CA1052293A - Apparatus for cleaning and cooling compressed air - Google Patents
Apparatus for cleaning and cooling compressed airInfo
- Publication number
- CA1052293A CA1052293A CA237,853A CA237853A CA1052293A CA 1052293 A CA1052293 A CA 1052293A CA 237853 A CA237853 A CA 237853A CA 1052293 A CA1052293 A CA 1052293A
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- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- air
- housing
- chamber
- gas
- swirl
- Prior art date
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Abstract
A B S T R A C T
An air cooler and cleaner is disclosed for cool-ing compressed-air, for removing moisture, and for re-moving lubricant oil, solid particles and other contaminants. The apparatus includes a tubular aluminum housing and an upper housing-closure and a lower housing-closure. Sheet-aluminum cooling fins having housing-receiving openings and cylindrical spacer and heat-conductor collars around said openings are heat-shrunk onto the housing in firm thermally-conductive contact therewith and spacing the fins in relation to each other.
A swirl-chamber is provided in the lower portion of the housing and a cooling-chamber is provided in the upper portion of the housing. The swirl-chamber has a tangential air-inlet for rapidly spinning the air therein.
An inverted cylindrical cup-like air-director is located within the cooling-chamber for directing the air against and along the wall of the cooling-chamber in a thin layer. A funnel-like member including a flange is located a short distance below the air-director for separating the swirl-chamber from the cooling-chamber and having a central opening and an air-riser-tube extending down from said opening into the swirl-chamber to a substantial depth thereof. An air-outlet port is pro-vided in the upper closure for the discharge of the cooled and cleaned air. A filter is provided in the upper end of the tubular housing through which the com-pressed-air passes. A contaminant drain-opening is pro-vided in the swirl-chamber and an automatic drain valve is connected with the drain-opening.
An air cooler and cleaner is disclosed for cool-ing compressed-air, for removing moisture, and for re-moving lubricant oil, solid particles and other contaminants. The apparatus includes a tubular aluminum housing and an upper housing-closure and a lower housing-closure. Sheet-aluminum cooling fins having housing-receiving openings and cylindrical spacer and heat-conductor collars around said openings are heat-shrunk onto the housing in firm thermally-conductive contact therewith and spacing the fins in relation to each other.
A swirl-chamber is provided in the lower portion of the housing and a cooling-chamber is provided in the upper portion of the housing. The swirl-chamber has a tangential air-inlet for rapidly spinning the air therein.
An inverted cylindrical cup-like air-director is located within the cooling-chamber for directing the air against and along the wall of the cooling-chamber in a thin layer. A funnel-like member including a flange is located a short distance below the air-director for separating the swirl-chamber from the cooling-chamber and having a central opening and an air-riser-tube extending down from said opening into the swirl-chamber to a substantial depth thereof. An air-outlet port is pro-vided in the upper closure for the discharge of the cooled and cleaned air. A filter is provided in the upper end of the tubular housing through which the com-pressed-air passes. A contaminant drain-opening is pro-vided in the swirl-chamber and an automatic drain valve is connected with the drain-opening.
Description
~OS;~293 The invention relates to air cooling and cleaning ~' apparatus for use in connection with the development of a compressed-air supply for operating air-brakes on automotive equipment or for use in many industrial applications, as for instance, compressed-air operated tools, valves and instruments, and ot'her compressed-air operated or controlled equipment.
The compression of the air, by means of an air-compressor, to a pressure in the customary range 10 (of 5.63 to 10.56 kilograms per square centimeter or more) raises the temperature of the air by several hundred degrees, as, for instance, 148C, more or less, depend-ing on the pressure. For eficient storage and use, t'he ~ ' temperature of the compressed-air must be reduced as near ambient temperature as possible. The compressed-air, as it leaves t'he compressor, may also have entrained therein some of t'he lubricant-oil used to lubricate the compressor or an air-whipped or aerated and perhaps some-what aqueous emulsion-like form of such oil, and may 20 also 'have entrained therein dust and other solid contami-nants such as carbon particles resulting from the carbonization of lubricant oil. Anot'her contaminant and frequently the largest contaminant is the moisture drawn into the compressor along with the atmospheric air, T'he extent of this contaminant varies of course with t'he degree of'humidity. However, whatever the 'humidity, moisture and water entrained in the compressed-air leav-ing the compressor r~presents a hazard in the operation of air-brakes and other equipment to be operated or con-30 trolled by the compressed-air.
The compression of the air, by means of an air-compressor, to a pressure in the customary range 10 (of 5.63 to 10.56 kilograms per square centimeter or more) raises the temperature of the air by several hundred degrees, as, for instance, 148C, more or less, depend-ing on the pressure. For eficient storage and use, t'he ~ ' temperature of the compressed-air must be reduced as near ambient temperature as possible. The compressed-air, as it leaves t'he compressor, may also have entrained therein some of t'he lubricant-oil used to lubricate the compressor or an air-whipped or aerated and perhaps some-what aqueous emulsion-like form of such oil, and may 20 also 'have entrained therein dust and other solid contami-nants such as carbon particles resulting from the carbonization of lubricant oil. Anot'her contaminant and frequently the largest contaminant is the moisture drawn into the compressor along with the atmospheric air, T'he extent of this contaminant varies of course with t'he degree of'humidity. However, whatever the 'humidity, moisture and water entrained in the compressed-air leav-ing the compressor r~presents a hazard in the operation of air-brakes and other equipment to be operated or con-30 trolled by the compressed-air.
- 2 -105~;293 The object of the present invention is the effi-cient and reliable cooling of the compressed-air and the removal therefrom of its moisture or water content and the removal therefrom of the oil (or emulsion) dis-charged by the compressor and dust and carbon particles and other contaminants entrained therein, while the compressed-air flows from the compressor to a storage-reservoir. A further object is a construction in air coolers and cleaners which is durable, trouble-free and economical to manufacture.
Apparatus in accordance with the present invention is designed for cleaning and removing moisture from a relatively warm compressed gas and includes a housing defining a swirl chamber and having intended upper and lower sides, ~ contaminant drain opening formed in the housing at the lower side of the swirl chamber, a gas intake formed in the housing and directing incoming gas tangentially in a swirl pattern in the swirl chamber, and a tubular member mounted generally centrally of the swirl chamber and above the drain opening. The tubular member forms a gas exit passage for gas leaving the swirl chamber and has an inlet end adjacent to the drain opening.
The incoming gas travels in a swirl pattern around the tubular member and the gas travels a substantial distance and moves past the drain opening before entering the gas inlet end. The housing is pitched toward the drain opening.
Valve means are connected to the drain opening for normally closing the drain opening and causing contaminants and moisture to collect in the drain opening. The warm gas moves in heat exchange relation past the drain opening -~
and prevents collected moisture and contaminants from freezing.
Apparatus in accordance with the present invention is designed for cleaning and removing moisture from a relatively warm compressed gas and includes a housing defining a swirl chamber and having intended upper and lower sides, ~ contaminant drain opening formed in the housing at the lower side of the swirl chamber, a gas intake formed in the housing and directing incoming gas tangentially in a swirl pattern in the swirl chamber, and a tubular member mounted generally centrally of the swirl chamber and above the drain opening. The tubular member forms a gas exit passage for gas leaving the swirl chamber and has an inlet end adjacent to the drain opening.
The incoming gas travels in a swirl pattern around the tubular member and the gas travels a substantial distance and moves past the drain opening before entering the gas inlet end. The housing is pitched toward the drain opening.
Valve means are connected to the drain opening for normally closing the drain opening and causing contaminants and moisture to collect in the drain opening. The warm gas moves in heat exchange relation past the drain opening -~
and prevents collected moisture and contaminants from freezing.
-3-~os,,~;~93 The apparatus may further include a cooling chamber ; -having a gas inlet thereto in communication with an outlet of the tubular member and having a gas outlet therefrom.
The cooling chamber includes a heat exchanger for cooling gas flowing therethrough.
The apparatus is preferably formed, in the main, of a material, such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy, having high thermal conductivity and high tensile strength.
The member which is mounted between the cleaning and ~
cooling chambers is preferably funnel shaped, with the -tube of the funnel extending deep into the swirl chamber.
A filter is preferably also provided between the cooling chamber and said air outlet.
The invention will be better understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures of the drawings, wherein:
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.. . .
- . . : , Figure 1 represents a vertical cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the air cooler and cleaner of the present invention, s'hown-on a somewhat reduced scale.
Figure 2 represents a 'horizontal cross-sectional view on line 2-2 of Figure 1.
Figure 3 represents a top plan view on line 3-3 of Figure 1, of the upper housing-closure and of t'he corner ~ortions of the uppermost cooling-fin extending outwardly beyond the housing closure.
Figure 4 represents a cross-sectional view on line
The cooling chamber includes a heat exchanger for cooling gas flowing therethrough.
The apparatus is preferably formed, in the main, of a material, such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy, having high thermal conductivity and high tensile strength.
