Method and apparatus for separating particles fluidly suspended in a slurry

Claim 2

A cyclone particle classifier comprising: a housing defining a generally cylindrical region and a substantially frustoconical region therebelow with its apex extending away from said cylindrical region; a tangential inlet port means for introducing a fluid slurry into said cylindrical region; an elongated hollow vortex finder disposed in said housing and having a substantially coaxial passage therethrough with its bottom opening toward said apex of said frustoconical region; exit means at said apex of said frustoconical region and at the top of said coaxial passage of said vortex finder; moveable means positioned on said housing for removing different strata of said fluid slurry passing through the radially outer sectors of said cylindrical region dependent upon the position of said moveable means for removing; an inner forced vortex tube disposed within said coaxial passage of said vortex finder and having a opening towards said apex of said frustoconical region, said inner tube adapted to remove a portion of the slurry in the forced vortex to the exterior of said body.

Claim 3

A cyclone particle classifier as claimed in claim 1 including means for controlling the axial position of said opening of said inner tube.

Claim 4

A cyclone particle classifier as claimed in claim 2 wherein the opening of said inner tube includes a frustoconically shaped intake head with the base of said frustoconical shape opening towards said apex of said frustoconical region.

Claim 5

A cyclone particle classifier as claimed in claim 3 wherein said vortex finder includes a vortex side port in communication with said coaxial passage and includes a side port passageway substantially longitudinally extending from said vortex side port through said elongated vortex finder said side port passageway having an exit port to the exterior of said housing.

Claim 6

A cyclone particle classifier as claimed in claim 4 including a frustoconically shaped lower outlet head coaxially disposed and spaced from the lower outlet which is part of said exit means at said apex of said frustoconical region and spaced from the portion of said housing proximate to said apex of said frustoconical region.

Claim 7

A cyclone particle classifier as claimed in claim 5 including a secondary forced vortex outlet means for removing a portion of the slurry in said forced vortex, said secondary forced vortex outlet being disposed in said exit means of said coaxial passage and adapted to remove said portion of the forced vortex slurry passing through said exit means of said coaxial passage.

Claim 8

A cyclone particle classifier as claimed in claim 5 including means for stopping the flow of slurry through said side port passageway of said vortex finder.

Claim 9

A vortex finder substantially disposed within the interior of a cyclone particle classifier, said interior defining a cylindrical region atop the base of a frustoconical region, the vortex finder comprising: a substantially cylindrical elongated body defining a substantially coaxial passage, the top of the elongated body being open to the exterior of said cyclone classifier beyond said cylindrical region and opposite said frustoconical region, the bottom of the coaxial passage being open to said interior of said cyclone classifier and open towards the apex of said frustoconical region; a vortex side port in communication with said coaxial passage; a side port passageway extending from said vortex side port substantially longitudinally through said elongated body and having an exit port to the exterior of said body; an inner forced vortex tube disposed within said coaxial passage having a opening towards said apex of said frustoconical region, said inner tube adapted to extract a portion of the slurry in the forced vortex and remove the same to the exterior of said body.

Claim 10

A vortex finder substantially disposed within the interior of a cyclone particle classifier, said interior defining a cylindrical region atop the base of a frustoconical region, the vortex finder comprising: a substantially cylindrical elongated body defining a substantially coaxial passage, the top of the elongated body being open to the exterior of said cyclone classifier beyond said cylindrical region and opposite said frustoconical region, the bottom of the coaxial passage being open to said interior of said cyclone classifier and open towards the apex of said frustoconical region; a vortex side port in communication with said coaxial passage; a side port passageway extending from said vortex side port substantially longitudinally through said elongated body and having an exit port to the exterior of said body; an inner forced vortex tube disposed within said coaxial passage having a opening towards said apex of said frustoconical region, said inner tube adapted to extract a portion of the slurry in the forced vortex and remove the same to the exterior of said body.

Claim 11

A vortex finder as claimed in claim 8 wherein the opening of said inner tube includes a frustoconically shaped intake head with the base of said frustoconical shape opening towards said apex of said frustoconical region.

Claim 12

A vortex finder as claimed in claim 9 wherein said vortex side port is proximate to the bottom opening of said vortex finder.

Claim 13

A vortex finder as claimed in claim 10 wherein said elongated body includes a radially outward extending tapered flange in close proximity to the axially inboard portion of said elongated body.

