Method and apparatus for separating components from a flowing medium by means of centrifugal force

Claim 1

A method for separating heavier particles from a flowing lighter medium by subjecting the flowing medium to centrifugal forces, said heavier particles being suspended in said flowing lighter medium, with an apparatus comprising spin generator means including a housing with a given flow diameter and having an axis, exit pipe means including an exit port, said exit pipe means being arranged to extend coaxially with said axis of said spin generator housing, tangential inlet means operatively connected to said spin generator housing for producing a substantially tangential flow in said spin generator housing, said coaxially extending exit pipe means having a diameter smaller than said given diameter of the spin generator housing for converting the substantially tangential flow of the flowing medium with the particles suspended therein into a spinning pipe flow in said exit pipe means, said smaller exit pipe diameter substantially increasing the rotational flow speed in said exit pipe means, separator chamber means having a diameter larger than said exit pipe means, said separator chamber means being arranged for cooperation with said spin generator housing, said exit pipe means being centrally connected to said spin generator housing and extending coaxially into said separator chamber means for imparting an angular momentum, due to said smaller diameter of the exit pipe means, to the flow as it passes from said spin generator housing through said exit pipe means into said separator chamber means, wherein the flow is subjected to a flow diameter expansion, exhaust pipe means also extending coaxially into said separator chamber means coaxially to and opposite said exit pipe means, said exit port being located in the respective separator chamber means, said exhaust pipe means having an entrance port located in the respective separator chamber means at such a position that a predetermined spacing is established between the exit port and the entrance port which face each other in said separator chamber means, said spacing providing an expansion zone between said ports for said flow diameter expansion, whereby an eddy source flow is generated in said flow expansion zone, said apparatus further comprising tangentially effective active exhaust means extending at least for the axial length of said predetermined spacing and operatively connected to said separator chamber means substantially in parallel to said flow expansion zone, said exhaust means amplifying the expanding eddy source flow by superimposing on said eddy source flow a tangentially effective exhaust suction flow in said flow expansion zone, whereby any particles entrained in an axial or radially inwardly directed path are again shifted radially outwardly by the superposition of the radial component of said flow expansion and the radial component of said tangentially effective exhaust means thereby removing the heavier particles toward said tangentially effective exhaust means, and axially effective exhaust means connected to said exhaust pipe means, whereby the lighter now cleaned medium is axially exhausted through said exhaust pipe means, said method comprising the steps: (a) causing a substantially tangential flow of the flowing medium with the particles suspended therein in said spin generator means, (b) reducing the flow diameter by passing the flow into said exit pipe means to convert the flow into a spinning pipe flow and to impart angular momentum to the spinning pipe flow and to substantially increase the rotational speed of said flow by said flow diameter reduction whereby said heavier particles are accumulated in a circumferentially outer zone of said spinning pipe flow, (c) axially spacing said exit port, from which said spinning pipe flow exits, from said coaxially arranged exhaust port for said clean medium, to provide said flow expansion zone between said exit port and said exhaust port, (d) increasing the flow diameter by expanding said spinning pipe flow into said flow expansion zone under its own centrifugal force as the spinning pipe flow exits from said exit port to thereby generate an eddy source flow in said flow expansion zone, (e) superimposing by means of said active exhaust means a tangentially effective, active exhaust suction flow on said expanding eddy source flow for amplifying and stabilizing said eddy source flow in said flow expansion zone and for combining the radially effective centrifugal force component with the radially effective component of the tangential exhaust suction flow whereby any particles entrained in an axial or radially inwardly directed flow are again shifted radially outwardly toward tangential exit ports prior to any axial escape of a particle so that said heavier particles are separated from the flowing medium into said tangentially effective exhaust suction flow, and (f) axially exhausting said clean, lighter medium through said exhaust port.

