Centrifugal separators of the cyclone type

Claim 1

A cyclone separator for the centrifugal separation of solid or liquid particles suspended in a fluid wherein the fluid is whirled about an axis and displaced therealong, the separator comprising: a tubular body surrounding said axis and having an upstream inlet end and a downstream outlet end; an inlet device at the inlet end of the body and comprising a first insulating core surrounding said axis and supporting inlet blades extending between said core and said tubular body, the blades being disposed to impart whirling motion to fluid flowing axially through said body, said inlet blades as viewed in transverse cross section taken normal to said axis being shaped to provide on each blade convex side walls mutually converging from the core toward the body and leaving between the blades trapezoidal spaces having parallel inner and outer boundaries and concave non-parallel side boundaries which diverge outwardly from the core toward the body; an outlet device at the outlet end of the body and comprising an upstream convergent stage, an intermediate stage coupled to the upstream stage, a divergent downstream stage coupled to the intermediate stage, a second insulating core surrounding the axis within the outlet device, and outlet blades extending from said core to said tubular body in said intermediate stage and operative to rectify the flow of the fluid to remove its whirling motion about said axis; an electrode extending along said axis and being supported by said cores, and having an end extending beyond the outlet device into a zone where the particles have been removed and the fluid is no longer whirling; a voltage supply generator connected to said extended end of the electrode; and a lateral discharge extending from the tubular body adjacent to the upstream end of said outlet device and operative to discharge separated particles.