The member which is mounted between the cleaning and ~
cooling chambers is preferably funnel shaped, with the -tube of the funnel extending deep into the swirl chamber.
A filter is preferably also provided between the cooling chamber and said air outlet.
The invention will be better understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures of the drawings, wherein:
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.. . .
- . . : , Figure 1 represents a vertical cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the air cooler and cleaner of the present invention, s'hown-on a somewhat reduced scale.
Figure 2 represents a 'horizontal cross-sectional view on line 2-2 of Figure 1.
Figure 3 represents a top plan view on line 3-3 of Figure 1, of the upper housing-closure and of t'he corner ~ortions of the uppermost cooling-fin extending outwardly beyond the housing closure.
Figure 4 represents a cross-sectional view on line
4-4 of Figure 1.
Figure 5 represents a cross-sectional view on line
Figure 5 represents a cross-sectional view on line
5-5 of Figure 1.
Figure 6 represents an elevational view of the empty tubular 'housing, wit'h only the air-inlet welded thereto, suc'h air-inlet being eit'her the air-inlet s'hown in Figures 1 & 4 or t'he air-inlet shown in Figure 11.
Figure 7 represents an elevational view of the housing-closure and of t'he integral filter-'housing ex- ' 20 tending downwardly t'herefrom, with a portion of t'he filter- ~
housing shown in section. ;
Figure 8 represents a bottom view of the upper 'housing-closure and of the filter-'housing. ;~
Figure 9 represents an elevational view of the ' lower housing-closure and valve-mounting member telescoped into and welded to the bottom of t'he tubular housing, ;
as viewed at 90 degrees to the cross-sectional view thereof s'hown at the bottom of Figure 1.
Figure 10 represents a bottom view of the bottom 30 closure and valve-mounting member s'hown in Figure 9.
105'~Z93 Figure 11 represents a cross-sectional view on line 11-11 of Figure 6. '' Figure 12 represents a cross-sectional view on line 12-12 of Figure 1, s'howing (among other elements) a bottom view of t'he air-director-supporting disc. ~-~
Figure 13 represents a perspective view of the air~director-supporting disc (shown in cross-section in Figure 1, and whose bottom view is shown in Figure 12).
Figure 14 represents a view on line 14-14 of 10 Figure 1.
Figure 15 represents a perspective view of a spring which urges t'he air-director downwardly.
Figure 16 represents a cross-sectional view of a valve of an automotive embodiment of my air cooler and cleaner.
Figure 17 represents a cross-sectional view of a valve of a stationary embodiment of my air cooler and i.
cleaner. , Figure 18 represents a sc'hematic view of compressor, ~' 2b reservoir and unloader of an automotive air system in-cluding the automotive embodiment of my air cooler and cleaner.
In the illustrated embodiment of the present in-vention, the air cooler and cleaner in its entirety (as illustrated in Figure 1) is designated by the reference-number 20. The tubular housing thereof is designated in :~
its entirety by t'he reference-number 21, and the upper housing-closure thereof is designated by t'he reference-30 number 22, and the bottom housing-closure member thereof 105'~293 is designated by the reference-number 23.
A funnel-like mem~er 24, hereinafter generally referred to as the "funnel", is operatively mounted within the tubular housing 21, in the manner indicated in Figure 1. The funnel 24 comprises a flange including a horizontal planar outer flange-portion 25 and a conical - inner flange-portion 26 having a central opening therein. The outer diameter of the outer planar flange-portion 25 is such that it will fit neatly within the 10 inner diameter of the tubular housing 21, with a minimum clearance required to insert flange into the housing;
suc'h clearance being sufficiently small that any upward leakage of air between the outer periphery of t'he planar flange-portion 25 and the inner surface of the tubular housing 21 will be insignificant.
The outer planar flange-portion 25 rests on and is ,.
supported by t'hree or four equidistantly spaced and 'horizontally aligned rivet'heads 28 whose stems 29 pass through 'holes 30 in t'he tubular 'housing 21 with a tight 20 fit and with the outer ends 31 t'hereof riveted over tightly, so t'hat the rivets are in air-tight relation to the housing 21.
The flange (25 & 26) of the funnèl 24 divides the tubular housing 21 into a lower swirl-chamber 32 and an upper cooling-chamber 33, the upper cooling-c'hamber having a vertical dimension or extent substantially greater t'han that of the lower swirl-chamber 32. ':
An air-riser-tube 34 extends downwardly from the funnel 24, into the swirl-chamber 32 to a point a s'hort 30 distance above the bottom thereof as indicated in Figure 1.
.
lOS;~Z93 A boss-like fitting 35 is welded to the outer surface of the housing 21, in operative alignment wit'h an inlet opening 36 in the housing 21, by means of the annular fillet-weld 37. The outer end-portion of the boss-like fitting 35 is pipe-threaded to receive a suitable T-fitting 38 whose outer end 39 is connected with the pipe-line whic'h delivers the compressed-air to t'he air cooler and cleaner, and to the rig'ht-angular branc'h 40 of which any suitable pressure-release-valve 10 or safety-valve is operatively mounted, The inner end-portion of the bore of the fitting 35 may be pipe-t'hreaded as indicated in Figure 1, and into such inner .' threaded portion a 45 angled fitting 42 is operatively secured, as indicated in Figures 1 & 4; with the inner angled portion 43 thereof formed into a t'hreadless nozzle (as indicated in Figure 43 for delivering the incoming ;
compressed-air tangentially of the inner surface of the swirl-chamber 32, so as to impart a rapidly spinning or . :
swirling motion to t'he air descending downwardly t'hrough 20 the swirl-c'hamber, Instead of providing a separate inner 45-angled .
fitting 42 (as in Figures 1 & 4), the boss-like fitting 35 may 'have a coaxial inward extension 44 (Figure 11) formed integrally t'herewith, whose inner end may be closed, and in the side of which a round hole or a slot 45 may be provided with its median plane generally 'horizontally disposed, the hole or slot 45 being suitably angled so as to dlsc'harge the incoming compressed-air generally tangentially of t'he inner surface of t'he swirl-c'hamber 30 32, as indicated by the arrows in Figure 11.
lOSZ293 The bottom housing-closure 23 (Figures 1,5, 9 &
lO) is preferably cast or forged of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, but may otherwise be formed of aluminum or of an aluminum alloy. The bottom 'housing-closure 23 includes a cylindrical flange 46 whose outer surface fits snugly within the inner cylindrical surface of the tubular 'housing 21, and a conical bottom-wall 47 which is preferably coaxial with the cylindrical flange 46. An oblong drain-boss 48 extends downwardly from the 10 conical bottom-wall 47 as shown in Figures 9 & 10. The oblong boss 48 has a vertical discharge passageway or sump 49 therethrough, which also extends through the conical bottom-wall 47, the discharge passageway 49 being :~
offcenter in relation to the axis of the cylindrical flange 46, as indicated particularly in Figures 1, 5 & 10.
A lateral threaded hole 50 extends from the vertical drain-passageway or sump 49, into which hole 50 a threaded pipe-end or nipple 51 of an automatic drain-valve 52 i5 threaded. ~'~
20 A closure-plug 53 is threaded into t'he lowermost end .
of the vertical drain-passageway of sump 49, so that its .
upper end is at or in close proximity to the hole through the nipple 51, so that when the drain-valve 52 is periodic-ally opened, substantially all the water, oil and solid particles which have accumulated in the sump 49 (and in the conical cavity 54 t'hereabove) will be flushed out and aischarged or "dumped" through the discharge outlet 55 of the automatic drain-valve 52 by the force of the compressed-air within the housing 21 and within air-director 62 30 (Figure l).
105'~Z93 The plug 53 in t'he bottom of t'he drain-sump 49 may be removed for access to the sump 49 and to the interior of t'he swirl-c'hamber for inspection or clean-out, if needed.
A lateral cylindrical bore or chamber 56 is pro-vided in the oblong drain-boss 48, coaxial wit'h the lateral opening 50 t'herein, in which bore or c'hamber 56 ' t'he innermost cylindrical portion 99 of the drain-valve 52 may be snugly nested as indicated in Figure 1, so 10 t'hat any vibration of t'he air cooler and cleaner result-ing from t'he vibration of the vehicle on which it is mounted will not tend to break off t'he nipple 51 nor otherwise adversely effect the attac'hment of the drain-valve 52 to the lateral drain-opening 50. Alternatively, ~-the innermost portion 99 of t'he housing of the drain- ':
valve 52 may be screw-threaded into the bore 56, as in~
dicated in Figures 16 & 17, or it may be formed int~gral-ly wit'h the drain-boss 48.