Claim 2

A method for separating heavier particles from a flowing lighter medium by subjecting the flowing medium to centrifugal forces, said heavier particles being suspended in said flowing lighter medium, with an apparatus comprising spin generator means including a housing with a given flow diameter and having an axis, exit pipe means including an exit port, said exit pipe means being arranged to extend coaxially with said axis of said spin generator housing, tangential inlet means operatively connected to said spin generator housing for producing a substantially tangential flow in said spin generator housing, said coaxially extending exit pipe means having a diameter smaller than said given diameter of the spin generator housing for converting the substantially tangential flow of the flowing medium with the particles suspended therein into a spinning pipe flow in said exit pipe means, said smaller exit pipe diameter substantially increasing the rotational flow speed in said exit pipe means, separator chamber means having a diameter larger than said exit pipe means, said separator chamber means being arranged for cooperation with said spin generator housing, said exit pipe means being centrally connected to said spin generator housing and extending coaxially into said separator chamber means for imparting an angular momentum, due to said smaller diameter of the exit pipe means, to the flow as it passes from said spin generator housing through said exit pipe means into said separator chamber means, wherein the flow is subjected to a flow diameter expansion, exhaust pipe means also extending coaxially into said separator chamber means coaxially to and opposite said exit pipe means, said exit port being located in the respective separator chamber means, said exhaust pipe means having an entrance port located in the respective separator chamber means at such a position that a predetermined spacing is established between the exit port and the entrance port which face each other in said separator chamber means, said spacing providing an expansion zone between said ports for said flow diameter expansion, whereby an eddy source flow is generated in said flow expansion zone, said apparatus further comprising tangentially effective active exhaust means extending at least for the axial length of said predetermined spacing and operatively connected to said separator chamber means substantially in parallel to said flow expansion zone, said exhaust means amplifying the expanding eddy source flow by superimposing on said eddy source flow a tangentially effective exhaust suction flow in said flow expansion zone, whereby any particles entrained in an axial or radially inwardly directed path are again shifted radially outwardly by the superposition of the radial component of said flow expansion and the radial component of said tangentially effective exhaust means thereby removing the heavier particles toward said tangentially effective exhaust means, and axially effective exhaust means connected to said exhaust pipe means, whereby the lighter now cleaned medium is axially exhausted through said exhaust pipe means, said method comprising the steps: (a) causing a substantially tangential flow of the flowing medium with the particles suspended therein in said spin generator means, (b) reducing the flow diameter by passing the flow into said exit pipe means to convert the flow into a spinning pipe flow and to impart angular momentum to the spinning pipe flow and to substantially increase the rotational speed of said flow by said flow diameter reduction whereby said heavier particles are accumulated in a circumferentially outer zone of said spinning pipe flow, (c) axially spacing said exit port, from which said spinning pipe flow exits, from said coaxially arranged exhaust port for said clean medium, to provide said flow expansion zone between said exit port and said exhaust port, (d) increasing the flow diameter by expanding said spinning pipe flow into said flow expansion zone under its own centrifugal force as the spinning pipe flow exits from said exit port to thereby generate an eddy source flow in said flow expansion zone, (e) superimposing by means of said active exhaust means a tangentially effective, active exhaust suction flow on said expanding eddy source flow for amplifying and stabilizing said eddy source flow in said flow expansion zone and for combining the radially effective centrifugal force component with the radially effective component of the tangential exhaust suction flow whereby any particles entrained in an axial or radially inwardly directed flow are again shifted radially outwardly toward tangential exit ports prior to any axial escape of a particle so that said heavier particles are separated from the flowing medium into said tangentially effective exhaust suction flow, and (f) axially exhausting said clean, lighter medium through said exhaust port.