Claim 14

A vortex finder as claimed in claim 11 including a secondary forced vortex outlet means for removing a further portion of the slurry in said forced vortex, said secondary forced vortex outlet being disposed at the exit of said elongated body and adapted to remove said further portion of said slurry passing through said coaxial passage.

Claim 15

A vortex finder as claimed in claim 12 including means for stopping the flow of slurry through said side port passageway.

Claim 16

A cyclone particle classifier for controllably separating out and classifying particles fluidly suspended in a slurry comprising: a housing defining a generally cylindrical region and a substantially frustoconical region therebelow with its apex extending away from said cylindrical region; a tangential inlet port means for introducing the fluid slurry into said cylindrical region; an elongated hollow vortex finder disposed in said housing having a substantially coaxial passage therethrough, the bottom of said coaxial passage being open toward said apex of said frustoconical region; means for controllably extracting first and second portions of said slurry at said apex of said frustoconical region and at the top of said vortex finder via said coaxial passage respectively; moveable means oontrollably positioned on said housing for removing different strata of said fluid slurry passing through the radially outer sectors of said cylindrical region dependent upon the position of said moveable means for removing; an inner forced vortex tube disposed within said coaxial passage of said vortex finder and having a opening towards said apex of said frustoconical region, said inner tube adapted to remove a third portion of the slurry to the exterior of said housing; a vortex side port in communication with said coaxial passage and a side port passageway substantially longitudinally extending from said vortex side port through said elongated vortex finder, said side port passageway adapted to pass a fourth portion of said slurry to the exterior of said housing; controllable means for stopping the flow of said fourth portion of said slurry through said side port passageway; means for analyzing a parameter of the particles entrained within the extracted first, second, third and fourth portions of said slurry and the removed strata obtained via said moveable means for removing and for generating first, second, third, fourth and fifth parameter signals; and control means for positioning said moveable means for removing dependent upon a comparison between one of said first, second, third, fourth and fifth parameter signals and a desired particle parameter.

Claim 17

A cyclone particle classifier for controllably separating out and classifying particles fluidly suspended in a slurry comprising: a housing defining a generally cylindrical region and a substantially frustoconical region therebelow with its apex extending away from said cylindrical region; a tangential inlet port means for introducing the fluid slurry into said cylindrical region; an elongated hollow vortex finder disposed in said housing having a substantially coaxial passage therethrough, the bottom of said coaxial passage being open toward said apex of said frustoconical region; means for controllably extracting first and second portions of said slurry at said apex of said frustoconical region and at the top of said vortex finder via said coaxial passage respectively; moveable means oontrollably positioned on said housing for removing different strata of said fluid slurry passing through the radially outer sectors of said cylindrical region dependent upon the position of said moveable means for removing; an inner forced vortex tube disposed within said coaxial passage of said vortex finder and having a opening towards said apex of said frustoconical region, said inner tube adapted to remove a third portion of the slurry to the exterior of said housing; a vortex side port in communication with said coaxial passage and a side port passageway substantially longitudinally extending from said vortex side port through said elongated vortex finder, said side port passageway adapted to pass a fourth portion of said slurry to the exterior of said housing; controllable means for stopping the flow of said fourth portion of said slurry through said side port passageway; means for analyzing a parameter of the particles entrained within the extracted first, second, third and fourth portions of said slurry and the removed strata obtained via said moveable means for removing and for generating first, second, third, fourth and fifth parameter signals; and control means for positioning said moveable means for removing dependent upon a comparison between one of said first, second, third, fourth and fifth parameter signals and a desired particle parameter.

Claim 20

A method as claimed in claim 15 including the step of defining a substantially cylindrical space within at least said cylindrical region, said cylindrical space being concentric with said cylindrical region; said removal of said fourth portion occurring at the radially inwardmost sector of said forced vortex, and said removal of said fifth portion occurring at the radially outermost sector of the slurry passing through said cylindrical space.

Claim 21

A method as claimed in claim 16 including the steps of: analyzing parameters of the particles entrained in the extracted and removed slurry portions and providing corresponding parameter signals; selecting desired particle parameters; and effecting the controllable removal and extraction of slurry portions and the particles entrained therein based upon said desired particle parameters and said parameter signals.