A vertical clearance-'hole 57 is provided in t'he 20 bottom of the oblong drain-boss 48, through which t'he drain-valve 52 may discharge the contents of the sump-'hole 49 and of the conical cavity 54 thereabove. A pipe-nipple 58 may extend t'hrough the hole 57 and be threaded into the drain-'hole 55 of t'he drain-valve 52 for dis-c'harging the contents of the sump 49 and of the conical cavity 54 as indicated in Figure 1, or t'he bottom of the oblong drain-boss 48 may be cut away beyond t'he bore or -:
chamber 56 thereof.
lOS;~Z93 A recess 59 is provided at t'he bottom of the 'housing 21, as indicated particularly in Figures 1 & 6, for clear-ing the outer portion of the drain-valve 52.
The lower 'housing-closure 23 is secured to t'he .' tubular housing 21 in air-tight relationship thereto, by means of an annular fillet-weld 60 between its flange 46 ~ -and the housing 21.
The hollow cylindrical air-director 62 is prefer- - : ' ably formed of suitable plastic or hard pressed fibre 10 or impregnated fibre material having very low heat con-ductivity, and having an upper closure 63 of the sa~e or similar material. The lower portion 64 of the closure 63 is press-fitted and/or cemented into or otherwise secured to the top of t'he cylindrical body of the air-director 62, and its upper portion 65 has a flange 66 ~, extending outwardly and overlapping the upper end of t'he tubular body of the air-director 62. At three or four circumferentially distributed points thereof, center-ing projections 94 (Figure 14) extend outwardly from the 20 flange 66 into close proximity of the inner wall-surface of the cooling-chamber 33 (as indicated in Figures 1, 2 & 14), for centering t'he upper end of the air-director 62 .
in relation to t'he cooling-chamber 33.
, The lower open end of the tubular body of the air-director 62 is supported on a multi-diametered and per-forated director-supporting disc 67 s'hown in Figure 13.
The smaller diametered upper portion 68 of the disc 67 is press-fitted into the lower end of the tubular body of t'he air-director 62, as indicated in Figure 1, with , 30 the lower end of suc'h tubular body resting on the ~' .. . . . .. ~ ~ . . :
~OS'~Z93 horizontal shoulder 69 of the disc 67 (Figures 13 & 1).
Three or four circumferentially distributed integral air-director-centering elements 70 extend laterally outward-ly from the disc 67 into close proximity of t'he inner wall-surface of t'he tubular housing 21, so as to center the lower end of the air-director in relation thereto.
Integral spacers 71 extend downwardly from the center-ing elements 70 and rest on the outer flange-portion 25 of the funnel 24, as indicated in Figures 1, 13 & 12, so 10 as to space t'he air-director-supporting disc 67 at a distance above the funnel 24 just sufficiently to permit t'he free passage of the compressed-air between the disc 67 and t'he funnel-flange (25 & 26) in a laterally outward direction towards an annular air-passage space 72 between t'he air-director 62 and the inner surface of the cooling-,chamber 33, as indicated by the arrows in Figure 1.
Instead of the downwardly extending vertical spacer 71, vertical spacers of corresponding height may be 20 provided on t'he planar flange-portion 25 of the funnel 24, by being formed integrally therewith or by being riveted ~ . ' or spot-welded thereto or by being otherwise secured there-to, suc'h alternative vertical spacers preferablv extending upwardly to t'he l~wer horizontal annular surfaces 73 of the disc 67, so as to space the disc 67 from the flange 25 of the funnel 24 at the same distance as the spacing provided by the vertical spacers 71. Alternatively, a short upstanding peripheral cylindrical spacer-flange may be provided on the funnel-flange (25 & 26) beneath the 30 radial centering-projections 70 of the air-director-.
lOS;~93 supporting disc 67 for supporting the latter and the air-director 62.
The upper 'housing-closure 22, preferably cast or forged of aluminum or aluminum alloy, has a downwardly extending filter-housing 74, preferably formed integral-ly therewith, in whic'h the filter 75, confined between upper and lower perforated metallic discs 76 & 77, is operatively mounted, as indicated in Figure 1. An annular retainer-ring 78 is mounted in the ring-receiving 10 groove 79 (Figure 7) near the bottom of the filter- -housing 74, and supports the lower perforated disc 77 of t'he filter-assembly as s'hown in Figure 1. A suitable helical compression-spring 80 is operatively mounted '~
between the bottom surface of the upper 'housing-closure 22 and t'he upper perforated disc 76, so as to press the discs 76 & 77 to t'he filter 75 and to keep the filter-assemblage seated on the retainer-ring 78. '~
As the compressed-air is cooled during its upward passage through the annulus-shaped air-passageway 72 20 ~between the wall-surface of the cooling-chamber 33 and ~ -the air-director 62) most, if not all, of the moisture content thereof is condensed and flows downwardly as a thin film on the wall-surface of the cooling-chamber 33 and drops OlltO t'he funnel-flange ~25 & 26) and drains from there into the bottom of the swirl-chamber 32 along the inner wall-surface of the air-riser-tube 3~.
For the removal of any traces of moisture which may be still left in the compressed-air after it has risen above the air-director 62, I may operatively mount an 30 air-permeable descicator cartridge (not shown) between lOS'~Zg3 filter-assemblage (75, 76 & 77) and the inner surface of the upper housing-closure 22.
T'he upper housing-closure 22 is provided wit'h an outer boss 81 through which the outlet-opening 82 ex-tends. The outer end of the opening has a check-valve 83 operatively mounted thereto, with the downstream end 84 of the c'heck-valve 83 being connected to the com-pressed-air reservoir by any suitable piping or tubing 85, as indicated in Figure 18.
To t'he upper end of the tubular housing 21, an aluminum or aluminum alloy ring or collar 86 is secured by being press-fitted over and welded thereto by the fillet-weld 87 whic'h may be a continuous annular weld or may be comprised of several circumferentially spaced fillet-welds. The collar 86 is provided with a suitable number of circumferentially distributed tapped holes 88, into which t'he headed bolts 89 (extending through corrresponding 'holes in t'he housing-closure 22) are firm-ly threaded, thereby securing t'he upper 'housing-closure 20 22 to the upper end of the housing 21, as indicated in Figures l, 3, 7 & 8. A suitable sealing gasket 97 is interposed between the upper housing-closure 22 and the upper end of t'he housing 21, so as to form an air-tight seal therebetween, as indicated in Figure 1.
A spring designated generally by the numeral 90 (shown in Figures 1, 14 ~ 15) 'has four upper inwardly-inclining V-shaped spring-prongs 91 and rests on top of the upper closure 63 of the air-director 62, wit'h its outermost elbow-like bends 92 in close proximity to the 30 inner surface of t'he tubular housing 21, so as to be los'~Z93 : ~
centered thereby, and having the points 93 of its four prongs 91 bearing against the lower annular end of the filter-'housing 74 (as indicated in Figure 1), thereby to .
exert a resilien-t downward pressure upon the air-director The generally rectangular sheet-aluminum ~or alumi~
num alloy) cooling-fins 95, have rounded corners (as indicated in Figures 2, 3, 12 & 14) and have central open-ings therein and have generally cylindrical short integral flanges 96 at t'heir inner diameters, with the inner diameters of such flanges tightly fitting the outer diameter of t'he tubular housing 21~ T'he inner diameters '~
of the cylindrical flanges 96 of the coollng-fins 95 are preferably made slightly less than the outer diameter of ' the tubular housing 21, and such flanged fins are' -telescoped over the tubular housing 21 by being first heated to and maintained at a temperature sufficiently hig'h to increase the inner diameter of the flange 96 t'here- : -of to an extent permitting suc'h flanges to be *elescoped .' -20 over the tubular housing 21 and thereafter cooled so as ..
to s'hrink t'he flange 96 tightly onto the outer surface of the tubular housing 21 in firm thermally-conductive ..
contact with the outer surface of the tubular 'housing. '~
Instead of heating the fins 95 and flanges 96 to sufficiently'hig'h temperature (above ambient temperature) ~
to expand t'he inner diameter of t'he flanges 96 sufficient- :
ly to be telescoped over the tubular 'housing 21 at ambient temperature, I may, alternatively, chill the tubular 'housing 21 sufficiently below ambient temperature to reduce its outer diameter sufficiently to fit into the ~ . . ~ . , ~ .. . . .
105'~Z93 flanges 96 while t'he later are at ambient temperature.
I may both heat the fins 95 (and their flanges 96) and chill the 'housing 21 so as concurrently to enlarge the inner diameter of the flanges 96 and reduce outer diameter of t'he housing 21, and then telescope the fins 95 (and flanges 96) and the housing 21 in relation to each other while t'hey are maintained at their elevated and lowered temperatures, respectively. As used in the following claims thereof, the term "heat-shrunk" is in-10 tended to cover the firm thermally-conductive contact between the flanges 96 and t'he housing 21 obtained by any of these t'hree methods.
The flanged fins 95 may instead be press-fitted onto the outer surface of the tubular housing 21, as well as any of these t'hree heat-s'hrinkings.
The flanged-fins 95'and the housing 21 are so telescoped in relation to each ot'her either before the collar 86 is applied to the tubular 'housing 21 or before the air-inlet fitting 35 and the rivets ~28 & 29) are 20 applied to the tubular housing; preferably before the latter are applied t'hereto. Several s'hort circumferen-tially distributed fillet-welds 98 (Figure 1) are applied to the lowermost fin 95 and the adjacent outer wall surface of the tubular housing 21, so as to maintain the fins against the separation of the flanges thereof from the next adjacent fin. T'he uppermost fin 95 is abutted against the fillet-weld 87, whic'h serves as an upper abuttment for the fins.
lOS'~Z93 While in t'he embodiment of my invention shown in t'he drawings, the fins 95 are provided only on the portion of the tubular~housing 21 which is generally above the flange (25 & 26) of the funnel 24 (namely, t'hat part of the tubular housing which constitutes t'he cooling-chamber and the portion thereof immediately above the cooling-chamber), yet for use in warm or hot climates I may also provide similar cooling-fins on the portion of the tubular 'housing 21 between t'he inlet-fitting 35 and 10 the valve-clearing recess 59 in the lower end of thè
housing 21.
For use of my air cooler and drier in extremely cold climate, I may encase or envelope the lower portion of t'he tubular housing 21, namely, the portion t'hereof below flange 25-26 of the funnel 24, or t'he lowermost portion thereof in w'hic'h t'he lowe,r 'housing-closure 23 is mounted , .. .
(including the bottom thereof across t'he lower end oi~ t'he tubular housing 21), in a thermally insulating boot or jacket (not shown), in order to prevent any possible freez-20 ing of t'he water in the swirl-c'hamber 32 or in the conical -' cavity 54 or in t'he drain-sump 49 therebeneat'h or to pre-vent any possible freezing of the drain-valve 52.
Instead of the rivets (28-29) for supporting the funnel 24 and t'he air-director 62, I may provide a spacer between the upper annular shoulder 100 of the lower hous-ing-closure 23 and the lower surface of the flange-portion ~, 25 of the funnel 24~ Suc'h spacer may be in the form of a thin-walled aluminum tube snugly fitting into t'he inner diameter of tubular housing 21 and having a cut-out or hole 30 to clear the inlet-nozzle 42 in Figures 1 & 4 or the inlet-, lOS'~293 nozzle 44 (in Figure 11).
T'he automatic drain-valve 52 may be of the normally closed type illustrated in Figure 16 or it may be of the normally open type illustrated in Figure 17. ~ :~
In t'he embodiment of my air cooler and cleaner 20 for use in connection wit'h air-compressors (116) and their storage-reservoirs (117) on automotive equipment, such as trucks, tractors and the like (Figures 16 & 18) whose compressor 116 is continuously driven by t'he engine t'here-10 of, the drain-valve 52 is of t'he normally closed type illustrated in Figure 16 whose innermost housing portion 99 may be screw-threadedly mounted to (or formed integral-ly with) the drain-boss 48 of the lower 'housing-closure 23 of t'he air cooler and cleaner 20.
The normally-closed drain-valve 52 shown in Figure 16 includes a conical valve-seat 101 facing aownstream, and a corresponding conical valve-disc 102 facing up-stream, carried by a valve-rod 103 whose downstream end is slideably supported in t'he central hole 104 of the web 20 105 having t'hrough-holes 106 therein, and whose upstream end is slideably supported in the co-axial 'hole 107 of a similarly apertured web 108. The outer end of the valve-rod àbuts against the piston 109. A helical compression spring 110 returns t'he piston 109 to its retracted position shown in Figure 16 when compressed-air from t'he governor unloader valve 115 is not applied t'hereto, while (under the same condition) the helical compression spring 111 ureges the valve-disc 102 into its seating or closed position shown in Figure 16. The seating of the valve-30 disc 102 is also augmented by the pressure of the compress-.~ ~
~05'~Z93 ed-air upstream thereof. The flange 113 on the valve-rOd 103 serves to limit t'he downstream unseating movement of the valve-disc 102. The pipe or tubing 61 from t'he control-air-port 112 of the drain-valve 52 shown in Figure 16 is connected to t'he pipe-line 114 between the governor unloader valve 115 and the air-compressor 116 ' - s'hown schematically in Figure 18. Such governor unloader valve 115 is generally mounted between the compressed air-storage-reservoir 117 and the air-compressor 116, so t'hat 10 when the pressure in the storage-reservoir 117 reaches t'he upper pressure-limit for which it is set, the com- ~' '' pressed-air from the storage-reservoir 117 will activate the unloader-valve 115 so t'hat its control-valve is thereby opened to admit compressed-air from the storage-reservoir 117 to t'he valve de-activator of the air compressor, which t'hereby-keeps the air-intake valve of t'he compressor open even though the compressor continues to turn over. So long as t'he air-intake-valve of t'he air-compressor is t'hus kept open, the compressor does not deliver compressed-air to the air cooler & cleaner 2G
and 'hence does not deliver compressed-air to the storage- ' ' reservoir 117 t'herebeyond.
When t'he pressure of t'he air in the storage-reservoir 117 drops to the lower pressure-limit for whic'h the governor unloader-valve 115 is set, then its control-valve closes, so that compressed-air from the reservoir 117 is not delivered to the pipe-line 114 leading to aforementioned valve de-activator of the compressor and so t'hat the line 114 is vented to the atmosphere whereby -~OS;~Z93 the air-intake valve of the compressor again closes cycli-cally during the compression stroke of t'he piston of the compressor, so that the compressor delivers compressed-air to'the air cooler and cleaner 20 and to t'he storage-reservoir 117 therebeyond Upon suc'h venting of t'he line 114, the line 61 connected to the control-air-port 112 of the drain-valve 52 is likewise vented, with the result t'hat the spring 110 returns the piston 109 to the position s'hown in Figure 16, and t'he spring 111 returns 10 the valve-disc 102 to its closed position as s'hown in Figure 16.
In the embodiment of my air cooler and cleaner 20 for use in connection with air-compressors (and t'heir storage-reservoirs) stationarily installed in service-stations, shops, factories, laboratories and the like, where t'he compressor is completely shut down or stopped whenever the pressure in its storage-reservoir reac'hes an upper set limit and is t'hen started up again when the lower set limit of pressure is reached in the reservoir, 20 the drain-valve 52 is of t'he normally open type illus-trated in.Figure 17, whose innermost'housing portion 99 may likewise be screw-threadedly mounted to (or formed integrally with) t'he drain-boss 38 of the lower housing-closure 23 of my air cooler and cleaner 20.
In t'his embodiment the piston 109 and the valve-disc 122 and t'he valve-rod or the valv~-stem 103 may be formed integrally with eac'h other as illustrated in Figure 17. In t'his embodiment, the conical valve-seat 121 faces upstream and the correspondingly tapered 30 valve-disc 122 faces downstream, so that the piston-lOS~Z93 return spring 111 keeps the valve open in t'he absence of pressure applied to the control-fluid-port 112. In this embodiment t'he pipe-line 61 is connected to the oil-delivery side or the pressure-side of the oil-pump of the air-compressor (or to t'he line leading therefrom), ~ , so that wh~never the compressor is turning over, the -valve-disc 122 will be kept'in its seated or closed position, against the valve-seat 121, so t'hat the drain- -valve 52 is closed whenever the air-compressor is running, 10 and so that whenever the air-compressor is shut down (and the oil-pressure from the oil-pump of t'he compres-sor ceases or drops below t'he required pressure), t'hen the drain-valve 52 shown in Figure 17 will be opened so as to drain and disc'harge the contents of t'he sump 49 and the conical cavity 54 thereabove in the lower housing- '.
closure 23.
The term "pilot-fluid", as used in the following - claims, is intended to cover the pilot-air under pressure supplied to the pilot-port 112 through the lines 20 114 & 61 by the governor unloader valve 115 of or connect- -ed'to the compressor 116 as in the automotive embodiment illustrated in Figures 16 & 18, as well as the pilot-oil under pressure supplied to the pilot-port 112 by the oil- ~:
pump of the air-compressor in stationary embodiment illustrated in Figure 17. The term "pilot-fluid output-port" as used in t'he claims is intended to cover the compressed-air output-port of the governor unloader valve 115 (Figure 18) in the automotive use of my air cooler & cleaner 20 as well as the oil-output-port or oil-30 output-line of the oil-pump of the air-compressor in the lOS~Z93 stationary use of my air cooler & cleaner 20 (such oil-pump not being shown in the drawings;.
In the embodiment of my air cooler and cleaner 20 illustrated in Figure 1, the extruded aluminum tube con-stituting the housing 21 is 38.1 cm. long and 'has a 13.33 cm. long outer diameter and a 12.06 cm. inner diameter and a wall thickness of 0.635 cm., and the fins 95 (and flanges 96) are s'heet aluminum having a thickness of about 0.127 cm. These dimensions are stated here for 10 purposes of illustration and without restriction.
To increase the capacity of my air ~ooler and cleaner, as, for instance, to accommodate larger air-compressors, I generally need only increase the lengt'h of the thick-walled aluminum'housing tube 21 and corres-pondingly increase the lengt'hs of the cooling chamber 33 and air-director 62, alt'hough I may also increase the vertical dimensions of the swirl-c'hamber 32 and air-riser-tube 34. The same upper and lower 'housing-closures (22 & 23) and the same inlet-boss (35) are usable with 20 such lengt'hened housing-tubes 21, thus conducing to economic manufacture of my air cooler and cleaner, The aforementioned emulsion-like oil and the water and solid particles entrained in the compressed-air at times result in the accumulation of a sludge in t'he -~
bottom of an air cooler and cleaner, which tends to be-come more viscous and at times to cake unless it is fully flus'hed out with each successive periodic operation of the automatic drain-valve. In order better to assure t'he adequate flushing out of such sludge upon eac'h operation 3Q of the automatic valve 52, I have made th,e diameter or - . ~ ~: ' ' ,.
.
105;~Z93 horizontal dimension of the drain-sump 49 relatively smaller in xelation to the diameter or horizontal dimension of the conical cavity 54 and of t'he swirl~
chamber 32 thereabove. As a result, the sludge which :
is the oldest will accumulate in the small-diametered drain-sump 49 from whic'h it can better be flushed out by the compressed-air thereabove, which passes through the drain-sump at a higher velocity because of the small cross-sectional area thereof (during each "open"
phase of the drain-valve 52) whereas the sludge in t'he cavity 54 or in the bottom of the swirl-chamber 32 can be more readily flushed out by the lower velocity compressed-air sweeping theret'hrough. :~
The normally-closed automatic drain-valve 52 is ~ .
s'hown in Figure 16 and the normally-open automatic drain-valve 52 is shown in Figure 17 only for t'he ~' purposes exemplifying illustrations of these automatic drain-valves and without limitation to t'he specific '~ ' constructional details s'hown in these exemplifying 20 illustrations~
The term "aluminum" as used hereinabove and as :
used in the following claims is intended also to cover ''' aluminum alloys and compositions containing a major proportion of aluminum.
The compressed air enters the swirl chamber near the top thereof and t'he air rapidly spins or swirls, thereby imposing a force on the relatively heavy solid or liquid particles entrained in the compressed air.
This force causes the particles to move to the wall of 30the housing and then to drain downwardly to the low ~OC~'~293 side of the 'housing. Since the lower end of the funnel is spaced considerably lower than the air inlet, t'he air must move a substantial distance before entering the lower open end of t'he funnel, thereby ensuring re~
moval of the particles. Further, the lower open end of the funnel is relatively close to t'he cavity 54 and the sump 49, and the air entering the swirl chamber is relatively hot. Consequently, the hot air prevents contaminants and sludge which collects in the sump 49, from freezing.
.
- , . .
Figure 6 represents an elevational view of the empty tubular 'housing, wit'h only the air-inlet welded thereto, suc'h air-inlet being eit'her the air-inlet s'hown in Figures 1 & 4 or t'he air-inlet shown in Figure 11.
Figure 7 represents an elevational view of the housing-closure and of t'he integral filter-'housing ex- ' 20 tending downwardly t'herefrom, with a portion of t'he filter- ~
housing shown in section. ;
Figure 8 represents a bottom view of the upper 'housing-closure and of the filter-'housing. ;~
Figure 9 represents an elevational view of the ' lower housing-closure and valve-mounting member telescoped into and welded to the bottom of t'he tubular housing, ;
as viewed at 90 degrees to the cross-sectional view thereof s'hown at the bottom of Figure 1.
Figure 10 represents a bottom view of the bottom 30 closure and valve-mounting member s'hown in Figure 9.
105'~Z93 Figure 11 represents a cross-sectional view on line 11-11 of Figure 6. '' Figure 12 represents a cross-sectional view on line 12-12 of Figure 1, s'howing (among other elements) a bottom view of t'he air-director-supporting disc. ~-~
Figure 13 represents a perspective view of the air~director-supporting disc (shown in cross-section in Figure 1, and whose bottom view is shown in Figure 12).
Figure 14 represents a view on line 14-14 of 10 Figure 1.
Figure 15 represents a perspective view of a spring which urges t'he air-director downwardly.
Figure 16 represents a cross-sectional view of a valve of an automotive embodiment of my air cooler and cleaner.
Figure 17 represents a cross-sectional view of a valve of a stationary embodiment of my air cooler and i.
cleaner. , Figure 18 represents a sc'hematic view of compressor, ~' 2b reservoir and unloader of an automotive air system in-cluding the automotive embodiment of my air cooler and cleaner.
In the illustrated embodiment of the present in-vention, the air cooler and cleaner in its entirety (as illustrated in Figure 1) is designated by the reference-number 20. The tubular housing thereof is designated in :~
its entirety by t'he reference-number 21, and the upper housing-closure thereof is designated by t'he reference-30 number 22, and the bottom housing-closure member thereof 105'~293 is designated by the reference-number 23.
A funnel-like mem~er 24, hereinafter generally referred to as the "funnel", is operatively mounted within the tubular housing 21, in the manner indicated in Figure 1. The funnel 24 comprises a flange including a horizontal planar outer flange-portion 25 and a conical - inner flange-portion 26 having a central opening therein. The outer diameter of the outer planar flange-portion 25 is such that it will fit neatly within the 10 inner diameter of the tubular housing 21, with a minimum clearance required to insert flange into the housing;
suc'h clearance being sufficiently small that any upward leakage of air between the outer periphery of t'he planar flange-portion 25 and the inner surface of the tubular housing 21 will be insignificant.
The outer planar flange-portion 25 rests on and is ,.
supported by t'hree or four equidistantly spaced and 'horizontally aligned rivet'heads 28 whose stems 29 pass through 'holes 30 in t'he tubular 'housing 21 with a tight 20 fit and with the outer ends 31 t'hereof riveted over tightly, so t'hat the rivets are in air-tight relation to the housing 21.
The flange (25 & 26) of the funnèl 24 divides the tubular housing 21 into a lower swirl-chamber 32 and an upper cooling-chamber 33, the upper cooling-c'hamber having a vertical dimension or extent substantially greater t'han that of the lower swirl-chamber 32. ':
An air-riser-tube 34 extends downwardly from the funnel 24, into the swirl-chamber 32 to a point a s'hort 30 distance above the bottom thereof as indicated in Figure 1.
.
lOS;~Z93 A boss-like fitting 35 is welded to the outer surface of the housing 21, in operative alignment wit'h an inlet opening 36 in the housing 21, by means of the annular fillet-weld 37. The outer end-portion of the boss-like fitting 35 is pipe-threaded to receive a suitable T-fitting 38 whose outer end 39 is connected with the pipe-line whic'h delivers the compressed-air to t'he air cooler and cleaner, and to the rig'ht-angular branc'h 40 of which any suitable pressure-release-valve 10 or safety-valve is operatively mounted, The inner end-portion of the bore of the fitting 35 may be pipe-t'hreaded as indicated in Figure 1, and into such inner .' threaded portion a 45 angled fitting 42 is operatively secured, as indicated in Figures 1 & 4; with the inner angled portion 43 thereof formed into a t'hreadless nozzle (as indicated in Figure 43 for delivering the incoming ;
compressed-air tangentially of the inner surface of the swirl-chamber 32, so as to impart a rapidly spinning or . :
swirling motion to t'he air descending downwardly t'hrough 20 the swirl-c'hamber, Instead of providing a separate inner 45-angled .
fitting 42 (as in Figures 1 & 4), the boss-like fitting 35 may 'have a coaxial inward extension 44 (Figure 11) formed integrally t'herewith, whose inner end may be closed, and in the side of which a round hole or a slot 45 may be provided with its median plane generally 'horizontally disposed, the hole or slot 45 being suitably angled so as to dlsc'harge the incoming compressed-air generally tangentially of t'he inner surface of t'he swirl-c'hamber 30 32, as indicated by the arrows in Figure 11.
lOSZ293 The bottom housing-closure 23 (Figures 1,5, 9 &
lO) is preferably cast or forged of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, but may otherwise be formed of aluminum or of an aluminum alloy. The bottom 'housing-closure 23 includes a cylindrical flange 46 whose outer surface fits snugly within the inner cylindrical surface of the tubular 'housing 21, and a conical bottom-wall 47 which is preferably coaxial with the cylindrical flange 46. An oblong drain-boss 48 extends downwardly from the 10 conical bottom-wall 47 as shown in Figures 9 & 10. The oblong boss 48 has a vertical discharge passageway or sump 49 therethrough, which also extends through the conical bottom-wall 47, the discharge passageway 49 being :~
offcenter in relation to the axis of the cylindrical flange 46, as indicated particularly in Figures 1, 5 & 10.
A lateral threaded hole 50 extends from the vertical drain-passageway or sump 49, into which hole 50 a threaded pipe-end or nipple 51 of an automatic drain-valve 52 i5 threaded. ~'~
20 A closure-plug 53 is threaded into t'he lowermost end .
of the vertical drain-passageway of sump 49, so that its .
upper end is at or in close proximity to the hole through the nipple 51, so that when the drain-valve 52 is periodic-ally opened, substantially all the water, oil and solid particles which have accumulated in the sump 49 (and in the conical cavity 54 t'hereabove) will be flushed out and aischarged or "dumped" through the discharge outlet 55 of the automatic drain-valve 52 by the force of the compressed-air within the housing 21 and within air-director 62 30 (Figure l).
105'~Z93 The plug 53 in t'he bottom of t'he drain-sump 49 may be removed for access to the sump 49 and to the interior of t'he swirl-c'hamber for inspection or clean-out, if needed.
A lateral cylindrical bore or chamber 56 is pro-vided in the oblong drain-boss 48, coaxial wit'h the lateral opening 50 t'herein, in which bore or c'hamber 56 ' t'he innermost cylindrical portion 99 of the drain-valve 52 may be snugly nested as indicated in Figure 1, so 10 t'hat any vibration of t'he air cooler and cleaner result-ing from t'he vibration of the vehicle on which it is mounted will not tend to break off t'he nipple 51 nor otherwise adversely effect the attac'hment of the drain-valve 52 to the lateral drain-opening 50. Alternatively, ~-the innermost portion 99 of t'he housing of the drain- ':
valve 52 may be screw-threaded into the bore 56, as in~
dicated in Figures 16 & 17, or it may be formed int~gral-ly wit'h the drain-boss 48.
A vertical clearance-'hole 57 is provided in t'he 20 bottom of the oblong drain-boss 48, through which t'he drain-valve 52 may discharge the contents of the sump-'hole 49 and of the conical cavity 54 thereabove. A pipe-nipple 58 may extend t'hrough the hole 57 and be threaded into the drain-'hole 55 of t'he drain-valve 52 for dis-c'harging the contents of the sump 49 and of the conical cavity 54 as indicated in Figure 1, or t'he bottom of the oblong drain-boss 48 may be cut away beyond t'he bore or -:
chamber 56 thereof.
lOS;~Z93 A recess 59 is provided at t'he bottom of the 'housing 21, as indicated particularly in Figures 1 & 6, for clear-ing the outer portion of the drain-valve 52.
The lower 'housing-closure 23 is secured to t'he .' tubular housing 21 in air-tight relationship thereto, by means of an annular fillet-weld 60 between its flange 46 ~ -and the housing 21.
The hollow cylindrical air-director 62 is prefer- - : ' ably formed of suitable plastic or hard pressed fibre 10 or impregnated fibre material having very low heat con-ductivity, and having an upper closure 63 of the sa~e or similar material. The lower portion 64 of the closure 63 is press-fitted and/or cemented into or otherwise secured to the top of t'he cylindrical body of the air-director 62, and its upper portion 65 has a flange 66 ~, extending outwardly and overlapping the upper end of t'he tubular body of the air-director 62. At three or four circumferentially distributed points thereof, center-ing projections 94 (Figure 14) extend outwardly from the 20 flange 66 into close proximity of the inner wall-surface of the cooling-chamber 33 (as indicated in Figures 1, 2 & 14), for centering t'he upper end of the air-director 62 .
in relation to t'he cooling-chamber 33.
, The lower open end of the tubular body of the air-director 62 is supported on a multi-diametered and per-forated director-supporting disc 67 s'hown in Figure 13.
The smaller diametered upper portion 68 of the disc 67 is press-fitted into the lower end of the tubular body of t'he air-director 62, as indicated in Figure 1, with , 30 the lower end of suc'h tubular body resting on the ~' .. . . . .. ~ ~ . . :
~OS'~Z93 horizontal shoulder 69 of the disc 67 (Figures 13 & 1).
Three or four circumferentially distributed integral air-director-centering elements 70 extend laterally outward-ly from the disc 67 into close proximity of t'he inner wall-surface of t'he tubular housing 21, so as to center the lower end of the air-director in relation thereto.
Integral spacers 71 extend downwardly from the center-ing elements 70 and rest on the outer flange-portion 25 of the funnel 24, as indicated in Figures 1, 13 & 12, so 10 as to space t'he air-director-supporting disc 67 at a distance above the funnel 24 just sufficiently to permit t'he free passage of the compressed-air between the disc 67 and t'he funnel-flange (25 & 26) in a laterally outward direction towards an annular air-passage space 72 between t'he air-director 62 and the inner surface of the cooling-,chamber 33, as indicated by the arrows in Figure 1.
Instead of the downwardly extending vertical spacer 71, vertical spacers of corresponding height may be 20 provided on t'he planar flange-portion 25 of the funnel 24, by being formed integrally therewith or by being riveted ~ . ' or spot-welded thereto or by being otherwise secured there-to, suc'h alternative vertical spacers preferablv extending upwardly to t'he l~wer horizontal annular surfaces 73 of the disc 67, so as to space the disc 67 from the flange 25 of the funnel 24 at the same distance as the spacing provided by the vertical spacers 71. Alternatively, a short upstanding peripheral cylindrical spacer-flange may be provided on the funnel-flange (25 & 26) beneath the 30 radial centering-projections 70 of the air-director-.
lOS;~93 supporting disc 67 for supporting the latter and the air-director 62.
The upper 'housing-closure 22, preferably cast or forged of aluminum or aluminum alloy, has a downwardly extending filter-housing 74, preferably formed integral-ly therewith, in whic'h the filter 75, confined between upper and lower perforated metallic discs 76 & 77, is operatively mounted, as indicated in Figure 1. An annular retainer-ring 78 is mounted in the ring-receiving 10 groove 79 (Figure 7) near the bottom of the filter- -housing 74, and supports the lower perforated disc 77 of t'he filter-assembly as s'hown in Figure 1. A suitable helical compression-spring 80 is operatively mounted '~
between the bottom surface of the upper 'housing-closure 22 and t'he upper perforated disc 76, so as to press the discs 76 & 77 to t'he filter 75 and to keep the filter-assemblage seated on the retainer-ring 78. '~
As the compressed-air is cooled during its upward passage through the annulus-shaped air-passageway 72 20 ~between the wall-surface of the cooling-chamber 33 and ~ -the air-director 62) most, if not all, of the moisture content thereof is condensed and flows downwardly as a thin film on the wall-surface of the cooling-chamber 33 and drops OlltO t'he funnel-flange ~25 & 26) and drains from there into the bottom of the swirl-chamber 32 along the inner wall-surface of the air-riser-tube 3~.
For the removal of any traces of moisture which may be still left in the compressed-air after it has risen above the air-director 62, I may operatively mount an 30 air-permeable descicator cartridge (not shown) between lOS'~Zg3 filter-assemblage (75, 76 & 77) and the inner surface of the upper housing-closure 22.
T'he upper housing-closure 22 is provided wit'h an outer boss 81 through which the outlet-opening 82 ex-tends. The outer end of the opening has a check-valve 83 operatively mounted thereto, with the downstream end 84 of the c'heck-valve 83 being connected to the com-pressed-air reservoir by any suitable piping or tubing 85, as indicated in Figure 18.
To t'he upper end of the tubular housing 21, an aluminum or aluminum alloy ring or collar 86 is secured by being press-fitted over and welded thereto by the fillet-weld 87 whic'h may be a continuous annular weld or may be comprised of several circumferentially spaced fillet-welds. The collar 86 is provided with a suitable number of circumferentially distributed tapped holes 88, into which t'he headed bolts 89 (extending through corrresponding 'holes in t'he housing-closure 22) are firm-ly threaded, thereby securing t'he upper 'housing-closure 20 22 to the upper end of the housing 21, as indicated in Figures l, 3, 7 & 8. A suitable sealing gasket 97 is interposed between the upper housing-closure 22 and the upper end of t'he housing 21, so as to form an air-tight seal therebetween, as indicated in Figure 1.
A spring designated generally by the numeral 90 (shown in Figures 1, 14 ~ 15) 'has four upper inwardly-inclining V-shaped spring-prongs 91 and rests on top of the upper closure 63 of the air-director 62, wit'h its outermost elbow-like bends 92 in close proximity to the 30 inner surface of t'he tubular housing 21, so as to be los'~Z93 : ~
centered thereby, and having the points 93 of its four prongs 91 bearing against the lower annular end of the filter-'housing 74 (as indicated in Figure 1), thereby to .
exert a resilien-t downward pressure upon the air-director The generally rectangular sheet-aluminum ~or alumi~
num alloy) cooling-fins 95, have rounded corners (as indicated in Figures 2, 3, 12 & 14) and have central open-ings therein and have generally cylindrical short integral flanges 96 at t'heir inner diameters, with the inner diameters of such flanges tightly fitting the outer diameter of t'he tubular housing 21~ T'he inner diameters '~
of the cylindrical flanges 96 of the coollng-fins 95 are preferably made slightly less than the outer diameter of ' the tubular housing 21, and such flanged fins are' -telescoped over the tubular housing 21 by being first heated to and maintained at a temperature sufficiently hig'h to increase the inner diameter of the flange 96 t'here- : -of to an extent permitting suc'h flanges to be *elescoped .' -20 over the tubular housing 21 and thereafter cooled so as ..
to s'hrink t'he flange 96 tightly onto the outer surface of the tubular housing 21 in firm thermally-conductive ..
contact with the outer surface of the tubular 'housing. '~
Instead of heating the fins 95 and flanges 96 to sufficiently'hig'h temperature (above ambient temperature) ~
to expand t'he inner diameter of t'he flanges 96 sufficient- :
ly to be telescoped over the tubular 'housing 21 at ambient temperature, I may, alternatively, chill the tubular 'housing 21 sufficiently below ambient temperature to reduce its outer diameter sufficiently to fit into the ~ . . ~ . , ~ .. . . .
105'~Z93 flanges 96 while t'he later are at ambient temperature.
I may both heat the fins 95 (and their flanges 96) and chill the 'housing 21 so as concurrently to enlarge the inner diameter of the flanges 96 and reduce outer diameter of t'he housing 21, and then telescope the fins 95 (and flanges 96) and the housing 21 in relation to each other while t'hey are maintained at their elevated and lowered temperatures, respectively. As used in the following claims thereof, the term "heat-shrunk" is in-10 tended to cover the firm thermally-conductive contact between the flanges 96 and t'he housing 21 obtained by any of these t'hree methods.
The flanged fins 95 may instead be press-fitted onto the outer surface of the tubular housing 21, as well as any of these t'hree heat-s'hrinkings.
The flanged-fins 95'and the housing 21 are so telescoped in relation to each ot'her either before the collar 86 is applied to the tubular 'housing 21 or before the air-inlet fitting 35 and the rivets ~28 & 29) are 20 applied to the tubular housing; preferably before the latter are applied t'hereto. Several s'hort circumferen-tially distributed fillet-welds 98 (Figure 1) are applied to the lowermost fin 95 and the adjacent outer wall surface of the tubular housing 21, so as to maintain the fins against the separation of the flanges thereof from the next adjacent fin. T'he uppermost fin 95 is abutted against the fillet-weld 87, whic'h serves as an upper abuttment for the fins.
lOS'~Z93 While in t'he embodiment of my invention shown in t'he drawings, the fins 95 are provided only on the portion of the tubular~housing 21 which is generally above the flange (25 & 26) of the funnel 24 (namely, t'hat part of the tubular housing which constitutes t'he cooling-chamber and the portion thereof immediately above the cooling-chamber), yet for use in warm or hot climates I may also provide similar cooling-fins on the portion of the tubular 'housing 21 between t'he inlet-fitting 35 and 10 the valve-clearing recess 59 in the lower end of thè
housing 21.
For use of my air cooler and drier in extremely cold climate, I may encase or envelope the lower portion of t'he tubular housing 21, namely, the portion t'hereof below flange 25-26 of the funnel 24, or t'he lowermost portion thereof in w'hic'h t'he lowe,r 'housing-closure 23 is mounted , .. .
(including the bottom thereof across t'he lower end oi~ t'he tubular housing 21), in a thermally insulating boot or jacket (not shown), in order to prevent any possible freez-20 ing of t'he water in the swirl-c'hamber 32 or in the conical -' cavity 54 or in t'he drain-sump 49 therebeneat'h or to pre-vent any possible freezing of the drain-valve 52.
Instead of the rivets (28-29) for supporting the funnel 24 and t'he air-director 62, I may provide a spacer between the upper annular shoulder 100 of the lower hous-ing-closure 23 and the lower surface of the flange-portion ~, 25 of the funnel 24~ Suc'h spacer may be in the form of a thin-walled aluminum tube snugly fitting into t'he inner diameter of tubular housing 21 and having a cut-out or hole 30 to clear the inlet-nozzle 42 in Figures 1 & 4 or the inlet-, lOS'~293 nozzle 44 (in Figure 11).
T'he automatic drain-valve 52 may be of the normally closed type illustrated in Figure 16 or it may be of the normally open type illustrated in Figure 17. ~ :~
In t'he embodiment of my air cooler and cleaner 20 for use in connection wit'h air-compressors (116) and their storage-reservoirs (117) on automotive equipment, such as trucks, tractors and the like (Figures 16 & 18) whose compressor 116 is continuously driven by t'he engine t'here-10 of, the drain-valve 52 is of t'he normally closed type illustrated in Figure 16 whose innermost housing portion 99 may be screw-threadedly mounted to (or formed integral-ly with) the drain-boss 48 of the lower 'housing-closure 23 of t'he air cooler and cleaner 20.
The normally-closed drain-valve 52 shown in Figure 16 includes a conical valve-seat 101 facing aownstream, and a corresponding conical valve-disc 102 facing up-stream, carried by a valve-rod 103 whose downstream end is slideably supported in t'he central hole 104 of the web 20 105 having t'hrough-holes 106 therein, and whose upstream end is slideably supported in the co-axial 'hole 107 of a similarly apertured web 108. The outer end of the valve-rod àbuts against the piston 109. A helical compression spring 110 returns t'he piston 109 to its retracted position shown in Figure 16 when compressed-air from t'he governor unloader valve 115 is not applied t'hereto, while (under the same condition) the helical compression spring 111 ureges the valve-disc 102 into its seating or closed position shown in Figure 16. The seating of the valve-30 disc 102 is also augmented by the pressure of the compress-.~ ~
~05'~Z93 ed-air upstream thereof. The flange 113 on the valve-rOd 103 serves to limit t'he downstream unseating movement of the valve-disc 102. The pipe or tubing 61 from t'he control-air-port 112 of the drain-valve 52 shown in Figure 16 is connected to t'he pipe-line 114 between the governor unloader valve 115 and the air-compressor 116 ' - s'hown schematically in Figure 18. Such governor unloader valve 115 is generally mounted between the compressed air-storage-reservoir 117 and the air-compressor 116, so t'hat 10 when the pressure in the storage-reservoir 117 reaches t'he upper pressure-limit for which it is set, the com- ~' '' pressed-air from the storage-reservoir 117 will activate the unloader-valve 115 so t'hat its control-valve is thereby opened to admit compressed-air from the storage-reservoir 117 to t'he valve de-activator of the air compressor, which t'hereby-keeps the air-intake valve of t'he compressor open even though the compressor continues to turn over. So long as t'he air-intake-valve of t'he air-compressor is t'hus kept open, the compressor does not deliver compressed-air to the air cooler & cleaner 2G
and 'hence does not deliver compressed-air to the storage- ' ' reservoir 117 t'herebeyond.
When t'he pressure of t'he air in the storage-reservoir 117 drops to the lower pressure-limit for whic'h the governor unloader-valve 115 is set, then its control-valve closes, so that compressed-air from the reservoir 117 is not delivered to the pipe-line 114 leading to aforementioned valve de-activator of the compressor and so t'hat the line 114 is vented to the atmosphere whereby -~OS;~Z93 the air-intake valve of the compressor again closes cycli-cally during the compression stroke of t'he piston of the compressor, so that the compressor delivers compressed-air to'the air cooler and cleaner 20 and to t'he storage-reservoir 117 therebeyond Upon suc'h venting of t'he line 114, the line 61 connected to the control-air-port 112 of the drain-valve 52 is likewise vented, with the result t'hat the spring 110 returns the piston 109 to the position s'hown in Figure 16, and t'he spring 111 returns 10 the valve-disc 102 to its closed position as s'hown in Figure 16.
In the embodiment of my air cooler and cleaner 20 for use in connection with air-compressors (and t'heir storage-reservoirs) stationarily installed in service-stations, shops, factories, laboratories and the like, where t'he compressor is completely shut down or stopped whenever the pressure in its storage-reservoir reac'hes an upper set limit and is t'hen started up again when the lower set limit of pressure is reached in the reservoir, 20 the drain-valve 52 is of t'he normally open type illus-trated in.Figure 17, whose innermost'housing portion 99 may likewise be screw-threadedly mounted to (or formed integrally with) t'he drain-boss 38 of the lower housing-closure 23 of my air cooler and cleaner 20.
In t'his embodiment the piston 109 and the valve-disc 122 and t'he valve-rod or the valv~-stem 103 may be formed integrally with eac'h other as illustrated in Figure 17. In t'his embodiment, the conical valve-seat 121 faces upstream and the correspondingly tapered 30 valve-disc 122 faces downstream, so that the piston-lOS~Z93 return spring 111 keeps the valve open in t'he absence of pressure applied to the control-fluid-port 112. In this embodiment t'he pipe-line 61 is connected to the oil-delivery side or the pressure-side of the oil-pump of the air-compressor (or to t'he line leading therefrom), ~ , so that wh~never the compressor is turning over, the -valve-disc 122 will be kept'in its seated or closed position, against the valve-seat 121, so t'hat the drain- -valve 52 is closed whenever the air-compressor is running, 10 and so that whenever the air-compressor is shut down (and the oil-pressure from the oil-pump of t'he compres-sor ceases or drops below t'he required pressure), t'hen the drain-valve 52 shown in Figure 17 will be opened so as to drain and disc'harge the contents of t'he sump 49 and the conical cavity 54 thereabove in the lower housing- '.
closure 23.
The term "pilot-fluid", as used in the following - claims, is intended to cover the pilot-air under pressure supplied to the pilot-port 112 through the lines 20 114 & 61 by the governor unloader valve 115 of or connect- -ed'to the compressor 116 as in the automotive embodiment illustrated in Figures 16 & 18, as well as the pilot-oil under pressure supplied to the pilot-port 112 by the oil- ~:
pump of the air-compressor in stationary embodiment illustrated in Figure 17. The term "pilot-fluid output-port" as used in t'he claims is intended to cover the compressed-air output-port of the governor unloader valve 115 (Figure 18) in the automotive use of my air cooler & cleaner 20 as well as the oil-output-port or oil-30 output-line of the oil-pump of the air-compressor in the lOS~Z93 stationary use of my air cooler & cleaner 20 (such oil-pump not being shown in the drawings;.
In the embodiment of my air cooler and cleaner 20 illustrated in Figure 1, the extruded aluminum tube con-stituting the housing 21 is 38.1 cm. long and 'has a 13.33 cm. long outer diameter and a 12.06 cm. inner diameter and a wall thickness of 0.635 cm., and the fins 95 (and flanges 96) are s'heet aluminum having a thickness of about 0.127 cm. These dimensions are stated here for 10 purposes of illustration and without restriction.
To increase the capacity of my air ~ooler and cleaner, as, for instance, to accommodate larger air-compressors, I generally need only increase the lengt'h of the thick-walled aluminum'housing tube 21 and corres-pondingly increase the lengt'hs of the cooling chamber 33 and air-director 62, alt'hough I may also increase the vertical dimensions of the swirl-c'hamber 32 and air-riser-tube 34. The same upper and lower 'housing-closures (22 & 23) and the same inlet-boss (35) are usable with 20 such lengt'hened housing-tubes 21, thus conducing to economic manufacture of my air cooler and cleaner, The aforementioned emulsion-like oil and the water and solid particles entrained in the compressed-air at times result in the accumulation of a sludge in t'he -~
bottom of an air cooler and cleaner, which tends to be-come more viscous and at times to cake unless it is fully flus'hed out with each successive periodic operation of the automatic drain-valve. In order better to assure t'he adequate flushing out of such sludge upon eac'h operation 3Q of the automatic valve 52, I have made th,e diameter or - . ~ ~: ' ' ,.
.
105;~Z93 horizontal dimension of the drain-sump 49 relatively smaller in xelation to the diameter or horizontal dimension of the conical cavity 54 and of t'he swirl~
chamber 32 thereabove. As a result, the sludge which :
is the oldest will accumulate in the small-diametered drain-sump 49 from whic'h it can better be flushed out by the compressed-air thereabove, which passes through the drain-sump at a higher velocity because of the small cross-sectional area thereof (during each "open"
phase of the drain-valve 52) whereas the sludge in t'he cavity 54 or in the bottom of the swirl-chamber 32 can be more readily flushed out by the lower velocity compressed-air sweeping theret'hrough. :~
The normally-closed automatic drain-valve 52 is ~ .
s'hown in Figure 16 and the normally-open automatic drain-valve 52 is shown in Figure 17 only for t'he ~' purposes exemplifying illustrations of these automatic drain-valves and without limitation to t'he specific '~ ' constructional details s'hown in these exemplifying 20 illustrations~
The term "aluminum" as used hereinabove and as :
used in the following claims is intended also to cover ''' aluminum alloys and compositions containing a major proportion of aluminum.
The compressed air enters the swirl chamber near the top thereof and t'he air rapidly spins or swirls, thereby imposing a force on the relatively heavy solid or liquid particles entrained in the compressed air.
This force causes the particles to move to the wall of 30the housing and then to drain downwardly to the low ~OC~'~293 side of the 'housing. Since the lower end of the funnel is spaced considerably lower than the air inlet, t'he air must move a substantial distance before entering the lower open end of t'he funnel, thereby ensuring re~
moval of the particles. Further, the lower open end of the funnel is relatively close to t'he cavity 54 and the sump 49, and the air entering the swirl chamber is relatively hot. Consequently, the hot air prevents contaminants and sludge which collects in the sump 49, from freezing.
.
- , . .
Claims (17)
1. Apparatus for cleaning and removing moisture from a relatively warm compressed gas comprising a housing defining a swirl chamber and having intended upper and lower sides, a contaminant drain opening formed in said housing at the lower side of said swirl chamber, a gas intake formed in said housing and directing incom-ing gas tangentially in a swirl pattern in said swirl chamber, and a tubular member mounted generally centrally of said swirl chamber and above said drain opening, said tubular member forming a gas exit passage for gas leaving said swirl chamber and having an inlet end adjacent to said drain opening, said incoming gas traveling in a swirl pattern around said tubular member and the gas traveling a substantial distance and moving past the drain opening before entering said gas inlet end, said housing being pitched toward said drain opening, valve means connected to said drain opening for normally closing said drain opening and causing contaminants and moisture to collect in said drain opening, and said warm gas moving in heat exchange relation past said drain opening and preventing collected moisture and contaminants from freezing.
2. Apparatus as in Claim 1, wherein said housing defining said swirl chamber is generally cylindrical, and said gas inlet end of said passage is located substantially on the axis of said swirl chamber.
3. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said swirl chamber is free of baffles.
4. Apparatus as in Claim 1, and further including a cooling chamber having a gas inlet thereto in communication with an outlet of said tubular member and having a gas outlet therefrom, said cooling chamber including a heat exchanger for cooling gas flowing therethrough.
5. Apparatus as in Claim 4, and further including an automatic check valve connected to said gas outlet of said cooling chamber.
6. Apparatus as in Claim 4, wherein said heat exchanger is formed by a portion of the wall of said housing, said portion of said wall having a plurality of cooling fins thereon.
7. Apparatus as in Claim 6, wherein said cool-ing fins are separately formed of sheet metal and are heat, shrunk onto the outer surface of said wall.
8. Apparatus as in Claim 6, and further includ-ing a gas director mounted in said cooling chamber, said director being positioned adjacent the inner surface of said wall portion, said director and said inner surface forming a relatively narrow gas passageway therebetween and causing gas to flow along said inner surface.
9. Apparatus as in Claim 8, wherein said air director is made of a material having low heat conductivity.
10. Apparatus as in Claim 4, and further including a filter mounted in said cooling chamber adjacent said gas outlet.
11. Apparatus as in Claim 4, wherein said tubular member is incorporated in a funnel shaped part that also includes an annular member, said gas exit passage being formed by the hole through said tubular member and by the center of said annular member, said annular member separating said swirl chamber from said cooling chamber.
12. Apparatus as in Claim 4, 5 or 6 wherein said housing defining said swirl chamber is generally cylindrical, and said gas inlet end of said passage is located sub-stantially on the axis of said swirl chamber.
13. Apparatus as in Claim 7, 8 or 9 wherein said housing defining said swirl chamber is generally cylindrical, and said gas inlet end of said passage is located sub-stantially on the axis of said swirl chamber.
14. Apparatus as in Claim 10 or 11, wherein said housing defining said swirl chamber is generally cylindrical, and said gas inlet end of said passage is located sub-stantially on the axis of said swirl chamber.
15. Apparatus as in Claim 4, S or 6, wherein said swirl chamber is free of baffles.
16. Apparatus as in Claim 7, 8 or 9, wherein said swirl chamber is free of baffles.
17. Apparatus as in Claim 10 or 11, wherein said swirl chamber is free of baffles.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA237,853A CA1052293A (en) | 1975-10-17 | 1975-10-17 | Apparatus for cleaning and cooling compressed air |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA237,853A CA1052293A (en) | 1975-10-17 | 1975-10-17 | Apparatus for cleaning and cooling compressed air |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1052293A true CA1052293A (en) | 1979-04-10 |
Family
ID=4104294
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA237,853A Expired CA1052293A (en) | 1975-10-17 | 1975-10-17 | Apparatus for cleaning and cooling compressed air |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1052293A (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN114922798A (en) * | 2022-06-02 | 2022-08-19 | 广东韶钢松山股份有限公司 | Water trap, blowback equipment and air compressor |
-
1975
- 1975-10-17 CA CA237,853A patent/CA1052293A/en not_active Expired
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN114922798A (en) * | 2022-06-02 | 2022-08-19 | 广东韶钢松山股份有限公司 | Water trap, blowback equipment and air compressor |
| CN114922798B (en) * | 2022-06-02 | 2024-05-10 | 广东韶钢松山股份有限公司 | Water removal device, blowback equipment and air compressor |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEX | Expiry |
Effective date: 19960410 |