Claim 8

An apparatus for separating heavier particles from a flowing lighter medium by subjecting the flowing medium to centrifugal forces, said heavier particles being suspended in said flowing lighter medium, comprising spin generator means including a housing (1) with a given flow diameter and having an axis (4), exit pipe means (10) including an exit port (14), said exit pipe means being arranged to extend coaxially with said axis (4) of said spin generator housing (1), tangential inlet means (7) operatively connected to said spin generator housing for producing a substantially tangential flow in said spin generator housing, said coaxially extending exit pipe means (10) having a diameter smaller than said given diameter of the spin generator housing for converting the substantially tangential flow of the flowing medium with the particles suspended therein into a spinning pipe flow in said exit pipe means (10), said smaller exit pipe diameter substantially increasing the rotational flow speed in said exit pipe means, separator chamber means (2) having a diameter larger than said exit pipe means, said separator chamber means being arranged for cooperation with said spin generator housing (1), said exit pipe means being centrally connected to said spin generator housing (1) and extending coaxially into said separator chamber means (2) for imparting an angular momentum, due to said smaller diameter of the exit pipe means, to the flow as it passes from said spin generator housing (1) through said exit pipe means (10) into said separator chamber means (2), wherein the flow is subjected to a flow diameter expansion, exhaust pipe means (10a) also extending coaxially into said separator chamber means (2) coaxially to and opposite said exit pipe means (10), said exit port (14) being located in the respective separator chamber means (2), said exhaust pipe means (10a) having an entrance port (15) located in the respective separator chamber means at such a position that a predetermined spacing (12) is established between the exit port (14) and the entrance port (15) which face each other in said separator chamber means (2), said spacing (12) providing an expansion zone between said ports (14, 15) for said flow diameter expansion, whereby an eddy source flow is generated in said flow expansion zone (12), said apparatus further comprising tangentially effective active exhaust means (8) extending at least for the axial length of said predetermined spacing and operatively connected to said separator chamber means (2) substantially in parallel to said flow expansion zone (12), said exhaust means (8) amplifying the expanding eddy source flow by superimposing on said eddy source flow a tangentially effective exhaust suction flow in said flow expansion zone (12), whereby any particles entrained in an axial or radially inwardly directed path are again shifted radially outwardly by the superposition of the radial component of said flow expansion and the radial component of said tangentially effective exhaust means (8) thereby removing the heavier particles toward said tangentially effective exhaust means (8), and axially effective exhaust means connected to said exhaust pipe means (10a) whereby the lighter now cleaned medium is axially exhausted through said exhaust pipe means (10a).

Claim 9

An apparatus for separating heavier particles from a flowing lighter medium by subjecting the flowing medium to centrifugal forces, said heavier particles being suspended in said flowing lighter medium, comprising spin generator means including a housing (1) with a given flow diameter and having an axis (4), exit pipe means (10) including an exit port (14), said exit pipe means being arranged to extend coaxially with said axis (4) of said spin generator housing (1), tangential inlet means (7) operatively connected to said spin generator housing for producing a substantially tangential flow in said spin generator housing, said coaxially extending exit pipe means (10) having a diameter smaller than said given diameter of the spin generator housing for converting the substantially tangential flow of the flowing medium with the particles suspended therein into a spinning pipe flow in said exit pipe means (10), said smaller exit pipe diameter substantially increasing the rotational flow speed in said exit pipe means, separator chamber means (2) having a diameter larger than said exit pipe means, said separator chamber means being arranged for cooperation with said spin generator housing (1), said exit pipe means being centrally connected to said spin generator housing (1) and extending coaxially into said separator chamber means (2) for imparting an angular momentum, due to said smaller diameter of the exit pipe means, to the flow as it passes from said spin generator housing (1) through said exit pipe means (10) into said separator chamber means (2), wherein the flow is subjected to a flow diameter expansion, exhaust pipe means (10a) also extending coaxially into said separator chamber means (2) coaxially to and opposite said exit pipe means (10), said exit port (14) being located in the respective separator chamber means (2), said exhaust pipe means (10a) having an entrance port (15) located in the respective separator chamber means at such a position that a predetermined spacing (12) is established between the exit port (14) and the entrance port (15) which face each other in said separator chamber means (2), said spacing (12) providing an expansion zone between said ports (14, 15) for said flow diameter expansion, whereby an eddy source flow is generated in said flow expansion zone (12), said apparatus further comprising tangentially effective active exhaust means (8) extending at least for the axial length of said predetermined spacing and operatively connected to said separator chamber means (2) substantially in parallel to said flow expansion zone (12), said exhaust means (8) amplifying the expanding eddy source flow by superimposing on said eddy source flow a tangentially effective exhaust suction flow in said flow expansion zone (12), whereby any particles entrained in an axial or radially inwardly directed path are again shifted radially outwardly by the superposition of the radial component of said flow expansion and the radial component of said tangentially effective exhaust means (8) thereby removing the heavier particles toward said tangentially effective exhaust means (8), and axially effective exhaust means connected to said exhaust pipe means (10a) whereby the lighter now cleaned medium is axially exhausted through said exhaust pipe means (10a).