of gaseous mixtures with a rotor inside a housing, comprising a hollow, cylindrical or nearly cylindrical rotorpart also called a separating drum, in which drum a gaseous component may condense as a liquid. This liquid is admitted thereafter through openings in the drum to the space between drum and housing. In this space are formed a sequence of narrow openings, so called restrictors in which the liquid is brought to expansion, returning to gas form. These restrictors act also as bearings for the drum. The gaseous component that does not liquefy in the drum is drawn off.
Inventors
- 👤 Frederik H. Theyse
- 👤 Fridtjof E. T. Kelling
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 08:42
CPC Classifications
B; B04; B04B; B04B9/00; B04B5/00; B04B5/08; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S494/00; Y10S494/90
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
182 words
Centrifuge for separating gaseous mixtures comprising at least one hollow, cylindrical separator drum which is rotatable about its axis in a housing the separating drum having at one end an end wall in which openings are provided close to the inside wall of the separating drum through which openings a second separation component passes into a space between the drum and the housing, a stationary admission tube for admitting to the drum the gaseous mixture to be separated, said admission tube being rigidly fastened to the housing, at least one outlet tube for discharging a first separation component from the drum, said tubes being open into a separating chamber situated inside the separating drum, a driving motor coupled to the drum, at least one outlet located in the housing for the discharge of the second separation component from the housing, and means forming the space between the drum and the housing into an expansion slot for conveying the second separation component from said openings to said outlet while undergoing a gradual reduction of pressure, said means including a plurality of throttling restrictors.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
182 words
Centrifuge for separating gaseous mixtures comprising at least one hollow, cylindrical separator drum which is rotatable about its axis in a housing the separating drum having at one end an end wall in which openings are provided close to the inside wall of the separating drum through which openings a second separation component passes into a space between the drum and the housing, a stationary admission tube for admitting to the drum the gaseous mixture to be separated, said admission tube being rigidly fastened to the housing, at least one outlet tube for discharging a first separation component from the drum, said tubes being open into a separating chamber situated inside the separating drum, a driving motor coupled to the drum, at least one outlet located in the housing for the discharge of the second separation component from the housing, and means forming the space between the drum and the housing into an expansion slot for conveying the second separation component from said openings to said outlet while undergoing a gradual reduction of pressure, said means including a plurality of throttling restrictors.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
Centrifuge according to claim 1, wherein the wall of the separating drum transmits heat from the inside of this drum to the expansion slot.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
Centrifuge according to claim 1, wherein said restrictors include bearings which surround the drum and support it along the entire periphery, separated from each other by expansion chambers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
Centrifuge according to claim 3, wherein at least one of said bearings is provided in the form of a spiral-groove bearing.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
Centrifuge according to claim 3, wherein at least one of said bearings is designed as a visco-seal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
38 words
Centrifuge according to claim 3 wherein at least one of said bearings includes a bearing house which is provided with at least one bypass which connects the front and the rear side of the bearing to each other.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
Centrifuge according to claim 3 wherein at least one of said bearings is interrupted on the periphery by an expansion slot.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
46 words
Centrifuge according to claim 1, wherein the wall thickness of the housing is adapted to the local pressure in the expansion slot, in the sense that this wall thickness increases to the measure that the maximum operating pressure in this expansion slot increases in this area.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
Centrifuge according to claim 1, wherein the outlet tube for the first separation component extends inside the drum into or near the coolest part thereof.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
31 words
Centrifuge according to claim 1 wherein there are two drums, those end walls of each drum that are furnished with openings facing each other, and being connected by a central portion.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
15 words
Centrifuge according to claim 10, wherein the central portion is the rotor of an electromotor.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
Centrifuge according to claim 1, wherein the centrifuge drum wall exhibits at regular intervals a constriction in the form of a circular slot along the periphery.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
24 words
Centrifuge according to claim 1, wherein means for the separate discharge of fluid are arranged in the expansion spaces located outside the separating drum.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
33 words
Centrifuge according to claim 13 wherein at least one bearing located at the end of the drum remote from said openings is provided in the form of a bearing having a gas cushion.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
78 words
Centrifuge according to claim 1, wherein the inside diameter of the separating drum decreases stepwise from the end wall with openings towards the other end wall, in such a way that the thickest layer of the liquid first separation component inside the separating drum occurs in the area of the highest presure in the decompression slot and the thinnest layer of the liquid first separtion component occurs in the area of the lowest pressure in the decompression slot.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
28 words
Centrifuge according to claim 1, wherein the separating drum contains a number of rotating expansion chambers in heat-exchanging contact with the liquid second separation component in the drum.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
30 words
Centrifuge according to claim 16, wherein a rotating expansion chamber communicates in the vapour space above its free liquid level with the space outside the drum through vapour discharge channels.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
30 words
Centrifuge according to claim 16, wherein the rotating expansion chambers are separated from the inner separating space in the drum by an elongated wall which is ribbed in circumferential direction.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
18 words
Centrifuge according to claim 18, wherein the ribbed wall is flexibly connected to at least one end wall.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
17 words
Centrifuge according to claim 17, wherein a discharge channel opens into the centre of a gas bearing.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
25 words
Centrifuge according to claim 16, wherein a rotating expansion chamber communicates with the central space of the separating drum by means of a small tube.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
21 words
Centrifuge according to claim 18, wherein the gas-filled portions of the rotating expansion chambers communicate with each other through small tubes.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
16 words
Centrifuge according to claim 7, wherein the expansion slot follows one of the helicoid spiral-groove flanks.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3219265A
Cited
US3501091A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1983-01-07 | 1983-07-09 | 1984-01-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1987-01-07 | 1987-07-09 | 1988-01-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1991-01-07 | 1991-07-09 | 1992-01-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |